NCL lost customer due to PCC

[hpecorari]

I'm taking a cruise in May on the Getaway. I had talked my nephew and his wife into joining us on this cruise. When I say 'talked them into it' I really mean that as they didn't like their first NCL cruise which was on the Epic the first month that the ship came out.....but agreed to give NCL another try since I do like NCL. This was also to celebrate their wedding anniversary.

 

I book my cruises through CAS. I had him call my PCC which gave him a good deal, I thought, on an inside cabin. Final payment was yesterday. He contacted the PCC when the free UDP promotion was going on. He wanted to pay to upgrade to a balcony for the UDP promo. They played phone tag for a few days. The PCC called him last Wednesday and he called the PCC back within two hours. He NEVER heard back from the PCC. As yesterday was final payment he called, spoke with whomever answered the phone and cancelled. Besides, the UDP was no longer available yesterday but was when he was waiting from last week for my PCC to call him back. I'm shocked as my PCC has always been fantastic with me. I e-mailed my PCC and told him that my nephew cancelled and why and his e-mail back to me was, "Sorry it has been busy here due to all promotions" Those are my PCC's words not mine. Needless to say my nephew and his wife will never contact NCL again and will remain with Royal Caribbean and/or Princess. Not to mention that they won't be on the cruise with me.

 

I know it's just one couple NCL lost......but still.

 

Now to a question - do CAS PCC's get a commission when they book my comped cruise? As much as I liked my CAS PCC I'm thinking of changing to another in the future because I feel even though the reservation was booked he shouldn't have ignored my nephew from Wednesday through Monday.

 

Harriet

[djmess]

Personally, when I see a promotion for NCL or any other cruiseline or destination I want, I NEVER wait for people to return my calls. I have a wonderful PCC at Norwegian, but I have booked off her hours and on her days off when I have seen a promotion that I liked. I also have changed my reservations that I made with my PCC again if I have seen a better deal.

 

IMHO, if you really want a deal of some sort, you need to be proactive. Waiting a day or 5 is not being proactive. Cruiselines, like airlines and other travel destinations, change promotions daily and even hourly.

[hpecorari]

Personally, when I see a promotion for NCL or any other cruiseline or destination I want, I NEVER wait for people to return my calls. I have a wonderful PCC at Norwegian, but I have booked off her hours and on her days off when I have seen a promotion that I liked. I also have changed my reservations that I made with my PCC again if I have seen a better deal.

 

IMHO, if you really want a deal of some sort, you need to be proactive. Waiting a day or 5 is not being proactive. Cruiselines, like airlines and other travel destinations, change promotions daily and even hourly.

 

They were playing phone tag for a few days. The last time my nephew called was last Wednesday. When he didn't hear back from the PCC by Thursday he was already a little upset - Not being a NCL fan since the Epic he decided to wait...and if he didn't hear from the PCC by Monday when is final payment was due he was going to cancel. He didn't hear...he cancelled. What upsets me more than anything else is what my PCC said when I questioned him as to why he never called my nephew back Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Monday. "Sorry it has been busy here due to all promotions" That was the reason he gave me.

 

Harriet

[sweetride]

I had 3 PCCs who I did not like. They would call constantly to push cruises on me (even when I already had 3 or 4 booked) and one of them I got into a screaming match with because he refused to stop calling me and when he called me late and I was sleeping, I went off and he insisted it was my fault because I had never told him not to call that late (I guess, take me off your call list doesn't count?). I finally found a great one thanks to some friends referring me to her. Then she got promoted. I just stopped booking directly through them and use an agent now. I get better OBC, pre-paid gratuities and other perks and they seem to have more incentive to get right back to me.

[SissasMomE]

He should have just called the 800 number. Not sure why he would keep calling the PCC. Also, not sure why the apology bothers you so much.

[sweetride]

He should have just called the 800 number. Not sure why he would keep calling the PCC. Also, not sure why the apology bothers you so much.

