Worst TA service ever?

In hindsight I find this story pretty hilarious.

I went in the a local TA a few weeks back - closely related to the captain but not, in order to get a price on our upcoming RCI cruise next year, and, admittedly, because i wanted brochures. I was the only person in the store and as I stood there for a solid 10 minutes the 3 agents all proceeded to continue their conversation about their weekend plans and completely ignored me. As i finally got sick of waiting i spoke up and was greeted by the "senior" agent with "what do you want". I expressed that I was looking at cruises and, before I was even able to ask which ones I was looking at she launched in to a spiel about how we may be too young to cruise (mid twenties) and likely won't enjoy ourselves. After finally getting that out of the way I asked to look at prices for either Radiance of the seas or legend of the seas south pacific trips next year.

"Oh, NO! you shouldn't go with royal carribean you need to go on a p&o cruise first so you don't set your standards too high, at your age you should only be staying in 3 star products"

By this point I was starting to get a little annoyed,

"Look I just want prices for these two specific cruises on these dates please"

"Well I'd have to call our cruise specialists and I'll be on hold for too long, so..."

So I stood up, walked out and made a formal complaint to the TA's head office. I think displaying this level of contempt for your customers and being so downright rude is absolutely shocking in a retail/customer service position.

And. I never got my damn brochures! Haha. Just wanted to vent my frustration a little on here, needless to say, cruise booked elsewhere and the countdown is on! [emoji2]

Haven't found a TA I like for booking cruises, have always had better service with an online agency. I paid premium TA prices for my first cruise and have never paid that much since...and always received OBC (I haggle!).

I do, however, use a TA for air travel, particularly overseas flights and connections.

Who needs brochures from a TA:confused:

I am sure being in your early 20,s the internet would have been your first option as it is for us old farts:D:D:D

Many cruise specialists haven't even cruised before themselves lol

Does RCI even do a hard copy brochure?

Wow - I wish I had been there to give them a dressing down or to...

Ha. Sounds like the some of the booking bunnies that are associated with so many companies in Australia but they all under the same umbrella. They only good for flights and thats if your too lazy to do the flights yourself.

Who needs brochures from a TA:confused:

 

I am sure being in your early 20,s the internet would have been your first option as it is for us old farts:D:D:D

 

Many cruise specialists haven't even cruised before themselves lol

 

Does RCI even do a hard copy brochure?

Sometimes I like looking at hard copy brochures. I'd already exhausted my online options and given my computer is broken it's difficult to browse on phones sometimes

Wow, that is seriously bad service. Good on you for reporting it, but often it doesn't achieve much. I think service comes from within and with their attitude, they just don't have it.

I'm impressed you even bothered to try after their start, I think I would have just tried another agent given the way they began (unless you don't have much choice around).

RCL have had brochures in the past, not sure if they do for the next season though.

They do have them for next season

I ended up getting one from another agent

But yeah in our area there is only 2 TA's and they're both owned by the same company

I never go to bricks and mortar TA's even for flights. Much better and easier to do it yourself online.

That was shocking service...... spread the word around town. Word of mouth is better and sending complaints to head office, they do bugger all!

Actually I did get a reply from the store manager apologizing profusely and asking to talk to me on the phone regarding it, So we shall see what comes of that

Yeah to be honest I was looking at booking online anyway but just wanted to see what prices I could get

Sometimes I like looking at hard copy brochures. I'd already exhausted my online options and given my computer is broken it's difficult to browse on phones sometimes

You didnt get my tongue in cheek humour:)

Its that long since I visited a TA that I didnt think anyone did brochures any more :)

Yes, RCI still do brochures and their new one is due in August (current ones only go up until April 2015).

Yep, we are around the 50 mark and we have had that sort of crap service too from our local bricks and mortar. Funnily there was three staff and no customers each time also!

1. I have to get some things done for some other customers, so I don't have much time...HUH???? You don't even know how much I want to spend yet???? That was for an airline booking, which wasn't a huge amount, but they did email us back in about 2 hours....too late. If they can't get us the price and talk to us and answer questions, really what is the use? We figured they weren't interested so by that time we had booked. It isn't that hard!

2. Nope, nothing available at that cruise with RCI. We thought that maybe in the hour since we looked online that maybe all the cabins had sold out. It was about a month away from the sailing, but we really try to give local business our support. We went home and booked online with no hassle.

Why did we try twice? We really do want local shops to stay open, but even Harvey Norman staff tell us to check their prices on line and come in and they can match them, after I have asked if that is the best price for cash. I know shop fronts are having a battle, but I am battling to be convinced to give them the money I walk into the shop with!

Gosh, in your twenties imagine how much business they could have had over the next few decades!

Yep, we are around the 50 mark and we have had that sort of crap service too from our local bricks and mortar. Funnily there was three staff and no customers each time also!

 

1. I have to get some things done for some other customers, so I don't have much time...HUH???? You don't even know how much I want to spend yet???? That was for an airline booking, which wasn't a huge amount, but they did email us back in about 2 hours....too late. If they can't get us the price and talk to us and answer questions, really what is the use? We figured they weren't interested so by that time we had booked. It isn't that hard!

 

2. Nope, nothing available at that cruise with RCI. We thought that maybe in the hour since we looked online that maybe all the cabins had sold out. It was about a month away from the sailing, but we really try to give local business our support. We went home and booked online with no hassle.

 

Why did we try twice? We really do want local shops to stay open, but even Harvey Norman staff tell us to check their prices on line and come in and they can match them, after I have asked if that is the best price for cash. I know shop fronts are having a battle, but I am battling to be convinced to give them the money I walk into the shop with!

