Touch Tone Your OnePass No And Zip Code Now
 

I tossed caution to the wild western wind yesterday and dialed my super-secret OnePass elite telephone number (NOTE: you get faster service by dialing the non-secret general public 800-525-FARE number). When the normal "time waster" voice said "Input your 6 digit OnePass elite number etc etc, I punched in the normal 6 digits of 3's and the 5 digits of 3's.

When the agent answered the phone, he remarked there was a problem receiving my OnePass number. I explained I always punched in 3's as the stupid system doesnt work.

He said the telephone input works now, but it is not automatic. He must (1) first read the screen and (2) second, manually copy the OnePass number into my record. Anyone else experienced this "enhancement" recently?

MisterNice

Ah! It's like those new super-efficient POS systems (cash registers) at Staples where they have the tri-modal user interface consisting of touch-screen monitor, keyboard, *and* traditional cash register pad.

As if those cashiers didn't already have enough trouble figuring out in their heads what to do with the two extra pennies I give them along with the twenty when the total comes to $19.98...

I think I'd have a hard time figuring out why you would tender $20.02 on a purchase of $19.98 also.

I've noticed over the past couple of weeks that the prompt appears to be working. In fact, on two occasions, the agents said:

"Continental Airlines Elite desk. How may I help you today Mr. ******?"

Very similar to the WorldPerks Elite Services desk.

Ahh, you get my drift!

[This message has been edited by ETOPS01 (edited 10-26-2001).]

It has never been a "time waster" and has always worked. If you actually entered in your correct onepass number and zip, the agent would be able to receive it. Perhaps it was always a "time waster" to you since you didn't enter in your correct information.

Occasionally, I'd get an agent that wasn't "elite trained" or whatever and (s)he wouldn't be aware of my status and onepass account.

For a long time, though, I've almost consistently been either greeted by name, or had the agent later reference my account.

I agree, though; it's so terrible that it's not automatic and that the agent must "first read the screen." They should really upgrade their systems to support telepathy, because this is just UNACCEPTABLE and I'll refer to it as an "enhancement," and be sure to notice the "quotes."

Really, though, it's a good thing that the onepass number has to be manually entered, too. Otherwise, how would you make reservations for other people?

If it's telepathy you want, you ought to be calling Ms. Cleo.

My experience has also been that it is helpful to correctly enter my OP number and zip code, both because the agent has my info, as well as getting an immediate response when my info is entered correctly. My experience has been that I always get faster service on the Platinum line than the normal line.

This is pure speculation on my part, and I have no factual knowledge of this, but it would seem to me that an invalid OP or corresponding zip code results in a call being dropped into a 'normal' queue, and a valid OP and zip does put the call into a priority queue. As I said, when I enter my info correctly, my call is almost ALWAYS answered immediately. If I intentionally enter bogus numbers, I have waited on hold for quite some time.

It would be interesting to have 2 Plats call at the exact same time, have one enter correct info, and the other bogus, and see how long each waits on hold.


[This message has been edited by mws (edited 10-27-2001).]

Actually, it is pure speculation on your part...or perhaps more accurately, pure naivete to even believe that any such thing as a priority cue exists.

Continental's phone agents are a single group. The "elite line" is answered by the normal agent. When the moon is in just the right phase of a particular constellation, and you enter all numbers perfectly, your name comes through on their screen and they pretend to be elite agents. They are still just as hit or miss as when your name does not come through.

I believe it's been established here before that there are indeed separate sets of elite agents, but they are only on duty during certain hours (mainly, during the business day). After-hours, your call gets handled by regular agents.

But, even if there aren't dedicated elite agents at any time, that doesn't mean that there isn't more than one queue. It's entirely possible that elite calls get answered by an agent faster than non-elite calls, even if it's the same set of agents handling all the calls. In fact, this would be decidedly A Good Thing for CO to do, in order to provide quick service to their best customers.

Calls are dropped into a regular que in the rare instance that two people have the same 6-digits and same zip code. (You do not enter those first two-letters of your OP account number when using the automated system.

What? Little hard to decipher what you are trying to say here.

JON: Each OnePass number is unique because of the two-letter/six-digit combo. Because on the phone you can't (effectively) enter the letters, you enter the digits, and then enter your zip to distinguish you from anyone else who might have your same six digits (but, of course, two different letters). This works in 99% of the cases. But there are the very few instances where two people will (coincidentally, most likely) have the same numbers and zip. Since, in that case, your identity can not be verified (and thus, your status can not be verified), you are bumped to the regular queue.

Ah, I see what non-rev was saying now. But don't you think the odds of two OP members with the same 6-digit suffix and the same zip-code would be somewhere in the area of a million to one??

I can't believe there are more than a handfull of such instances in all of Onepassdom. Even family members who apply for new OP #'s at the same time wouldn't have this as the 2-letter prefix is constant in a case like that but the numeric portion is sequential.

In any case, thanks for the translation.

I guess I am one in a million. One time after entering my 6 digit OP # and my zip code- the agent said is this Mr. so and so, And I said no. The system had brought up the info of another OP member with the same 6 digits (different 2 first letters) and same zip code. Perhaps living in a hub with lots of OP members (Houston) increases the odds of this occuring. Does this fact really mean I wait longer to speak to an agent?? I doubt it. Sometimes I get put on hold with the elite line, hang up and call the regular number for the general public, and get right through.