worst customer service

[buckdawg]

every time i call the general number the agents are clueless . worst cs i have ever dealt with in any company . i hope the cruise is better than the cs alaska may 28th

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@buckdawg I haven't cruised with Princess Cruises before, and I'm curious if you could give some more insight into what's going on with the customer service. Your Alaskan cruise in May is right around the corner. I hope you have everything squared away and Princess Cruises is able to assist you to feel confident your next cruise is a true success! Which port of call will you be visiting on your upcoming itinerary? Will this be your first cruise to Alaska? 

[PaulB]

@buckdawg this is definitely not good to hear. I can understand how angry and frustrated you may be as holidays are a break away from all the stresses and don't need them added to incompetent staff and a company that do not care. I hope you get it sorted soon.

[3Sisters]

@buckdawg Your cruise is right around the corner! I hope you got everything sorted out by now and Princess Cruises has properly responded to you. Cruising to Alaska is an amazing experience, and I hope everything goes smoothly for you.

[PaulB]

@buckdawg I'd be keen to hear if you do get it sorted and how. May help people in case it happens again.

[euroguy]

I've not cruised Princess but Carnival CS at times has been disappointing for me. With that said I have found being polite yet persistent usually will get the answers needed. A couple times I've requested to speak with a supervisor.  To be frank even talking with a supervisor has not always helped and have be provided miss information. So I politely hung up and called back to speak to another CS rep which was much more knowledgeable and assisted me to resolve the issue.  Yes it can be challenging and frustrating but being calm explaining while expressing your frustration and problem can and will go a long ways to get the proper help you need.

[Cruising Caribbean]

@euroguy I like your strategy! I agree that persistence is really what it boils down to, and being kind, and becoming irate will not help your cause whatsoever. I also think that the progress you may or may not have depends on the customer service agent you speak to. For instance, I have had issues with my bookings in the past and some representatives get it, and fix the problem, and others have you email and wait for a possible answer. It's a bummer because I often times will have to call the cruise line several times until getting to a representative that is knowledgeable enough to handle the issue without having to outsource to another department. It sounds like you and I have a similar tactic for getting things done for our cruise bookings! It's better to take the time now to perfect all of the details instead of waiting till the last minute and stressing about it. I have always been a 5 mins early type of person, so I think my previous statement reflects that. 

[PaulB]

Very true. Sometimes I have found myself being irate and irrational because I've been so disappointed and frustrated and have got nowhere. It's as if they don't help out of spite sometimes if you show your anger. So I guess heading the other direction may work better.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

I totally agree that remaining peaceful during times of frustration and difficulty is truly the only way to get your proper message across. I too have acted out of character in emotions of frustration with customer service agents when given the runaround, but it truly does nothing to the outcome at the bottom line. It's certainly more effective to remain calm but stern and persistent to get the answers you are looking for. Sometimes it means emailing and calling a few times but being proactive and patient does pay off.

[PaulB]

But then why shouldn't you show how frustrated you are with poor customer service. After all they are happy to take your money and your custom, things should be put on place so these things don't happen.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

I certainly agree that enhancing customer service now and again is a very smart thing to do! Azamara recently stated it will be boosting its customer service by expanding its sales support team. Every now and again everything needs a refresh, and to be honest, customer service burnout does occur! Even just a simple training or staff appreciation goes a really long way in contentment in the workplace. If the customer service reps are understaffed and overworked, it's going to show in their service. On the other hand, if it's a healthy work environment, service improves and overall staff morale improves significantly. Instead of hearing email this concern, you may actually get a caring customer service agent who is willing to do the footwork instead of outsourcing the issue. Why would a customer service agent go the extra mile to assist a customer if they aren't being treated properly or feel overworked? Outsourcing the problem to another department is truly more sensible when you don't have the time or energy to handle it yourself. 

[PaulB]

It's the age old conundrum, treat your staff right if you want them to perform well. The problem is that companies these days are looking to save money and add so much extra responsibility on a small amount of staff and give no incentive to do well

[3Sisters]

I'm saddened to say that your statement is so spot on. Everything is about saving money and having the staff take on way too much and squeeze them dry. Usually, these types of laborious jobs don't compensate well enough either for doing the workload of two people, with all the pressure and stress put on their shoulders to perform at this level. I feel for anyone who has to endure this sort of workload without being adequately compensated for it. You can tell when someone is burnt out and overworked, it shows in their attitude and in performance. Instead of staying engaged, they detach themselves and sometimes this expression shows up as frustration and sadness. Cruise guests value good service! If cruisers need to pay more for cruising, let's hope that the wonderful crew and staff are receiving that additional support at the bottom line as well!

[PaulB]

It's difficult to accept I agree. However it's a vicious circle. Companies try to save money and put heavy burdens on the remaining staff, who in turn don't/can't perform to their usual standards which affects company performance, that forces the company to try and save even more money.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

It's definitely a struggle to accept; in fact, I don't accept or agree with overworking an employee. It's destructive to undercompensate someone and force unrealistic expectations on any person, regardless of their title or status in the company. This happenstance doesn't discriminate either, it can occur for both highly paid employees and those paid on the lower end of the pay scale. I feel like with the higher-paid employees, it gets swept under the rug easily because they are getting highly compensated, but the expectations can become unrealistic and unbearable at times. All of this to say, I hope that cruise lines treat their crew/customer service teams with care, providing proper times off and compensation, so that their work reflects that of a desirable, healthy work environment.