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The oldest advice is still the best advice. No matter if you are an elite at any level or just a Skymiles member, if you do not like what you are hearing just say thanks let’s wait and leave it all alone for now and hang up and call back!
Today, talking to a DM rep, I could “hear” that this was not going to go well. The conversation went like this:
Me – I need to split a reservation for (date) for my wife and I
Rep – Let’s see split a reservation ok hold on…
At this point I start to sweat. Oh no. The things that could go wrong at this point. And this is the Diamond line no less. At this point, stopping would more than likely be much worse, but I knew what I was soon in for (I could taste it almost).
Rep – can you hold for just a minute
Me – sure (inside now scared beyond belief and checking Delta.com like a hawk)
Many, many minutes go by and I keep sweating and looking at my wife like “this is just stupid”!
Rep – OK I got it split.
Me – Great thanks (I think about hanging up at this point, but press on)
Me – I need to get Lisa’s Skymiles ticket changed from this date to one of these 3.
Rep – OK can you hold please.
Me – Sure.
Now I know what will happen next. The rep will come back and say there are no seats at low level. She will say KLM will not give them up. She will ask if I want her to reissue at some much higher Skymiles award. Not this Delta flyer! I get to work on Delta.com leg by leg while I wait.
Rep – I have found some seats for your dates but they are all mid level.
Me – That will not work for me! I have found some flights can I give them to you?
Rep – OK sure.
Me – Flight one, flight two, overnight then flight three. All show low level. Do you agree?
Rep – Oh yes, so you want to overnight?
Me – (thinking to myself – yes I told you that I will be happy to overnight when we started this) Yes, do you see the seat?
Rep – Only 1!
Me – My wife is only one so we only need 1!
Rep – Oh, yes. Thank you so much for helping me do my job. I have it reissued. Do you need help with hotel or car rental for Lisa
Me – No thanks all set (thinking I just want to get off the phone and NEVER talk to you again lady)!
So, there you are kids. Never ever ever forget with Delta or any other reps, if you don’t like it, and don’t want to teach them how to do their jobs then hang up and call back! – René
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“thinking I just want to get off the phone and NEVER talk to you again lady” LOL!!!! You know, this is pretty funny, if you step back and think about it.
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The United fans have the exact same response, however, theirs is due to poor customer service (snarky agents, uncaring phone reps, etc), but Delta fans have the reaction when they run into an uninformed agent.
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This begs the question, which is worse? Obviously, your post answers it, and I’d rather have an unknowledgeable and nice agent than a snarky agent who feels they are better than me. You were able to fix the main problem pretty quick, as would most Diamonds.
Most United agents are great and do what I request, but I have had a few who make up rules on the fly, either in contradiction of other rules or just more restrictive versions of other rules. That is annoying.
Never accept NO for an answer. Try, try, again.
“I’d rather have an unknowledgeable and nice agent than a snarky agent who feels they are better than me”
Totally agree. Can’t stand an agent that keeps saying “that’s just how it works” without quoting specific rules.
It seems to me that I have better luck getting good reps during the middle of the week, say a Wednesday or Thursday night when there isn’t some weather event going on. Or non-holiday weekends. Their call volumes are likely lower during these time periods so the reps can spend more time with you and not jeopardize their service levels. I manage call centers and it is standard practice to give your agents various targets such as average handling time. Most call centers have a metrics board where the agents can see how many calls are holding, so if you call during a period when nobody else is waiting, the rep isn’t pressured to get rid of you. They might even view it as a challenge if things are incredibly slow and they are bored.
maybe you were a little hard on her. she did after all do what you asked. and perhaps you helped the next person who calls with similar request get it a little quicker.. smile.ps I think you and your blog are wonderful and am grateful every day for the effort you put into it for all of us…
@Christine – oh I was nothing but nice to her on the phone, after, well, you see the post. She should not be on the elite level line. She did not know her job! But thanks for your kind words 😉
IN addition to what Erik said, I have had good luck finding patient agents willing to spend more than an hour booking international award travel for me by calling at 2:00 or 3:00 AM. I had two one-ways at the low level in my name (searched as me as the traveler). I needed to get them in my families names and keep the same flights, then merge into one itinerary still at 80,000 miles. THey did it, but it went to 160,000 – two one-ways at80k a piece. After a transfer to the re-issue desk and another 45 min or so we were golden.