Regent No More

[greykitty]

It also occurred to me that, if any of the cruise lines really wanted to beef up their refunding capabilities in the short term, not all that difficult to call your handy neighborhood auditor, let's say PwC for Regent and its corporate siblings, and enter into an engagement to get a crew of smart young professionals to help in the process. 

 

Now, of course, these smart young professionals don't come cheap, but it's worth it for a lot of companies worried about their customer service reputation.  Unless it's a cash flow exercise and you really don't want cold hard cash exiting the door quickly.  

[flossie009]

36 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

I feel like Regent is taking excellent care of them. I believe what I am hearing from Regent and the service has been exceptional.

You and your clients are very fortunate.

Our TA has been specifically told ("told" not asked) by Regent(UK) not to chase refunds until the 90 day period has elapsed.

That is holding on to customers' money for 3 months not just "a couple of weeks".

 

We love Regent and are willing to cut the company some slack in these troubled times, which are not of their making, but I cannot believe that the 90 day refund delay imposed by NCLH is anything other than cashflow management. 

If I am wrong, I apologise to those working hard in the accounts department.

Edited April 29, 2020 by flossie009

[Pcardad]

I put all my business through 1 Regent rep. I am loyal to a fault. If I have questions, I believe I get true answers. I have a standard email I use with ALL unresolved issue that I send every 10 days or so. WHen the issue is resolved with documentation, I remove it from the unresolved email and shift it to the client file. I keep copies of everything.

 

Relationships are 2 way streets. If my needs are not met, I move on. If the Regent rep doesn't get my loyalty, I become a lower priority. I value this relationship with him and he feels the same. That means I can do a better job for my clients.

 

Note however that this is NOT a 90 day delay. Current refund turn time is running about 40-45 days. I will get another update early next week.

[greykitty]

Oh, I'm also pretty sure the accounts payable people are working diligently and with probably less than state of the art equipment to aid them - it's the corporate policy being handed down to them to follow that I'm wondering about. 

[Travelcat2]

14 minutes ago, greykitty said:

It also occurred to me that, if any of the cruise lines really wanted to beef up their refunding capabilities in the short term, not all that difficult to call your handy neighborhood auditor, let's say PwC for Regent and its corporate siblings, and enter into an engagement to get a crew of smart young professionals to help in the process. 

 

Now, of course, these smart young professionals don't come cheap, but it's worth it for a lot of companies worried about their customer service reputation.  Unless it's a cash flow exercise and you really don't want cold hard cash exiting the door quickly.  

 

While this is a good idea, like you said, these people do not come cheap.  I don't think that the people currently at Regent Corporate that have just had their pay cut by 20% and their hours down to a 4-day. week would appreciate a move such as that.  

[greykitty]

Hmm - a company with really terrific customer service ethics never puts one client ahead of another, or prioritizes which refunds are being worked on faster.  Every client  is treated like the only client.  

[greykitty]

1 minute ago, Travelcat2 said:

 

While this is a good idea, like you said, these people do not come cheap.  I don't think that the people currently at Regent Corporate that have just had their pay cut by 20% and their hours down to a 4-day. week would appreciate a move such as that.  

Well, first we don't know that every single department at NCLH was cut equally, do we?  As long as the 20% reduction was achieved, it could be Department A suffering by 60% and Department B actually being bumped up in headcount and days worked to fulfill its duties.  Yep, I've seen a number of RIF's executed throughout the years, although never personally suffered being furloughed or severed.  It's always funny how certain BU's will actually end up  incurring overtime during such a phase.

 

Also, having been there - any assistance in managing an overwhelming workload can be appreciated.  

 

Oh, I do agree that the cruise lines won't actually invest money in expediting refunds, although they could if they wanted to...they've managing cash flow as best they can, walking a tightrope of how much they can do without truly alienating customers.  Another aspect will be if they err in their slow walk execution and really do draw the wrath of the credit card companies, as well as their customers.

[Travelcat2]

Just now, greykitty said:

Hmm - a company with really terrific customer service ethics never puts one client ahead of another, or prioritizes which refunds are being worked on faster.  Every client  is treated like the only client.  

 

Agree with this as well.  However, I assume that Regent is not looking at the paperwork they are processing as "clients".  Each request is different.  As I've mentioned, cancellations are not all the same.  If, for instance, someone cancels before final payment, this is likely processed quickly (possibly done by computer as this is a typical cancellation and refund).  Other people (or TA's)  may have submitted their paperwork incorrectly - Regent had questions and had to put the paperwork aside until the questions were answered.  I truly do not think that some paperwork is processed faster because they are prioritized.  

