Reportedly, most of the sales staff is now overseas

[Pinboy]

11 hours ago, Cruise till you drop said:

They’re all doing it or have already done it.

For me, I’ll take Celebrity 8 days a week and twice on Sunday

Exactly correct-- 

So, let me think---- Why are sooooo many CCers with only negative comments about Celebrity still reading/posting on Celebrity ? What's the purpose ?

FYI--- We don't cruise on Carnival ( as an example ) ----- soooo , I don't read any Carnival's threads.

 

13 hours ago, Dolebludger said:

Well, IMHO, no company of any kind that off shores it’s CSR dept. is a “better” anything.  IMHO.

Let's hope you never need help with Customer Service or Tech Support from the 1000's of Companies employing off-shore services.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

29 minutes ago, Pinboy said:

Exactly correct-- 

So, let me think---- Why are sooooo many CCers with only negative comments about Celebrity still reading/posting on Celebrity ? What's the purpose ?

FYI--- We don't cruise on Carnival ( as an example ) ----- soooo , I don't read any Carnival's threads.

 

Let's hope you never need help with Customer Service or Tech Support from the 1000's of Companies employing off-shore services.

 I don’t get is the people who have not cruised Celebrity in 5 years but keep post how bad it is 🤔

or post another cruise line is so much better but are paying $300 more per night 🤔

90% of the people on Celebrity cruises are paying less than $175 per night in balcony and below ,and are happy with value they are getting 

[C 2 C]

At one time, briefly,  there were free  language lessons (Rosetta Stone) on Celebrity.

It is time to bring it back for Tagalog.

Filipinos are absolutely wonderful on board.  Why not let them handle our concerns while we are at home as well?

[Joker54]

After seeing this thread I tried to contact my CVP, her extension was answered by someone else and she told me my CVP was gone. Then she transferred me to someone else and I asked that person and she said the CVP was just off today. Seemed add as it should have gone to voicemail if she was out.

 

So I sent her an email, which bounced as undeliverable and that was followed shortly with an automated response advising that my CVP was no longer with the company and to be patient while they assign me a new CVP.........

 

This will really bite if it's true my CVP was awesome!!!

 

I have 8 cruises on the books through Oct of next year as well.

 

Cheers

Edited October 6, 2023 by Joker54

[NutsAboutGolf]

6 hours ago, Pinboy said:

Exactly correct-- 

So, let me think---- Why are sooooo many CCers with only negative comments about Celebrity still reading/posting on Celebrity ? What's the purpose ?

FYI--- We don't cruise on Carnival ( as an example ) ----- soooo , I don't read any Carnival's threads.

 

Let's hope you never need help with Customer Service or Tech Support from the 1000's of Companies employing off-shore services.

 

This is a gross over oversimplification, there are very few that post exclusively negative comments.  It's about calling out X on their passenger unfriendly changes.  Many forget during the beginning of this year that the buffet was essentially closed for dinner, vaping in the casino was nearly implemented fleetwide and as part of cookiegate they removed free cookies from Cafe Al Bacio.  I'll add RCI recently put out a survey asking if folks are willing to pay for pizza.  Many of us like/love X yet with every cutback, we like/love them a bit less

[Traveling Fools]

5 hours ago, Pinboy said:

Let's hope you never need help with Customer Service or Tech Support from the 1000's of Companies employing off-shore services.

19 hours ago, Dolebludger said:

Well, IMHO, no company of any kind that off shores it’s CSR dept. is a “better” anything.  IMHO.

 

5 hours ago, Pinboy said:

So, let me think---- Why are sooooo many CCers with only negative comments about Celebrity still reading/posting on Celebrity ? What's the purpose ?

 

The whole point of this thread is to discuss the ramifications of X shifting their sales staff and CSRs off shore.

 

One of those ramifications is the language barrier and in 99% of the posts made in this thread it relates to an ability to understand and comprehend English, but also to understand the nuances relative to the company they represent.

 

Many, if not most, times the off-shore representative is following a script and deviation from that script results in frustrations on both ends!  You can't understand them, they don't understand you, they can't comprehend why you are calling and what you want, and you can't find the words to make them understand.  Further, when you ask for an American/Canadian/British Supervisor you are told one isn't available.  Or, like Adobe's off-shore CSRs, if you ask for the telephone number in the USA, or whatever country you are calling from, your told there isn't one.  Bottom line, your frustration level rises to the point that you become REALLY pissed off.  In this instance your going to be dissatisfied and pissed off at X.  And, IMHO, that is reasonable.

 

Let me cite and recent example I experienced very recently with NCL.

