News and notes from around the interweb:
- Google Flights Reddit AMA is on for today 3pm – 5pm Eastern
- Behind the scenes at Singapore Airlines
- 25% bonus on transfers from Citi ThankYou points to Virgin Atlantic through August 23
- The federal government doesn’t trust the TSA to give it all information related to terrorism. Wasn’t interagency information sharing a key justification for the formation of the Department of Homeland Security in the first place? (HT: Reid F.)
- Franklin Barbecue cracks down on people selling line placeholding services. They won’t ban it, Aaron Franklin thinks folks ought to be able to do whatever they wish though thinks waiting in line is part of the experience (nonetheless, he allowed President Obama to cut the line last year), but now has a rule of one line holder per actual customer maximum.
- The little annoyances — American Airlines has a new voice recognition system when you call. Every time I ring I get the following message regarding a flight that’s already been upgraded:
I noticed you may be eligible for an upgrade on your flight departing [date] from [city] to [city] but first we need some information from you. Would you like to speak to an agent about that?
There is no information that they need, the upgrade has processed. Yet they keep telling me to talk to an agent to give them more information. The agents are frustrated…
I encountered the new AA Voice Recognition System the other day – and it was unbearable. I’d love to know if there’s a way to short-circuit it to speak directly with an EXP agent (the whole reason I’m calling the EXP line). The disingenuous apologies of a robot for misunderstanding my answers are as patronizing as they are infuriating. Agents aren’t the only ones that are frustrated….
There is a good way to circumvent it. Repeat after me, continuously, repeatedly, don’t stop: crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap. You will confuse the computer and it will then divert you to a person so you can get your business done. Actually I use another word, that begins in F and is of four letters and ends in K but I am far too polite to use the full word repeatedly here. Try it. It works.
Why is it difficult to just say “agent” ? This has never failed to connect me to the next available rep on the EXP line.
I’d been saying “agent” for years – and that always worked a charm. Now – or at least when I called last week – that option was disabled…. the robot kept asking for more information so it could help me. I had a problem that wasn’t one of its per-determined options, and it took eons to bully my way through the menus to a human voice.
Would be great if they re-instate the “agent” route to speak with live person…
(nonetheless, he allowed President Obama to cut the line last year)
[Racial slur by the commenter formerly known as ‘Ed’ has been removed-gary]
The little annoyances indeed. Between the insistence on providing details on flights I’m not calling about, randomly having to agree to the hazardous materials policy, and getting stuck in the phone tree, it’s taking me an average of 1:15 to even get to the hold queue (a separate frustration) nowadays.
Which, obviously, isn’t a big deal in the grand scheme of things. But it sets the tone for the interaction, and I’m willing to bet agents are dealing with a higher percentage of irritated EXPs than they’re accustomed to.
Yeah no thanks on the 4-hour wait and blistering sunburn Franklin experience. There are several other great BBQ joints in the area.
I guess a 6-hour wait would mean a better experience!