 

Because thats a crappy excuse. if I did that to a customer and my only excuse was that I was busy, I would lose a customer like they did. Being busy is not an excuse for letting a customer miss a promotion. If you can't handle it, you give it to someone who can. Not doing so shows how much you don't care about the customer

[hpecorari]

My situation is different. I must use the CAS department since my cruises are comped. However, my nephew and his wife had to use the CAS department in order to get the discount they got due to me. Using a TA or even a non CAS PCC wouldn't have worked.

 

I've always loved my CAS PCC.....but now am going to change to another - but, my nephew and his wife will never cruise NCL again. They had a bad taste in their mouth from the Epic in 2010 and now this? Nope, thy're done.....which is their prerogative. Me? I still love NCL....but will no longer use that CAS PCC.

 

Harriet

[SissasMomE]

Because thats a crappy excuse. if I did that to a customer and my only excuse was that I was busy, I would lose a customer like they did. Being busy is not an excuse for letting a customer miss a promotion. If you can't handle it, you give it to someone who can. Not doing so shows how much you don't care about the customer

 

Sorry - but if the customer wanted the promotion, they should have called the 800 number. It was his own fault he missed out. I would never sit around and wait for someone to call me back on a promotion.

[hpecorari]

He should have just called the 800 number. Not sure why he would keep calling the PCC. Also, not sure why the apology bothers you so much.

 

This was booked through CAS. 800 number is no good.

 

You take a gown to the cleaners that you need done in 5 days for a wedding you're going to. You go to pick up the gown and they tell you, "sorry, we've been really busy the gown's not done." That apology wouldn't bother you?

 

Harriet

[hpecorari]

Because thats a crappy excuse. if I did that to a customer and my only excuse was that I was busy, I would lose a customer like they did. Being busy is not an excuse for letting a customer miss a promotion. If you can't handle it, you give it to someone who can. Not doing so shows how much you don't care about the customer

 

And I think you hit the nail on the head. He already had the booking. Now he was out to get more bookings. Yes, the excuse was crappy. Thank you.

 

Harriet

[blackwing]

Sorry - but if the customer wanted the promotion, they should have called the 800 number. It was his own fault he missed out. I would never sit around and wait for someone to call me back on a promotion.

Agree completely.

 

I agree with OP that the PCC should have called him back, but if he didn't hear from them he should have been proactive and called himself. I have no doubt the PCC was fielding calls from lots of people who wanted to get the deal. Your nephew wanted the personal attention of getting a call back, but as is evident, NCL had plenty of other people who wanted it too.

[hpecorari]

Sorry - but if the customer wanted the promotion, they should have called the 800 number. It was his own fault he missed out. I would never sit around and wait for someone to call me back on a promotion.

 

 

Do you know what CAS is? No one.....can touch a CAS booking but CAS

 

Harriet

Edited March 18, 2014 by hpecorari

[djmess]

I'm really sorry, but does CAS only have one PCC. I would think there was more than one person to be contacted. I'm thinking your relatives may be using this as an excuse because the just don't like NCL. which is fine with me and absolutely their prerogative. Again, if there is a great special promotion one needs to be proactive. Phone tag is not being proactive. If they were playing phone tag as indicated, then the PCC indeed did try to contact your relative. All people don't have the same schedules, thus we call who we can at the time we can.

[sweetride]

I am amazed how many people accept NCL PCCs crappy service as being the customer's issue. Its not. NCL hires PCCs to be your go to person. They're not booking agents or something like that. They are "personal cruise consultants" with a customer log. They were setup so you have a person you deal with all the time and get personalized service. If I wanted this kind of service, I'd book with a computer or whoever has the lowest prices and best incentives for the day. Having to go through CAS makes it that much more difficult as there was no way around having to deal with this person who couldn't care less about the service you do or don't receive

[SissasMomE]

Do you know what CAS is? No one.....can touch a CAS booking but CAS

 

Harriet

 

It is IMPOSSIBLE that CAS has only 1 agent. Completely impossible. Sounds like an excuse by your nephew not to go, in all honesty.

