I want Princess to Know - Worst Customer Service and "On Hold" Time

[CalLuvsCrusingToo]

5 hours ago, PacnGoNow said:

It’s too late now for a TA, as OP is leaving in 2 weeks.  If OP booked with PCL directly, then I would ask for a CVP.  I know they can take GC’s and so can PCzl agents.  Maybe she didn’t know how?

 

Believe me, the other lines are struggling, just like the airlines with staff and hold times.  It’s not just PCL.

BUT, absolutely no excuse for rude behavior and lack of servicing the call.

 

I would call in and ask for a CVP for this trip.  Explain what happened.  

Customerrelations@princesscruises.com

 

JSwartz@princesscruises.com

 

 

 

Good info. 

Please know that if you have a Casino booking?  NO Cvp or TA to help you.

You must contact Casino Dept. 

 

Lately I am finding Casino Dept picks up right away.  Why?  Cuz they Hired a bunch

of newbies who Don't know what their doing!

They TRY, but you end up calling back to get things Corrected.

Some mean well, but even the nice ones Make Mistakes that you Need to CALL BACK.

 

I would rather be On Hold longer for an Experienced Rep, than get a rookie immediately asking,

Do you know who you booked with?  NO, THAT Doesn't matter, I need this fixed.

 

And then you get, "I will get a Supervisor to Call you back, I promise."

 NO, THEY DON'T CALL BACK.

 

Or, the rookie just hangs up.

 

Its been very draining contacting them.

 

 

[PacnGoNow]

13 minutes ago, CalLuvsCrusingToo said:

 

Good info. 

Please know that if you have a Casino booking?  NO Cvp or TA to help you.

You must contact Casino Dept. 

 

Lately I am finding Casino Dept picks up right away.  Why?  Cuz they Hired a bunch

of newbies who Don't know what their doing!

They TRY, but you end up calling back to get things Corrected.

Some mean well, but even the nice ones Make Mistakes that you Need to CALL BACK.

 

I would rather be On Hold longer for an Experienced Rep, than get a rookie immediately asking,

Do you know who you booked with?  NO, THAT Doesn't matter, I need this fixed.

 

And then you get, "I will get a Supervisor to Call you back, I promise."

 NO, THEY DON'T CALL BACK.

 

Or, the rookie just hangs up.

 

Its been very draining contacting them.

 

 

I had a casino discount rate that a CVP booked. So, you’re referring to a comped

casino rate, right?

 

[partybarbie]

2 hours ago, tml1230 said:

thanks very much to party barbie and JT 1962!.. very much appreciate  your responses and help.....

but when I pull up "princess .com" website ...not logging into my princess account! ...I get a completely  different  web page that is different from the photo  JT1962 sent me.... mine has no "chat " ... and the pictures are different.... do you think princess has something against us folks from Florida?....again thanks for your patience with  me!

Maybe a different browser? I have Safari on my phone and Google Chrome on my laptop. My screen is exactly as others posted. 

[LibertyBella]

 

The way of the world today is learn the technology and do it yourself.

 

Live phone reps are an expensive option for all companies, and you will probably be on hold if you call.  Therefore, have patience and know exactly what your needs are so you can efficiently explain them.  And yes, not all reps are equally trained, so you may need to call back and speak with someone with more experience.  ( I have had to do this, and NOT with Princess, but I would never vent about it on CC.)

 

I am not sure that turning your back on Princess just because of phone issues merits the effort, because most other cruise lines have similar challenges.

 

 

[geoherb]

I would have agreed with you about the worst customer service yesterday. Unfortunately, we had to call Spectrum today for a problem. Different answers from different reps and a computerized phone system from hell. Promises to return a call when an outage was resolved never happened. Second rep denied there was an outage at all.

