Customer Service Representative | Florida | Jun 25, 2018
It's great if you can thrive in a customer service call center or work in other departments.
The work as a customer service representative is standard for any customer service call center. The 3rd party status of the company results in it being worse than other call centers in regards to the way representatives are treated by customers. This is largely caused by the hotel industry which not only allows unethical practices, such as purposely overbooking and cancelling long held reservations to create opportunities for booking the Anne rooms at higher rates, but seems to embrace them at times. Since their biggest customers, large chain hotels, work with such firm practices, many hotel staff are unaware of how 3rd party companies work and often pass these complications and misconceptions onto the guests who then contact Booking.com for assistance from an often uncaring hotel. This results in many guests that are upset with both companies as Booking.com has to rely on the original offender our other hotels who usually have a similar business model to the original property.
That being said, very few call centers pay well enough to make up for the stress that is common in the industry and Booking.com is not one of them. Even then, they offer a higher than average amount of paid time off which also functions as paid sick days should they be needed. They also provide paid holidays, should you not be required of volunteer to work them, with an option to gain an additional day of paid time off should you work the holiday and choose to give up the standard holiday pay increa
ProsThey treat their employees better than most companies do.
ConsIt's still a call center, Hotel customers increase the difficulties with the customer service industry.
Pros – You don't need much knowledge or experience to step into most roles at the company in order to succeed. They provide plenty of training and overview (considered by some to be overkill) before you even lift a finger in whatever role you'll fill. The jobs themselves are easy and the tools provided basically hand-feed you all the relevant information. The benefits package is decent, there are company-sponsored happy hours generally once per month and a company holiday party held in Amsterdam each winter. Also, this is the epitome of a 9-5 job, where there is rarely anything so important that it can't wait until your next workday.
Cons – While easy, the work load in the last year for most roles at the company has grown so exponentially that it has become bitterly overwhelming. The constant merging and purging that that company has done has left the remaining employees accumulating new responsibilities with no additional compensation and with low morale (fearing future secret decisions will lead to further mass displacement or firings). Speaking of which, pay is beyond low. The company pays well below the average compared to other top competitors within a similar industry and the standards for earning the quarterly bonuses keep changing. Many employees have even half-jokingly accused the company of "testing" for ways to make it impossible to earn. Most managers lack knowledge, leadership skills or both. Opportunities are extremely rare at this point within any of the est
ProsChristmas party in Amersterdam, a free lunch once per month, occasional free happy hour
Conspoor management, high turnover rate, low pay, low growth potential
5.0
Customer Service Representative | Grand Rapids, MI | Feb 21, 2020
A job that keeps you on your toes
Booking.com is a great company to work with, in my opinion.
There is a lot of information thrown at you during training, however, it is broken up into two parts so you'll get to apply the knowledge you learned. This job makes me think and use problem solving skills which I truly enjoy. Every case is unique and keeps you on your toes. I will not say it is the easiest job in the world. Customer service jobs are tough. You will have times where it gets extremely frustrating because customers are upset with you and can't get their way.
As far as management/other employees - everyone has been so nice, supportive and helpful. