"Your call is important to us....."

[Four Seven Eleven]

I just spent 10 minutes and twenty seconds waiting for a major Australian based international airline's call centre to answer my call, subjected to numerous ads and drivel while on hold. I mentioned this to the operator when he finally answered, and he seemed to think this entirely normal and acceptable! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Mad]" src="mad.gif" /> . .. .I think it is time that we, as the paying customers, take a stand.. .. .Next time you ring any company (airline, bank etc.), note the exact time you start the call. If it takes more than, say, three minutes before you are talking to someone, continue with the call (important - do NOT hang up), and when someone finally answers, tell them:. .. . " You have just taken x minutes to answer my call. Obviously my business is not important to you. I will now be ringing (competitor's name).". .. .Obviously, if this happens only a few times, the more arrogant companies will not care at all, but if it becomes more common, they will have to take notice. Consumer power and our ability to take our dollars, pounds, Euros, shekels and dinars elsewhere is the only thing that will improve standards of service.. .. .Lets start a campaign, a movement, a wave of money moving to those most deserving! "We're not going to take it any more!!!" <img border="0" title="" alt="[Embarrassed]" src="redface.gif" />

[Nihontraveller]

Personally I`d hang up after one minute and call the competitor anyway. It`s not our problem that their performance is so bad. Let them find out later how poor they are when their bookings drop and their competitors don`t.

[Kermit 180]

Airlines are no different to a lot of other big corporations i.e. banks, insurance companies, etc. They spend a bare minimum on their phone systems and call centres, expecting it to all be okay. Of course it is Joe Public that suffers the consequences, especially if people are on hold and paying for the call. I often think that these companies put messages like "your call is important to us" on their answer services so that they can feel good about themselves, that by some miracle we will actually be happy and merry by the time we get throught to the poor call centre worker.. .. .Kermie

[World Traveller]

I agree - its only wasting your time to hang on just to abuse the workers who's fault it almost certainly isn't. Just hang up and let them corporate work out why they ain't getting any business.. .. .Yes its the same in many industries - ever tried getting any sense out of Egg, particularly in the early days?

[PAXboy]

As one who is in telecommunications, telephone systems and call centres ... I can confirm that the most expensive component is the human beings and (mostly) what they are interested in, is removing humans from the system.. .. .I would also say that many customers will keep holding if they want their FFMs <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="tongue.gif" /> . .. .For myself, I usually check it out online and book there if I can. Otherwise, I try and call the call centre late at night. I may well be answered in another country but I will get a short queue.. .. .Of course, if you are calling from work .... that is another problem that goes in the poorly performing company's favour.. . . . <small>[ 13 March 2002, 00:02: Message edited by: PAXboy ]</small>

[Fraudsquads]

I'm with 4711 on this. If you want the services FFM's as someone mentioned that is why you called company 1. If they answer in a slow but reasonable waiting time for you to tell them that you will use their competitor - they will benefit in the longrun.. .. .The call handler will have to (should) report your complaint and when the complaints are assessed this issue will show. It may take some time for them to put it right but thats their loss.. .. .Good product + bad service = <img border="0" title="" alt="[Frown]" src="frown.gif" /> . .Good product + good service = <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="biggrin.gif" /> & repeat business. .. .FS. . . . <small>[ 13 March 2002, 23:01: Message edited by: Fraudsquads ]</small>

[Bird Strike]

4711,. .. .I have been tempted to do what you suggested, however the trouble is that I get the same thing from 'the competitor! Then what do you do?. .. .I hardly use the phone for anything nowadays. I just use the website or e-mail, or at worst, fax.