Much Improved Customer Service

[crzrr]

I've been waiting for the b2b onboard credit to show up in our account for our 2025 January cruises.  At one point it was showing in my account and then it disappeared.  Rather than bother my TA about it, since it's a ways off, I filled out the Contact Us form on the website.  Within an hour I had a response saying that it was now in my account ... and, sure enough, it's there.  I am cautiously optimistic that this will be the way that things work going forward and wanted to give a shout out to the AZ customer service team responding to emails.  

[laurieb]

wait time has been zero when I've needed to call ovr the past week.

[Rabo]

I did the same as crzrr . . . my outcome was different! I received an email stating that since I had booked through a TA, she would have to make the contact. 
btw . . . I booked both cruises onboard. 

[Grandma Cruising]

2 hours ago, Rabo said:

I did the same as crzrr . . . my outcome was different! I received an email stating that since I had booked through a TA, she would have to make the contact. 
btw . . . I booked both cruises onboard. 

Oh dear! I assume you went back to them - be interested to hear the final outcome.

[laurieb]

2 hours ago, Rabo said:

I did the same as crzrr . . . my outcome was different! I received an email stating that since I had booked through a TA, she would have to make the contact. 
btw . . . I booked both cruises onboard. 

I think it may come down to who assists you.  the older employees seem to be willing to do things that aren't "by the book" so to speak, as the newer employees follow instructions to a tee.

[Rabo]

I’m sure it will be taken care of. I’ll be onboard mid-February. If I can’t do it then, I’ll contact my TA (same one that crzrr has . . . really good . . . has spent hours on the phone with Azamara for me!)

[mdeegooden]

I would echo the sentiments of the OP.  I've recently had to contact AZ's customer service over OBC and booking shorex.  In the two or three times I've called, I've had nearly no wait time and prompt, courteous, and (importantly!) competent service.  So very much improved from a year ago!  It seems from my own (limited) experience onboard and from many of the posters on this forum that AZ's shipside experience is uniformly excellent.  Now their shoreside customer service is rapidly catching back up.  Well done AZ!

[gowilk]

“RAPIDLY”…10 months is NOT rapidly with a number of travel agents still wanting nothing to do with them…. i know, i have future cruises with them and have had numerous problems getting agents to support us on our bookings and i REFUSE to pay an agent and then have to do my own customer service.

[Grandma Cruising]

Maybe better to book directly then, unless you got a much better deal from your TA.

[laurieb]

9 hours ago, gowilk said:

“RAPIDLY”…10 months is NOT rapidly with a number of travel agents still wanting nothing to do with them…. i know, i have future cruises with them and have had numerous problems getting agents to support us on our bookings and i REFUSE to pay an agent and then have to do my own customer service.

You then are working with an agency with bad agents.  I know several and they haven't had issues with service.  

[marinaro44]

14 minutes ago, laurieb said:

You then are working with an agency with bad agents.  I know several and they haven't had issues with service.  

Ours hasn't, either.  Just transferred a booking for us.

[Grandma Cruising]

Ours is finding it easy to work with Azamara now.

[uktog]

I called today at 1000 UK time. Call was answered after about 2 minutes by a US agent who must have been working through the night. 
I was able to complete the transaction which was good. 
The agent was working very scripted and did not react to answers as the old UK team would have 

Some of the script wasn’t relevant but was still “trotted out”

Particularly grating was the I see you are Discoverer Platinum do you know if you keep booking cruises you will get even higher benefits. I resisted asking her what they might be 🙂 

So progress but a little way to go.