Good P&O customer service

[MattyBarlow]

Well I know P&O customer service can sometimes get a bit of a bashing so I thought I'd share a good experience with you all.

 

We had booked a wedding cruise next May onboard Ventura. We had paid the deposits and also paid the deposit for the actual wedding. Then in July we found out we were going to be having a baby. This meant that all being well, our child would not be old enough to travel in May 2012.

 

I wrote the following to P&O:

 

Dear P&O.

 

We were planning on getting married onboard Ventura, N212, leaving 20th May. To our complete surprise, Alexa is now pregnant. Her due date is 24/03/2012 which would make the baby too young to travel as per your T&C’s. Whilst we are happy about the baby, we are obviously disappointed about the prospect of cancelling our wedding. We had recently been onboard Ventura for a wedding tour and discussed this problem with your wedding planners and marketing representatives present.

We are left with a problem. We have booked four cabins as we have our families coming with us. If we don’t go then there is no reason for them to as they were only going to celebrate our wedding.

 

However, we still wish to have the wedding onboard a P&O ship. We would like to move our cruise and wedding to a similar date in April/May 2012, as your T&C’s to state that you can move the deposits to another cruise within a year. The problem we have is that the cruises for this period have not yet been released and the balance for N212 would likely be payable before this time. We do not wish to cancel the cruise or wedding, just move all bookings to April/May 2012. I am not sure how you are able to handle this but I have thought of two possible solutions.

 

1. You retain the deposits and issue us with a cruise credit (such as the book onboard for £50 offer) and we book as soon as the dates are released. This would be our preferred option.

2. You refund all deposits, including wedding deposit and we book as soon as the dates are released. In this case we would really appreciate it if an exception to your T&C’s could be made and our whole party to be refunded? This is because we would only have to cancel because you cannot keep to your T&C’s of moving to another cruise within a year as you have not yet released the dates.

 

I am open to any suggestion that allows us to Cruise and Wed with you in 2012 without losing our deposits. I appreciate that this is not necessarily normal practice and apologise for the problems we have caused. We really enjoy cruising and Ocean Village/P&O was and is our preferred brand.

 

Please find a copy of a letter confirming the pregnancy from our GP.

 

I hope you are able to assist us with our request and we look forward to many cruises in the future, this time as a family.

 

Many Thanks in advance

 

 

I was delighted to receive a letter in the post yesterday, not only congratulating us but allowing us to move our deposits to a 2013 cruise when they are released with no amendment fee’s. The wedding department is also going to refund our deposit for the wedding.

 

So whilst I realise that they don’t always get it right....credit where credit is due! Thanks P&O.

[Host Sharon]

Congratulations on both counts. As you say - they don't always get it right, but given a chance and asked politely as you did, I think they do try.

[cruiseluvva]

Congratulations on the pregnancy - and well done P&O!

 

Thanks for sharing your good news.

[Catherine Janaway]

It is good to read something positive about a company as people can be too quick to criticise a company.

 

I haven't yet cruised with P & O and booked through Thomas Cook, but was impressed with how they dealt with all the customers who had pre booked with Gills (TA) and have ensured that all those people will still have their holiday and have honoured the price.

 

Thumbs up to P & O

[lancashire_cruisers]

Congratulations on your forthcoming arrival and I'm pleased that P&O have responded in such a positive way:D

 

Debbie:)