New HA call system
 

HA has just implemented a new call distribution system with voice response. Seems pretty good on first use and much more comprehensive than the old system.

Perhaps in preparation for the call center moving to the (oh my gosh) Philippines in August.

This is for schedule changes? I'm not sure what a call distribution system is exactly, unless it's the automated call you get when they call you with schedule changes.

Automated system where the computer asks you questions and then routes the calls accordingly (ala the major carrier's non-elite reservation lines).

It processes elite calls as well as queue's them to the front of the line.

Hawaiian does not have dedicated elite agents to handle those calls?

No, they never have. But they have been answering in Hawaii, and their service for premium customers has been excellent. Not sure what will happen with the change to the Philippines.

It would probably be best if HA created an in-house elite service center located in HNL to answer calls when the outsourcing begins.

Perhaps that is what they were trying to tell me would happen. When it all shakes out, I'll report.

I've noticed that wait times have increased dramatically over the last couple of weeks on the Pualani phone #, as well as the general reservations phone #. I bet there's been some down-sizing of staff, in anticipitation of the July switch to the Phillipines call-center.

I think kaukau you'll find (as we did) that this latest change will cut through all of those problems we were having. They told me it was due to the ACD change and unrelated to the call center move.

On second thought, things aren't working as well as I thought and had been told. I just tried calling (to change an existing res) and after putting in my HM number, the system said that all circuits were busy and hung up on me. When I tried again, I selected #4, for new res (thinking they would be less likely to hang up on that kind of call) and in fact got through after almost 10 minutes wait. I was then told that starting this past Monday, some calls are already going to the Philippines. Seems like I'm getting different answers from everyone I talk with. Last thing I'd been told was that Philippines was on hold until August. So much for new technology and foreign call centers, huh?

Experienced the new system this morning when trying to find out what gate number a flight was scheduled for.

The system was extremely hypersensitive to ambient noise, even in a fairly quiet environment (can't imagine that it will ever work well at that setting if you're calling from the airport) and kept saying "I didn't understand that" when I hadn't said anything.

When I finally got through the electronic gatekeeper, it put me on hold for 10 minutes and I gave up.

I have also experienced lately a longer time on hold, particularly in the mornings, on the Gold line.

I bumped into an HA cust service rep (counter) today at a zippys and she said that as of monday, 70% of the call volume is handled by the Hawaii call center and 30% is handled by the PI call center. This is why you are experiencing longer hold times. They are working their bugs out during the transition period and as soon as they do that, they will begin transferring a certain percent every week or so over to the PI side til 100% is done.

so guys, that sweet girl on the other end might actually be on the other side of the world already.

Incidentally, the agent I talked to is ashamed of it. She says "were supposed to be a local company, this is just a cheap money saving move and it makes us no better than Go"

Shes right, to a point.