Hold Times

[mweiss]

...customer service does matter...

Of course it does. Where did I ever say it didn't? But customer service matters everywhere that a customer interacts with the business. That means the website, res, CTOs (what few still exist), ATOs, TSA (unfortunately), GAs, FAs, pilots, baggage agents (especially for PAWOBs)...

Res is, in that regard, but a small piece in a large puzzle. Not an unimportant piece, but the "we're the only revenue-generating part of the business" line is completely ridiculous.

 

[4merresrat]

Res is, in that regard, but a small piece in a large puzzle. Not an unimportant piece, but the "we're the only revenue-generating part of the business" line is completely ridiculous.

Of course res is only "a small piece of the puzzle." Where did I say it was more? I think most of us comprehend the value and importance of res, or lack of importance. I don't know why you continue on your theme to denegrate and devalue the reservation agents.

 

[mweiss]

I don't know why you continue on your theme to denegrate and devalue the reservation agents.

Denegration? Devaluation? I'll say it one more time in the hopes that you'll finally get it. If not, I'm giving up on you.

The airline industry does not consist of res generating revenue and everything else in the company being a cost center. Yet that is the theme I hear around here quite often from CWA employees. It's wrong.

 

[youngblood]

Reservations doesn't generate revenue. People don't pay money because they like the sound of the human's voice. Reservations collects revenue. What generates revenue is the movement of people and their belongings from place to place.

This is not to suggest that reservations is of no value. It's just that statements such as yours do not accurately reflect the customers' perceived value creation.

Hmmmm, let's see Mr. Know It All,

The product (in this case - travel) and the need or desire for it generates the call to reservations. A plane does not generate revenue. Reservations is much more than "collecting" money. We actually sell things!!!!!!!!!! If I can't sell a ticket or make our flights and prices more desirable to the potential customer than planes wouldn't be as full as they are. And before you say there's the internet, more people than you think don't use the internet. And before you say I'm full of it work my job for a week and log the percentage of people who refuse to book on line. I am sick and tired of your condescending attitude. You are full of definitions, analogies, and half truths. You try to slice someone's words and break them down to serve your purpose.

By the way, we do much more than sell tickets.

 

[Bear96]

A plane does not generate revenue.

Well THAT's certainly an interesting way of looking at the airline industry.

I guess all airlines should just get rid of those silly airplanes then. [Slaps forehead] Dohhh! THAT's what we've been doing wrong all these years-- buying useless things like airplanes! All they do is suck down fuel and make it necessary to pay pilots to fly them around for no reason. Plus they're so darn expensive to buy and maintain. I bet we wouldn't have to get any more employee concessions if we just lowered expenses by getting rid of the planes. Of COURSE!

So, once we get rid of the airplanes, since they don't generate revenue, I suppose the phones will still be ringing off the hook in Rez with people ready to give you their money?

We actually sell things!!!!!!!!!!

Like what, shoes? Books? Time share rentals? The pleasure of being on hold and then talking to you? No, you sell... transportation on an airplane!!!!!!!!!!! THAT is what people are paying for.

 

[mweiss]

Bear,

couldn't have said it better myself. (obviously, or this wouldn't have dragged on this long)

 

[SpinDoc]

One person is to blame for all the trouble in the reservations deparment but continues to you miss-manage the operation.
Kerry Carstairs.

Bullseye.

K.C. is a holdover from the Gangwolf
administration and should be handling the drive
through lane at a local fast food restaurant, not
a large organization call center like US.

 

[SpinDoc]

The product (in this case - travel) and the need
or desire for it generates the call to reservations.
A plane does not generate revenue. Reservations
is much more than "collecting" money. We actually
sell things!!!!!!!!!! If I can't sell a ticket or make
our flights and prices more desirable to the potential
customer than planes wouldn't be as full as they are.
And before you say there's the internet, more
people than you think don't use the internet.

