P & O Ferries...customer service (or lack of it)

Torby

Where you see xxxxxx (assume its me...Torby...LOL)

Following is the content of emails I have sent to P & O as a result of their useless website and apparent non-existant customer service team...anyone else have problems with them....this crossing ( Larne Cairnryan) must be one of the most expensive stretches of water in Europe....car plus 2...5 day return £170...the sea is only 15 miles wide...LOL...

Emails in chronological order


No 1: my complaint
From: xxxxxxxxx (Torby)
Sent: 29 April 2005 17:39
To: P&O Irish Sea
Subject: P&O Irish Sea Feedback



Feedback form
Subject:
Spring Offers

Name:
xxxxxxxxx (Torby)

Email:
xxxxxxxxxxxx (Torby)

Telephone:
07814 xxxxxxx

Fax:


Comments:
I have been trying to make a booking online at your "Spring Sale 5 day Return prices" but there is no way I can make a booking at these prices, I've tried different combinations of times and days but I have yet to see the facility available to book , even using data from your own timetables and price banding I can't come anywhere near the price quoted in your sale. Please advise.



No2: Their response

---

Original Message

---

From: P&O Irish Sea
To: xxxxxxxxxxx (Torby)
Sent: Tuesday, May 03, 2005 10:01 AM
Subject: RE: P&O Irish Sea Feedback


Dear Mr xxxxxxxx,



Thank you for your enquiry. If you care to advise me of your travel requirements and I will be happy to assist you.



Kind Regards



P&O Irish Sea



No 3: My reply to them

---

Original Message

---

From: xxxxxxxxx
To: P&O Irish Sea
Sent: Wednesday, May 04, 2005 12:55 PM
Subject: Re: P&O Irish Sea Feedback


Thank you for your reply, unfortunately being somewhat disillusioned with your website and always having used P & O for my travel to the mainland and to France, I have booked via a different website, although I will still be travelling with P & O.

I feel very annoyed that I wasn't able to make my booking as normal via the web site and find your advert very misleading.I will no doubt be discussing the problem with work colleagues and friends in the near future.

Hopefully P & O will address this problem and I can expect some gesture to re-affirm my belief that they are the "preferred operator" on this sea crossing ( one of the most expensive routes I hasten to add.)

Best wishes


xxxxxxxxxxx (Torby)


No 4: In the absence of a reply, my next email


F.A.O. P & O Customer Services.

I have forwarded email correspondance between myself and P & O and to say the least the result has been disappointing, in my first query I was advised
"Thank you for your enquiry. If you care to advise me of your travel requirements and I will be happy to assist you."
Advise who? The email contained no name, contact details, department or any info to indicate where it came from. The reply did not address any of the difficulties I have experienced on the web site and the fact that the advertised "specials" didn't appear to be bookable.

As you can imagine my annoyance with that email, I replied (see details below) to see if the first answer was an "auto response" or merely sent by somone with no customer service skills at all.

I can only assume that in the absence of a response, the original author has taken offence and chosen to ignore the email.

This is one of the most amazing failures of customer service I have experienced and to be honest in the absence of a reply seems very much a "cavalier" approach, in fact, it almost screams..."we are the only operator on this crossing, and if you don't like it..."

I await a response to this, and a response to the views expressed in my previous emails, should a reply via email not appear, I will print and post to the P & O head office.

In this day and age when good customer service sets you apart from your rivals I would have expected a better response than so far received.

xxxxxxxxx (Torby)

---

Anyone else have problems with this lot?...curious to hear from other N. Ireland residents...

Torby

Wig

I did note the french route website, had a special offer page, and on that page, this week, there was something like Portsmouth - Le Havre unlimited duration - 70 pounds each way. I thought the offer was good enough to give serious consideration even though we go to Brittany. It would be nice to see that part of France.

Looked at the small print at the bottom of the page, *unlimited return must be booked by April 11th and return trip completed by Dec 2005.

Not bothered about the return date being limited but why is it still on the Website on May 9th????????????????

I might even fire off an email to them to complain.

Wig

yep, it's still there, bottom of page.

http://!!!!!!!!!!!.com/?QY9PON

Sorry I'm having trouble posting the link, replace all the !! exclamation marks with "!!!!!!!!!!!" without the quotes.