[cruzsnooze]

I'd like to address some snarky responders. I am not a rich egomaniac who demands attention. What I clearly stated was I am a wealthy retired person who is the type of passenger cruises should accommodate. during a recession which is good business. It's not the poor,   during a recession that would seem to be their target customer. Princess attracts an older crowd so technology is not as easy for us as for the generation who grew up with it. We don't need tech as much them. I certainly don't need a smart phone glued to my ear on a cruise. It's not the social security crowd driving and texting.

  

   I bought some $500 gift certs for the purpose of using them and won't allow an untrained rep to refuse to use that instead of a charge card. 

  The amount of effort to use Princess customer service on land is horrendous. 

FYI  there is no chat on my home page I looked carefully because I would have tried it.

Edited August 2, 2022 by cruzsnooze

[HaveDogWillTravel]

1 hour ago, cruzsnooze said:

I'd like to address some snarky responders. I am not a rich egomaniac who demands attention. What I clearly stated was I am a wealthy retired person who is the type of passenger cruises should accommodate. during a recession which is good business. It's not the poor,   during a recession that would seem to be their target customer. Princess attracts an older crowd so technology is not as easy for us as for the generation who grew up with it. We don't need tech as much them. I certainly don't need a smart phone glued to my ear on a cruise. It's not the social security crowd driving and texting.

  

   I bought some $500 gift certs for the purpose of using them and won't allow an untrained rep to refuse to use that instead of a charge card. 

  The amount of effort to use Princess customer service on land is horrendous. 

FYI  there is no chat on my home page I looked carefully because I would have tried it.

I use a Princess cruise vacation planner. He alleviates all of the issues you’ve had. I NEVER wait on hold. I ALWAYS get a call back from him within a timeframe that allows expedited resolution to my concerns.   If you connect with others on board, perhaps thru a roll call, you might get the name of a CVP that could help you. 
While I use a smart phone I am certain he is more than capable of effectively working with someone who doesn’t. 

[tetleytea]

If the right Princess vacation planner takes up your case, then you're in luck.  I submitted a web form to Princess and straight up asked for someone call me to reserve a cruise, and no one did for 2 weeks.  When he finally did, not much got done.  Too little, too late.  I took my business elsewhere. 

 

If not even Princess sales can call me back, I'd hate to know what post-sales customer support is like.

 

[dog]

Get a good local travel agent for future Travel bookings.

 

[caribill]

10 hours ago, LTCruzer said:

Why is it that so many people will complain on a website that they don’t want to use a technology option that would be much faster to resolve an issue than talking to a representative on the phone (who probably won’t have the knowledge to assist)?  They obviously are using technology to post online.  A chat box online or app are usually much faster than getting someone on the phone and usually can take care of the issue. 

 

If you are referencing use of the App, it is because Princess has decided not to make it available for any of the digital devices we own.

[loriva]

I called my TA (big box store) yesterday to ask for an updated invoice for the same cruise the OP is on.  They logged into the Princess portal to generate one and came back and told me it was showing a final payment due of a large chuck of change.  As TA knew we had been fully paid since the final payment date in mid-May, they called Princess to try to resolve.  After 2.5 hours on hold (TA on hold with Princess) the Princess rep told my TA she was new, could not figure out the problem, and had to refer it to a supervisor or the resolutions team.  TA stayed on the line with Princess but said I could hang up and would receive a call when it was resolved--in 5 to 10 minutes, according to the Princess rep.  Ninty minutes later I received a call from my TA that it had been resolved.  Somehow one of our FCCs (from when Princess cancelled this cruise in 2020 and again in 2021) had fallen off the accounting.  (But that really did not explain the difference in cruise fare that had shown up on the invoice generated initially during the call.)  Point being, the Princess reps dealing with TAs are also new and struggling.

 

I'm not sure any use of tech would have helped resolve this sooner as I needed to work through my TA.  (I was grateful for the speakerphone option on my cell!)  I would recommend @cruzsnoozefollow one of the suggestions to reach out to the Customer Relations director, Colin.  I did that back in 2020 when Princess first cancelled this cruise and my FCC accounting from the cancellation and rollover to the 2021 cruise (subsequently also cancelled) was all messed up and numerous calls by both TA and myself could not get them straightened out.  He responded and assigned an experienced customer services agent who got the math right and credits applied.  Good luck!

