Jobs to go at RCCL UK with company split

[setsail]

You will probably be able to buy a printer or copy machine while on hold:rolleyes::D

[Paulxyz2004]

You don't care??? OMG. Have you ever been made redundant knowing your job has been outsourced abroad? Silly me.... of course not.....

 

Nope, not yet, but well aware it will happen some day. At this point I´m the one telling it others.

[Ocean Boy]

Versus the possible degradation in levels of customer service not to mention 100 people losing their jobs. Empathy bypass!

 

I think he was commenting on the previous post about small things being cut out aboard the ships. As for empathy bypass.... you have no idea about who you directed that comment at.:rolleyes:

[Ocean Boy]

Not good move by RCCL IMHO. This is all about saving money. I detest doing business with companies that force me to deal with people on the other end that have no idea about the product that I purchased. Richard Fain should be ashamed of himself for allowing this.

 

And I detest it when I am forced to deal with people on the other end of the phone who I cannot understand. As a paying customer I should not have to struggle to understand what is being said when dealing with a U.S. company.

[Ocean Boy]

Closing the UK office which has been dealing with UK and Irish cruisers and replacing it with a call center in Gutamala shows just how little RCI cares about their overseas customers. Why not set up a section in their USA office to deal with UK and Irish callers if they do not want to run a UK office - answer is pure penny pinching!

 

My experience of these overseas call centres has been totally negative and this appears to be common to many people.

 

If RCI does not want to put any effort into their European customers care they need to remember there are many other cruise lines which would be happy with their custom.

 

That would only work until the US call centers are moved down to Guatamala too.

[Norwegianlatvian]

Is people surprised about outsourcing of customer service? Its been going on for years.

 

I am from Norway, and I am quite used with companies outsourcing customer service and easy back office tasks to for example England, Ireland and Malta. Should I start to cry about loosing jobs to low cost countries that can compete with better terms? It is globalization. Then we just need to work harder to be innovative and build new jobs...

 

And congrats to Guatamala with some new jobs! :)

[yolanda1]

Is people surprised about outsourcing of customer service? Its been going on for years.

 

I am from Norway, and I am quite used with companies outsourcing customer service and easy back office tasks to for example England, Ireland and Malta. Should I start to cry about loosing jobs to low cost countries that can compete with better terms? It is globalization. Then we just need to work harder to be innovative and build new jobs...

 

And congrats to Guatamala with some new jobs! :)

 

 

 

I don't think anyone was surprised that outsourcing has been going on for many years. We are all very aware that it has been going on for years, and some of us are also aware that some UK companies, and no doubt other companies too, have brought their service centres BACK from overseas centres because the quality of service has deteriorated so much and the customers left in droves.

 

The countries you mention perhaps have a higher chance of sharing a common language than others to which our businesses have been outsourced. Our cruises generally cost us in excess of £4,000 each time. Having spent that amount of money with a company, am I prepared to struggle to understand the person to whom I am speaking if I have questions or complaints? Absolutely not!

[Norwegianlatvian]

The countries you mention perhaps have a higher chance of sharing a common language than others to which our businesses have been outsourced. Our cruises generally cost us in excess of £4,000 each time. Having spent that amount of money with a company, am I prepared to struggle to understand the person to whom I am speaking if I have questions or complaints? Absolutely not!

 

When I am calling my airline company, I end up in Riga. When I want to order a new DELL computer I end up in Dublin. I speak Norwegian, and normally end up speaking with a customer service person speaking broken Norwegian. Personally I dont care about the little struggle. I get what I want anyway.

 

My suggestion to all of you that dont like this: Cancel your cruise with RCI, and book with a company that operate OUT of UK, and got all the customer service in UK as well... Use your power as customer. Dont just whine about it - Do something about it!

 

I am sorry for those that will loose their jobs in UK, and really happy for those that will get new jobs in Guatamala.

