Celebrity Cruise Agents not answering their phones

[mnocket]

25 minutes ago, ISABELLA said:

When X start to loose business, something will change.

Agree 100%.  Unfortunately it seems their current calculus is that poor customer service is not costing them business.😕

[Host Anne]

A few more insights (feel free to agree or disagree....politely, of course).

 

Celebrity has continued to bring back ships over the past six months and has increased the amount of reservations and passengers sailing with them during that time as well.  Regardless of where you want to place "blame," the fact remains that the demand for people calling customer service far surpasses the number of staff they have to man the phones. I'm talking with people daily in our industries about the challenges of finding people to fill jobs, then show up for those jobs, the cost to  train them and hopefully getting them to stay.  I don't believe that more money and more perks are the ultimate answers (I'm not sure what it, quite frankly).

 

It's easy to say "just pay more money and provide more perks," but the reality is that Royal Caribbean had a reported loss of $5.8 Billion dollars in 2020; 5.3 Billion loss in 2021; and a loss of 1.2 Billion in the first quarter of 2022.  How long are companies suppose to survive with these kinds of losses?  Even if the pool of qualified folks to man the customer service lines was unending, you can't continuously add to debt regardless of the company.  

 

If it's really a matter of simply paying people more, the biggest question becomes how much more are we willing to pay for a cruise so that the cruise lines can attempt to staff their land-based operations such as customer service and to hire enough staff to train those folks.  That's what it's going to come down to.  The nice thing is that we all have the right to choose to spend our vacation dollars elsewhere.  But right now, it's not "pretty" elsewhere, either.  

 

Again, be kind and grateful to those who are willing to work, whether it's Celebrity, an airline or a hotel.  

 

 

[Host Anne]

32 minutes ago, mnocket said:

Agree 100%.  Unfortunately it seems their current calculus is that poor customer service is not costing them business.😕

 

The problem is that customer service isn't better anywhere else.  Try flying or doing business with hotels. If poor customer service was costing companies business these days, many of them would be out of business.  Unfortunately, it's not.  I've often said if we want something to change, stop spending money on it.  We don't seem to be able to do that.

[wrk2cruise]

I could probably reduce customer service calls by 10% if they provided a web page that contained an accurate summary of your sailing.    Something like the following

 

Cruise Fare Subtotal (Forget about all the fake promo discounts) 

(Real Discounts  Military/Fire Police EMT/B2B)

Taxes/Fees

Total:

 

Amount Paid:

Balance:

 

Beverage Package:    Classic/Premium/None

Wifi:                               Surf/Stream/None

OBC:                              $0-xxxx

Gratuity Included        Yes/No

 

With a Button at the bottom to email me my invoice

[mnocket]

39 minutes ago, Host Anne said:

 

The problem is that customer service isn't better anywhere else.  Try flying or doing business with hotels. If poor customer service was costing companies business these days, many of them would be out of business.  Unfortunately, it's not.  I've often said if we want something to change, stop spending money on it.  We don't seem to be able to do that.

Oh I agree.  Poor customer service seems to have become a pandemic of it's own. 

[mnocket]

47 minutes ago, Host Anne said:

the biggest question becomes how much more are we willing to pay for a cruise so that the cruise lines can attempt to staff their land-based operations such as customer service and to hire enough staff to train those folks.  That's what it's going to come down to.

Again I agree.  It's a business decision.  Is Customer Service where they want to invest their available budget.  I'm not saying I wouldn't make the same decision if I were them.  In the larger scheme of things, it may be understandable that Customer Service isn't a top priority to them when they allocate budget.  It's just more than a bit annoying to hear how valuable they consider me while I sit on hold for extended periods.  Just say, as other do, "We are experiencing a high level of calls and apologize for the long wait times".  Or even better... "We are experiencing a high level of calls and apologize for the long wait times. Estimated wait time is XX minutes.  If you prefer please press 1 and we will return you call".  Just, please, don't keep telling me how much you value me - my time is worth money too.

[Lastdance]

10 minutes ago, mnocket said:

Oh I agree.  Poor customer service seems to have become a pandemic of it's own. 

So, it must have been one of the side effects from C, even though it wasn't mentioned previously.

[mnocket]

1 minute ago, Lastdance said:

So, it must have been one of the side effects from C, even though it wasn't mentioned previously.

Yeah and unfortunately there isn't a vaccine or any therapeutics available for it😷   There's Long Covid and Long Wait Times.  Coincidence?  I think not.

[Bo1953]

1 hour ago, mnocket said:

Agree 100%.  Unfortunately it seems their current calculus is that poor customer service is not costing them business.😕

I cannot speak for any other passengers, yet for us and our usual group of eight (8) to ten (10), not an issue at all....

 

Because when we board, we are relaxed, happy and looking forward to great sailing.

 

Besides, most (95%) of our issues are handled by our TA...

 

bon voyage

[mnocket]

Just now, Bo1953 said:

I cannot speak for any other passengers, yet for us and our usual group of eight (8) to ten (10), not an issue at all....

 

Because when we board, we are relaxed, happy and looking forward to great sailing.

 

Besides, most (95%) of our issues are handled by our TA...

