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Travelocity Informative - Travelocity Service from an Employee
After reading many of the complaints posted on this website regarding Travelocity I am astounded and appalled by the service that Travelocity's customers have received. I have worked for Travelocity for several years and I am one of those agents who would answer the phone saying, "Thank you for calling Travelocity." At any point in time, I could have been the agent answering your call to address the issues regarding your flights being changed, an illness resulting in a reschedule or cancellation of your reservation, a hotel room that is unsatisfactory, a refund request, etc. While I am primarily responsible for booking reservations, it is also my job per company policy to handle ANY type of call that I answer regardless of the situation. And, as a result, I have spent hours at a time resolving customer issues when the need has arisen.
In reviewing the complaints on this website, many of the issues could have easily been resolved without being placed on hold 45 minutes at a time, hung up on repeatedly, having the call escalated to a supervisor where nothing was done, or repeated calls back to the company with still no satisfaction. The primary issue here is not so much with Travelocity per se, but that the company like many other American companies has outsourced its customer service and many other departments to another company in India for "cost savings." While India is technically required to follow all of Travelocity's policies per our contract with them, they do not. For example, if an agent employed directly by Travelocity hangs up on a customer they are terminated immediately. However, this does not seem to be the case for those who work in India considering the amount of complaints I personally hear from our customers.
The American employees are well aware of the poor customer service India provides to our customers and that they simply make our jobs more difficult and most of us strongly disagree with the decision to outsource. I have had situations where I have had to deal with the Indian agents directly to resolve a customer issue and I am told by them "per company policy" when I know as a direct employee of Travelocity that it is not OUR company policy that they are telling me. Travelocity has made many changes over the last several years to enhance our service to our customers and they have strived to have this ingrained as part of our corporate culture. However, the achilles heal to this philosophy is the poor treatment our customers receive from a company in India protraying itself as "Travelocity."
While this website is wonderful in expressing the frustration with the company, I would urge everyone who has had a bad experience such as those posted to contact our corporate headquarters in Southlake, TX by mail rather than calling or emailing customer service since 90% of the time that goes to India. Travelocity has very high expectations on the level of service we provide to our customers but that level of service will only be received fully by our customers when our operations are brought back to the United States.
In reviewing the complaints on this website, many of the issues could have easily been resolved without being placed on hold 45 minutes at a time, hung up on repeatedly, having the call escalated to a supervisor where nothing was done, or repeated calls back to the company with still no satisfaction. The primary issue here is not so much with Travelocity per se, but that the company like many other American companies has outsourced its customer service and many other departments to another company in India for "cost savings." While India is technically required to follow all of Travelocity's policies per our contract with them, they do not. For example, if an agent employed directly by Travelocity hangs up on a customer they are terminated immediately. However, this does not seem to be the case for those who work in India considering the amount of complaints I personally hear from our customers.
The American employees are well aware of the poor customer service India provides to our customers and that they simply make our jobs more difficult and most of us strongly disagree with the decision to outsource. I have had situations where I have had to deal with the Indian agents directly to resolve a customer issue and I am told by them "per company policy" when I know as a direct employee of Travelocity that it is not OUR company policy that they are telling me. Travelocity has made many changes over the last several years to enhance our service to our customers and they have strived to have this ingrained as part of our corporate culture. However, the achilles heal to this philosophy is the poor treatment our customers receive from a company in India protraying itself as "Travelocity."
While this website is wonderful in expressing the frustration with the company, I would urge everyone who has had a bad experience such as those posted to contact our corporate headquarters in Southlake, TX by mail rather than calling or emailing customer service since 90% of the time that goes to India. Travelocity has very high expectations on the level of service we provide to our customers but that level of service will only be received fully by our customers when our operations are brought back to the United States.
Comments:
Posted by GothicSmurf on 2007-12-20:
You seem to be the exception rather than the rule. I've used travelocity a few times, and never had any problems, but I consider myself lucky. Thanks for the info and your help.
Posted by CrystalSword on 2007-12-20:
blaize27, Thank you so much for that information, I used Travelocity once to help a friend get airline tickets and he seemed thrilled with the service but he didn't have any problems either. Keep up the good work!
Posted by jenjenn on 2007-12-20:
Thanks for sharing. I've used Travelocity a couple of times and never had an issue either. Hopefully if I do, you'll be the one to answer my call! :)
Posted by Doe3001 on 2007-12-20:
You wrote a very nice informative letter but I assume you have no power to change what is going on. Travelocity is doing the same as other travel sites (like EXPEDIA or Orbitz). All the complaints we read here look the same , like they have a common policy and like they follow the same procedures. Contacting the headquarters is just another way of wasting time. I did that when EXPEDIA tried to scam me read my profile by the way) and my letter was redirected to a "customer department". My experience is if you have an issue with an online travel site contact your credit card to have your money back. Whatever you do with the travel site is just a waste of time.