[uktog]

What on earth is 90% proficiency in English langage supposed to mean?? :mad:

 

There is a standard testing process used based on EFL (English as a foreign language) levels and 90% proficiency is worse than you know. It is probably 90% at a level that is very basic so in real terms think 50% at best of what you expect and all the testing is based on "classic English" and not the colloquial English you and I use every day. It is also based on understanding simple non dialect accents.

 

Offshoring was popular in the past, it is not now, the list of failures are legendary and the numbers "re shoring" as I believe the phrase is, is phenomenal.

 

For me though, important though these arguments are they are only a small part of what should bother folks.

 

The excellent post here that highlights the practice that has been in place during this transaction leads me to believe I may be dealing with an unethical company. Yes, offshore if you stupidly must but do not have the successors being recruited for, for a full three months before you tell the UK staff. What **** did you spin them in internal messages during that period, did you recruit then, did you allow people to make personal financial commitments in that period during that period.

 

If there was a contract in place with Xerox that was giving them permission to recruit from the period May-now, I will consider RCI unethical and I find it very hard to deal with unethical companies.

 

I will hold off saying 100% they are unethical as it may be that Xerox jumped the gun, it is not unusual for foreign based parts of companies to be economical with the truth to recruit on the promise of work to allow them to bid for work and prove they have access to competent staff but all in all, along the way in this story, someone is being unethical and I do not like it

 

Come clean now RCI, who is the one you has fudged this issue, you or Xerox.

 

And what might the UK press make of this case? Small fry company I know in their eyes, but a slow news day could be a nightmare for RCI

[yolanda1]

When I am calling my airline company, I end up in Riga. When I want to order a new DELL computer I end up in Dublin. I speak Norwegian, and normally end up speaking with a customer service person speaking broken Norwegian. Personally I dont care about the little struggle. I get what I want anyway.

 

My suggestion to all of you that dont like this: Cancel your cruise with RCI, and book with a company that operate OUT of UK, and got all the customer service in UK as well... Use your power as customer. Dont just whine about it - Do something about it!

 

I am sorry for those that will loose their jobs in UK, and really happy for those that will get new jobs in Guatamala.

 

 

Far from whining and doing nothing about it, I suspect that people will take the cruises they have already booked and paid for (after all, why would I want to cancel and book elsewhere when I have already paid the full amount and will not be eligible for a refund? :rolleyes:) and then take their future business elsewhere, to companies which meet the needs of the customer.

 

Unfortunately in the UK, we cannot get deposits back once bookings have been made. If we could, I suspect they would lose the business even sooner.

[Paulxyz2004]

Is people surprised about outsourcing of customer service? Its been going on for years.

 

I am from Norway, and I am quite used with companies outsourcing customer service and easy back office tasks to for example England, Ireland and Malta. Should I start to cry about loosing jobs to low cost countries that can compete with better terms? It is globalization. Then we just need to work harder to be innovative and build new jobs...

 

And congrats to Guatamala with some new jobs! :)

 

When I am calling my airline company, I end up in Riga. When I want to order a new DELL computer I end up in Dublin. I speak Norwegian, and normally end up speaking with a customer service person speaking broken Norwegian. Personally I dont care about the little struggle. I get what I want anyway.

 

My suggestion to all of you that dont like this: Cancel your cruise with RCI, and book with a company that operate OUT of UK, and got all the customer service in UK as well... Use your power as customer. Dont just whine about it - Do something about it!

 

I am sorry for those that will loose their jobs in UK, and really happy for those that will get new jobs in Guatamala.

 

 

I fully agree with you.

 

I doubt very many People will actually cancel their Cruises or turn their back towards RCI about this.

If they do I say great for them and more power to them.

 

To me I don´t care where their callcenter is located. I book with a US based TA anyway, so have no need for a local callcenter at all.

 

All of this could also be an attempt by RCI to drive more Business to TA´s, who knows.

[Norwegianlatvian]

To me I don´t care where their callcenter is located. .

 

I dont care either. Jobs is England, USA, OR Norway is of no more or bigger value than jobs in Guatamala, Latvia or India.