 

Gosh, in your twenties imagine how much business they could have had over the next few decades!

Good old Bob Dylan Song: "The times they are a changing"We have had the same experience - and we fall in their "age demographic" no pleasing some folk!!!!! We have given up with bricks and mortar - on line TA or cruiseline direct - both for us at this time are winners. But the plus is - you get to "talk" to real people if you need to - go figure :confused:

Does that sort of service surprise me NO!!!

We saw a great package deal organised through a well known Geelong TA. I made an appointment we then drove the 3/4 hr there and she still couldn't give us prices as I wanted an upgrade to different airlines. She never got back to us and that package was a big one for 50 nights. I just don't get their ignorance:eek::eek: I really wondered why I even tried to deal with an Aussie TA!!!!

Same here tried booking with local agency they mucked us around so much altered birthdates even tho I had written them down for them before we left the store , couldnt get the surnames right it just went on and on and then to add insult to injury the OBC wasnt on the cruise lines computer so ended up ringing from the ship got the answer oops if it cant be put on now by credit card I will fix you up when you get back:eek: hello my holiday is now .

We now either book on line or mostly with the line themselves

Jacquie

I think most of us on here would know more about the cruise industry and sales than many Orstralian high street travel agents, who would not know forward from aft or port from starboard.

lmao, so true. There isn't a travel agent within Bathurst NSW in a bricks and mortar setup that i will deal with in the future. We sought deals for 10-15 cabins and they all treated us with contempt, as we couldn't guarantee numbers at the time. We are now a group of 36'ish. I am thinking i should find out on how to become my own agent due to the fact of their complete ineptness and knowledge/interest or lack there of.

Most of these people have never even been on a cruise, or haven't for over twenty years. I shall only be dealing with cruise specialists in the future, i will have to do the ring around in order find someone who knows what they are talking about, instead of talking out of their donkey.

Mick

lmao, so true. There isn't a travel agent within Bathurst NSW in a bricks and mortar setup that i will deal with in the future. We sought deals for 10-15 cabins and they all treated us with contempt, as we couldn't guarantee numbers at the time. We are now a group of 36'ish. I am thinking i should find out on how to become my own agent due to the fact of their complete ineptness and knowledge/interest or lack there of.

Contact the cruise line direct, I expect they would offer you group benefits for booking that number.

I hope you know what you're getting into though... there can be quite a headache from all the questions and changes you typically will handle with groups that big...

Its seems to me alot of bricks & mortar TAs in Australia are only interested in selling P & O cruises and their experience is based on having only cruising with p & o. If you are lucky they may mention Carnival as well. Is due to lack of promotion to TAs on the part of other cruise lines such as RCI ? or is it lack of interest in other cruise lines from TAs?

Contact the cruise line direct, I expect they would offer you group benefits for booking that number.

Because we didn't all book at the same time, we are apparently not eligible to any 'group benefits'. I will at least be able to get the standard 'refer a friend' for around 9 cabins (the remaining 7 'refer a friend' cabins go to a friends entitlement).

Other local businesses aren't much better. They have all become lazy and insolent and they wonder why people are switching to online rather than the face-to-face services. Not everything is about price, albeit they have to be competitive, but returning custom would help fix that.

Mick

In hindsight I find this story pretty hilarious.

 

I went in the a local TA a few weeks back - closely related to the captain but not, in order to get a price on our upcoming RCI cruise next year, and, admittedly, because i wanted brochures. I was the only person in the store and as I stood there for a solid 10 minutes the 3 agents all proceeded to continue their conversation about their weekend plans and completely ignored me. As i finally got sick of waiting i spoke up and was greeted by the "senior" agent with "what do you want". I expressed that I was looking at cruises and, before I was even able to ask which ones I was looking at she launched in to a spiel about how we may be too young to cruise (mid twenties) and likely won't enjoy ourselves. After finally getting that out of the way I asked to look at prices for either Radiance of the seas or legend of the seas south pacific trips next year.

 

"Oh, NO! you shouldn't go with royal carribean you need to go on a p&o cruise first so you don't set your standards too high, at your age you should only be staying in 3 star products"

 

By this point I was starting to get a little annoyed,

 

"Look I just want prices for these two specific cruises on these dates please"

"Well I'd have to call our cruise specialists and I'll be on hold for too long, so..."

 

So I stood up, walked out and made a formal complaint to the TA's head office. I think displaying this level of contempt for your customers and being so downright rude is absolutely shocking in a retail/customer service position.

 

And. I never got my damn brochures! Haha. Just wanted to vent my frustration a little on here, needless to say, cruise booked elsewhere and the countdown is on! [emoji2]

Good on you, people shouldn't give their custom to TAs with poor service. That way they can go the way of the Dodo.:D

Welcome to Crusie critic as well.

Good on you, people shouldn't give their custom to TAs with poor service. That way they can go the way of the Dodo.:D

 

Welcome to Crusie critic as well.

:( That's not very nice! I hope you lose YOUR job as well!

Really,:eek: thanks for that, I don't know why that comment was called for.:rolleyes:

You may keep these TAs that provide poor service in business if you wish but if they do not perform and keep their customers happy then they will shut down pretty quickly and take your money with them.

:( That's not very nice! I hope you lose YOUR job as well!

In any industry, if you don't perform you are out on your ear..... why should TA's be any different?

Obviously you are in the industry, that is why you take these comments personally. Please try and see it from the layman's point of view. You might provide excellent service and earn your salary and keep your job but you would be in the minority going from what everyone, including myself, that have dealt with bricks and mortar TA's have experienced.

I think YOUR comment was not very nice and uncalled for.