 

In 2008, my Mom paid the freight for all her children to go on an Alaskan cruise.  The only condition being we had to all meet for dinner.  Since then, I have wanted to do the same thing with our children.  Because my oldest son and his wife (really just his wife) don't like cruising, and since Thanksgiving weekend of 2009 our oldest daughter has been hospitalized because of a head wound, that leaves our youngest daughter, her husband, and their two children.  We all know that Holiday cruise prices are pricey, that sail for free perks disappear during peak seasons, and that prices during peak seasons are higher than the off-seasons.  Those reasons have kept me from booking a family cruise.

 

Recently, I looked at this year's school calendar and note their Christmas break started and ended a week later, that the Monday after the break was a no-school day, that Thursday was a half-day, and Friday was also a non-school day.  I immediately went on line and found two connecting cabins in the Haven were available.  After conferring with and getting permission from the Commander-in-Chief, I called NCL to book the two cabins.  My call was answered by an Asian off-shore rep.  She could not comprehend what I wanted to do.  20-minutes later, I told her I had an important incoming call and hung up.  I went on-line and booked both suites.  The next morning I transferred the booking to my TA. 

 

This was not a complicated transaction and should have been easily handled.  And, there is no excuse for it not being handled properly.  The fault was NCL's and who ever they have contracted with to off-shore to represent them.  That contractor has failed NCL by not hiring employees who can think outside the box and who have sufficient language and language comprehension skills to handle relative transactions.

 

Permit me to extrapolate this incident and apply it to someone with less moxy and who is perhaps intimidated of calling any cruise line to purchase a cruise.  I can assure you there are CC members on X's forum that fit this description. AND, OBTW, there are others who have the moxy and are not intimidated that will take it out on the CSR and then complain on this forum.  While I won't condone their treatment of the CSR, their complaints about X transferring sales and CSR operations to an off-shore entity will be justified.

[Joker54]

12 minutes ago, Traveling Fools said:

One of those ramifications is the language barrier and in 99% of the posts made in this thread it relates to an ability to understand and comprehend English, but also to understand the nuances relative to the company they represent.

Exactly

 

As one who has lost most of his hearing due a 20 year military career I can confirm that my hearing aids and accents do not get along well at all. It's not the agents fault, but if I cant understand them and am forced to hand the DW the phone - well that is a real pain.

 

I always apologize for listening with an accent and let them know its not their fault that I cannot understand them and I then asked to be transferred to a US based agent to which the reply is always

 

"we cant do that you will have to call back and hope the call routes to the US"

 

Pinboy - if you don't care for the topic or the comments contained in them, why are you reading these threads?

[the penguins]

49 minutes ago, Joker54 said:

Exactly

 

As one who has lost most of his hearing due a 20 year military career I can confirm that my hearing aids and accents do not get along well at all. It's not the agents fault, but if I cant understand them and am forced to hand the DW the phone - well that is a real pain.

 

I always apologize for listening with an accent and let them know its not their fault that I cannot understand them and I then asked to be transferred to a US based agent to which the reply is always

 

"we cant do that you will have to call back and hope the call routes to the US"

 

Pinboy - if you don't care for the topic or the comments contained in them, why are you reading these threads?

Accents, local jargon/phrases etc can indeed be problematic.

We have had many an incident when dealing with Americans as well as with people in Asia, India, The Caribbean, South America, South Africa etc.

All call centre staff work to a script and the challenge is to force them off it. 

Persuading "Bots" to put you through to a real person is also a challenge but fortunately one that's easy to get around. Whatever question a Bot asks simple reply "sausages" and after a few (usually not more than 4) attempts the Bot will give up and put you through to a human.

Apart for better prices/more OBC the other major advantage of using a TA is that they have deals with lots of Cruise Lines which is extremely useful if you are not "totally wedded" to any particular line and are looking for alternatives.

 

[NutsAboutGolf]

39 minutes ago, the penguins said:

Accents, local jargon/phrases etc can indeed be problematic.

We have had many an incident when dealing with Americans as well as with people in Asia, India, The Caribbean, South America, South Africa etc.

All call centre staff work to a script and the challenge is to force them off it. 

Persuading "Bots" to put you through to a real person is also a challenge but fortunately one that's easy to get around. Whatever question a Bot asks simple reply "sausages" and after a few (usually not more than 4) attempts the Bot will give up and put you through to a human.

Apart for better prices/more OBC the other major advantage of using a TA is that they have deals with lots of Cruise Lines which is extremely useful if you are not "totally wedded" to any particular line and are looking for alternatives.

