DFDS Seaways - Systems Failure, Corporate Ineptitude or False Pricing?

[marchie]

Spent most of the morning trying to book a Newhaven-Dieppe crossing for my mate Kosta. Should be straightforward - telephone the misnamed 'Customer Care' - should be 'Customer, we don't care' - Centre to get the 20% Over 60 discount and make the payment. Cannot get through to the Customer Care Centre - after pressing 4-5 options to confirm that I want English staff, want to make a new booking, am happy to have my personal information recorded, and confirmed that the route I want is Newhaven to Dieppe [it's why I selected the specific Newhaven to Dieppe contact number ...], the phone cuts off automatically. Redialling but selecting Option 2 [queries other than new bookings] also disconnects the Call, so there is no way to speak to a human being.

Tried the Chatbot system, but that kept me in a queue, wanted my name, email address, hat size, inside leg measurement and other personal details before disconnecting me automatically. Makes me wonder whether DFDS have deliberately blocked access to the Contact Centre in the expectation that customers will give up trying to get the 20% discount and just pay the full fare ... DFDS claim that their Customer Care is Award Winning; what they don't say is that the Award is probably for the most inept, incompetent and indifferent approach to Customer on God's earth ...

How can a company claim to be 'customer focused' when the phones don't work, the chatbot won't work, the website repeatedly defaults to identical dates for Deprture and Return legs [why would I want a 12th June Departure and a 12th June Return Leg when 9-10 hours of those 24 hours will be spent at sea, plus at least 2 hours leaving the Port after Customs Clearance and then Checking Back in at least 45 minutes prior to sailing? Yet that is what DFDS Computer 'System' expects to happen?

DFDS is a hopeless company - it has sent an automated acknowledgement of my Complaint, saying that it hopes to be able to respond within 3 working days ... So I replied, 'I need to make a Cross Channel Ferry Crossing - can you recommend a Ferry Company, please?'

Wouldn't touch DFDS with a 10 foot barge pole - smug, inept, incompetent and a website crammed with duff/inaccurate information, whilst their online booking system is fatally flawed

Steve

 

[rugbyken]

your not a fan then steve
this is the no i use never had any problems very helpful it’s in france but english spoken , except when i booked to come back confirmed in french e mail

 

[Trotter]

Tbh. Up to now, I’ve never had a problem. Spose there’s always going to be a first time.

 

[El radge]

Spent most of the morning trying to book a Newhaven-Dieppe crossing for my mate Kosta. Should be straightforward - telephone the misnamed 'Customer Care' - should be 'Customer, we don't care' - Centre to get the 20% Over 60 discount and make the payment. Cannot get through to the Customer Care Centre - after pressing 4-5 options to confirm that I want English staff, want to make a new booking, am happy to have my personal information recorded, and confirmed that the route I want is Newhaven to Dieppe [it's why I selected the specific Newhaven to Dieppe contact number ...], the phone cuts off automatically. Redialling but selecting Option 2 [queries other than new bookings] also disconnects the Call, so there is no way to speak to a human being.

Tried the Chatbot system, but that kept me in a queue, wanted my name, email address, hat size, inside leg measurement and other personal details before disconnecting me automatically. Makes me wonder whether DFDS have deliberately blocked access to the Contact Centre in the expectation that customers will give up trying to get the 20% discount and just pay the full fare ... DFDS claim that their Customer Care is Award Winning; what they don't say is that the Award is probably for the most inept, incompetent and indifferent approach to Customer on God's earth ...

How can a company claim to be 'customer focused' when the phones don't work, the chatbot won't work, the website repeatedly defaults to identical dates for Deprture and Return legs [why would I want a 12th June Departure and a 12th June Return Leg when 9-10 hours of those 24 hours will be spent at sea, plus at least 2 hours leaving the Port after Customs Clearance and then Checking Back in at least 45 minutes prior to sailing? Yet that is what DFDS Computer 'System' expects to happen?

DFDS is a hopeless company - it has sent an automated acknowledgement of my Complaint, saying that it hopes to be able to respond within 3 working days ... So I replied, 'I need to make a Cross Channel Ferry Crossing - can you recommend a Ferry Company, please?'

Wouldn't touch DFDS with a 10 foot barge pole - smug, inept, incompetent and a website crammed with duff/inaccurate information, whilst their online booking system is fatally flawed

Steve

I use DFDS for all my trips nowadays. Your description of them is the exact opposite of my experiences.

 

[marchie]

your not a fan then steve
this is the no i use never had any problems very helpful it’s in france but english spoken , except when i booked to come back confirmed in french e mail View attachment 76004

That's the number that DFDS use to cut you off automtically, Ken, and repeatedly. They must have a 'seamless' [seem less more accurate] system that prevents the business from taking calls, bookings, queries or anything else at present ... If you go for the highest level of automation, you do need the equivalent of a fire bucket and a bell to let people know that the business has a problem. Whoever is the Communications Chief ought to be mounted on the prow, with a suitable length of mast inserted in his/her orifice or making a total arse of operations ...


Steve

 

[marchie]

I use DFDS for all my trips nowadays. Your description of them is the exact opposite of my experiences.

Try getting through to make a booking today, then ...

Steve

 

[Linda]

We have used DFDS for several years. Without a problem and will definitely will be using again.

 

[El radge]

Try getting through to make a booking today, then ...

Steve

No need today. Point being never had a problem and ,twice now , booking had to be changed . No charge.
They honestly are an excellent company to deal with.

 

[edina]

I've used them several times and just booked my next crossing with no problems.

 

[marchie]

I've used them several times and just booked my next crossing with no problems.

But yesterday, when I need to make a booking, the entire DFDS 'system' was malfunctioining - phones automatically disconnecting; dialling the dedicated Newhaven number and then being asked to select the crossing I wanted ... The website repeatedly overwrote the the Return date with the outbound date, so couldn't get a 'before the 20% deduction' price; tried relaunching both the App and the internet website on 3-4 occasions, and because the phones weren't working, and the Chatbot couldn't start a conversation, I was well and truly snookered. Now, *IF* DFDS were having IT problems, it cannot be beyond the wit of their IT staff to just put up a quick message, so that customers could avoid wasting 1/2 a day trying to make the reservation? Obviously I expect too much in seeking competence ...

Steve

 

[El radge]

But yesterday, when I need to make a booking, the entire DFDS 'system' was malfunctioining - phones automatically disconnecting; dialling the dedicated Newhaven number and then being asked to select the crossing I wanted ... The website repeatedly overwrote the the Return date with the outbound date, so couldn't get a 'before the 20% deduction' price; tried relaunching both the App and the internet website on 3-4 occasions, and because the phones weren't working, and the Chatbot couldn't start a conversation, I was well and truly snookered. Now, *IF* DFDS were having IT problems, it cannot be beyond the wit of their IT staff to just put up a quick message, so that customers could avoid wasting 1/2 a day trying to make the reservation? Obviously I expect too much in seeking competence ...

Steve

Clearly not typical when dealing with this company

 

[Bigshug]

We have never had a problem using the phone to make a booking. It is normally a french person answering, but with better english than me!
The only time we have got an english person was last year when our return crossing was cancelled due to bad weather. We then spoke to a geordie man who gave us many options about waiting in Dieppe, or driving up to Calais, all was fine at Calais

 

[tonybvi]

DFDS is my favourite company and we have never had any problems with them. We mainly use Newcastle to Amsterdam because we live in NE Scotland but we have used Newhaven to Dieppe quite a few times as well with the old people’s discount by phone. Never an issue. You must have unfortunately caught them on a bad day!