Priority or VIP line???
 

From the new 2010 Program booklet:

Dedicated Phone Line

Silver Elite: Priority
Gold Elite: Higher Priority
Platinum: Highest Priority
Diamond: VIP Line

This smells like Chisholm becoming Diamond only. Which would be.....oh well, Deltified?

Yea we all knew that was going to happen. The good news is that as a Diamond I get to keep one of the best perks we had at NW...Chisholm. The bad news is that just like everything else in the DM program (almost) it is really just give backs and continues to be take-aways from the Plats.

Rumor says the VIP Line will be handled out of Chisholm AND Cincinnati. So we will wind up with a mix of ex-NW and ex-orig DL call center agents.

I'm also very happy to keep Chilshom as a main point of phone contact for me with NW/DL.

-RM

What if you just call Chisholm directly, instead of the 877 elite number, as a non-diamond? Will you get reouted to somewhere else?

I strongly suspect this rumor will turn out to be true and its going to probably be my single biggest regret about not taking the 1-2 MRs it would take to cross the Diamond threshold. However the potential benefit of having over 40K rollover EQM is just too strong an arguement against DM.

That's where I'll end up as well. Likely around 110-115K, but rather roll 40K than reaching Diamond only to see my benefits be fleeced for 5th tier next year.

Finally!!!

A Diamond perk I actually can use and care about!!! :D

Are there really going to be THAT many Diamond Elites to require TWO call centers to handle them??

It seems DL has made it their goal to make everyone possible an Elite, one way or another, but is there no respect for anyone who earns over 125,000 EQM's??? If PE status was the top 5% of the members, then DE should end up being only about the top 1-2% shouldn't it?

It's a good question. I can't answer for sure as the rumor about Chisholm and Cincinnati are just that, rumors.

However, I'd venture to say that Diamond callers will always get routed to those two call centers who will also handle Plat and other elite calls. Diamonds, though, will get priority and will be answered in the shortest amount of time. So that, "Your expected hold time is 3 minutes" for a Gold may actually turn into 7 minutes if Diamonds are calling in :)

Or, maybe it means Chisholm handles the day calls and Cincinnati the night calls? I have no info on the Cincinnati call center as I've never called it. The Chisholm call center closes at 9 or 10pm CT daily, at which point most elite calls are routed to the Seattle call center.

-RM

Actually Rob, I think the Plats will be routed to the "regular" call center. The literature says Plat gets the "Highest Priority" and then Diamond gets the VIP Line. I read this to mean the regular call center will handle all calls except Diamond with Plats, Golds, and Silvers going to the front of the Que in that order. I believe Diamonds will have a separate number to Chisholm.

Silver Elite: Priority
Gold Elite: Higher Priority
Platinum: Highest Priority
Diamond: VIP Line

It's hard to overstate how much Delta continues to devalue their program.

Exactly my feelings too.

That's how it's been written. But you have to wonder if there will be enough Diamonds to keep a separate call center open. I'm sure Diamonds will get a different 800# than silvers/golds/plats but that in and of itself could qualify as a "VIP Line" because it's a separate number. Delta hasn't actually said there will be separate agents handling *just* Diamond calls. Since Diamond is at the 125K mark I'd guess there are a select few agents in Chisholm and Cincinnati who will handle Diamond calls but they won't be busy enough to not take other calls. But two entire call centers for one elite level? I doubt it.

I would think it's more like this:
Silver: Priority. You get routed to any call center.
Gold: Higher priority. You also get routed to any call center.
Platinum: Highest priority. You also get routed to any call center.
Diamond: VIP Line. You get routed to Chisholm and Cincinnati only and potentially to a handful of agents who are selected to work with Diamonds only.

Sure, this is all still speculation based on rumors :)

-RM

Forget money costing promotions to bring in more business, spreading rumors works just as well. :p

Exactly. Those who quote "rumors" don't reveal sources. Pretty worthless info and speculation, if you ask me!