6319 replies to this topic

[VicHockeyFan]

I've never phoned BC Ferries in my entire life.

[Rob Randall]

I've never phoned BC Ferries in my entire life.

 

Me either. How does that even go?

 

"BC Ferries, Deb speaking"

"Hey Deb, Rob here. How's the 4 looking?"

"Right on time, should be here in about ten"

"Awesome. What's the soup today?"

"Homestyle minestrone."

"Cool, thanks, Deb"

[Nparker]

Me either. How does that even go?

 

"BC Ferries, Deb speaking"

"Hey Deb, Rob here. How's the 4 looking?"

"Right on time, should be here in about ten"

"Awesome. What's the soup today?"

"Homestyle minestrone."

"Cool, thanks, Deb"

Let me know when Deb tells you the soup is New England Clam Chowder - OK?

[Rob Randall]

Every day is chowder day, silly bear.

[Nparker]

Every day is chowder day, silly bear.

I never see it in the Pacific Buffet anymore and I won't dine anywhere else on BC Ferries.

[VicHockeyFan]

I’ll only dine in the quiet lounge.

They lose about $14 on cheese every sailing I’m on.

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 14 November 2017 - 03:02 PM.

[Nparker]

I’ll only dine in the quiet lounge. They lose about $14 on cheese every sailing I’m on.

And you suffer no deleterious effects after that sort of consumption?

[VicHockeyFan]

No not that I’ve ever noticed.

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 14 November 2017 - 03:06 PM.

[lanforod]

He never said he eats the cheese...

[Nparker]

He never said he eats the cheese...

True enough, Perhaps it is re-sold on the black market.

[Bingo]

I've never phoned BC Ferries in my entire life.

Not even to make a reservation?

[VicHockeyFan]

Not even to make a reservation?

 

Nope.  I've never made a reservation.  Nor do I think I've ever been a passenger in a car where a reservation had been made.  But I also avoid heavy traffic days/times if I can help it.

[Bingo]

Nope.  I've never made a reservation. 

Weird or what?

[tjv]

I think BC Ferries would love to be able to pay their front line staff less. Unfortunately for them, however, they have one of the stronger unions in the province to deal with in the BCFMWU.

 

Besides, when the core of your workforce lives in Metro Vancouver and the CRD, $23/hr ain't much.

$23 with only a high school education is a lot of money, because if you weren't in the BCFMWU the pay is $12 answering phones at the local pizza place.  If BCFMWU represented the pizza place, the pizza would be $80 instead of $40

[jonny]

Is the pizza place guy certified to put their life on the line to save your ass? Are they certified to start your heart if it stops or pluck your freezing butt out of the Salish Sea or put out a confined space fire or evacuate your family if the pizza place sinks?

[VicHockeyFan]

We are talking about call centre agents, not onboard crew. They sit at an office with a headset on. Not near any water.

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 14 November 2017 - 08:10 PM.

[jonny]

I see. I'll go back to Twitter.

[North Shore]

I never see it in the Pacific Buffet anymore and I won't dine anywhere else on BC Ferries.

 

Newsflash - all of the food comes out of the same galley, dude!  (yes, there's a small one in the buffet behind the coffee machines and glasses, but it's a prep galley: all of the cooking comes from the main one amidships.)

[AllseeingEye]

$23 with only a high school education is a lot of money, because if you weren't in the BCFMWU the pay is $12 answering phones at the local pizza place.  If BCFMWU represented the pizza place, the pizza would be $80 instead of $40

Well in spite of actually working for a US-base private service provider our call center staff is BCGEU and makes the equivalent wage; don't know BCF's volume's but I can tell you our teams take 6000 calls daily, on average.

 

Although to some people those dollars may sound exorbitant I can tell you with authority as someone who has set up, directed and managed customer call centers of up to 700 seats, most people complaining about the wage would at the same time be wetting themselves having to deal with those kind of call volumes, angry and frustrated callers, not to mention strict adherence to contracted Service Levels.

 

I've made 6-figures in my contact center management roles and I can tell you with certainty I couldn't do the front line role and keep my wits - not even close. I have huge respect for anyone up to that challenge because I can tell you those folks earn every penny doing what for the most part is a thankless job. And at BCF I know for a fact their CC staff, unlike our org, works all kinds of oddball shifts including back to backs, late into the evenings, weekends and holidays. 

[VicHockeyFan]

Well, presumably at most very large companies there are teams hard at work preventing the lowest common denominator from having to call in.  Make your website excellent, avoid costly phone calls from idiots.

 

Smart companies offer an online-booking discount.  You'd be surprised how much a $5 discount motivates people.

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 14 November 2017 - 09:39 PM.