Posted by blaize27 on 2007-12-22:
Doe, while I am not a "titled" person and therefore cannot make changes directly since I obviously do not have that type of power, I have addressed numerous issues to our management and executive level on the behalf of the other employees and our customers. As a result, there have at least been some changes made. While you do not believe that contacting the corporate office serves any purpose, what it simply comes down to for Corporate America is simply the bottom line. If Travelocity or any other American company receives enough complaints from their customers regarding the service and/or products received due to outsourcing and those same customers refuse to use that company, the company will stand to lose more from the loss of business than they will from the labor cost savings from outsourcing. While each individual complaint may seem like nothing, thousands of complaints can represent tens of millions of dollars in lost revenue to a company. That number will get any CEO's attention since it is just a question of numbers and which number is larger. It is much more cost effective for a company to maintain a customer than to get a new one which is why most companies try to stress their customer service. The issue, again, is India, China, or any other country and American company sends its operations to.
Posted by mOnIcA83 on 2007-12-25:
I am also a customer service representative from a travel agency and I am afraid I would have to disagree with your statements. I'm glad you are a good agent and you do your job well.I am one of those "outsourced" agents you were mentioning. I am from the Philippines and have been an agent for 3 years. We also follow the same rule. Treat your customers badly and you're fired.Some agents get away with it because not all calls are listened to, and that's the case in ALL centers.You know that.
Posted by mOnIcA83 on 2007-12-25:
True, some of us get complaints regarding communication problem. Customers say our accent is difficult to understand. We don't deny that.although I've never had that problem). But with regards to job knowledge and commitment to serve, we are equally as competitive. Unlike you though, I wouldn't be badmouthing other agents since we are supposed to work as a team and not passing the blame to others. All I can say is, it's not the nationality/race- it's the individual agents' ATTITUDE.
Posted by mOnIcA83 on 2007-12-25:
I am hurt by your accusations because like you I also make it a commitment to SERVE. I argue with hotel managers and airline agents who refuses to help, I sacrifice my one hour lunch if the issue is too complicated just so I can resolve it,I insist on getting permission to give credits from my supervisor if I feel like the customer deserves it. It's just so frustrating when people generalize.
Posted by blaize27 on 2008-01-08:
Monica, while I'm sure you personally are a good agent, the idea that those outsourced companies in the Phillipines, India, China, or anywhere else are "equally as competitive" is certainly not true - particularly when it comes to travel. Travel is a unique experience to that individual and there are very large differences lingustically and culturally between Americans and foreigners. Therefore, those in the Third World cannot understand or relate to an American mindset. For example, if a customer called you and wanted to book a trip to Disney World would you be able to relate your personal experience there? I doubt it. As a result, you cannot relate to the importance of a parent in this country taking their child to see Mickey Mouse for the first time. It is something totally American. Those in the outsourced call centers, whether it be for Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz, the airlines, computer companies, credit card companies, etc. that are portraying themselves as being "American" are ONLY competitive based upon labor costs. However, in the United States there is an old saying "You get what you pay for!" And as far as working as a "team" and "badmouthing" other agents, my concern is not for you, the other agents in the Phillipines, India, or elsewhere outside the States but rather for the customer I am dealing with at that moment. So, you can be "hurt" all you like since it does not compare to the "hurt" caused by foreign agents to the American customers. If you doubt that, read any comment on here and the consistent complaints about India.
Posted by mOnIcA83 on 2008-01-08:
I haven't been to disneyland but EVERYBODY knows Mickeymouse and all other disney characters. Thanks to technology, we have CABLE and INTERNET to get information from-also,almost all our cartoons here are from your country.Of course we can relate!I've known him since I was a kid!
Customer service is not just about building rapport though, more importantly it is about resolving a customers issue. I don't see my caller as an American- rather, someone who needs my HELP. Every issue is URGENT and IMPORTANT, be it an "American thing" or not.
You say that your concern is the customer and not the company you work for, but I don't see how pinpointing others would help them. It would just make them think negatively of us. Well, it would help you though. You'll be the "good guy"...
If EVERYTHING I read on this website are complaints about offshore agents then I would be inclined to agree with you. However, such is not the case (not even half) so I stand by what I had first said.
Wait....uhhmmm....those complaints not pertaining to offshore reps are talking about American reps,am I correct?
Again, I say: It's all in an agents attitude towards his/her job. Race has nothing to do with it.
Customer service is not just about building rapport though, more importantly it is about resolving a customers issue. I don't see my caller as an American- rather, someone who needs my HELP. Every issue is URGENT and IMPORTANT, be it an "American thing" or not.
You say that your concern is the customer and not the company you work for, but I don't see how pinpointing others would help them. It would just make them think negatively of us. Well, it would help you though. You'll be the "good guy"...
If EVERYTHING I read on this website are complaints about offshore agents then I would be inclined to agree with you. However, such is not the case (not even half) so I stand by what I had first said.
Wait....uhhmmm....those complaints not pertaining to offshore reps are talking about American reps,am I correct?
Again, I say: It's all in an agents attitude towards his/her job. Race has nothing to do with it.
Posted by C West on 2013-03-21:
When I call the customer service line published by Travelocity I am speaking to Travelocity regardless of where the service center is located. I would never deal with this company again. Because of Indian cultural prejudice against women the agents in India do not serve women customers adequately. I spent 5 hours trying to straighten out a problem that was caused by Travelocity, the agent at United Airlines, who apparently can deal with women customers, straightened it out in 5 minutes. NEVER AGAIN!
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