[Elizanessie]

Just imagine how the staff will be feeling now knowing that in just a few months...right before xmas, their jobs will be taken from them and given to people outside the UK.

 

What a disgusting way to treat them. For the next few months they have to continue to answer calls and smile and be helpful knowing the company they are working for does not give a jot about them.

 

If they were cutting down the amount of staff that would be different kettle of fish but to give away their jobs to people in a different country well that is just plain dreadful !

[Paulxyz2004]

Far from whining and doing nothing about it, I suspect that people will take the cruises they have already booked and paid for (after all, why would I want to cancel and book elsewhere when I have already paid the full amount and will not be eligible for a refund? :rolleyes:) and then take their future business elsewhere, to companies which meet the needs of the customer.

 

Unfortunately in the UK, we cannot get deposits back once bookings have been made. If we could, I suspect they would lose the business even sooner.

 

It will be interesting to see how many of those sharing your thoughts on this thread will actually stop sailing with RCI in the future.

 

My Money is on not many. We will continue to see the same screennames protesting on this thread, talking about their upcoming Cruises with RCI on Cruise Critic in the future.

[Paulxyz2004]

Just imagine how the staff will be feeling now knowing that in just a few months...right before xmas, their jobs will be taken from them and given to people outside the UK.

 

What a disgusting way to treat them. For the next few months they have to continue to answer calls and smile and be helpful knowing the company they are working for does not give a jot about them.

 

If they were cutting down the amount of staff that would be different kettle of fish but to give away their jobs to people in a different country well that is just plain dreadful !

 

So I think the Cruises in your signature have been booked with a US TA and we will see them disappear, as you surely won´t want to make Business with a Company like this. If I´m mistaken and you booked These in the UK, I´m sure These will be your last with RCI?

[GUEST080219]

The funny thing is that the complaints about the unethical company that makes business decisions based on profit and not based on the feelings of employees is written on a board where other often discussed topics include price adjustments to the lowest price, free upgrades, how to get drinks on board to not pay the on board prices and everything else thinkable to keep the costs of the cruisers and the revenue of the cruise line low. But when the cruise lines act to reduce costs it is the fault of whoever but for sure not of us costumers who demand lowest price all the time.

 

I encourage everyone who is furios in this thread to bring their business to the UK / EU companies with call centers in their home country. But then only with staff on board that is paid above minimal wages and of course labour conditions that prohibit 12 hours work, 7 days work for several weeks in a row. Let the crew be organized in unions with all privileges and so on.

 

I see in my mind's eye how everyone of you will be happily handing over 300% of the RCCL fare to this local fair labour company.

[pspercy]

It is also based on understanding simple non dialect accents.

Yes, I'm sure the recordings of some calls will rival Fawlty Towers :)

[Norwegianlatvian]

Just imagine how the staff will be feeling now knowing that in just a few months...right before xmas, their jobs will be taken from them and given to people outside the UK.

 

What a disgusting way to treat them. For the next few months they have to continue to answer calls and smile and be helpful knowing the company they are working for does not give a jot about them.

 

If they were cutting down the amount of staff that would be different kettle of fish but to give away their jobs to people in a different country well that is just plain dreadful !

 

Strong words. Disgusting way to treat them? It is quite normal process companies uses when downsizing. Would it be better to fire them and put them on the street the same day? As long as RCI is respecting the contracts and labor laws in UK when it comes to letting people go, I dont see how this can be called disgusting.

 

Your signature says you got two cruises coming up with RCI. If you got so strong feelings for this, then take a REAL stand and cancel them. Yes you will loose your deposit probably, but you will show RCI how you really feel about this topic. Put some action into it.

 

And imagine how happy the persons that get the same jobs in Guatamala will be for getting new jobs! Lets be happy for them! RCI is a global company, and then its great that they place their jobs in the global market.

[Paulxyz2004]

Let´s face it whenever RCI moves, no matter how trivial or important the move is, there will be an uproar on the boards.

 

How many times have I seen pople threatening to leave RCI over the years and yet the same people still cruise RCI.

 

Just to Name a few...