 

Customer Service, IMHO, is not Regent's strong point.  It seems that the communication between the different departments and their Customer Service Reps. is not up to par (nor is the communication between Corporate and management on the ships). This problem has been discussed for years.  What I had not heard until now is the attitude of some of the people answering the telephone (a bit rude).  Perhaps, like the rest of us, they are overwhelmed and are having difficulty dealing with the current situation.

[Pcardad]

7 minutes ago, greykitty said:

Hmm - a company with really terrific customer service ethics never puts one client ahead of another, or prioritizes which refunds are being worked on faster.  Every client  is treated like the only client.  

I never said my clients get refunds faster. I did say that I place all my bookings with a single rep because this allows me to develop a better relationship which helps me better serve my clients.

 

Do you think a TA gives the same service to a person who books 7 figures a year vs. a person who books $3,500? They all should get excellent service but I am not flying to Miami to fix a problem for the later....but I have for the former.

[Travelcat2]

11 minutes ago, greykitty said:

Well, first we don't know that every single department at NCLH was cut equally, do we?  As long as the 20% reduction was achieved, it could be Department A suffering by 60% and Department B actually being bumped up in headcount and days worked to fulfill its duties.  Yep, I've seen a number of RIF's executed throughout the years, although never personally suffered being furloughed or severed.  It's always funny how certain BU's will actually end up  incurring overtime during such a phase.

 

Also, having been there - any assistance in managing an overwhelming workload can be appreciated.  

 

Oh, I do agree that the cruise lines won't actually invest money in expediting refunds, although they could if they wanted to...they've managing cash flow as best they can, walking a tightrope of how much they can do without truly alienating customers.  Another aspect will be if they err in their slow walk execution and really do draw the wrath of the credit card companies, as well as their customers.

 

Trying to keep up with the posts.  No, we do not know that every single department at NCLH is cut equally.

 

In terms of RIF's, there has not been a mention of that that I have read- just reduction in salary and hours.  Unfortunately, during my 20 years of working in Human Resources, I was involved in many RIF's (really painful to go through from all perspectives).  The way that people affected were chosen was not always fair.  I think that it is okay to say that I worked for a division of Lockheed - a company known for layoffs so there were many.  

 

Yes - Regent could hire more people to process claims if they wanted to but I do see the other side of the story.  Based on what I've read on CC and the little bit of research that I've done, Regent will to have issues with credit card companies (as long as they meet their 90 day promise).  In terms of customers, even we have been frustrated with Regent at time and I've spoken out strongly against some decisions they made.  This is why we tried other cruise lines.  At the end of the day, like many of their customers, we know that Regent gives us the experience that we desire so we return and eventually "almost" forget what we were so upset about in the first place.

 

Pcardad:  Appreciated your analogy!

Edited April 29, 2020 by Travelcat2

[orvil]

I've run a retail business that accepted credit cards.  It was just as easy to process a refund to a credit card account as it was to process a sale.  It did take an extra business day or two for the transaction to appear on the account of the end user.  The debit was immediate to the merchant's account.  Funny how the bank always gets to play the vig.  If they are accepting business, they should be refunding business.

 

My concern is that I only know of one example of a refund from RSSC or NCLH.   That's a pattern not a coincidence.   That is what concerns me.  

 

Edited April 29, 2020 by orvil

[etual324]

50 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

I put all my business through 1 Regent rep. I am loyal to a fault. If I have questions, I believe I get true answers. I have a standard email I use with ALL unresolved issue that I send every 10 days or so. WHen the issue is resolved with documentation, I remove it from the unresolved email and shift it to the client file. I keep copies of everything.

 

Relationships are 2 way streets. If my needs are not met, I move on. If the Regent rep doesn't get my loyalty, I become a lower priority. I value this relationship with him and he feels the same. That means I can do a better job for my clients.

 

Note however that this is NOT a 90 day delay. Current refund turn time is running about 40-45 days. I will get another update early next week.

PCARDAD

I am in the Bluffton/ Hilton Head area  where are you and Lowcountry located

[fizzy]

In all seriousness and without anyone becoming unglued,could Del Rio sit down at a computer, bring in some upper echelon salaried employees, be taught the procedure and show a good faith effort for the brand and help bang out some of this backlog?

