How Efficient is Princess Call Centre?

[Reina del Mar]

Checked in weeks ago, today was the day We were meant to access our QR. Codes for boarding. Have done this several times since Medallion was introduced. This time, app would only let me access mine..nothing for husband. Phoned Ocean Ready. Rep told me that we only needed one QR code as we are in the same cabin. That didn’t ring true at all. Phoned travel agent who said we needed a QR code each. She explained what we had to do, log out of my name, log in again with booking number rather than name…both QR codes appeared..not too difficult, even for a technophobe like me…..We have previously just boarded by showing passports, but being a long way from home, felt the need to have everything that was recommended. Why can’t call centre staff be trained to help rather than give incorrect information ?

[BamaVol]

Neither one of you will need a QR code.  Just bring your medallion and passport.

[Rick&Jeannie]

4 minutes ago, Reina del Mar said:

 Rep told me that we only needed one QR code as we are in the same cabin. That didn’t ring true at all.

This is true...even if you *did* have a second QR code, either one would bring up the same booking.  But as @BamaVol says above...you really don't need one at all.  We have *never* been asked to see one at multiple ports.

[JGmf]

Regarding this thread's title question: "How Efficient is Princess Call Centre?"

 

Um, not very. 

 

You'll need to cycle through several prompts to talk to someone, but that someone, at least in my multiple experiences, is in the middle of some loud room in a far away land.  Sure, if it's a dining reservation they can handle that.  Anything more vexing, is kind of a gamble.

[Reina del Mar]

28 minutes ago, BamaVol said:

Neither one of you will need a QR code.  Just bring your medallion and passport.

Yes, as I mentioned in the original post, we have boarded just showing our passports..BUT..and this is the big but…we are NOT able to have medallions mailed to UK and I certainly do not want to face ISSUES, having flown half way around the World to Australia.

 

27 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

This is true...even if you *did* have a second QR code, either one would bring up the same booking.  But as @BamaVol says above...you really don't need one at all.  We have *never* been asked to see one at multiple ports.

 

We have boarded in Fort Lauderdale and San Antonio (South America) just showing passports….but I am a worrier…if Princess tell me I need QR codes for both of us, that is what I will have to travel. We now have a QR code each..just in case !!!!

[Rick&Jeannie]

8 minutes ago, Reina del Mar said:

 

We have boarded in Fort Lauderdale and San Antonio (South America) just showing passports….but I am a worrier…if Princess tell me I need QR codes for both of us, that is what I will have to travel. We now have a QR code each..just in case !!!!

Great! I would be willing to bet that you will not need them...but I fully understand the desire to "cover your bases"!

[BamaVol]

1 hour ago, Reina del Mar said:

Yes, as I mentioned in the original post, we have boarded just showing our passports..BUT..and this is the big but…we are NOT able to have medallions mailed to UK and I certainly do not want to face ISSUES, having flown half way around the World to Australia.

 

 

We have boarded in Fort Lauderdale and San Antonio (South America) just showing passports….but I am a worrier…if Princess tell me I need QR codes for both of us, that is what I will have to travel. We now have a QR code each..just in case !!!!

I do understand your worry.  Sorry to simplify the response.
 

As far as the call center, they are useless.  Never called ‘em.  Never will.  If my TA can’t figure something out, she can call. I don’t know if she calls the same number, but she does seem to get what she needs. Why doesn’t Princess hire and train for success?  I don’t think anyone here can answer that question. Surely the executives who run the company are aware of its shortcomings RE: the call center and app.  Yet, nothing changes for the better.

[ontheweb]

4 minutes ago, BamaVol said:

I do understand your worry.  Sorry to simplify the response.
 

As far as the call center, they are useless.  Never called ‘em.  Never will.  If my TA can’t figure something out, she can call. I don’t know if she calls the same number, but she does seem to get what she needs. Why doesn’t Princess hire and train for success?  I don’t think anyone here can answer that question. Surely the executives who run the company are aware of its shortcomings RE: the call center and app.  Yet, nothing changes for the better.

When I was getting contradictory information from the Princess call center, I finally called my TA. He called his own representative at Princess and got the answer to my question (actually the question was did Princess have a bus from London to Dover for our cruise.) We had a 3 way conversation, and then my TA left and let me ask any other questions I had with an actual knowledgeable Princess representative.

[Rick&Jeannie]

To answer the OPs specific question about efficiency...it's not so much a matter of efficiency as it is in their knowledgability. Princess just recently switched to a call center located in the Philippines and the knowledge level of many of those phone reps is severely lacking. You will get contradictory answers from multiple reps.

[john watson]

42 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

To answer the OPs specific question about efficiency...it's not so much a matter of efficiency as it is in their knowledgability. Princess just recently switched to a call center located in the Philippines and the knowledge level of many of those phone reps is severely lacking. You will get contradictory answers from multiple reps.

The original poster is from Wales and I am sure she will be contacting the call centre in Southampton, Carnival House.

 

Regards John

[Rick&Jeannie]

2 hours ago, john watson said:

The original poster is from Wales and I am sure she will be contacting the call centre in Southampton, Carnival House.

 

Regards John

Ah! I did not know that there was another call center other than the Philippines.