Spindoc replies:
Of course, there will always be a need for a
reservations call center for US, however, the
majority of the people who purchase tickets
will be using the internet in the future. It may
take some time to condition customers to use
the internet, but it will happen. Sooner or later,
just as US did with paper tickets, there will be
a fee of $5 or $10 attached to each ticket that
is sold through the telephone sales center.
That, plus the incentives that are offered to
internet purchasers such as DM bonuses will
assist customers in migrating away from the
telephone and to the internet. Banks are a
good case study in moving people from human
transactions to ATM transactions. Some banks
charge a fee for face to face transactions to
encourage customers to migrate to self service
and away from expensive human tellers.

 

[RumorS]

The product (in this case - travel) and the need
or desire for it generates the call to reservations.
A plane does not generate revenue. Reservations
is much more than "collecting" money. We actually
sell things!!!!!!!!!! If I can't sell a ticket or make
our flights and prices more desirable to the potential
customer than planes wouldn't be as full as they are.
And before you say there's the internet, more
people than you think don't use the internet.

Spindoc replies:
Of course, there will always be a need for a
reservations call center for US, however, the
majority of the people who purchase tickets
will be using the internet in the future. It may
take some time to condition customers to use
the internet, but it will happen. Sooner or later,
just as US did with paper tickets, there will be
a fee of $5 or $10 attached to each ticket that
is sold through the telephone sales center.
That, plus the incentives that are offered to
internet purchasers such as DM bonuses will
assist customers in migrating away from the
telephone and to the internet. Banks are a
good case study in moving people from human
transactions to ATM transactions. Some banks
charge a fee for face to face transactions to
encourage customers to migrate to self service
and away from expensive human tellers.

Banks have come full circle, they realize that "customer service is king." A good example is Citizens Bank, They continue to erode local market share from the old standards in Pittsburgh, and they built it on the cornerstone of Customer Service and righting all the wrongs done by Mellon.

 

[RumorS]

What Kinda bank charges for Face to Face customer service???


The Internet will Never be able to handle all that resv does. No matter how well it works! Remember not everyone has a computer. and I would like to say one thing for all the passengers that book online. PLEASE DON'T CALL RESV FOR SEATS, SPECIAL MEALS, CHANGES TO YOUR TICKET, TO JUST MAKE SURE YOU DID IT CORRECTLY, TO RECONFIRM, TO CANCEL, TO SEE WHAT KINDA PLANE IT IS, TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE SERVICE, AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON AND ON. So I will say it again from the time a reservation is booked online the passenger dails the 1 800 number 5 times. It comes down to one thing. It may be faster to book online but you WILL still want to hear it confirmed by a HUMAN!!!!!!!!!!

 

[bobcat]

AMEN RumourS!!!!!!!!

The only reason the internet is faster is because the hold time in Res is sooooo long and that could be fixed very easily if we had someone that could actually wisely manage Res.

Res can actually give options, sell and book more quickly than anyone can on the internet. Someone just needs to get their crap together and run the dept. more efficiently and let us do our job of making money not listening to passengers rant for 5 minutes, on every call, about the hold time and how many times they have been transferred.

The smart thing to do would be to have specialized depts. again...General Res, Reissue, Dividend Miles and International. The agents in each group know their jobs inside and out and can take care of each call quickly efficiently and accurately. The way it is now everyone is doing a little of everything and only knows a little of everything instead of knowing everything about one thing. This dept. is quite inefficient.

Someone needs to fix this and quickly!

 

[WestCoastGuy]

On Friday I had a customer at the ATO and could not locate a reservation for him. He called Res. on his cell phone while I was looking for a booking. He then looked at me and said something to the affect, "I cant believe this sh*t". He redialed, handed me the phone and a recording came on thanking him for calling USair and stated the wait time was apx. 47 minutes to speak with a rep. I never found his booking so booked the flight and sold him a full fare ticket. Is this the way this company wants our customers to feel about them? This is nuts.....I told him to write directly to the President and copy the letter to Consumer Affairs.