[Steelers36]

9 hours ago, cruzsnooze said:

FYI  there is no chat on my home page I looked carefully because I would have tried it.

Look at the very bottom right corner of Princess.com home page.  Do you see the word "Show" there?  If so, click on that and a row of options will appear, including "Live Chat".  If you see a down arrow (˅) in bottom right corner, then the bar of communication options should already be showing.

 

[LTCruzer]

4 hours ago, caribill said:

 

If you are referencing use of the App, it is because Princess has decided not to make it available for any of the digital devices we own.

 

The chat feature on the website should work for anyone who has access to a computer, tablet or smartphone.  The Medallion App is available for iOS and Android, which covers 99% of smartphones in the US. 

[Fjord4Fun]

30 minutes ago, LTCruzer said:

 

The chat feature on the website should work for anyone who has access to a computer, tablet or smartphone.  The Medallion App is available for iOS and Android, which covers 99% of smartphones in the US. 

I do not get the website chat option on my Apple desktop using any of my browsers (Firefox, Safari or Chrome).  Is it because I am in the UK?  Can any UK people here acces it?

[nattie]

20 hours ago, cruzsnooze said:

I used to love Princess and sailed 3-5 times a year with them. Today was the straw that broke the camels back. I have a Greenland cruise Aug 15 so only 2 weeks to resolve any issues. After an unreasonable time on hold the CSR couldn't and wouldn't help. I wanted to make a payment with a Princess gift card for some services and she ERIKA would only take a credit card. I told her I know I can use my gift card and she said NO I can't hung up. I wonder what the difference in seconds are between a quick two minute hold vs a regular 2 minute hold which she put me on several times. She refused to transfer me to a resolution rep.  I've decided to cancel the Japan Cruise Tour because I can't get it serviced properly either and I'm before final payment.  I have to call again and spend a hour or two on hold to cancel the cruise but will do that later today.

  I have other cruises booked but am thinking why? Right now the ability to call Princess is almost non existent and the phone reps are not knowledgeable enough. With 65 cruises I know as much and sometimes more then they do. 

  Here's what I want.........................Princess, answer your phones and resolve the issues regardless of how minor or major. STOP selling gift cards if they won't take them over the phone.  

     I won't download your APP so stop asking me to when I call and clearly state I won't use the APP. Stop your reps from antagonizing me by saying I HAVE TO USE THE APP. I have time and money to travel and many choices where to use it. I'm close to closing the door on Princess.

     Does anyone here know who to email with this complaint and file a complaint against the rep who was so nasty? I think Princess already knows they problems with the issues I've brought up but no progress seems to be made since cruising began post pandemic.

I am sorry you are experiencing all these issues and completely understand your decision to try other lines. However, normally you have a PVP (or whatever they are called) assigned from Princess if you book directly with them. Most of the issues you are experiencing (not payment for services though) I have resolved with email to my PVP. I have used gift card successfully by waiting to board and just adding them to my onboard account. Not defending Princess here, hold times are abysmal AND I normally know more about rules/system than agent answering the call too. 

[MsSoCalCruiser]

14 hours ago, tonit964 said:

I'm in Southern California and I don't have the Live Chat on any of my devices.

I have the chat feature on mine.

[dog]

6 hours ago, dog said:

Get a good local travel agent for future Travel bookings.

 

Does not need to be Local!!’

[LTCruzer]

30 minutes ago, Fjord4Fun said:

I do not get the website chat option on my Apple desktop using any of my browsers (Firefox, Safari or Chrome).  Is it because I am in the UK?  Can any UK people here acces it?

 

I’m not sure about the UK. I am in the US and it shows on my iPhone and laptop using Google Chrome.

