Are Virgin the worst ever company for customer service?

[1andrea]

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I have booked a holiday with Virgin holidays and I must say I have found this company to be the worst company I have ever dealt with.

Their customer services is appalling.

I dread to call them with a simple query.

Today I called to find out why a refund I was due has still not been done 8 weeks after they initially told me it had been processed the first time.

The second time I called I spoke to someone in the accounts department (after several transfers and being cut off) and the lady assured me it would be processed that day and be back in my account in 5 working days.

Today I called and was told by a representative in Indian call centre that they had no record of the requests or conversations I had had.

It is so frustrating all this 'advisor' kept saying was it will be with you in 1 week and when I told her I have been told this twice before she was like a robot repeating the same thing over and over again. Then she started giggling so I asked her did she find something funny and she said yes so I said that I ould like her to explain why when I have a serious complaint is she laughing so she then put me on hold. She came back a few minutes later saying the refund has been requested and it will hopefully be with you in 1 week and if not to call back in and again started laughing.

I told her I wanted to make a complaint as i have been told before that it would be done etc etc and she gave me a telephone number.

I was on my 15 minute break in work and already been on the phone 20 minutes so I gave up and I will call tomorrow to complain.

The thing is this isn't the first small query I have had with this holiday and they really have been really small queries and these 'advisors' don't seem to understand or care or listen to what the problem is and they repeat the same thing over and over again even if it is not an appropriate response to the question the customer has asked.

I find with Virgin Holidays to book your holiday it is a relatively stress free process but the 'aftercare' is absolute rubbish as a customer it feels that they have your money now so why bother trying to keep you happy any longer.

Has anyone else had a similar experience?

 

[wayneg]

Thankfully I have never had a problem with Virgin but I know many have.
Rang once for wrong birthdate they had for DS, changed it no problem.
Rang to add a ticket at Xmas, gave me discounts I was expecting, took a while as I also wanted another ticket but he couldn't find on system so ended up with just 1 ticket.
Only other time I rang to ask price of upgrade to PE on return flight, they wanted £300pp, so didn't bother.
Hope you get a better reponse next time.

 

[1andrea]

Thankfully I have never had a problem with Virgin but I know many have.
Rang once for wrong birthdate they had for DS, changed it no problem.
Rang to add a ticket at Xmas, gave me discounts I was expecting, took a while as I also wanted another ticket but he couldn't find on system so ended up with just 1 ticket.
Only other time I rang to ask price of upgrade to PE on return flight, they wanted £300pp, so didn't bother.
Hope you get a better reponse next time.

I would forgive the bad service if it was just the once but its every time. Either they promise something has been done that hasn't been, refuse to acknowledge a complaint or don't note up your conversation.

All three of these things cause major frustration for the customer yet they are so easily avoidable if the staff are competent.

 

[wilma-bride]

I must admit, I also dread calling Virgin as I find it really difficult (and I'm really not being racist here) to understand some of the people in the call centre and I'm never sure whether they fully understand me. That said, whenever I have had to call, I have always found them to be extremely helpful and courteous

Sorry you are having such a difficult time with them and hope it gets sorted soon.

 

[Goofysmate]

Perhaps i'm one of the lucky ones & never really had any trouble with them.
Hope you can get a result soon with your problems

 

[heatherbelle]

I've had lots of trouble with them, over our most recent holiday. This was just to do with sorting out connecting flights for LHR.

They are so poor at customer service.

My Mum had no end of trouble with her worldwide booking last year, she wanted to book an upgrade for her room, it took 17 phone calls and 2 letters to sort out. Each time she phoned she was told that there was no record of her earlier call on record and they would have to contact the hotel to see if an upgrade was available and that would take 5 days.

She made a formal complaint in the end sent recorded delivery. At the end of it all she enjoyed her holiday but then had more problems with her connecting flights and checking in lugage, as virgin and BMI wouldn't ticket the lugage through. She only just had enough time to make her connection.

