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On Monday, 12 April, the USU/ASU met with Qantas representatives to discuss the imminent closure of the Sales Desk.
We are really concerned that Qantas’ new way of working after the closure of the Sales Desk is just not ready and just won’t work in reality. We are worried about long call wait times to the call centre, and that frontline staff are going to be left dealing with unhappy customers and unrealistic workloads. Despite our concerns, Qantas say they will still close the Sales Desk. They are leaving it to you to find a way to make it work!
The USU/ASU is particularly concerned about the impact that closing the sales desk will have on the workloads of Supervisors, Service Desk and CSAs. It’s clear that the technology isn’t ready to cover all sales desk functions and many customers still have a preference for face-to-face service. It’s likely that members will be asked or pressured to perform tasks previously performed by the sales desk.
Many members have asked us what they should do if they are asked to perform duties outside of their classification or if they are asked to do tasks they haven’t been trained to do.
The USU/ASU advises members that they shouldn’t cover for Qantas’ bad decisions, so:
- If you are asked to perform duties you aren’t trained to perform, tell your supervisor immediately and ask not to be assigned those duties until you are properly trained.
- If you are asked to perform duties that are outside of your classification, you should make it clear that you won’t perform the duties unless you are paid the appropriate rate of pay. Don’t do work above your classification.
- Make sure you report any instances of customer aggression to your supervisor and via Intelex.
- Document and let your USU/ASU delegate know any issues that arise so that we can raise these with management.
Sales Desk EOI
Binding offers for voluntary redundancy will be made this week. The company will offer voluntary redundancy on a seniority/reverse seniority basis. That means the company will alternate between the most senior and the least senior persons who expressed interest in VR when making a binding offer.
If you have been made a binding offer, you will have a week to consider your options before responding. If you need more time to get professional or financial advice before making a decision about the binding offer, you can seek an extension on this week timeframe and Qantas will consider this on a case by case basis.
What other support is available?
We know this is a very stressful time, if you or someone you know needs help do not hesitate to reach out to Lifeline 131 114 or Beyond Blue 1300 224 636. |
