Call to Cancel Cruise -- HAL Too Businesslike?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Over the years we have had to cancel cruises and we let our TA take care of it since we booked through her.

A couple of times the rep she has talked to has asked why we cancelled.

OP -- I think you are expecting too much from the rep. They are business people doing their job. They are not there to council or console you.

[sapper1]

Everyone's opinion here is equally as valid as everyone else's and you do make a good point.

I would love to be able to express my opinion without fear of being ridiculed for it.

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

I hope you have many wonderful memories to give you comfort.

 

Thank you very much Sail7Seas, I appreciate it.

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

thank you. I still cry once in awhile; I did my annual fall leaf peep trip and I realized he wouldn't be with me and the tears came out. Halloween will probably be another water faucet - he won't be around to wear his flashing stars headset to greet the neighborhood kids.

 

I was actually appreciative of how professional and short and "to the point" my agent was. Made a difficult phone call much easier and less stressful. I really don't care how others perceive their calls or my call. Maybe HAL needs to add some options to their call centers: "press 1 for native English speaking representative", "press 2 for straight-forward representative", "press 3 for Chatty representative," etc. ;) (don't get me started on the English speaker - just had to deal with an "offshore" tech support person the other night :eek::eek::eek:)

 

It will be very emotional for a while. I lost 4 beloved cats over the years,two had cancer at a younger age (5 and 8) and the others made it all the way to 16 before their time had come. It will get better with time, but a piece of your heart will always be with them. I always thought about the expression "it's better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all".....and applied that to losing my furry friends. Hope it gets a little easier for you as time goes by. I identify, believe me.

(PS. don't get me started on the offshore tech support people....UGH :eek::mad:)

[Aquahound]

Wrong! As I said in post #4, I was treated about the same as the OP and did NOT feel unappreciated by HAL. As I said, I appreciated that they did it so quickly and easily.

 

I just tossed a white napkin in the air. I'll let you figure out the metaphor.

[Dancing Shoes]

I would not read too much in to this. Yes, it would have been nice to hear what you were expecting. Every customer service person is different. Maybe she didn't follow protocol.

[InTheWASide]

 

I agree that a simple "Sorry you have to cancel" would have been nice. But I'd take OP's conversation any time over a push to not cancel or to change the booking to a different cruise.

 

I suspect, as OP said, they're inundated with calls to cancel or change cruises. They've probably heard complaints about substitute ports enough times that they may be relieved to NOT hear why the person is cancelling.

 

I tend to agree with you here. Plus is doesn't slap the OP across the face and lecture them.

 

I can speak with 100% certainty that HAL agents that can cancel bookings can also make them. I can also speak with 100% certainty that HAL does not want their agents to be "transactional" in their interactions. I can speak with about 95% certainty that HAL would prefer that the agent ask if there was something they would like to change to instead (5% uncertainty is that they may prefer these calls are treated like an express lane at the grocery store..).

 

With that said, the same call over and over and over, combined with how busy HAL has been ANYWAY lately, combined with all the calls of people just wanting info because they aren't seeing it on the website and/or want more clarification than what the website says for itin changes... I can see how it's just a little more "wham bam thank you maam" and on to the next.

 

Having formerly been a HAL employee, knowing a great number of current HAL employees and still having a job in the travel industry (and being a trainer in that role) it certainly adds little to no effort to say "I'm so sorry you have to cancel. Is there another date you're interested in? No? Okay, well that has been done for you. Anything else I can help with right now?"

 

Opinions of efficiency vs transactional vs fluff will vary, but I don't agree with the initial replies that jumped down the OP's throat... varying opinions or not it came across as calling the OP an unreasonable idiot... and that wasn't fair to them.

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

PS Slider Girl....thanks for your sympathies as well...I just saw your comment added.

[candbgirl]

I am quite sure your rep, whomever she might be, has no interest in my thoughts abbout howgood a job she did or did not do. Anymore than I care what she thinks of my opinion., . I am just as entitled as everyone else to have and to to post my opinion. As long as I am not making attacks at CC'ers, am followin g the rules here and do not target some poster, I hope, I will continue to to be permitted to post here Why would I care what some nameless, faceless rep thinks of my or anyone's opinion as expressed here?

