Oceanias Office

[Jancruz]

I am working with Oceania to improve their customer relations on the internet..can some of you email me your experience with the emails you have sent to them??

Thanks,

Jan

*****

[geta911]

Include in your discussions with Oceania, the lack of response to the many instances of feedback concerning their website errors as mentioned in Mike Brills thread "Who proofreads Oceania's Web Site??".

 

[Andee]

My experience is that I get a canned response about their sending it on to the right department, but then I never hear anything else. Usually it takes three requests to get a real response.

[patlanta]

I get get a response from them but it turned out to be incorrect.

 

1. I sent an email saying that the Explorer Pack on the 1/3/06 South America cruise needed to be looked into. I totaled what was offered at $565, from the individual tour prices, and the Web price for the Pack was $649.

 

2. First I got an Out of Office response. I think instead of Out of Office it should just say this is an Automated Response acknowledging that your Email as been received.

 

3. Several days later I got a response saying that the price should have been $579 and it was being corrected on the Web

 

4. Since $579 was greater than my original tally of $565 and the Web site was never changed, I surrendered to my TA.

 

5. My TA came back with a price of $570 and, by the way, there was a tour missing for Puerto Montt off of the Web site.

 

I don't believe you can make decisions based on Oceania's Web site.

 

Hope this example helps. Thanks, Jan, for picking up the crusade banner.

[Paisley12]

I WROTE AN EMAIL TO OCEANIA ON 9/7/05......

In reviewing your hotel selections for pre and post cruises, I felt the prices were very, very high compared with booking online with the hotels.

 

For example, the Ledra Marriott in Athens, Greece you have listed as $249 PER PERSON. For two people I would be paying $498 for the room for JUST ONE NIGHT and your web site didn’t even say what class of room the price was for.

 

When I logged on to the Ledra Marriott web site I could get a very nice room for Euro 130 for two people if I booked myself.

 

Why are your rates so high? I can understand a profit but this is way out of line.

 

Please let me know why.

 

Thanks.

 

OCEANIA WROTE.......FORM EMAIL...8(

9/7/05

 

Thank you for contacting Oceania Cruises. We look forward to answering your request and will strive to reply within 48 hours.

 

 

OCEANIA WROTE 9/8/05 ......FORM EMAIL...8(

Greetings:

 

At this time, we discovered that we need to forward your request to our Passenger Services Supervisors, who will reply as soon as they are able to answer your inquiry.

 

It will be our pleasure to welcome you onboard.

 

Sincerely,

 

Oceania Cruises

www.OceaniaCruises.com

Your World. Your Way.

 

AT THIS POINT FROM 9/8 TO 10/8 ... I NEVER HEARD FROM THEM AGAIN!! GEEZ, WHAT DO YOU THINK THOSE PASSENGER SERVICES SUPERVISORS ARE DOING FOR A MONTH? :rolleyes:

[douganswerphone]

Jan:

 

 

Not to put too fine a point on it, I think O's Customer Service Dept is simply understaffed.

 

I can understand a "trick" question that requires time to investigate the proper answer. However, most of the frustration I've heard about stems from simple questions that should get an instant, or at least same-day response. O is trying to compare themselves to Crystal, Radisson, etc., but I think if a booked passenger called those lines with a question, the response would be much more impressive than what's being reported as typical for O.

 

Especially with the ramp-up to 3 ships, my opinion is that O should double or perhaps even triple their staffing in Customer Services / Client Relations. While this would be a considerable expense, surely O can afford it with the $300 per diem rates they're expecting to get in 2006, and surely it would pay off for them in improved customer satisfaction, word-of-mouth, referrals, etc.

[smj]

Jan,

My experience is their response is slow, sometimes it does not answer the questions and sometimes they just never respond. Over the past few years I have emiled them 4-5 times and I have never felt satisfied with the response.

By the way, do you know how long it takes for their Asia Visa package? I don't think they do. That was my last email question.