 

bon voyage

I didn't say their calculus wasn't 🙂

[Jeremiah1212]

Eventually many companies, Celebrity included, are going to have to invest in more self-service options rather than call centers. The tech-leary crowd will have to learn to adjust. No one wants to get yelled at for 9 hours a day for $15 an hour. 

[pinebro]

Golfinesq stay in Venice! The celebrity transfer was only $59. It left from the Tronchetto at piazzale roma. Water taxi took us directly there. 

[bstoeck]

Wouldn't it be great to be able to upgrade/change your Beverage Package (now is even more applicable since Elevate and Indulge packages went away) with your Captains Club discounts on the website?  I have spent HOURS on hold trying to do this and it would be a simple thing to link your Captains Club status when you log in to your booking/account.  If you make it easier Celebrity maybe you will sell more upgrades right?

 

Also WHY can't I book Specialty restaurants with other parties where we sit together and use our OWN onboard credits to pay for them in advance?   This is infuriating that I would have to use all my own  OBC to pay for our entire party in order to reserve a time together.

 

These are a few of the instances off the top of my head that would make things easier to book and free up your overworked phone agents and maybe make hold time decrease from 2-3 hours plus.

 

What are some others they can make an online fix without calling and waiting on hold for EONS?

[Arizona Wildcat]

21 hours ago, Host Anne said:

 

The problem is that customer service isn't better anywhere else.  Try flying or doing business with hotels. If poor customer service was costing companies business these days, many of them would be out of business.  Unfortunately, it's not.  I've often said if we want something to change, stop spending money on it.  We don't seem to be able to do that.

Disagree on that one.  Sorry.  I am responsible for a non-profit with thousands on members worldwide.   All inquiries are answered within 2 business days.  Calls flow to those who take calls directly.  If they have too many the directors and officers are notified and we step up.  

 

If you can communicate to someone that providing two things:

 

#1 a booking confirmation via email or access via signing in to Celebrity that CLEARLY outlines the terms of the cruise contract AND

 

#2 has someone read and put out clear and CONCISE press releases.  That was my job.  They could put out instructions to EVERYONE then simply update as needed.  A simple search by departure country would eliminate thousands of phone calls.

[Mississippian]

I called today with questions about an existing cruise. Their recording apologized for my long wait, but it was fewer than five minutes.

[LGW59]

37 minutes ago, Mississippian said:

I called today with questions about an existing cruise. Their recording apologized for my long wait, but it was fewer than five minutes.

Good to hear, that has almost always been my experience also, or at least 20 minutes max.  Though I never call to request anything that I can do on board.

[Jammu2]

21 hours ago, bstoeck said:

Wouldn't it be great to be able to upgrade/change your Beverage Package (now is even more applicable since Elevate and Indulge packages went away) with your Captains Club discounts on the website?  I have spent HOURS on hold trying to do this and it would be a simple thing to link your Captains Club status when you log in to your booking/account.  If you make it easier Celebrity maybe you will sell more upgrades right?

 

Also WHY can't I book Specialty restaurants with other parties where we sit together and use our OWN onboard credits to pay for them in advance?   This is infuriating that I would have to use all my own  OBC to pay for our entire party in order to reserve a time together.

 

These are a few of the instances off the top of my head that would make things easier to book and free up your overworked phone agents and maybe make hold time decrease from 2-3 hours plus.

 

What are some others they can make an online fix without calling and waiting on hold for EONS?

 

Yes this is basic stuff. And I thought the Princess app was bad. Holy cow. Sorry for my last review, Princess! 

 

I am yet another person waiting to take care of some simple tasks until I get on board. It makes embarkation more stressful than it needs to be both for employees and passengers.

[Julma]

On 7/18/2022 at 4:08 PM, Host Anne said:

A few more insights (feel free to agree or disagree....politely, of course).

 

Celebrity has continued to bring back ships over the past six months and has increased the amount of reservations and passengers sailing with them during that time as well.  Regardless of where you want to place "blame," the fact remains that the demand for people calling customer service far surpasses the number of staff they have to man the phones. I'm talking with people daily in our industries about the challenges of finding people to fill jobs, then show up for those jobs, the cost to  train them and hopefully getting them to stay.  I don't believe that more money and more perks are the ultimate answers (I'm not sure what it, quite frankly).

 

It's easy to say "just pay more money and provide more perks," but the reality is that Royal Caribbean had a reported loss of $5.8 Billion dollars in 2020; 5.3 Billion loss in 2021; and a loss of 1.2 Billion in the first quarter of 2022.  How long are companies suppose to survive with these kinds of losses?  Even if the pool of qualified folks to man the customer service lines was unending, you can't continuously add to debt regardless of the company.  

 

If it's really a matter of simply paying people more, the biggest question becomes how much more are we willing to pay for a cruise so that the cruise lines can attempt to staff their land-based operations such as customer service and to hire enough staff to train those folks.  That's what it's going to come down to.  The nice thing is that we all have the right to choose to spend our vacation dollars elsewhere.  But right now, it's not "pretty" elsewhere, either.  