 

 

 

[emoji848][emoji853][emoji33]

 

 

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[SilvertoGold]

I tend to agree with you here. Plus is doesn't slap the OP across the face and lecture them.

 

I can speak with 100% certainty that HAL agents that can cancel bookings can also make them. I can also speak with 100% certainty that HAL does not want their agents to be "transactional" in their interactions. I can speak with about 95% certainty that HAL would prefer that the agent ask if there was something they would like to change to instead (5% uncertainty is that they may prefer these calls are treated like an express lane at the grocery store..).

 

With that said, the same call over and over and over, combined with how busy HAL has been ANYWAY lately, combined with all the calls of people just wanting info because they aren't seeing it on the website and/or want more clarification than what the website says for itin changes... I can see how it's just a little more "wham bam thank you maam" and on to the next.

 

Having formerly been a HAL employee, knowing a great number of current HAL employees and still having a job in the travel industry (and being a trainer in that role) it certainly adds little to no effort to say "I'm so sorry you have to cancel. Is there another date you're interested in? No? Okay, well that has been done for you. Anything else I can help with right now?"

 

Opinions of efficiency vs transactional vs fluff will vary, but I don't agree with the initial replies that jumped down the OP's throat... varying opinions or not it came across as calling the OP an unreasonable idiot... and that wasn't fair to them.

 

Thanks for providing a thoughtful and inside look at this. There are always many sides, many angles. Appreciated.

[iancal]

It comes down to basic employee training.

 

It pays to invest in your employees-reduces staff turnover and increases revenue and profit.

 

I still smile when I purchase something at the dept. store where I worked part time as a university student 45 years ago. My card is handed back and the clerk thanks me by name. Still doing that basic training that I went through. When I buy a dress shirt, etc the sales clerk offers to take me over to select a tie. Makes me smile even after all these years. And guess what....it is one of the last surviving dept stores in Canada. I guess they are still investing in training. Not a place to cut corners.

[sail7seas]

I would love to be able to express my opinion without fear of being ridiculed for it.

 

 

What a coincidence. I think most of us would love the same thing. :)

[kazu]

It comes down to basic employee training.

 

It pays to invest in your employees-reduces staff turnover and increases revenue and profit.

 

I still smile when I purchase something at the dept. store where I worked part time as a university student 45 years ago. My card is handed back and the clerk thanks me by name. Still doing that basic training that I went through. When I buy a dress shirt, etc the sales clerk offers to take me over to select a tie. Makes me smile even after all these years. And guess what....it is one of the last surviving dept stores in Canada. I guess they are still investing in training. Not a place to cut corners.

 

Exactly ;). So agree. Service pays off big time IMO :). That's one of the reasons the big department store failed. They took the easy out to cut costs and cut staff. No staff, no service and look what happened.

 

I realize people are busy and stressed but it is not really that hard IF you care to say "sorry to hear you have had to cancel" and/or "is there anything else I can help you with today".

 

It only takes a minute and goes a long way. JMO though.

[Lizzie68]

I would love to be able to express my opinion without fear of being ridiculed for it.

 

So true, but no fear here.... it's always the same ones, so makes no odds to me.

[stao]

Just last week I had occasion to call HAL and cancel a cruise which sailed two days ago. I did mention to the agent I spoke with on the phone that the cancellation was due to my wife being hospitalized. I'm pleased to report that I received extremely efficient service in addition to much empathy. The necessary documentation I requested to submit for Trip Cancellation Insurance purposes was forwarded electronically almost immediately. Nothing but praise for HAL!!!

[innlady1]

I've had reason to cancel our last 2 cruises at the last minute, had HAL's Premium Platinum Insurance, and cancelled both very quickly...no questions asked. Personally, for many people, it's sad to have to cancel. I'm sure, most people appreciate not having to answer questions about booking another cruise, etc. frankly, all I cared about was when would my credit be issued - it was a substantial sum since both were after final payment!