 

 

No doubt putting a random word would likely do the same thing, I haven't had a problem with entering "agent" or "representative" and half the time you only need to enter it once although it may ask you if it's for a specific department like reservations, customer service, etc

[hcat]

We will post how things go with making final payment by phone  next week..

 

We'll try the Cap Club #  first,  but lately unless it's a points question it goes  over to the  the gen phone queue...

[dlh015]

6 hours ago, Joker54 said:

After seeing this thread I tried to contact my CVP, her extension was answered by someone else and she told me my CVP was gone. Then she transferred me to someone else and I asked that person and she said the CVP was just off today. Seemed add as it should have gone to voicemail if she was out.

 

So I sent her an email, which bounced as undeliverable and that was followed shortly with an automated response advising that my CVP was no longer with the company and to be patient while they assign me a new CVP.........

 

This will really bite if it's true my CVP was awesome!!!

 

I have 8 cruises on the books through Oct of next year as well.

 

Cheers

Same here...gone with the wind...

[Cruise till you drop]

7 hours ago, Joker54 said:

After seeing this thread I tried to contact my CVP, her extension was answered by someone else and she told me my CVP was gone. Then she transferred me to someone else and I asked that person and she said the CVP was just off today. Seemed add as it should have gone to voicemail if she was out.

 

So I sent her an email, which bounced as undeliverable and that was followed shortly with an automated response advising that my CVP was no longer with the company and to be patient while they assign me a new CVP.........

 

This will really bite if it's true my CVP was awesome!!!

 

I have 8 cruises on the books through Oct of next year as well.

 

Cheers

I’m assuming these CVP’s were not given much notice on their termination and that’s a shame.

 

On the other hand, we’ve been used to not having a dedicated agent with our TA and this is a lot like that.  We contact who we think is our normal TA contact and rarely get them first try and not usually get a call back in a timely manner.  But when we call the general number and get the next available agent, we can get someone more quickly.

 

Maybe we’re not using the best TA but we’ve used them for years and feel loyal to them

[the penguins]

7 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

No doubt putting a random word would likely do the same thing, I haven't had a problem with entering "agent" or "representative" and half the time you only need to enter it once although it may ask you if it's for a specific department like reservations, customer service, etc

Sounds like your US Bots give up quicker than our UK ones 🤣😂. I don't even listen to the options just repeat the same random word until I get a real person.

[bEwAbG]

Once the minimum wage started rising in the U.S. during the pandemic, call center jobs that historically had paid a few dollars more per hour than other places had to start competing with a new reality.  The available labor suddenly had more choices, and it became increasingly difficult to staff appropriately.  I have had a couple of different friends whose companies wanted to (and were) using U.S.-based call centers but staffing became such an issue that it was causing the corporations real problems with providing reliable service.  Just a bit of background to add to the mix and not offering opinions on right or wrong on the specific situation at X.

[floridatravelersforlife]

It's not all bad.  Our offshore contact is an ex Celebrity ship concierge and future bookings veteran. She lives in France.she communicates well,is efficient and works till 6 PM EDT.  

[Oceangoer2]

16 hours ago, Joker54 said:

If it works for you great

 

My CVP called me back within half an hour most occasions, and never put me on hold to do anything. She understood mine and the DW interests and kept an eye out for cruises she knew we would enjoy. For us it was all we could ask for.

 

And she wasn't shy about calling a manager if there was an issue and never ever failed to get the resolution we were looking for.

 

Cheers

Wish I had your CVP....I can leave a message and MIGHT hear back in a day or two...or it's forgotten all together.  Emails I have a better chance but she's busy all day and doesn't check emails until later in the evening.  I've missed a booking because of this.....if only she wasn't soooo nice!

[Joker54]

12 minutes ago, Oceangoer2 said:

Wish I had your CVP....I can leave a message and MIGHT hear back in a day or two...or it's forgotten all together.  Emails I have a better chance but she's busy all day and doesn't check emails until later in the evening.  I've missed a booking because of this.....if only she wasn't soooo nice!

Sorry to hear that, I know we were very lucky to have found the CVP that we had. We are both concerned about them being let go, she was very nice as well and I'm sure she made a lot of bookings for X with her dedication.

 

We will wait and see what happens and what the new CVP is like. We are also going to start looking at TA's.

 

We have started looking at other cruise lines anyway -

[Arzeena]

15 hours ago, hcat said:

We will post how things go with making final payment by phone  next week..

 

We'll try the Cap Club #  first,  but lately unless it's a points question it goes  over to the  the gen phone queue...