Steve

[ClaudiaF]

What is interesting when we read this type of thread is that this is just a smidge of the emails that are not being handled correctly by their "customer un service" staff.. it seems.. what about the people who do not belong to a CC board or a Yahoo board or any other board such as these where we get info from each other..what about those who really get no answers and wait around thinking all is great and their TA's also thinking all is fine.. that is pretty terrible.

[stebul]

I WROTE AN EMAIL TO OCEANIA ON 9/7/05......

In reviewing your hotel selections for pre and post cruises, I felt the prices were very, very high compared with booking online with the hotels.

......

Why are your rates so high? I can understand a profit but this is way out of line.

 

Please let me know why.

 

Paisley, I'm not sure there is much of an answer they could provide that would satisfy you. You asked a question, but it really was a suggestion (or complaint) masquerading as a question! (BTW, I agree Oceania's hotel rates border on criminal, but someone must be paying them for the convenience of one stop shopping ... I sure didn't and won't). You already found your answer, which was to book your own hotel and Oceania's customer support folks won't be able to help you with that decision. I'd be a lot more worried about not being able to get a straight answer on Visa requirements.

[Paisley12]

Yes, STEBUL, it was a half complaint.. half-question. I would just like them to be accountable and itemize why they feel they need to charge such a rate.

 

They could say so much $$ for transfers from the airport to the hotel and then to the ship, so much $$ for the hotel and so much $$ for extraneous items (listed).

 

I honestly don't mind companies making a profit (most people already understand that and go along with it) ... that's business. And I expect to be charged a decent amount for convenience ... no problem there. But why they can't respond and give a customer a decent, honest, prompt answer is not good customer service. If they are not going to respond to you (or is so short staffed that they cannot) then why post an email address when all you get are automatic replies and no real answers to questions.

[Jancruz]

Paisley,

The people who work in customer service have absolutely no idea the answer to your question..and cannot possibly answer it..IMHO you are asking too much of them..there is nothing they can say but that is our price.

Jan

*****

[mike35]

Jan

Having owned a large aviation fixed base operation, dedicated to providing superior customer service (in order to survive the competition), I must take issue with your last comment. If my customer service reps continually received complaints relative to a certain facet of our operation, I would expect (or insist) that they bring the complaints to upper management, in order that we may provide a realistic answer to the complainants. To sluff it off as a "not my job or not my area of expertise" is to drop the ball when it comes to providing superior customer service to those who ultimately pay my salary.

 

Mike

[Jancruz]

Paisley,

The people who work in customer service have absolutely no idea the answer to your question..and cannot possibly answer it..IMHO you are asking too much of them..there is nothing they can say but that is our price.

Jan

*****

 

 

Mike,

I did not say they wouldnt or shouldnt take it to management..I said they couldnt answer the question and I stand by my response..and if someone asked your customer service rep why you priced a part so high..what could they possibly answer?

Jan

*****

[Paisley12]

Jan,

I feel the way Mike does. The response I got was that their Supervisors would get back to me ... which they didn't. It's been over a month. It's been more than enough time to get some kind of answer.

 

I'm not disputing that the customer service rep does not know the details of their pricing but surely supervision and management does. To push aside or ignore a question from a customer is not good business. Judging from comments made, I'm not the only one who has felt like my question is not important enough for them to get back to me.

 

I have heard wonderful praise coming from people who have been on the Oceania cruises and I am really looking forward to my vacation next year. I just wanted some information and an answer to my question.

 

Also, you asked for problems with customer service and I offered my experience with them because you said you were working with Oceania's office. When I did, you told me my experience with them was not as important as a visa question. While that may be true, it's still important to me.

[tlmlb]

Mike,

I did not say they wouldnt or shouldnt take it to management..I said they couldnt answer the question and I stand by my response..and if someone asked your customer service rep why you priced a part so high..what could they possibly answer?

Jan

*****

 

Jan... that one is easy.....it takes a customer service manager following up on "open calls".