 

 

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[avian777]

I am quite sure your rep, whomever she might be, has no interest in my thoughts abbout howgood a job she did or did not do. Anymore than I care what she thinks of my opinion., . I am just as entitled as everyone else to have and to to post my opinion. As long as I am not making attacks at CC'ers, am followin g the rules here and do not target some poster, I hope, I will continue to to be permitted to post here Why would I care what some nameless, faceless rep thinks of my or anyone's opinion as expressed here?

 

Spot on again, sail7seas!(y)(y)(y)

[SetAnOpenCourse]

At this time it may be a fruitless conversation if the rep started asking about booking an alternate Caribbean cruise, if some itineraries are not definite. Maybe it's better to let the customer initiate that, for the time being. As for the rep's general manner, better to just accept the myriad of personalities, as long as the people on both ends are basically courteous.

[whogo]

It comes down to basic employee training.

 

It pays to invest in your employees-reduces staff turnover and increases revenue and profit.

 

I still smile when I purchase something at the dept. store where I worked part time as a university student 45 years ago. My card is handed back and the clerk thanks me by name. Still doing that basic training that I went through. When I buy a dress shirt, etc the sales clerk offers to take me over to select a tie. Makes me smile even after all these years. And guess what....it is one of the last surviving dept stores in Canada. I guess they are still investing in training. Not a place to cut corners.

This shows that people are different. While it is generally nice to be addressed by name, I would rather a clerk not learn my name from a credit card, broadcast my name within earshot of other customers, or call me by the first name printed on my card instead of the nickname I go by.

[navybankerteacher]

I just got off the phone with a HAL representative to cancel a Caribbean cruise we had booked for January. (Yep, 2 of our ports-of-call were hit by hurricanes). Anyway, I appreciate such conversations being businesslike, but I was surprised that the HAL rep was SO businesslike. She took my booking number, cancelled the reservation, and told me that my deposit had been credited back to my credit card--that's it. There as no, "Oh, I'm sorry to hear you have to cancel." or "Can we book you for another cruise?", etc. I suppose they are simply getting inundated with cancellations for winter cruises in the Caribbean, but I just expected a different conversation when I cancelled.

 

If I were calling to cancel a cruise, I would be delighted to have been treated this way. Come to think of it- if the rep spent time engaging in a sales pitch with the people who had called before me, I probably would have been put on hold and have spent much more time doing what I needed to get done.

 

"Cross selling" is often encouraged by employers who operate call centers - I much prefer to be dealt with efficiently - and to have it left to me to decide if I want to initiate a new transaction.

[crobinson]

Am glad it was so easy, sorry you has to cancel. Hope all is ok

 

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[durangoscots]

Since the OP did not offer a reason for cancelling when the call was made, I can see the agent going all business and not saying things that might trigger an emotional reaction if the caller was cancelling due to a death or illness, etc. If I want the agent to know more I would say so at the outset. That being said I did cancel a cruise a few days ago ... gave no reason .... agent was professional but did ask if there was "anything else I needed" which was a question which could be answered by a simple "yes" or "no" if I was upset ( I wasn't,... plans do change, drat it!!!!).

 

Susan

[Hlitner]

We also would have been delighted to have been treated professionally, like described by the OP. My need for handholding ended many moons ago :).

 

Hank

[hrhdhd]

This shows that people are different. While it is generally nice to be addressed by name, I would rather a clerk not learn my name from a credit card, broadcast my name within earshot of other customers, or call me by the first name printed on my card instead of the nickname I go by.

 

A to the men. I cannot stand a clerk, particularly one younger than I am, calling me by my first name (which, naturally, he or she usually mispronounces).

 

Regarding phone reps, I'd much rather have an efficient, successful interaction than get into a lot of conversation. I have friends for that. (Believe it or not. ;))

[1of4]

Well I personally do not think a bit of personal touch would have been out of line. That is the exact reason most of us list as one of the things we like best about HAL and that keep us coming back: the personal service. So I find the OP to be spot on. It was weird for the HAL rep not to throw in a kind sentence. It would have taken all of 10 seconds of their time.