[pingpong1]

24 minutes ago, Travelcat2 said:

 

I think that it is okay to say that I worked for a division of Lockheed

My Goodness! - I've finally found something that we might have in common! And that's no small feat!  I'm a happy, successful, long time, and enthusiastic investor in LMT!  May its dividends continue to "Soar"!  Hoping for $500 - within 12 months.  🤞😜

 

Okay... "now, we return to our previously-scheduled program".

[Travelcat2]

1 hour ago, orvil said:

I've run a retail business that accepted credit cards.  It was just as easy to process a refund to a credit card account as it was to process a sale.  It did take an extra business day or two for the transaction to appear on the account of the end user.  The debit was immediate to the merchant's account.  Funny how the bank always gets to play the vig.  If they are accepting business, they should be refunding business.

 

My concern is that I only know of one example of a refund from RSSC or NCLH.   That's a pattern not a coincidence.   That is what concerns me.  

 

 

Regent can process refunds rather quickly.  However, they need to break out things like paid excursions (and I think they are doing something with excursions paid with OBC's - not sure), taxes, port fees, etc.  Some people have paid in full while others have not.  Some cruises are cancelled mid-cruise which is yet another hand calculation.  This is not a simple transaction.

 

To respond to the question about FDR (not asked by you), he does get down in the "trenches" - whether it be when he answered telephones during the time that cruises were interrupted by the Iceland volcano, during refurbishments, etc.  This is a man that does not mind getting his hands dirty.  However, as CEO of three cruise lines (including NCL which has so many ships and some ships hold 4,000 passengers - more than all Regent ships put together), which brand does he assist?  I have no doubt that he is working as hard as everyone else and this which could include processing refunds (after all, he is a CPA).  I assume that Jason Montague is helping as well.  Regent is run like a family (as much as they can) which means that everyone jumps in to help.   

 

pingpong1 - yes - quite a coincidence.  Lockeed eventually sold our division (a CAD/CAM company) to IBM and then it was sold to a French company - I was there through it all.  The company did not change much between owners - until it was purchased by Dassault. At that point I left and spent 5 years working for a non-profit prior to moving and subsequently retiring.  Unfortunately, I did not buy stock in the company).  Lockheed had the best benefits around - it was a great company to work for (except for the layoffs).

[greykitty]

1 hour ago, fizzy said:

In all seriousness and without anyone becoming unglued,could Del Rio sit down at a computer, bring in some upper echelon salaried employees, be taught the procedure and show a good faith effort for the brand and help bang out some of this backlog?

Well, to be fair, I suspect the upper financial suite people are very busy dealing with private equity exploration issues and dealing with possible bankruptcy scenarios - as they should, as prudent business people.  Have to prep for even the least likely scenarios. 

 

That said, I do bet there are any number of remaining personnel that could be assigned whatever 'scut' work is involved with the way NCLH processes refunds.  People have repeatedly said there's a somewhat high degree of manual review involved.  Who else could be involved in helping with that?

 

Caveat - if the technology infrastructure is as dire as some people mention, the cruise lines might indeed to be stuck, due to lack of investment during better times.  But, you reap what you sow.

 

Finally, IMO, tone comes from the top.  If the very top management of NCLH, or any cruise company, said customer service (including timely refunds) was the very key to corporate survival, that attitude would permeate down.  Sure, there'd be exceptions.  But there probably would be more customers understanding the process and even being patient if they knew what the heck was going on.  

[forgap]

38 minutes ago, Travelcat2 said:

I have no doubt that he is working as hard as everyone else and this which could include processing refunds (after all, he is a CPA).  I assume that Jason Montague is helping as well.  Regent is run like a family (as much as they can) which means that everyone jumps in to help.   

You have no possible way of knowing this.  I think you, yourself, said to stick to the facts. In terms of processing refunds, our case is pretty simple: regent cancelled, we paid in full (via credit card, not cruise credits) for the cruise fare and all excursions.   The amount on our invoice that we paid in we expect to be refunded to that credit card.   This is not rocket science!  

[Pcardad]

 

2 hours ago, greykitty said:

 

 

All these threads about the time it is taking to refund and not a single thread about a failure to refund...are any of you really afraid your refund will not come?