 

The correct answer would be.. "Our revenue/other assigned department researches and sets these prices. I will certainly note your inquiry and make sure that you receive an answer from the appropriate mangement."

 

The call is then logged and assigned/escalated to an empowered individual. It is kept open and the assigned person should only close the call/inquiry after contact with the customer is made. The customer service manager (not the same manager that the call is assigned to) tracks these open calls and if no follow-up is done then the customer service manager must contact the empowered individual to ensure proper customer followup. This should be done within a week.

 

Of course to get answers from oceania and their agents / touts is becoming increasingly difficult. Maybe I should get part of a consultation fee for helping Oceania straighten out their customer service dept.

[Jancruz]

Paisley,

I certainly agree that EVERY question deserves an answer..it is just that some are easier to find the answer to than others ..I have passed your concerns on and will discuss it with upper management..

Jan

*****

[LHT28]

This may not be able to be handled by the res agent but with all the cruise ports now could they make a note in the brochure or online about what VISAS, tourist cards and shots are required for that particular cruise. It would be nice to know up front before one commits to a cruise. It would save the hassle of passengers having to check each countries requirements especially for U.S. and Canadian passengers. Oceania would know what is required when they start service to those Countries.

[ClaudiaF]

Jan,

My experience is their response is slow, sometimes it does not answer the questions and sometimes they just never respond. Over the past few years I have emiled them 4-5 times and I have never felt satisfied with the response.

By the way, do you know how long it takes for their Asia Visa package? I don't think they do. That was my last email question.

Steve

Hi Steve! How are you guys? LONG TIME NO SEE!! Hope you are both doing great!is it possible that your visas came through and are being held at "O" until all of your final documents get sent? ( assuming you ordered them through the ship?).. meaning you will recieve your whole package about 3 weeks before your cruise?just a thought..if you have concerns though I am pretty certain that they use Zierer ( whom we have mentioned here to use, and if you contact them they may have your info ?????? not sure if you don't have an order number but you can try..)Claudia

[ClaudiaF]

http://www.zvs.com/ Zierers website!

[Paisley12]

Jan,

I am sure it is much appreciated by all of us that you are taking the point in discussing improvements with Oceania's management. I know I appreciate it. Would you please include Mike Brill's "Who Proofreads Oceania's Web Site?" I am a software and web tester. While their web site is very nicely done and attractive it does have typos and disconnects on some pages as noted in Mike's thread. I would be mortified if a customer found a defect where I should have found it before it went out to general release. If they don't have a functional and usability test done before the site went out to customers it would be money well spent if they had some independent beta testers check it out before roll-out.

 

Again, thank you for your help in making what seems like a good company better.

[lord of the seas]

jancruz,

BULL**** There is no excuse for not answering a question when you are in the service industry.

I understand that you make your living from selling Oceana cruises but please do not make excuses for the slack management and non response attitude that many loyal clients have suffered

[douganswerphone]

Lord of the Seas

 

Do you bother to read anyone's responses before you make inflammatory posts? Judging by other posts on this board, you enjoy flaming others with rude posts. I'm wondering if this is unintentional, or if you take joy in being a troll.

 

jancruz,

BULL**** There is no excuse for not answering a question when you are in the service industry.

I understand that you make your living from selling Oceana cruises but please do not make excuses for the slack management and non response attitude that many loyal clients have suffered

[DREUX]

It sure would be nice if the pricing section of their website in reference to each sailing could be KEPT UP TO DATE. It is rather infuriating to view Oceania's website and see a price for a particular cabin category and then spend the time on the phone with "O" or your travel agent and find that the category you were interested in is sold out. Then, if you want to sail on the sailing you find it is going to cost you twice as much or more. WHAT A WASTE OF TIME! If you budget for $3000 per person and then find out that there is nothing available for less than $6000 per person, all you have done is waste your time. All the other major cruise lines have the capability on their website to show a perspective client the current price of a particular category cabin. I see no reason that "O" cannot develop this feature into their website. Jan should remember she asked for this feedback so she should be prepared for what she receives.

