Does anyone else find the SQ call centre incompetent?
Jun 4, 2022, 11:35 am
#31
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NY Metro
Programs: SPG Titanium, United Premier 1K
Posts: 1,601
At least you had a hold of someone. I keep getting the "we'll arrange a callback from the redemption desk" which never happens.
Jun 13, 2022, 1:05 pm
#32
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: HPN
Programs: not anymore! I'm FREE!
Posts: 3,459
I called a couple of months ago because I couldn't get a redemption to work on the website. It was the middle of the night in NY but working hours in Singapore. The agent said he would have the redemption center call me back. I asked to be transferred and he said they aren't available. So I HUCA, this time dialing the Singapore number, and got exactly the same agent. So I HUCA again, got a different agent, who told me the same story about redemption center not available and they would call me back. So I left my number.
One month later (yes, one month), they called me back to ask what I needed.
One month later (yes, one month), they called me back to ask what I needed.
Jun 14, 2022, 10:10 am
#33
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SIN (LEJ once a year)
Programs: SQ, LH, BA, IHG Diamond AMB, HH Gold, SLH Indulged, Accor Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,739
Well above report isn't good of course - 1 month, come on?
Reminds me that I have a refund case ongoing since Nov 2021 and still no money back including probably 4-5 follow ups.
The other day I had a very good experience though just as a data point. Called KF Center in SIN just around noon (I was daring that day I guess) and phone answered within 2-3mins. Very helpful and competent agent sorted out an existing booking (dropping a waitlist reward flight and retaining the confirmed one only), checking two other flights whether row 15 (77W) or 19 (A359) could be assigned (nope, blocked) and even handling an update to a KF profile that one cannot do online nor via name change form - changing title which has been causing issues for SAA (website) when managing the flight and passenger details (KF loyalty validation fails when title is mismatched, a problem that exists for 3+ years already). Bravo Mr. Agent. YMMV.
Reminds me that I have a refund case ongoing since Nov 2021 and still no money back including probably 4-5 follow ups.
The other day I had a very good experience though just as a data point. Called KF Center in SIN just around noon (I was daring that day I guess) and phone answered within 2-3mins. Very helpful and competent agent sorted out an existing booking (dropping a waitlist reward flight and retaining the confirmed one only), checking two other flights whether row 15 (77W) or 19 (A359) could be assigned (nope, blocked) and even handling an update to a KF profile that one cannot do online nor via name change form - changing title which has been causing issues for SAA (website) when managing the flight and passenger details (KF loyalty validation fails when title is mismatched, a problem that exists for 3+ years already). Bravo Mr. Agent. YMMV.
Jun 14, 2022, 10:15 am
#34
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 46
My recent experiences have been terrible, even when I use the Kris Flyer number.
Incompetent staff, poorly trained, conflicting information, puts me on hold forever to answer questions.
Singapore has sunk to new lows in the last few years. Even onboard in Business Class I'm less-than-impressed compared to the excellent service from a few years ago
About to book a flight back from DPS-SFO on Qatar to see if it is any better!
Incompetent staff, poorly trained, conflicting information, puts me on hold forever to answer questions.
Singapore has sunk to new lows in the last few years. Even onboard in Business Class I'm less-than-impressed compared to the excellent service from a few years ago
About to book a flight back from DPS-SFO on Qatar to see if it is any better!
Jun 14, 2022, 7:40 pm
#36
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: CGK SIN PER ORD
Programs: UA 1K MM, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 2,813
I have to agree that their call center is not up to the standard that we have come to expect.
I had to refund 2 business class tickets due to the border opening being shifted and while I understand that they are swamped, it is more the promises made by 4 call center agents and failing to keep them that irked me more than anything else.
Each call was 2 weeks apart and each time I was told that I will receive an email or a callback within 24-48 hours, and each time, nothing happened.
I also needed to buy 4 biz class tickets from Australia to US for later this year and I wanted to know the ticketing deadline so called SQ and was told that deadline is the same day I reserved the tickets (online). I asked if they could give me 3-4 days but the person said no. I said I am not asking for an extension of a $400 K fare ticket. He came back after checking with his supervisor and said they will provide a one time exception.
I was pretty much put off by that and just bought with another carrier, as the Mrs and I commented whether we should continue to pump money into SQ while still awaiting our refund, and that holding a 4 biz class revenue ticket for 3-4 days is considered a one time exception.
Ironically, after buying the tickets on another carrier, I finally received the refund email. Too bad as SQ was more convenient timing-wise but as it was the same price, SQ lost our business this time
I had to refund 2 business class tickets due to the border opening being shifted and while I understand that they are swamped, it is more the promises made by 4 call center agents and failing to keep them that irked me more than anything else.