[SissasMomE]

This was booked through CAS. 800 number is no good.

 

You take a gown to the cleaners that you need done in 5 days for a wedding you're going to. You go to pick up the gown and they tell you, "sorry, we've been really busy the gown's not done." That apology wouldn't bother you?

 

Harriet

 

That doesn't even make sense. Had I contracted for a gown to be completed in 5 days, and wanted it completed in 3, you darn well better believe I would have called constantly until I had the confirmation that it would be done! The last thing I would do it leave a message and then sit and wait for a phone call.

Edited March 18, 2014 by SissasMomE

[HokiePoq]

Because thats a crappy excuse. if I did that to a customer and my only excuse was that I was busy, I would lose a customer like they did. Being busy is not an excuse for letting a customer miss a promotion. If you can't handle it, you give it to someone who can. Not doing so shows how much you don't care about the customer

 

Agree with this. I have been a loyal customer of an internet agency for several years. On our most recent booking the new to me agent dropped the ball on the cabin I wanted. When asked to try again, she said she was too busy to bother. This after I brought their firm 42K (party of six) worth of bookings for this cruise. I will never deal with this person again BUT it would cut off my nose to spite my face if I no longer took advantage of the firm's special offers. And that is what boycotting NCL because of the PCC is doing to the nephew.

As someone else said, use another means of booking other than this PCC rather than miss out on all the NCL has to offer.

[hpecorari]

As someone else said, use another means of booking other than this PCC rather than miss out on all the NCL has to offer.

 

I will. I have already e-mailed my CAS PCC and told him how I felt and that him being busy was no excuse. If he was that busy he should have assigned it to another CAS PCC. I'll still book through CAS but I won't use this PCC ever again.

 

Harriet

[hpecorari]

It is IMPOSSIBLE that CAS has only 1 agent. Completely impossible. Sounds like an excuse by your nephew not to go, in all honesty.

 

My nephew did really want to go. However, I do put a small part of the blame on him. He thought he had to deal with the actual CAS PCC who he booked through.

 

Harriet

[Georgiagolfer]

A different reason, but DW and I are also a lost customer to NCL because of a situation with a PCC. When NCL came out with the previous promotion of free dining package for balcony and above, plus free drink package for Haven, we tried to book Getaway. NCL site showing a Haven Courtyard Suite for a certain date and price, so contacted PCC to book. This was for our Anniversary,BTW. He checked and these were booked, but tried to get us to change from a June date to a September date,or we could book a higher cabin. We declined, and he said he would call if something opened up. This was around 6pm. The PCC called the next morning around 8:30am and several cabins were suddenly available, but at $100 pp increase. I was out and DW said I would call when I returned.

 

Long story short, we decided to do something different for our Anniversary, so I called the PCC and told him thanks, but no thanks on the cabin. He became very beligerant, and proceeded to tell me how he had "jumped through hoops with revenue marketing to get us a cabin", and he couldn't believe we would turn it down. He further stated there was nothing I could plan on my own to match the excitement of the Getaway cruise.

 

Well, this was over the top for me, so as for NCL, I told him to remove me from his Email and mailing list, and that I was going to do the same with NCL. After 23 cruises on various lines, never had anyone treat us like this.

[A1SusieQ]

And I think you hit the nail on the head. He already had the booking. Now he was out to get more bookings. Yes, the excuse was crappy. Thank you.

 

Harriet

 

Hi Harriet,

 

What I do for family is I book them with my PCC at CAS. I do all the phone calling involved. (Almost like a travel agent would) They give me their credit card and I book them that way.

 

You can call your PCC and ask to speak with the supervisor to see if anything can be done, perhaps your nephew will change his mind if the supervisor throws something extra in.