MSE board doesn't seem to like !!!!!!!!!!!.com ?

OK I will spell it like this "shorter link" remove the quotes and the space!

SO we have.....
http://shorter link.com/?QY9PON

remove the space from the above. Unbelievable! (referring to MSE board here not P&O)

Wig

email sent

Wig

received reply,

My email,
>Your "latest offers" page is showing an offer from Portsmouth to Le
>Havre for "as long as you like" for 75pounds each way.
>
> Small print at bottom of page says: "Long stay special offer: Book
>by 11th April for return travel completed by 31st December 2005."
>
> Today is May 14th 2005, I would have thought you have had plenty of
>time to remove this offer from your website?
>
> Not to mention that "as long as you like" does not mean "return by
>31st December 2005".
>
> Please update your webpage..
>


reply,

Dear Sir/Madam
>
>Thank you for your recent communication with this office.
>
>I am pleased to confirm the offer for £75.00 each way has been extended and
>is currently still available.
>
>I have forwarded this email to our IT department for them to investigate
>the
>matter further for you.


my response,

Thank you for your reply, however because of your inaccurate website and because there is also no associated "promotional codes" with which to book these special offers, I have all ready booked my ticket with Condor ferries. I would have definately given your offer serious consideration if it was showing as valid at the the time I was booking.

Torby

At least you got a sensible (well almost) response to your email...you don't happen to have a "customer service " email address...THAT WORKS...LOL

I have informed P & O about the post on this website...and will update on their responses (or lack of them)

Wig

Another few emails later....

from me:
Hello,

Below is a recent email conversation with your customer service dept. Can I point out that:

* The website is still displaying the book by date as April 11th 2005.
*There are no promotional codes displayed with these offers to use to book them.
* "stay as long as you like" is not the same as "travel before Dec 31 2005".

I trust someone will reply to me about ALL these points shortly.

Yours Wig

In reply from them:
Thank you for your recent communication with this office.

I am sorry to note that incorrect information has not been removed from the website. As the £75.00 each way offer is a fare available to all of our customer there is no promotional code needed to obtain this fare. However this offer is subject to space and availability and due to the popularity of this offer some of the allocated space on sailings has been fully booked.
Therefore is may be necessary to amend the dates or time of travel to take advantage of this offer.

Special offers are usually only valid for a limited duration such as 72 hours or 120 hours. However this offer does not have a limited duration but travel needs to be completed by 31.12.05.

I have forwarded this email to our I.T department who are currently working
to resolve these issue.

From me in reply to the above:
Dear XXX or anyone in P&O,

I'm sorry but I am having trouble with this phrase

"this offer does not have a limited duration but travel needs to be completed by 31.12.05."

My command of the English language is above average. Am I missing something here?

Once again I have entered two fairly random dates trying to book the special offer you speak about. a fare of 318 pounds was given, and another dates a fare of 291 pounds given. Plus an indication that you intend to close the route after Sept 2005?

Please tell me what dates I need to enter to be able to obtain a price return of 150 pounds?

Yours sincerely

Torby

Similar problems here. Customer service has replied (18th May) to my email of the 12th to say it is receiving their attention...LOL

Torby

ok...now the 29th and still no reply...will give it a few more days then email them again.....I mean...6 days to acknowledge my complaint sent on the 12th...and 11 days later after they claimed receipt they still haven't investigated it....is this a record for P & O....?

Torby

If you read the earlier posts, do YOU think they have answerred my questions...of just fobbed me off?


Dear Mr T

Thank you for your email dated 1st June 2005 referring to previous emails to P&O Irish Sea Ltd. Firstly, may I apologise for the delay in replying to you.

Unfortunately, as we do not have the details of the dates and times which you were trying to book we cannot comment on the specific booking. However, our special offer prices are quoted as from £37.00 which is based on ‘E’ tariff.

However, if a customer is choosing a sailing which is a higher tariff the price will increase accordingly.

I hope this explains our pricing structure and trust you find this acceptable.

Yours sincerely

Sharon Toner
PR & Communications Manager