 

- Surcharge for JR

- Cutting off CL Access for Diamonds

- Discontinuing of combining perks

- Discontinuing pillow chocolates

- Smoking ban in cabins

- Smoking ban on blaconies

 

It´s a miracle they are still in Business.:rolleyes:

[Lynnees]

When so many U.K. cruisers book with U.S. Travel Agents, why cry when they move those same jobs out of the U.K.

 

Most companies have their call centers offshore, sad to say. When I call one and the person answering doesn't speak English well enough for me to understand I just tell them I want someone else or I want someone in Canada. I've been surprised the number of times I have been transferred to someone actually in Canada.

[uktog]

When so many U.K. cruisers book with U.S. Travel Agents, why cry when they move those same jobs out of the U.K.

 

Most companies have their call centers offshore, sad to say. When I call one and the person answering doesn't speak English well enough for me to understand I just tell them I want someone else or I want someone in Canada. I've been surprised the number of times I have been transferred to someone actually in Canada.

 

Personally, I have always booked direct with RCI direct in the UK. So at the very least this move may well cost them, if I continue to sail with them, because if I feel I cannot get the level of post booking service for a direct booking like I have enjoyed in the past, I will book through an agent, so the company will now have to pay commission on my bookings. But maybe their business model to cost this move has fully factored in all the issues like this - if it does it will be the most robust business case I have ever seen

[NorbertsNiece]

There are laws in place in the UK which prevent companies discontinuing employee contracts 'on the day'. There is a whole process that HR departments have to follow prior to redundancies being confirmed. Just because something is normal practice does not make it any less disgusting. It's a tragedy for those having to go through the whole procedure. And yes, you have to keep your smile on the phone as your future employment will rely on the references that THIS employer will have to give you.

 

How will cancelling currently booked cruises make a jot of difference to anything? I personally cannot afford to cancel and rebook with an alternate company and yes I booked in the UK. Whether RCCL will get my future business will be something for me to seriously consider.... as it is various companies that avoid paying UK taxes are losing my business so this may very well be one more company I say thanks for the memory. Will see how this all pans out.

[Paulxyz2004]

Personally, I have always booked direct with RCI direct in the UK. So at the very least this move may well cost them, if I continue to sail with them, because if I feel I cannot get the level of post booking service for a direct booking like I have enjoyed in the past, I will book through an agent, so the company will now have to pay commission on my bookings. But maybe their business model to cost this move has fully factored in all the issues like this - if it does it will be the most robust business case I have ever seen

 

They will like this, as it´s easier for them to deal with TA´s than with customers directly. This way they can talk pro to pro and have the TA deal with the customer who thinks to know it all.

[Norwegianlatvian]

 

How will cancelling currently booked cruises make a jot of difference to anything? I personally cannot afford to cancel and rebook with an alternate company and yes I booked in the UK. Whether RCCL will get my future business will be something for me to seriously consider.... as it is various companies that avoid paying UK taxes are losing my business so this may very well be one more company I say thanks for the memory. Will see how this all pans out.

 

How? You show a real stand instead of just sitting behind the keyboard complaining about jobs moving out of the country. You show your power as a customer. If you strongly disagree with how they treat their workers, how can you on the same time spend your money on that company? It is alternatives to RCI out there..

 

By cancelling a already booked cruise your show RCI that you are seriously disagreeing with how they act. You are at least not support them with your money.. By continue cruising with RCI you support their actions. Or is it maybe "Do as I say, not as I do"? ...

[NorbertsNiece]

How? You show a real stand instead of just sitting behind the keyboard complaining about jobs moving out of the country. You show your power as a customer. If you strongly disagree with how they treat their workers, how can you on the same time spend your money on that company? It is alternatives to RCI out there..

 

By cancelling a already booked cruise your show RCI that you are seriously disagreeing with how they act. You are at least not support them with your money.. By continue cruising with RCI you support their actions. Or is it maybe "Do as I say, not as I do"? ...

 

Where have I told anyone to cancel their cruise?