If we weren't paying with Tesco's I personally wouldn't use them for any other holiday other than Florida. They seem okay, it's the worldwide or other destinations that's the problem.

If you ring the UK number and ask for someone in the complaints department in the UK, you should get it sorted. I have sent you a PM with a name of a person I spoke to who sorted mine out.

 

[joolz1910]

How frustrating for you! Bad customer service is one thing I can't abide. If you paid with a credit card, could the cc company chase the refund for you? Sometimes it's better to ask for customer complaints/relations rather than customer services. I would also note down the names of the people you speak to - then it is more difficult for them to refute your claims. Good luck, I hope it's sorted out for you soon.

 

[marbella_chris]

their customer service is terrible, we called up about taking a travel cot with us and whether this was allowed to check in, and of course we went to the indian call centre, they did not have a clue what we were talking about, so had to transfer us to a usa customer centre who helped us.

i mean whats the point in a customer service that cannot help or understand what a travel cot is!

 

[Pegasus928]

We are lucky that we have never had any problems with their customer service, and we have had to deal with them on many occassions.
We have always been dealt with quickly, efficiently and with respect - which is what I would expect from an after sales team.
Having said that we have never had to deal with an out of country call centre, and if we do I wouldn't like to predict how that would come out.

 

[Beth__WDW23/6/02]

I have to admit we've never had a major issue with them.
But their call centre's are frustrating. The amount of time's you have to repeat what you are saying..

 

[Cinderella]

This is a shame - I guess everywhere has their fair share of a**holes working for them. I had a v similar problem with Alliance and Leicester.

I've never used Virgin Holidays but I've always had good experiences with Virgin flights and trains.

If it were me - I'd find out the address you need to write to and send a complaint. Apparently, Richard Branson reads all customer complaints.

 

[B2B-2008]

I can honestly say dealing with the Indian call centre is a nightmare. I always ring the booking number when I have to do something so I can speak to someone in England!

I asked about a birthday cake on the plane once and she thought I was talking about bulk head doors on the plane!

I love flying Virgin but I just wish they would sort out their call centre.

 

[katytrott]

I have found the same. They really do sound like robots. They are obviously reading out from a script, problem is, we are not and we want to speak to someone and have a normal conversation.

Glad this popped up, I was wanting to let off steam from an experience like that yesterday. Generally, I think VA are great and so far, every other area of this company I think are top of their league, just don't understand why there call centres are so poor.

 

[katytrott]

I always ring the booking number when I have to do something so I can speak to someone in England!

QUOTE]

What's the booking number? I think it wise I should double check all the info I have been given so far.

 

[islandmum]

we had an issue with Virgin on a flight - none of our seatback entertainment systems woked, kids were too young to be able to hold the mobile DVD unit they offered, but the main complaint was they put 2 staff travellers in the bulkhead PE seats which we were in line for, their entertainment systems worked and when I asked for them (as staff travellers) to be moved and us to have their seats I was told NO.

I'm an ex staff traveller (dad was a BA skipper) and know the procedures, you get whats left, never the best seats and always have to make room for the paying passengers. If it had been paying passengers in those seats I wouldnt have cared but they actually gave their mates preference over us ... not a good move.

anyway, emailed Virgin, got the usual 28 days we will respond, waited 28 days, got an email voucher for £100 .... not good enough, I called 32 times - yes 32 TIMES!! and wouldnt let it drop, was a total pain in the **** until the finally sent us 4 50% discount letter for our next flight, which they sent us twice by mistake and had no expiry date on it so we were happy.

But it took me being a NIGHTMARE to them to get any action at all. Not to mention a fortune in phonecalls!

 

[Pooh's-Honey-Pot]

They are appalling. As someone said above, I am not being racist, but they just read like robots from a script, and if you ask something not on the script they just can't cope!