[2and2]

10 hours ago, Reina del Mar said:

Checked in weeks ago, today was the day We were meant to access our QR. Codes for boarding. Have done this several times since Medallion was introduced. This time, app would only let me access mine..nothing for husband. Phoned Ocean Ready. Rep told me that we only needed one QR code as we are in the same cabin. That didn’t ring true at all. Phoned travel agent who said we needed a QR code each. She explained what we had to do, log out of my name, log in again with booking number rather than name…both QR codes appeared..not too difficult, even for a technophobe like me…..We have previously just boarded by showing passports, but being a long way from home, felt the need to have everything that was recommended. Why can’t call centre staff be trained to help rather than give incorrect information ?

At least you must have been able to understand them.  I called back the third time before I could understand them, and then got the wrong information.  It is frustrating.

[charliedalrymple]

9 hours ago, Reina del Mar said:

we are NOT able to have medallions mailed to UK and I certainly do not want to face ISSUES, having flown half way around the World to Australia.

 

I live in Australia and had the same worries about the QR code and medallion (which can't be mailed here either). As others have said, the QR code is unnecessary, and the medallions were waiting for us at the port.  All very smooth.

[riffatsea]

The c all centers,no matter where they are located, are manned by sales people 

They know little or nothing about anything on board  the ships!

Do no t call them for information!!!

[leck57]

5 hours ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

To answer the OPs specific question about efficiency...it's not so much a matter of efficiency as it is in their knowledgability. Princess just recently switched to a call center located in the Philippines and the knowledge level of many of those phone reps is severely lacking. You will get contradictory answers from multiple reps.

 

I have taken many cruises on Princess and always used a TA. Last year I entered a Princess competition but put my "unofficial" email address as my details as I knew it would generate a lot of marketing emails. Sure enough I have received many from a guy who states he is my Princess Vacation Planner. I've checked him out and he is in the Philippines as well and probably never set foot on a cruise ship. I'd say one minute he is an uninformed Princess Call Centre employee and next is an uninformed Princess Vacation Planner.

Princess have done themselves a major disservice by outsourcing call centre ops to a cheap labour operation. 

[BamaVol]

14 hours ago, leck57 said:

 

I have taken many cruises on Princess and always used a TA. Last year I entered a Princess competition but put my "unofficial" email address as my details as I knew it would generate a lot of marketing emails. Sure enough I have received many from a guy who states he is my Princess Vacation Planner. I've checked him out and he is in the Philippines as well and probably never set foot on a cruise ship. I'd say one minute he is an uninformed Princess Call Centre employee and next is an uninformed Princess Vacation Planner.

Princess have done themselves a major disservice by outsourcing call centre ops to a cheap labour operation. 

I’m curious how you checked him out. 

[leck57]

3 hours ago, BamaVol said:

I’m curious how you checked him out. 

 

As he wants to introduce himself as a Personal Planner he obviously puts his name to the emails. So I just checked him on Facebook,  LinkedIn, etc .

[BamaVol]

15 hours ago, leck57 said:

 

As he wants to introduce himself as a Personal Planner he obviously puts his name to the emails. So I just checked him on Facebook,  LinkedIn, etc .

I don’t do FB, but I looked mine up on LinkedIn and did not see him.  We’ve never spoken, I use a TA, but many here do rave about their PVP.

[Lady Arwen]

I’ve had the same CVP for years and she lives in the Ft. Lauderdale area.  She is extremely knowledgeable and very efficient.  I literally do nothing but tell her what we want and give her our cc number.  If we need to make changes or refare, no problem at all.  Returns my calls within one hour or less.

 

I wish I could share her name with you.  Without her, I would never book another Princess cruise.

[leck57]

8 hours ago, BamaVol said:

I don’t do FB, but I looked mine up on LinkedIn and did not see him.  We’ve never spoken, I use a TA, but many here do rave about their PVP.

 

You could also just type their name in Google search and see if any results appear. 

 

Yes some people do rave about their PVP but like you I use a TA. It seems though those PVPs were established in the day before the outsourcing. As I mentioned my newly appointed PVP is in the Philippines and I doubt he knows as much about Princess as most people on here. I'm getting turned off by my current TA as he never offers any better prices or incentives than I can get myself so I was just going to start doing all booking myself online.

 

[BamaVol]

8 minutes ago, leck57 said:

 

You could also just type their name in Google search and see if any results appear. 

 

Yes some people do rave about their PVP but like you I use a TA. It seems though those PVPs were established in the day before the outsourcing. As I mentioned my newly appointed PVP is in the Philippines and I doubt he knows as much about Princess as most people on here. I'm getting turned off by my current TA as he never offers any better prices or incentives than I can get myself so I was just going to start doing all booking myself online.

 

Google doesn’t provide a match.  Perhaps it’s an alias.  😲

[2and2]

27 minutes ago, leck57 said:

 

You could also just type their name in Google search and see if any results appear. 

 

Yes some people do rave about their PVP but like you I use a TA. It seems though those PVPs were established in the day before the outsourcing. As I mentioned my newly appointed PVP is in the Philippines and I doubt he knows as much about Princess as most people on here. I'm getting turned off by my current TA as he never offers any better prices or incentives than I can get myself so I was just going to start doing all booking myself online.

 

Travel agents will soon be a thing of the past when us old timers (pre-internet) get to old to travel. Kind of like a paper road map.