 

Again, be kind and grateful to those who are willing to work, whether it's Celebrity, an airline or a hotel.  

 

 

I agree 100%.  I do think that their hard hitting ad campaign promising the world is setting unrealistic expectations.  Maybe they should go with an approach closer to your last line, "stick with us hard working people are doing their best". Setting realistic expectations goes a long way.  

 

I usually do the planning/calling/holding.  The other day it was my husband and he looked up at me with a grin on his face and said, "my wait time is approx. 4 minutes".  He was very happy and I didn't have the heart to burst his bubble.  3 hours 15 minutes later someone picked up.  Good news - they were able to complete what he needed!  

[Katieniesen]

Called Captain's Club twice today but something is up with their system because every time I get to an agent, they're in reservations and not captains club.  I gave up.  I'll call again in a few days.  Just trying to get the 25% discount on the internet package for my Sept sailing.

[LGW59]

6 hours ago, Julma said:

I agree 100%.  I do think that their hard hitting ad campaign promising the world is setting unrealistic expectations.  Maybe they should go with an approach closer to your last line, "stick with us hard working people are doing their best". Setting realistic expectations goes a long way.  

 

I usually do the planning/calling/holding.  The other day it was my husband and he looked up at me with a grin on his face and said, "my wait time is approx. 4 minutes".  He was very happy and I didn't have the heart to burst his bubble.  3 hours 15 minutes later someone picked up.  Good news - they were able to complete what he needed!  

I have to say, I just got off the phone with reservations.  It started with a chat on the booking site where I was doing a mock booking.  About 10 minutes in, the chat window popped up with a message asking if they can help with making a reservation.  I said sure, gave him the ship/date I was interested in.  He offered to call me and he did 5 minutes later, did what I needed him to do making the reservation and we were done in 15 minutes.  While I was on the phone with him, he sent me the confirmation email, I reviewed it with him still on the phone and everything was perfect.  I wish I could give "hims" name because he was super helpful with me, but I know even giving a reps first name here is a big NO NO.  I also engaged him a bit of conversation re their life with customers these days, he said for the most part people have been nice but when they are impatient or frustrated they can and do take it out on the customer service reps.  He also said they are very short staffed and really do their best to get to callers as quick as possible and a lot of their calls are spent dealing with stuff that can be addressed w/o a call and taken care of once on board but no matter, they still do their best to take care of whatever the caller is trying to do.  Just my two cents and I say big kudos to my rep and Celebrity, it all went very smooth, efficient and quickly. 

[Lastdance]

I was sent an email that asked me to share my experience with_____.  In the nicest way possible, I also mentioned that customers need to do more for themselves online, rather than having to call Celebrity for so many little things.  Even the thought of calling makes me uneasy, but I try to line up several things that I can do while waiting; however, getting disconnected is even more annoying.  None of this is going to curtail my cruising, so practicing patience and pleasantness is my best defense, not to mention things that I can control.

Edited July 20, 2022 by Lastdance

[bdstickks0944]

On 7/7/2022 at 10:09 AM, tonylander said:

What is going on with Celebrity.  They are not answering their phone, it seems impossible to try and upgrade or general questions.

I have called 21 times since last Saturday and waited an average of 30 minutes, and still did not get any one.

I hope the on board service is much better

Don’t book the cruise direct w celebrity. Use a travel agent. 

[alto400]

10 hours ago, bdstickks0944 said:

Don’t book the cruise direct w celebrity. Use a travel agent. 

Contact them via Facebook. My husband had been trying for weeks to get a response by e mails and, on one occasion a phone call which cost $60 during which he was passed from pillar to post without actually speaking with anyone. He received a call back within 10 mins after posting on Facebook.

[ScottC4746]

On 7/18/2022 at 11:35 AM, mnocket said:

I'm curious why so many feel poor customer service is not the company's fault.  Sure it's hard to find new employees, but if it's something that is truly very important to the business (i.e. "your call is very important to us") - you pay up to attract the number of employees you need.  The issue is rarely that there aren't any job seekers available - the issue is there aren't any job seekers who are willing to work for your company (pay and perks).  If staffing customer service was really a top priority - it would be done.

 

An example to this is I was trying to hire and office assistant for a non-profit last year.  We as a non profit couldn't pay THAT much just above minimum wage.  Many candidates at the interview had said that they decline as they make more on unemployment than they would working for us, thus truly not the business' fault.  

[JsMom2]

On 7/7/2022 at 11:09 AM, tonylander said:

What is going on with Celebrity.  They are not answering their phone, it seems impossible to try and upgrade or general questions.

I have called 21 times since last Saturday and waited an average of 30 minutes, and still did not get any one.

I hope the on board service is much better

Yes the wait times are long.  But that means that the agent you finally do get has been taking calls non stop and is probably absolutely exhausted.   Yet they always do everything they can to resolve our issues as quickly as they can.  Everything they do is monitored, they don’t have the option of just not answering the phone.  Sometimes they have to go to breaks or lunch late due to long calls.  If they are on a call when their shift ends, they have to keep working.  And they get minimal time during the day for bathroom breaks.  So when you experience a long wait, please be patient and kind with their person you eventually speak with.