Tuesday, September 9, 2008

AirAsia Call Centre of Hell

SATURDAY, 06 Sep 2008
I got an sms saying that my return flight from Bali next year has been cancelled.


Just my return flight??? So I called up the number given in the sms and was kept waiting on the machines for a very long time. Someone suggested that maybe they didn't entertain calls during the weekend...that made sense. I'll try on Monday.

MONDAY, 08 SEP 2008

First thing in the morning, I called AirAsia again. Its bad enough that this is already a Monday morning...but listening to the machine telling me that they are sooooooooooo busy due to 'overwhelming response to our promotions' just leaves me almost foaming at my mouth. I had to hang up a few times to entertain my customers. I gave up calling in the late afternoon and resorted to sending them an email instead.

When I checked my email in the evening, they sent me the following reply:
For urgent queries and itinerary requests, please call our helpline at 603-8660 4388 or click on the following link for contact numbers of the Call Centre in your area.

Now, that's really rubbing salt in the wound.

TUESDAY, 09 SEP 2008
Filled with fighting spirit today (and a particularly good nights rest), I decided that I will not hang up but wait as long as it will take to get an answer from them.

11.13am - Machine ....
11.14am - A customer asked for a strip of Pepzan 20mg...Put the phone down for a second to serve him.
11.16am - Machine...
11.18am - A lady asked if I have Ethylchloride Spray... Put the phone down again.
11.20am - Decided to go to the toilet for a quick wee wee.
11.23am - Machine...
11.24am - Another customer asking for plaster...
11.27am - Lady: (Click) Good morning, AirAsia, How can I help you?
Me: Wahh..you know how long I've been waiting ar?
Lady: Er...yeah..
11.33am - Phone call ended.

I have received 4 calls on previous occasions from AirAsia telling me about their insurance packages, credit cards and what not...but when I really needed an answer from them, it takes forever to get through to one of them.

Anyway, my Bali trip next year has been cancelled. Anyone up for climbing Mt Kinabalu again? Heheh...

12 comments:

Alice said...

I'm having the same fate as you too as i've also booked a flight KK-BALI in Nov 2008 but they decided to cancel the route there and then.
I know that they will refund the money to us but i dint know that we have to call them ourselves and ask for a refund, don't they have a list of customers for the flights and isn't it more efficient and sincere if they refund the money there and then since they are the one who wants to have the flight and cancelled it?
Anyway, Ok, i called and i've waited so x100 long for them to pick up the call and the actual conversation with the operator only lasted for like....30secs.

isn't it ironic how fast they earn money from our pocket but we have to suffer in return??

btw, i am still waiting for them to actually "refund" the money to my credit card account, @#@#$%.

Ted said...

Hi Alice, yes I am very angry with AirAsia now. I've wrote a message to Tony Fernandes on FB but have yet to receive a reply. I can't believe I'm saying this...but Streamyx's service is excellent compared to AirAsia's call centres.

Alice said...

I have another encounter with Air Asia,not a "too bad" one but still, i think there's something wrong.

I was trying to change a flight that i booked earlier online,but i cant do it and my friend (a travel agent) told me that we can no longer change it online and have to change it in the air asia office and so i went.

I asked the staff about this but they kept saying "yes you can change your flight online", if i was able to change it, what am i doing there in their office?

I hope there'll be no more next time.

Johnny Ong said...

ted - put an url link wherever airasia's name appear in this blog posting of yrs. airasia has a number of people tracking blogs that links to their website esp on complains.

btw, what's the rational for cancelling a flight which is scheduled for next yr. what made them come to that decision?

when u need them, that's when they disappear

Ted said...

Thanks for the idea Johnny, I've done as you have suggested. I guess its not a profitable route and they decided to axe it.

Anonymous said...

i've call airasia call centre using 0387754000 for call within malaysia today. the answering voice machine just keep telling me to wait until there are available customer service officer. i've waiting until more then 10 minutes and suddenly no more connection. it is because my phone prepaid credit have been deduct from $28.19 to only 26 cent left. they stole my $27.93 just using their phone line. to make it worst, i've not yet talk to their customer service and they already charged $27.93. wtf . so anybody who wish to call their call center.... just forget it.. it is better to buy a lot of food for your stomach than be cheated like me

Ted said...

Yea anonymous...I understand. Really frustrating dealing with their call centres. I hope i wont have to do tat again.

Anonymous said...

cheers ted. we have the same story to tell. i bet hundreds more have the same complaint until tony send an excuse email to all.

it's not a toll free and im calling from Sabah. When i tried on first day, all i got is 'number busy'. the next day i have to wait for like 20 minutes.

http://www.fadzli.com/2008/12/17/air-asia-oh-air-asia/

Anonymous said...

That all sounds so familiar. This is one of the worst call centres i have dealt with. And when you have a problem, there is almost no attempt to help you solve it. Totally frustrating!

airasiareviews.blogspot.com

editor said...

well, go to the sales office. Some people don't want refund. They want credit shell. Some people book with travel agent, so how to refund to travel agent ? Anyway now new departments have been set up to overcome these problems

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Ted said...

Hi Proflyerz, thanks for dropping by :) I've not had to call airasia for more than 2 years now (and hopefully won't have to) but yes you're right, i think they've taken some steps to improve already.

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