 

My PCC at CAS (a male whose name starts with the letter "J") made an error on my booking once, then connected me with a supervisor to resolve it.

 

The supervisor resolved it plus added a nice gift for us.

 

I hope it gets positively resolved as I am sure they would enjoy NCL the second time around.

[SissasMomE]

A different reason, but DW and I are also a lost customer to NCL because of a situation with a PCC. When NCL came out with the previous promotion of free dining package for balcony and above, plus free drink package for Haven, we tried to book Getaway. NCL site showing a Haven Courtyard Suite for a certain date and price, so contacted PCC to book. This was for our Anniversary,BTW. He checked and these were booked, but tried to get us to change from a June date to a September date,or we could book a higher cabin. We declined, and he said he would call if something opened up. This was around 6pm. The PCC called the next morning around 8:30am and several cabins were suddenly available, but at $100 pp increase. I was out and DW said I would call when I returned.

 

Long story short, we decided to do something different for our Anniversary, so I called the PCC and told him thanks, but no thanks on the cabin. He became very beligerant, and proceeded to tell me how he had "jumped through hoops with revenue marketing to get us a cabin", and he couldn't believe we would turn it down. He further stated there was nothing I could plan on my own to match the excitement of the Getaway cruise.

 

Well, this was over the top for me, so as for NCL, I told him to remove me from his Email and mailing list, and that I was going to do the same with NCL. After 23 cruises on various lines, never had anyone treat us like this.

 

Wow! That is crazy!

[SissasMomE]

My nephew did really want to go. However, I do put a small part of the blame on him. He thought he had to deal with the actual CAS PCC who he booked through.

 

Harriet

 

Well that makes sense. I can see him thinking that. I wonder how many other people think the same? I bet a lot.

[hpecorari]

Hi Harriet,

 

What I do for family is I book them with my PCC at CAS. I do all the phone calling involved. (Almost like a travel agent would) They give me their credit card and I book them that way.

 

You can call your PCC and ask to speak with the supervisor to see if anything can be done, perhaps your nephew will change his mind if the supervisor throws something extra in.

 

My PCC at CAS (a male whose name starts with the letter "J") made an error on my booking once, then connected me with a supervisor to resolve it.

 

The supervisor resolved it plus added a nice gift for us.

 

I hope it gets positively resolved as I am sure they would enjoy NCL the second time around.

 

That's what I was doing with my CAS PCC who's name starts with an 'A'. However, he is the one that told me to have my nephew call him to book the cruise. My nephew did and all was fine. Then the promotion came about. They played phone tag for a few days and then my CAS PCC never called back and my nephew was already a little upset. By that time the promo for the UDP was over. My nephew, otoh, incorrectly thought that he had to deal with the CAS PCC that booked his cruise for him. The phone number I gave my nephew was my CAS PCC's personal number.

 

Truthfully I can understand how things can go wrong from time to time.....but his excuse that he was just to busy really got under a wrong nerve of mine.

 

Harriet

[Irene7]

I had 3 PCCs who I did not like. They would call constantly to push cruises on me (even when I already had 3 or 4 booked) and one of them I got into a screaming match with because he refused to stop calling me and when he called me late and I was sleeping, I went off and he insisted it was my fault because I had never told him not to call that late (I guess, take me off your call list doesn't count?). I finally found a great one thanks to some friends referring me to her. Then she got promoted. I just stopped booking directly through them and use an agent now. I get better OBC, pre-paid gratuities and other perks and they seem to have more incentive to get right back to me.

 

I have never been hounded by a cruise line, the way I am by NCL. It got to the point that when I would see their phone number on my caller ID, I would just let it go into voice mail. What really cracks me up is that they know when you have signed in to the NCL website. If I want to save a cruise to my favs, I have to sign in, and then within a hour they are calling me saying, "we noticed you are interested in the Bermuda itinerary", bluh bluh. I'm like, now their creeping. :eek: LOL