Agent to me: "You are making fun of me because of my accent" ????
Jan 20, 2019, 8:23 am
#61
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: SFO
Posts: 3,941
This applies to every country, but an American calling an American company that has outsourced it's customer service to India or the PI or wherever shouldn't feel like the guilty party in a situation like this. These are problems that didn't exist 25 years ago but are unfortunately almost the norm these days.
Jan 20, 2019, 8:26 am
#62
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 3,359
I find that if you call UA using the US 1800 number during business hours in the US chances are you'll get a US agent. If you call the overseas local number or outside business hours chances are you'll get an agent whose local and the experience will very much be hit or miss. I've had some excellent UA agents where it was clear English was not their first language, or likely their second, but they didn't allow that to become a liability and handled themselves professionally. I've also had native US agents be real sticklers for the rules and give me 0 leeway on anything. One thing you may want to try doing when you call UA is indicate you want to be called back to give feedback.
tldr : YMMV when in doubt HUCA
-James
tldr : YMMV when in doubt HUCA
-James
Jan 20, 2019, 8:33 am
#63
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Dulles, VA
Programs: UA Life Gold, Marriott Life Titanium
Posts: 2,757
Simply put, if anyone has a problem not understanding the local language of the customer when the customer calls into a domestic company, it's not the customer's fault if accents or simply not understanding the language fully is a problem. In this case, that's on United for having an offshore call center handle calls coming from US customers.
Jan 20, 2019, 8:49 am
#65
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,115
”Hang Up Call Again”
Jan 20, 2019, 9:03 am
#66
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 3,359
-James
Jan 20, 2019, 9:32 am
#67
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 1999
Posts: 11,468
Jan 20, 2019, 9:33 am
#68
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,115
Since in my entire life I don’t think I’ve ever spoken to the same agent twice (at least especially in a situation like this), I don’t much worry about that. As soon as you hang up, they get connected to another call. When you call back, you are invariably speaking to someone else.
Jan 20, 2019, 9:34 am
#69
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Dulles, VA
Programs: UA Life Gold, Marriott Life Titanium
Posts: 2,757
The odds are pretty low that you'll get the same agent on a call back in. Unless it's a really slow day they'll be on another call when you get routed back through, or on a break or otherwise not sitting there twiddling their thumbs. Or you'll get a different call center entirely.
Jan 20, 2019, 12:01 pm
#70
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AVP & PEK
Programs: UA 1K 1.8MM
Posts: 6,340
Something that has been bothering me in this thread:
Just because the CSA had an accent doesn't automatically mean they were NOT in the USA.
There's plenty of persons in the USA with accents, some of whom might work in call centers.
Just because the CSA had an accent doesn't automatically mean they were NOT in the USA.
There's plenty of persons in the USA with accents, some of whom might work in call centers.
Jan 20, 2019, 2:23 pm
#71
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: BA Bronze, United 1K, HH Gold, SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 3,477
The odds are pretty low that you'll get the same agent on a call back in. Unless it's a really slow day they'll be on another call when you get routed back through, or on a break or otherwise not sitting there twiddling their thumbs. Or you'll get a different call center entirely.
Jan 20, 2019, 5:33 pm
#72
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: HKG • Ex SFO, NYC
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP; Marriott Amb; Hyatt Globalist; Shangri-la Diamond; IHG SpireAmb; Hilton D; Accor G
Posts: 3,319
I mean, yes and no. Agents have a tendency to not listen to what the customer is saying. When I have a complex booking it's always 15min of playing along with their stupid script until they realize they might have to do something unusual. Trying to feel them the exact thing I want or need by the start is a giant pain in the ....
Of recent memory, I've had quite a few instances with AA where I needed the agent to go to the rate desk immediately to get approval to ticket something based on the calendar date in CA (before midnight) which their auto-pricing wouldn't suggest due to being in CET. Each time was a struggle of playing along with their game for 20min (precious time when the clock is ticking) before they eventually call the rate desk and get it done. Frustrating, but I've learnt that it's not possible to just talk to agents like you know what you're talking about — they never believe you. (These are 1K / EXP agents we're talking about, too)
Of recent memory, I've had quite a few instances with AA where I needed the agent to go to the rate desk immediately to get approval to ticket something based on the calendar date in CA (before midnight) which their auto-pricing wouldn't suggest due to being in CET. Each time was a struggle of playing along with their game for 20min (precious time when the clock is ticking) before they eventually call the rate desk and get it done. Frustrating, but I've learnt that it's not possible to just talk to agents like you know what you're talking about — they never believe you. (These are 1K / EXP agents we're talking about, too)