Each call was 2 weeks apart and each time I was told that I will receive an email or a callback within 24-48 hours, and each time, nothing happened.
I also needed to buy 4 biz class tickets from Australia to US for later this year and I wanted to know the ticketing deadline so called SQ and was told that deadline is the same day I reserved the tickets (online). I asked if they could give me 3-4 days but the person said no. I said I am not asking for an extension of a $400 K fare ticket. He came back after checking with his supervisor and said they will provide a one time exception.
I was pretty much put off by that and just bought with another carrier, as the Mrs and I commented whether we should continue to pump money into SQ while still awaiting our refund, and that holding a 4 biz class revenue ticket for 3-4 days is considered a one time exception.
Ironically, after buying the tickets on another carrier, I finally received the refund email. Too bad as SQ was more convenient timing-wise but as it was the same price, SQ lost our business this time
Jun 15, 2022, 5:34 am
#37
Join Date: Sep 2018
Programs: Alaska
Posts: 2,188
I have to agree that their call center is not up to the standard that we have come to expect.
I had to refund 2 business class tickets due to the border opening being shifted and while I understand that they are swamped, it is more the promises made by 4 call center agents and failing to keep them that irked me more than anything else.
Each call was 2 weeks apart and each time I was told that I will receive an email or a callback within 24-48 hours, and each time, nothing happened.
I also needed to buy 4 biz class tickets from Australia to US for later this year and I wanted to know the ticketing deadline so called SQ and was told that deadline is the same day I reserved the tickets (online). I asked if they could give me 3-4 days but the person said no. I said I am not asking for an extension of a $400 K fare ticket. He came back after checking with his supervisor and said they will provide a one time exception.
I was pretty much put off by that and just bought with another carrier, as the Mrs and I commented whether we should continue to pump money into SQ while still awaiting our refund, and that holding a 4 biz class revenue ticket for 3-4 days is considered a one time exception.
Ironically, after buying the tickets on another carrier, I finally received the refund email. Too bad as SQ was more convenient timing-wise but as it was the same price, SQ lost our business this time
I had to refund 2 business class tickets due to the border opening being shifted and while I understand that they are swamped, it is more the promises made by 4 call center agents and failing to keep them that irked me more than anything else.
Each call was 2 weeks apart and each time I was told that I will receive an email or a callback within 24-48 hours, and each time, nothing happened.
I also needed to buy 4 biz class tickets from Australia to US for later this year and I wanted to know the ticketing deadline so called SQ and was told that deadline is the same day I reserved the tickets (online). I asked if they could give me 3-4 days but the person said no. I said I am not asking for an extension of a $400 K fare ticket. He came back after checking with his supervisor and said they will provide a one time exception.
I was pretty much put off by that and just bought with another carrier, as the Mrs and I commented whether we should continue to pump money into SQ while still awaiting our refund, and that holding a 4 biz class revenue ticket for 3-4 days is considered a one time exception.
Ironically, after buying the tickets on another carrier, I finally received the refund email. Too bad as SQ was more convenient timing-wise but as it was the same price, SQ lost our business this time
Jun 15, 2022, 8:15 am
#38
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: CGK SIN PER ORD
Programs: UA 1K MM, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 2,813
SQ eventually held the tickets but once again, no call back about the other 2 biz class tickets refund as promised nor an email within 24-48 hours. So after 48 hours, I made the purchase
Jun 15, 2022, 8:48 am
#39
Join Date: Sep 2018
Programs: Alaska
Posts: 2,188
good luck with the new carrier.
Jun 15, 2022, 7:45 pm
#41
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Anywhere
Posts: 6,576
Called today and discovered my first experience of the "incompetence" because I needed to do an open jaw round trip with one free stopover, and the website doesn't allow that to be booked online.
First call... got through to a CSO who said she couldn't take redemption bookings, instead took down my route and dates, and said will forward my request to someone else to call me back by today.
Second call... in fairness another CSO (who presumably CAN make redemption bookings) called back within an hour. But the moment I mentioned redemption with stopover, she said she needed to put me on hold because "rules are changing". I said I'm very familiar with the rules, and they only change for bookings made on or after 5 July 2022, in any case my stopover is for less than 30 days so won't be impacted under the current or new rules. But she insisted on putting me on hold to check anyways - come on, are we here to EDUCATE your CSOs now? Shouldn't they know the rules better than callers?? Basically she just made a booking, emailed me the itinerary, and said she would need to call me back later to advise the miles and cash requirement - why it would take multiple phone calls to do something so simple defies understanding.