I have called 3 times today, just to try add the V-Room back on to my booking as they deleted it somehow. The first time I was promised a call back. 4 hours later I called them again and the lady I spoke to refused to help me, said I had to wait for my call back. Another 3 hours later I called again. It took 35 minutes just to add the V-Room to my booking. 35 mins! If I had the time I would type the entire conversation out because in a sad way its hilarious!!!! I have never had to repeat the same bit of info so much, and have never been asked the same question so many times over and over.

Another of my problems a couple of months ago was a refund I was due, like the OP. Took 5 long, frustrating calls to get my own money back. Every time I called before that I was lied to and told a cheque would be issued for me the next day.

This is just two of many, many problems I have had with them. I have always travelled with Virgin as I have fond memories of them from when I was younger, but the only loyalty I will give now will be to the best price. I am not going to just blindly book with them anymore because you don't get any better thought of for the loyalty, and you certainly don't get any better service!

And on another matter - does the FVQ exist anymore, because the number for that goes straight through to India as well, and the phone options are the same as for the normal enquiries line!

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Always in the past I have defended Virgin Atlantic's Customer Service (can't really comment on Virgin holidays) and the airline itself, but no longer.
Yes they ARE awful!

For the first time in 16 years I am looking for next year to fly with BA I am so dissapointed in where the service has gone to.

 

[jen_uk]

The Indian call centre can be a nightmare sometimes, I just called to add on the V Room to my booking though and they were really good for a change, it was all sorted with no problems in a few minutes. I guess it just depends on who you get to speak to

 

[1andrea]

Today I called the number the lady gave me yesterday which was mean't to connect me to the complaints department and I get through to the Indian call centre.

I ask if that is the complaints dept and she says no but asks for my booking reference so she can transfer me over. I give the details in and I ask to be transferred over, she puts me on hold for about 5mins and returns. She says here is the direct number for complaints and gives me the same number I have dialled and am speaking to her on

I tell her that I have called that number already and I am speaking to her on it and she doesnt understand. She gves me an extension number and tells me to ask for that extension when I call the number.

I ask her to transfer the call herself she says she cannot and I have to call that number I advise her I have and I am speaking to her on it and if she cannot transfer me then why can the next person. I repeat this again and again and I am again placed on hold.

I am in work here and not on a break so I wait on hold and waiting for at least 5 more mins.

She comes back to me and says ahe will transfer me now and again puts me on hold ..... so I wait at least 10 maybe 15 more mins and finally I speak to a lady who says she cannot help and says she will transfer me again. I ask will it be another long wait she says no.

After maybe 5 more mins I speak to a nice man who lets me explain how hard it is to actually get through to him the problems I have had trying to get my refund and the advisor who was laughing when I was trying to get things sorted.

I am assured that he will sort out the refund personally and will investigate why it has took so long for them to return my money and the other issues .

So the money is due to come back to me in another week! Fingers crossed!

 

[Cinderella]

we had an issue with Virgin on a flight - none of our seatback entertainment systems woked, kids were too young to be able to hold the mobile DVD unit they offered, but the main complaint was they put 2 staff travellers in the bulkhead PE seats which we were in line for, their entertainment systems worked and when I asked for them (as staff travellers) to be moved and us to have their seats I was told NO.

I'm an ex staff traveller (dad was a BA skipper) and know the procedures, you get whats left, never the best seats and always have to make room for the paying passengers. If it had been paying passengers in those seats I wouldnt have cared but they actually gave their mates preference over us ... not a good move.

anyway, emailed Virgin, got the usual 28 days we will respond, waited 28 days, got an email voucher for £100 .... not good enough, I called 32 times - yes 32 TIMES!! and wouldnt let it drop, was a total pain in the **** until the finally sent us 4 50% discount letter for our next flight, which they sent us twice by mistake and had no expiry date on it so we were happy.

But it took me being a NIGHTMARE to them to get any action at all. Not to mention a fortune in phonecalls!

That is bad - especially when your entertainment system didn't work. But I think BA are just as guilty of this nowadays. MY SIL used to work for them and she got upgraded to first on every trip. Mind you - I think she had quite an important job, so maybe made a difference.