How would you improve Celebrity's customer service?

[Texed]

I would advise Celebrity to teach their employees something that I have emphasized with everyone who ever worked for me. If someone asks a question, and you are not sure of the correct answer, tell them that you are not positive but will gladly do some research and get back to them.

 

Excellent advice Sky Sweet. I can tell you would be an excellent boss.

 

I loved the sign on the desk of the receptionist I once saw: "Director of First Impressions". That is exactly what people are that answer the phones from folks having a question and/or problem.

[captain bob]

All I can say is I observed during several port tendering operations where things could be improved. I sent my thoughts to the company HQ and got a call today from a fleet safely officer who said I was right on and their operating procedures are going to be reevaluated. They really do listen if you can get to the right people. As a stockholder [really small] i think of it as "my company".

 

Bob

[canderson]

One of the very weakest elements of the shoreside experience is the complete lack of experience and understanding of typical shipboard life on the part of Celebrity's customer service agents. As a consequence, questions regarding shipboard situations are either left unanswered or answered incorrectly, especially when posed by phone. (Will the outlets over the desk on an M-Class ship support enough current to handle a 5 amp baby bottle warmer? Of course, the answer is yes, but they should KNOW this and don't! Heck, they don't even understand the question. Instead, after two days of researching this question, they call back to explain that there are 115V and 230V outlets. One can look THAT up on the online FAQ fercryinoutloud!)

 

While I might be willing to concede that RCI might find sending all of their agents on the occasional cruise to provide them with enough experience to answer questions properly, I am NOT willing to concede that all supervisors should not have personal experience with Celebrity's fleet. There should be at least ONE "go-to" person available at all times to Celebrity's customer service reps who have real answers from real on-board experience.

 

How often have we heard questions posed here that ought to have been answered correctly by Celebrity's phone reps, but were better answered here due to first hand knowledge that no one in Celebrity's phone center has?

[canderson]

Hi Garry

 

Are we sure that X customer relations is all that bad?

It depends entirely upon the nature of the call. I've had consistently good experience with certain departments, and consistently bad ones with others. Their billing department did some really decent research to sort out one problem (considering that in one instance, the amount involved was over $1000, they owed me some help there!). The regular phone bank, however...

[canderson]

Thank goodness, RCI and Celebrity does NOT send their calls overseas. I absolutely hope they NEVER do.

You mean you wouldn't get a kick out of having the phone answered "And what may we do today sir to make tears of happiness fall upon your shoes?"

[c-legs]

:D Cheers to that !!!! WELL SAID

 

Thanks

Cheers

CG

;)

 

I would advise Celebrity to teach their employees something that I have emphasized with everyone who ever worked for me. If someone asks a question, and you are not sure of the correct answer, tell them that you are not positive but will gladly do some research and get back to them. There are so many people who can't admit they don't know something because they fear it will make them look less professional/knowledgeable, but the opposite is true. When an employee gives an answer that turns out to be wrong, it undermines everything else that person says and does. That in turn has a negative impact on the company that employs him/her.

[c-legs]

Good evening, all

 

I suggest it all boils down to one basic, essential and powerful concept: " COMMUNICATIONS "".

I find that most problems relating to '' poor C R service'' ultimately end up being one of either bad, erroneous, untimely, ill-mannered, uncourteous, mis-expressed , irrelevent,mis-informed, hesitant communications.....the '' subject'' of said communication thus becomes accessorial to the end result.

If the shore-side personnel is not only taught solidly about its job knowledge, but how to communicate it properly to the ultimate boss, THE GUEST, life is much more pleasant.

The on board service people are far more adept with that skill. Foreign culture perhaps ??? ( the great majority of belowdeck and other onboard service folks are foreigners....not merely coincidental....).

 

My toughts anyways....

Cheers

CG

;)

 

 

.

[flashdog_1]

I have a new idea! After I read Judyfssw say she'd volunteer, as a social worker, to help train, I got this idea. Some of us could walk the new employees around the ship, telling them what benefits, what restrictions there are. I think I'd donate an hour on a cruise to show a few of them around and talk to them.