First call... got through to a CSO who said she couldn't take redemption bookings, instead took down my route and dates, and said will forward my request to someone else to call me back by today.
Second call... in fairness another CSO (who presumably CAN make redemption bookings) called back within an hour. But the moment I mentioned redemption with stopover, she said she needed to put me on hold because "rules are changing". I said I'm very familiar with the rules, and they only change for bookings made on or after 5 July 2022, in any case my stopover is for less than 30 days so won't be impacted under the current or new rules. But she insisted on putting me on hold to check anyways - come on, are we here to EDUCATE your CSOs now? Shouldn't they know the rules better than callers?? Basically she just made a booking, emailed me the itinerary, and said she would need to call me back later to advise the miles and cash requirement - why it would take multiple phone calls to do something so simple defies understanding.
Jun 15, 2022, 7:46 pm
#42
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Asia
Programs: Skywards, KrisFlyer, Flying Blue, BAEC but only till I’ve used all my Avios, Thai Orchid
Posts: 282
SQ's call center experience is generally horrid. I spent nearly seven hours of my Sunday, talking with five agents across six phone calls (one was a callback from a repeat agent) just to change my dates for a revenue ticket in Premium Economy with a KrisFlyer upgrade to Business class. Three of the six calls disconnected after a lengthy period, and only one of them resulted in a successful callback from the prior agent. One agent tried to call back after about 10 minutes, but I was already on the call with someone else, the agent who would ultimately resolve the problem, although it took her nearly three hours to do so. There were miscommunications about fare differences, errors made in rebooking (the first agent swapped my outbound and inbound flight destinations), and even the agent who solved the problem initially downgraded me to W class in Economy before I reminded her to rebook me in Premium Economy (incidentally, L class was marginally more than W class, and the mileage earn rate is double). From the sound of it, all of my calls went to an offshore location in the Philippines. To be fair, the service is friendly. But I don't think SQ is giving the call center agents the tools they need to do their jobs. Yes, SQ contracts this out to the call center vendor and the call center vendor is responsible for training. Nevertheless, it reflects very poorly on SQ that they can't better manage this critical customer touchpoint. Based on what I have seen in these forums, it seems likely to be true that SQ doesn't care if the call center experience is a dissatisfier. How many of those dissatisfied customers give up flying SQ altogether? Probably very few.
I can't fault that. It’s what you expect actually, right?
AF
Jun 16, 2022, 4:20 am
#43
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Anywhere
Posts: 6,576
This brings incompetence to a brand new level.
https://mothership.sg/2022/06/singap...an-wheelchair/
Long story short… passenger flew to KUL-SIN-DXB, SQ forgot to load custom made wheelchair while passenger was transiting at SIN, passenger tweeted a complaint, SQ asked if the passenger was applying for a cabin crew position?!
You really can’t make this up. LOL.
https://mothership.sg/2022/06/singap...an-wheelchair/
Long story short… passenger flew to KUL-SIN-DXB, SQ forgot to load custom made wheelchair while passenger was transiting at SIN, passenger tweeted a complaint, SQ asked if the passenger was applying for a cabin crew position?!
You really can’t make this up. LOL.
Jun 16, 2022, 10:57 am
#44
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,259
A few months ago I found reaching SQ absolutely impossible. Yesterday and today, my call was picked up on the first ring. But both times they were picked up by Philippines call center. In the past they were "OK". This time around they were just clueless. Today I wanted to make a change to a booking made on singaporeair.com, and because the first leg was operated by Scoot they refused to touch the reservation at all.
I finally figured out "commercial" booking. I think in SQ talk this means anything that is not redemption or award based, i.e. paid reservation.
Oh, and I also figured out SQ has a published page on the 24 hour cancellation policy for flights to the US. It's here:
https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/u...-service-plan/
I finally figured out "commercial" booking. I think in SQ talk this means anything that is not redemption or award based, i.e. paid reservation.
Oh, and I also figured out SQ has a published page on the 24 hour cancellation policy for flights to the US. It's here:
https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/u...-service-plan/
Jun 16, 2022, 1:35 pm
#45
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: HPN
Programs: not anymore! I'm FREE!
Posts: 3,459
I get the impression from this thread that there's been a lot of turnover in SQ phone agents lately, and many of them are still learning their jobs. I'm guessing many were let go during covid when no one was travelling, and now all the new hires have to put you on hold to look stuff up. Hopefully they'll eventually learn to deal with all kinds of requests.