[ldubs]

17 hours ago, LTCruzer said:

Why is it that so many people will complain on a website that they don’t want to use a technology option that would be much faster to resolve an issue than talking to a representative on the phone (who probably won’t have the knowledge to assist)?  They obviously are using technology to post online.  A chat box online or app are usually much faster than getting someone on the phone and usually can take care of the issue. 

 

Agree.  Time to recognize it is the 21st century.  The old ways are going, going, gone!     

 

I actually get more irritated when I cannot resolve something without making a wasteful and time consuming phone call.  

 

 

Edited August 2, 2022 by ldubs

[richsea]

1 hour ago, CineGraphic said:

 

Why do people feel it's important to chime in that this NEVER happens to them?

What's the point!?

 

Maybe because they feel that based on their personal experience, they’re providing a solution to alleviate the problem going forward.

[cruzsnooze]

2 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

Look at the very bottom right corner of Princess.com home page.  Do you see the word "Show" there?  If so, click on that and a row of options will appear, including "Live Chat".  If you see a down arrow (˅) in bottom right corner, then the bar of communication options should already be showing.

 

On my computer using Chrome on the bottom right it has "Follow Princess" and the facebook, twitter etc symbols. What am I missing.

  I have a PVP but the time to respond has been slow, usually days and last time I emailed it was an assistant who responded with wrong information. Since I know more then most of the reps at Princess I started using a big box company to at least get something out of it. 

  All I wanted to do and still do want is to pay the $5 daily internet with my gift card. It had been you needed to pay in advance to get the discount but I'm told that it can be done on board now. The insecurity is not knowing what's true or just misinformation from an inexperienced CSR. There is no place to accomplish this simple chore on the web version of the APP.  

  In summary I was expressing my frustration and disappointment with Princess over the effort and hours spent over a simple issue. Gift cards should be honored without question (assuming they're valid of course).   I did cancel my Japan Cruise tour. I have two more cruises booked with Princess and both are using up FCC's  of which I had in excess of twelve thousand dollars. 

  I have D+ status with RCL so I plan to give them and Celebrity a try next year. I also like other smaller cruise lines which I've tried. My point  to Princess is try to capture revenue from those of us who have disposable income and time to travel vs alienating us. We are the ones who might be sustaining you through a recession. Some of us don't want your APP and all it's glitches so offer better support to us. If carrying my smart phone on board to accomplish all tasks I'll find other ways to travel or other ships. 

[Steelers36]

20 minutes ago, cruzsnooze said:

On my computer using Chrome on the bottom right it has "Follow Princess" and the facebook, twitter etc symbols. What am I missing.

 

 

[tetleytea]

1 hour ago, richsea said:

Maybe because they feel that based on their personal experience, they’re providing a solution to alleviate the problem going forward.

 

It could be just simple debug.   If I have an IT problem, I ask around.  If I have slow internet, I ask and see if others are having slow internet, too.  If no one does, I reboot my machine and try someone else's.  If everyone does, it must be the server.  If everyone local does but no one in faraway places does, then it must be the router.

 

Same with Princess.  Is a poor app experience a function of your hardware and software version, or is the problem on the corporate end?   Is poor customer service just with those particular people you worked with, or is there a systemic problem?   In my own experience, the opposite seems to be the case:   lots of good individuals out there, but a systemic problem.

 

[azbirdmom]

For those who have been trying to find Live Chat using Chrome, I recall that it didn't appear for me until I cleared cookies.  I hadn't done that for a very long time and after I did the Chat option appeared as did the newer interface for booking a cruise.

[ohnonotmeagain]

2 hours ago, Fjord4Fun said:

I do not get the website chat option on my Apple desktop using any of my browsers (Firefox, Safari or Chrome).  Is it because I am in the UK?  Can any UK people here acces it?

Hi. I'm UK based and I cannot access the "live chat" tab from my phone but can from my PC. Actually it works very well and a copy of the conversation can be screenshot if required/ just incase 😉