We had very recent good experiences with that. Both times when we called CC, (to add/change/subtract packages from Cruise planner that came with the AI) reached some one overseas and got excellent customer service. And to make payment at one time. All was handled very professionally. So hope you have the same good experience.

Also we are now able to make payment with out calling. Would you rather not make final payment from your "Manage Reservation" link? I know it was not done previously, but the link is available now and we got immediate email confirmation.

Good Luck.

 

[JBare]

On 10/5/2023 at 5:12 PM, the penguins said:

Do you perchance book in a Suite? if so perhaps that's why you get a dedicated person to handle your bookings.

 

I don't book suites and have a dedicated cruise planner that I always book with and have done for over 10 years (the same one). I have their email address and direct dial phone number they are based in Weybridge along with the rest of the UK planners.

[Islander500]

On 10/5/2023 at 12:11 AM, NutsAboutGolf said:

If it turns out to be true, at the end of the day it doesn’t affect that many people as because most would book online or use a TA

I just returned from a cruise on Oct 2 and received an email that day from my Celebrity Vacation Planner (had been handling my bookings for 4 years) following up and asking how our vacation had been.  When I replied a day or two later, I got an email saying he was no longer with Celebrity.  Hmmmm.  

[the penguins]

1 minute ago, JBare said:

I don't book suites and have a dedicated cruise planner that I always book with and have done for over 10 years (the same one). I have their email address and direct dial phone number they are based in Weybridge along with the rest of the UK planners.

Wow some one doing the same job at X for 10 years. Clearly it works for you which is great.
We have booked direct, used one particular U.K. agent pre pandemic and are now booking with a US Agent where the prices are significantly less than than those in the U.K.

[Pinboy]

49 minutes ago, Oceangoer2 said:

Wish I had your CVP....I can leave a message and MIGHT hear back in a day or two...or it's forgotten all together.  Emails I have a better chance but she's busy all day and doesn't check emails until later in the evening.  I've missed a booking because of this.....if only she wasn't soooo nice!

No disrespect intended----

How could she be " so nice " and not return messages for a day or two or ---- never ?

How could she be " so nice " if she doesn't check emails until later in the evening when clients are waiting and want answers  ( service ) asap?

It's too bad you missed a booking because of her poor service.

Next time be " nice " to yourself .

 

 

[Oceangoer2]

23 minutes ago, Pinboy said:

No disrespect intended----

How could she be " so nice " and not return messages for a day or two or ---- never ?

How could she be " so nice " if she doesn't check emails until later in the evening when clients are waiting and want answers  ( service ) asap?

It's too bad you missed a booking because of her poor service.

Next time be " nice " to yourself .

 

 

No disrespect.....You're right. I'm a LITTLE soft and get over things too quickly.  But she IS nice and explains why...etc...etc.  I do almost all the cruise business myself and call/email her with my booking.  I was really annoyed over the timely booking I had to make with an offshore, rooster crowing in the background, rep.  She messed it up and it resulted in quite a bit of back and forth, until it was resolved by an even nicer exec office rep..haha.  Guess I am nice to myself in that I believe in heart and sanity health...appropriately deal with the major things...chill and try to resolve the others.  BTW...Happy Thanksgiving!  I try to remember those who are without...food, family, cruises.  🫶

[Lastdance]

2 hours ago, Oceangoer2 said:

No disrespect.....You're right. I'm a LITTLE soft and get over things too quickly.  But she IS nice and explains why...etc...etc.  I do almost all the cruise business myself and call/email her with my booking.  I was really annoyed over the timely booking I had to make with an offshore, rooster crowing in the background, rep.  She messed it up and it resulted in quite a bit of back and forth, until it was resolved by an even nicer exec office rep..haha.  Guess I am nice to myself in that I believe in heart and sanity health...appropriately deal with the major things...chill and try to resolve the others.  BTW...Happy Thanksgiving!  I try to remember those who are without...food, family, cruises.  🫶

...and a glass half-full🙂

[jaywoods678]

7 hours ago, bEwAbG said:

Once the minimum wage started rising in the U.S. during the pandemic, call center jobs that historically had paid a few dollars more per hour than other places had to start competing with a new reality.  The available labor suddenly had more choices, and it became increasingly difficult to staff appropriately.  I have had a couple of different friends whose companies wanted to (and were) using U.S.-based call centers but staffing became such an issue that it was causing the corporations real problems with providing reliable service.  Just a bit of background to add to the mix and not offering opinions on right or wrong on the specific situation at X.

I completely agree. Also, I think it's a combination of both. The cruise lines are trying to save money by moving overseas, but also they are having a hard time finding staff here in the US.