Edited April 29, 2020 by Pcardad

[pappy1022]

My situation was a simple request for a refund of my down payment for a cruise I cancelled before the final payment was due. There were no shipboard credits, no excursions paid for, etc. As simple as it can get and I’m still waiting 6 weeks later. Financial analysts that specialize in the cruise industry all say the same thing. All cruise lines are managing cash flow and are spreading refunds across as many months as possible. This makes good business sense as long as they stay within the promised 90 days but it does have a negative impact on customer service. But, they are fighting for their existence with the likelihood that cruises as a whole won’t come back anytime in 2020. Part of the FCC’s is to keep as much cash as possible. However, that will reduce the amount of new cash in 2021 so this challenge will continue into next year. 

[Travelcat2]

12 minutes ago, forgap said:

You have no possible way of knowing this.  I think you, yourself, said to stick to the facts. In terms of processing refunds, our case is pretty simple: regent cancelled, we paid in full (via credit card, not cruise credits) for the cruise fare and all excursions.   The amount on our invoice that we paid in we expect to be refunded to that credit card.   This is not rocket science!  

 

Okay - I know as a fact that there are three people processing claims.  And, while I know as a fact that FDR manned telephones during the Iceland issues and stayed on Regent ships (with his wife) during refurbishments - without electricity, I do not know if he is processing claims (I could find out but will not bother him at such a difficult and busy time).  OTOH, there are things that I know about FDR, Regent, Oceania and NCL that I cannot share.  Our friendship with FDR is not about Regent - it is about  people that simply like and respect each other - even when we do not agree.

Edited April 29, 2020 by Travelcat2

[pappy1022]

2 minutes ago, Pcardad said:

 

 

 

All these threads about the time it is taking to refund and not a single thread about a failure to refund...are any of you really afraid your refund will not come?

The longer one waits the less cash that Regent has for refunds especially if cruises are cancelled long term so there is an increasing risk the longer this goes on. I’m not losing sleep right now but glad I cancelled as early as I did. 

[orvil]

Obviously, travel credits and refunds from airlines, hotels, cruise lines, and all the ancillary travel businesses are in turmoil.  While patience is a virtue in many cases, it always pays to know your options.

 

I searched the Elliot Advocacy website seeking to learn from the experience of others.  I found a thread that included some information on credit card chargeback operations.  If you want a refund, this would be informative reading.

https://chriselliotts.com/winning-a-credit-card-chargeback/

 

I thought this quote was instructive:  "How much time do you have to file a credit card dispute? Although the FCBA says you have 60 days to dispute a charge, banks are sometimes more flexible when dealing with travel that’s booked in advance. In other words, don’t let a travel merchant talk you out of a dispute just because it’s been more than two months since your purchase."  That's good, hopefully actionable information.

 

Also, I spent a little time this morning at my other favorite cruise line's chat room on CC, Cunard.  Things can get confusing over there because those that comment are a mélange of Brits, Aussies, Canadians and the odd American.  Thus, the laws and practices can vary greatly.  Cunard, now part of Carnival, has cancelled farther into the future than RSSC.  But, the refund processing and cash flow problems are the same.  Thus, we are all in the same proverbial boat.

 

It is my observation from the comments at Cunard CC that the airlines are doing a better job processing refunds, mileage credits and rebooking's than the cruise industry.

 

You, meaning the collective we, may want to spend a little time perusing the Elliot Advocacy website.  Do read the comments after the articles.  They are filled with a lot of antidotal information, some of which is actually useful.

 

[flossie009]

1 hour ago, Pcardad said:

All these threads about the time it is taking to refund and not a single thread about a failure to refund

In your opinion, when does a slow refund become a failure to refund?

14 days, 30 days, 60 days, 90 days or longer?

 

1 hour ago, Travelcat2 said:

I know as a fact that there are three people processing claims

Is that 3 people processing claims for Regent or for all NCLH's cruise-lines?

Just for customers based in the USA or worldwide?

Are they simply processing straightforward cruise refunds or are they also dealing with related expense claims?

 

 

To be clear on my own position: I am a very satisfied customer of Regent ...................... but I am not their Bank.

[Pcardad]

A failure to refund, in my opinion only, would be not refunding within the time frame they promise to refund in. 

 

Respectfully, if we are not their bank (to some degree), what do you call it when we give them 100% of the fare 4 to 5 months before sailing?

[JMARINER]

2 hours ago, Pcardad said:

 

 

 

All these threads about the time it is taking to refund and not a single thread about a failure to refund...are any of you really afraid your refund will not come?

Yes. Absolutely I am afraid given the current state of the underlying Regent owner NCLH stock and debt. Is is all doom and gloom? For me not 100%. But no one from the company has put forth anything reassuring  about the future of the product.

 

And there is really not much I or any else can do about the situation but wait and hope.

 

J