 

I don't know how that would go over with the majority of the previous cruisers if they were at the beginning of a cruise, or prior to the cruise, asked if they'd volunteer to do this, but I'd bet there'd be some volunteers from cruise critic who would jump at it, especially if the employees were given free drink cards (I don't know how it works, but I've read here that certain staff members have a limited number of free drinks they can extend to passengers they are smoozing with).

 

Or perhaps a perk of volunteering would be that X would give the volunteering passenger a couple of free drink cards. Combining business with pleasure.

[joramrose]

ocny, got it right about Cunard. One reason I enjoyed sailing with them -- they have had the best Customer Service in the industry. I never bothered with using a TA on the four cruises I took with QE2 because Customer Service gave me such personalized care (always had the same person!) -- and always arranged an upgrade!!!

 

Since Cunard has moved out of Florida, I guess they needed a whole new crew in CS, and I can no longer speak for their efficiency.

 

But I can talk about Celebrity CS. I am not a complainer, but I have never received a satisfactory answer from them After several frustrating attempts, I do not bother calling X CS any more. That's what I have a TA for, bless her heart for the trouble she has to go through.

 

What others have said is so true -- Decent pay, thorough training, linterdepartment cooperation -- all would go a long way to solving CS problems.

 

love

joan

[gkm]

Everyone has posted some great information and ideas. Now let's hope that Celebrity is reading this thread and will take the suggestion serious!

 

Garry

[uktog]

I would like to say that my experience of the Celebrity call centres in the US has been good - I hav had to pay international call rates to talk to them but have done this in preference to talking to the UK centre where the standard is very poor - one lady there even tried to argue with me everyone had a suite !! So I would say if you want your UK Celebrity market not RCL market) to grow, at least make sure the agents can talk knowledgeably about the X product.

Whilst I agree it would be good if they have first hand experience of the product, probably the more important thing is the product knowledge and the right attitude

[joramrose]

At one time in my life, I thought I had a handle on

the meaning of the word "service."

 

"It's the act of doing things for other people."

 

Then I heard these terms which reference the word

SERVICE:

 

Internal Revenue Service

Postal Service

Telephone Service

Civil Service

City &County Public Service

Customer Service

Service Stations

 

Then I became confused about the word "service ."

This is not what I thought "service" meant.

 

So the other day, I overheard two farmers talking, and one

of them said he had hired a bull to "service " a few of

his cows. BAM! It all came into perspective. Now I

understand what all those "service" agencies are

doing to us.

 

I hope you now are as enlightened as I am.

 

Your helpful and informtive friend

joan

[nu2sea]

At one time in my life, I thought I had a handle on

the meaning of the word "service."

 

"It's the act of doing things for other people."

 

Then I heard these terms which reference the word

SERVICE:

 

Internal Revenue Service

Postal Service

Telephone Service

Civil Service

City &County Public Service

Customer Service

Service Stations

 

Then I became confused about the word "service ."

This is not what I thought "service" meant.

 

So the other day, I overheard two farmers talking, and one

of them said he had hired a bull to "service " a few of

his cows. BAM! It all came into perspective. Now I

understand what all those "service" agencies are

doing to us.

 

I hope you now are as enlightened as I am.

 

Your helpful and informtive friend

joan

 

And here I was just about to unsubscribe from this thread! To think I would have missed this gem. Thanks for the smile Joan.

 

Susan

[gkm]

JoAn, You're wonderful! LOL:D

 

Garry

[tuggers]

JoAn,

 

That's certainly how I've been feeling about X lately, like I was bent way over! (can I say that on here?)

 

Oh well!

[Jimsgirl]

I bought a product at Acupuncture at Sea on the Infinity in Nov. I was given a leaflet to buy it from Miami in the future. Well all the contact info on the leaflet was incorrect, so I called Celebrity Customer Service. was told "Call the ship"!!!!!!!!

 

Then I sent and E Mail to Celebrity, NO REPLY.

 

Since HO MUST have a contract with the company that pays them for the space on board, you would think Celebrity would have no trouble giving me the address and phone number, but it seems no one at Customer Service knows how to do this, - or which department would deal with contracts.!

 

I am amazed at the lack of common sense - or initiative shown by Celebrity's Customer Service.