The virtual assistant

[davecttr]

I just phoned the P&OP customer support on 0345 355 5111 to cancel a cruise and a 'virtual assistant' answered. All 'she' wanted to know was was I an agent-no, did i book direct with P&O-yes, was it a select fare-yes, what was the departure date- gave it. the was asked what was this experience like-3 then the line was cut off.

 

What the heck is going on.

[davecttr]

The assistant is on the 0344 338 8003 number as well. This time it passed me on to the normal queue, still waiting after 20 minutes.

[Britboys]

It's the march of technology to cut costs.

The CEO of a major energy company was on tv yesterday morning and said that a high percentage of their Customer Service emails are now answered via AI....

[davecttr]

This is not an AI, it is a voice recognition program. If you use the wrong form of words you get rejected, and I don't know what anyone with a speech impairment will do.

 

edit - been in the queue for 45 minutes, I have better things to do, when is a quiet time? i will have to go through the VA again though 😠

Edited May 15, 2023 by davecttr

[majortom10]

Good reason not to book direct with P&O and use a well established award winning specialist cruise TA. P&O Customer Service and their appalling telephone service has been like that for years and they cannot blame COVID.

 

[Britboys]

21 minutes ago, davecttr said:

This is not an AI, it is a voice recognition program. If you use the wrong form of words you get rejected, and I don't know what anyone with a speech impairment will do.

 

edit - been in the queue for 45 minutes, I have better things to do, when is a quiet time? i will have to go through the VA again though 😠

Sure, just making the point that most companies are using tech more & more instead of using a real, live, person.

[Snow Hill]

32 minutes ago, davecttr said:

This is not an AI, it is a voice recognition program. If you use the wrong form of words you get rejected, and I don't know what anyone with a speech impairment will do.

 

edit - been in the queue for 45 minutes, I have better things to do, when is a quiet time? i will have to go through the VA again though 😠

It sounds like a badly designed IVR (Integrated Voice Recognition), when I was working 12 years ago, I used to project manage installations of IVR, but if not tested properly then also sorts of problems can occur including cutting off the customer. 

Edited May 15, 2023 by Snow Hill

[davecttr]

Thanks, well i got through to the real person after a 50 minute wait and received the cancellation invoices.

 

 

[Britboys]

1 hour ago, Snow Hill said:

It sounds like a badly designed IVR (Integrated Voice Recognition), when I was working 12 years ago, I used to project manage installations of IVR, but if not tested properly then also sorts of problems can occur including cutting off the customer. 

This is not just IT, this is P&O IT...

[Selbourne]

3 hours ago, Britboys said:

Sure, just making the point that most companies are using tech more & more instead of using a real, live, person.

and with many companies (thankfully not P&O - yet) if you do get a live person they are often in a far flung country with an impenetrable accent!