Complaint about Thomas Cook - worst customer service I've ever received

SevenOfNine wrote: »

While you were 'on hold' all that time, didn't the message on the loop tell you to "have your booking reference number ready"? Even if it didn't, sorry, but foolish thing to do & your own fault, though if calling from work I can understand why you wouldn't have it about your person, after all, who does?

I have in the past also rung a call centre extremely angry, & started my conversation by explaining that although I am furious it is not with them personally & I won't take my temper out on them, but I would like their help to sort 'it' out.

I find it best to ask who I'm speaking to right after that, & I note their name & use it often during the subsequent conversation, also noting date & time - for pretty much any call to any call centre, otherwise it's all far too anonymous for my liking. Though I go out of my way to stay friendly & polite because being difficult & rude get you nowhere (except disconnected).

It does sound like you got more than your fair share of sarcasm & rudeness, but TBH it also sounds as if you were doggedly determined to be somewhat awkward.

You clearly knew the message left for you would more than likely be about a flight cancellation, yet pretended not to have any idea, finally suggesting "probably the hurricane".

I agree that the operative could have phrased the cancellation choices better, but frankly, you don't sound so dim as to not have understood exactly what he meant.

Only reading one side it's difficult to judge, but I wouldn't be surprised if you weren't giving as good as you got.

Sorry your plans went awry though & hope you could rearrange your trip. Put this down to an annoying experience & a good amusing 'read' for us.

SevenOfNine wrote: »

Perhaps some of the responses you feel 'blame' the OP are because there is, of course, only one side to this story & some of it doesn't quite fit together.

OP didn't have their booking reference (fair enough, he/she says they were at work, I wouldn't have mine there either), but they offered their PASSPORT number. They have THAT at work?

OP has a less than pleasant discussion about what the answerphone message asking him/her to call might be about, initially acting ignorant (for how long did that go on when travel/airline call centres were under intense pressure). Than finally admits not only did he/she think it "might be the hurricane", but later also states he/she thought the flight might be cancelled & already had a backup plan.

OP claimed not to understand why they were being invited to choose between cancellation or reschedule given that the flight was cancelled already, yes badly phrased but REALLY - you really think OP is dim enough not to have got that the operative meant refund or reschedule. Certainly bright enough to have put alternative 'just in case of cancellation' plans in place already.

OP did not have the c/c in order to obtain a refund which led to "more drama".....more drama to & fro between themselves & operative perhaps? Not necessarily one sided with OP purely on the receiving end maybe?

Are some people here right to perhaps suspect OP was also doing a bit of 'winding up'?

OP spent 30 mins on hold, then a further hour on hold, followed by a long argument. Then claims to work in the emergency services! Blimey, I wouldn't mind a job in that field if there are random breaks lasting in excess of maybe 2 hours.

The initial thread reads to me like customer service skills were very thin on the ground, but tempers short ON BOTH SIDES. There's no excuse for some of what has been claimed but this is, at the end of the day, only one side.

Hopefully OP will have felt better after venting here, taking it all out on his keyboard, & got off safely to his/her destination. :beer: