One hour @ Delta's Call center

Calling call centers can be quite annoying at times for the caller. It neverthless is a lot of fun if you're sitting opposite to the caller and study the expressions on the caller's face, while he tries to make the Call center Rep understand what he needs. The fun is doubled when the call centres are IVR and speech recognition based. That's what recently happened with one of my friend. This poor guy X, friend of mine, wanted to change a reservation he had made with Delta and decided to do that by calling up the call center. Typically it shouldnt have taken more than 5 minutes, but this one went much further than we would imagine.

First of all he was greeted by an IVR that welcomed him and gave many options,then X chooses an option that will allow him to make reservations.IVR's are generally designed to be helpful to the caller and always gives you options to start over, so did this one. In addition this IVR also mentioned that the caller can ask for help anytime by saying help.

The call goes like this with the IVR asking details,

IVR:what is your departure city?
X: My friend says Minneapolis
(but the IVR had to have him repeat atleast thrice before it could understand)

IVR: What is your arrival city?
X: Mumbai
(repeat twice)

IVR: sorry, there are no flights in that route

X: (thinks) What the heck i have a reservation. Ok, Start over

IVR:what is your departure city?

X: Cincinatti

IVR: What is your arrival city?
X: Mumbai
(repeat twice)

In between we had to start over atleast once because we said reservation on the option when it was asking for departure city and the IVR understood that to be some city in washington and we couldnt do anything but start over.

15 mins gone

...

IVR:What is your Flight number?
X: 5920


IVR:- sorry that flight number is invaid.
X:- Again, !#@#$##@!, OK Help

By this time, we understood that it would be difficult to make IVR understand what we need and we tried to desperately reach a live rep on the other side. So we ( I had to join in between and help my friend) started saying Help everytime the IVR would ask something

IVR:- i am sorry, did you say....
X: Help

IVR:Ok, lets try again, what is your flight number
X: help


IVR: i am sorry, i didnt understand, can you pl ( before it completes)
X: Help

IVR: can .. ( before it completes)
X: Help

IVR: i am s.
X: Help
(Now X is almost crying for help)

and after repeating help for atleast 5-6 times, our persistence gave us some victory and we were finally transferred to a live agent.

Now that was not the end of the misery, The line to the live agent was quite busy and we had to keep waiting, while the recorded message at the other end thanked us many times and appreciated our patience.with 35 mins gone already, a live agent came on the other side of the line and greeted us. I liked this name of the cust rep (it goes as Jack Bharadwaj, Strange isnt it?) who took more details from us and then quite coolly gave us a shock when he said we had reached the wrong place as he does only reservations for Delta Domestic flights and not International.By now X is dejected and desperate to somehow get the booking changed, so he requests to Jack if he could carry forward the request to the correct person. Jack regrets he cannot do it, but says he could transfer the line if X wishes, jack also assures that he will stay on the line via conference and make sure things go smooth.
(I give up at this point and withdraw to sit on the couch.)

To get done with this once for all, X accepts and the line is transferred to the international section. It is 45 mins by now since the call started, and luckily we were calling a toll free number. The international line is busy and X is put in a queue,where the same greetings and appreciations of patience are played.In between jack connects and asks if we could get through, when we say no, he promises that he will get us through quickly. After hearing the voice message for about 5 more min's and nothing happening, X decides to hang up while i suggest that he better hold it to prevent going through the cycle again,With that he continues to hold. All the while, i am here sitting in front of him and enjoying while he continues to hold and suffer. After holding for 10 more minutes and going nowhere, X finally bangs the reciever down looking visibly frustrated.We had wasted one full hour trying to change a reservation. wow! all this with a global carrier which considers itself to be one of the best (we never agree and thats a different issue). No wonder people are moving away from Delta and preferring other carriers, with such a sloppy process in place who would wish to travel with them again. I am not quite sure if the customer service at Delta really takes such things serious. I would have expected that they track each call for how long it goes and find out why it took such long time.

have you had an experience like this? i dont feel any better these days if i have to call the call center for help, how about you?