 

Doug

[drwong]

It sure would be nice if the pricing section of their website in reference to each sailing could be KEPT UP TO DATE. It is rather infuriating to view Oceania's website and see a price for a particular cabin category and then spend the time on the phone with "O" or your travel agent and find that the category you were interested in is sold out. Then, if you want to sail on the sailing you find it is going to cost you twice as much or more. WHAT A WASTE OF TIME! If you budget for $3000 per person and then find out that there is nothing available for less than $6000 per person, all you have done is waste your time. All the other major cruise lines have the capability on their website to show a perspective client the current price of a particular category cabin. I see no reason that "O" cannot develop this feature into their website. Jan should remember she asked for this feedback so she should be prepared for what she receives.

 

Doug

 

Ditto on that, Doug. They have these great promotional leads on their website (or in their email solicitations) but many of the "starting price" cabin categories have already been sold out for months. If they offered a complimentary category upgrade or a "guaranteed" cabin at that rate, cruisers might be less disappointed, but Oceania's website has become a victim of its sales office's successes.

 

As far as responsiveness goes, in year one, Oceania's office staff was very good at answering direct phone inquiries, although I noticed they began referring callers back to their travel agents (or to the website) as the phone lines got busier. Same goes for responsiveness to emails. At first, they were very good at response times, but they seem to have slipped, sending back automated responses until a customer service rep is ready to address the case.

 

My personal experience with their responsiveness has been positive, but it might be due to the commonality of my particular complaint or to my Oceania Club membership. I wrote to complain about the foreign charge fee, and an Oceania rep called me back the following day to explain why the charge appeared and that the credit card-issuing banks are charging and keeping 100% of that fee (for performing no value-added service (e.g. currency conversion)). Needless to say, I switched the charge to another credit card.

 

With other questions like boarding piers, cancelled port calls, and tendering ports, a customer service may not be able to provide you with an accurate answer because the information may change from cruise to cruise. For example, we tendered ashore in Monte Carlo, but walked aboard the Insignia that evening when the Marco Polo sailed and the Insignia took her berth. And on that same cruise, we tendered at Taormina, but were diverted to Catania due to heavy seas, whereupon we reboarded the ship directly from the pier.

 

Creating a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page on its website, based on common questions they receive, might relieve some pressure on the customer service reps. That way, non-web-savvy clients might be able to find the answers to simple questions without flooding Oceania's in-box with similar inquiries, permitting the customer service reps to answer the more in-depth queries that come from well-informed cruisers such as the members of this Board. (If the people we meet onboard have been a representative sampling, most Oceania client's aren't members of this Board or the YahooGroup, leading them to email Oceania directly with their questions). To ameloriate this unpleasant situation, Oceania can easily add a FAQ link to their left menu bar, or via a click-through link on their "Contact Us" page.

[Jancruz]

It sure would be nice if the pricing section of their website in reference to each sailing could be KEPT UP TO DATE. It is rather infuriating to view Oceania's website and see a price for a particular cabin category and then spend the time on the phone with "O" or your travel agent and find that the category you were interested in is sold out. Then, if you want to sail on the sailing you find it is going to cost you twice as much or more. WHAT A WASTE OF TIME! If you budget for $3000 per person and then find out that there is nothing available for less than $6000 per person, all you have done is waste your time. All the other major cruise lines have the capability on their website to show a perspective client the current price of a particular category cabin. I see no reason that "O" cannot develop this feature into their website. Jan should remember she asked for this feedback so she should be prepared for what she receives.

 

Doug

 

I do appreciate all of your feedback..I dont think flaming is necessary but certainly all of your comments have helped me and have been passed on..

Richard, I agree with you and am trying to figure out a way to really get the CS working properly..truthfully, I didnt think about the website when I asked the question here..but it does go hand in hand

Thanks to you all..keep the info coming..

Jan

*****