OK, I hate to rant, but is it SO difficult to hire competent IT?

[markeb]

I was trying something simple, adding flowers for my wife to my reservation.

 

First of all, there's no button for Gifts and Gear; there's a nice pretty splash ad lower on the page that opens the page. I've gotten used to the absurd order form based system that doesn't show you the flowers unless you exit back to the Gifts and Gear, but now you can't open the items for additional information, or order directly from them. You must go back to the nearly useless order form page. New and improved tonight, it asks if my billing address is my mailing address, which it then fills in. Now, even though it imported my zip code from RCI's own database, it gives me an error because it has a hyphen! Really? Is it so hard to code your POS system so that it's compatible with your customer information database? Then, of course, after you delete the hyphen, it give you another error because the system didn't select your state from the drop down when it prepopulated the form!

 

OK, these are all first world problems. They won't keep me from cruising RCI. They won't wreck my cruise. And maybe I'm a little irritated because I spent half of my night uninstalling and reinstalling Internet Explorer (not intuitive) to fix a problem some add-on created. And I only use IE for a couple of web pages that don't do Chrome...

 

BUT, there's clearly an investment in IT at RCI. Can they not at least make an effort????

[irishgal432]

In my former life, I was responsible for testing and quality of our in house software that we sent out to the sales force to price our products. I can't tell you the number of errors we catch being an end user. It looks like Royal doesn't have any testers or Quality assurance personnel. Maybe I should apply!

[LauraLL]

In my former life, I was responsible for testing and quality of our in house software that we sent out to the sales force to price our products. I can't tell you the number of errors we catch being an end user. It looks like Royal doesn't have any testers or Quality assurance personnel. Maybe I should apply!

 

 

I too work in software development and I am quite certain there was absolutely no testing done of this software before they deployed to for everyone to use. I have been unable to add excursions since they installed it. Keeps giving me the same error, "Guest Selection error. You must select 4 guests". I HAVE SELECTED 4 guests. A very basic, and money making function, for them does not work.

[lisa010]

I LOLed at your post as I spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to order stuff from that part of the website as well. You have to back door through so to speak, but clicking on "order now" and then I think the link at the top of the order page will take you to the actual selections. What is annoying me at the moment, is RC recently charged my CC for something I ordered, and I cant for the life of me find anything on the site that tells me what I ordered. I'm pretty sure I remember, but it would be nice if it was *somewhere on the account info or order history. Even the email I received when I placed the order was generic and basically said, we got your order, consider it done. I sure hope so...as I ordered anniversary related things for our cruise.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[markeb]

In my former life, I was responsible for testing and quality of our in house software that we sent out to the sales force to price our products. I can't tell you the number of errors we catch being an end user. It looks like Royal doesn't have any testers or Quality assurance personnel. Maybe I should apply!

 

I too work in software development and I am quite certain there was absolutely no testing done of this software before they deployed to for everyone to use. I have been unable to add excursions since they installed it. Keeps giving me the same error, "Guest Selection error. You must select 4 guests". I HAVE SELECTED 4 guests. A very basic, and money making function, for them does not work.

 

I'm not an IT person, but I've had to become familiar with IT. Part of what kills me is just basic architecture; can you not even enforce data consistency? The hyphen thing is so minor, and such a key part of data definition! If you're going to define a zip + four to include a hyphen, ALWAYS define zip + four to include a hyphen! And, again, I view that as a symptom, not an actual problem! It suggests they have multiple IT sections or subcontracted efforts for each of their databases that they attempt to bring together into a web-enabled POS system. With no system integrator...

 

Maybe they should sub their POS system out to Amazon!

 

Anyway, I will now finish a nice bourbon, and head for bed!

[Shabot]

I'm in IT, and yes, it's difficult to hire competent people. :D

[Paulxyz2004]

I'm in IT, and yes, it's difficult to hire competent people. :D

 

I agree

[Paulxyz2004]

Maybe RCI should go back and just provide some Basic information on their Website and have TA´s handle all the booking stuff for them. ;)

[Harooni]

it blows my mind how they probably have big meetings and execs all plan how to make more profit. how about one just one go online and try to book a trip and pre-planner stuff , see what the consumer is going through just to book what he/she wants. then you can correct it and make more profit. without that you can have every sale in the world and people will be discouraged.

[marci22]

Yeah, I don't know how their website continues to be so very bad.

 

People keep saying 'early glitches' but the glitches never go away. They just get worse.

[Harooni]

Yeah, I don't know how their website continues to be so very bad.

 

People keep saying 'early glitches' but the glitches never go away. They just get worse.

 

i use to work for a cellphone company and we had a deal with clearwire. launch day was approaching and the website sucked and you couldn't activate the phones properly. there was a conference call with the CEO of clearwire , as plain as day i laid into them as they were talking about banners and ads and sales and things. i said we could have banners everywhere however if we cant activate the phones what good will all this do,lets focus on the website for activations so it goes smoothly. after that honesty i was offered a job by them , lol

Edited May 31, 2014 by Harooni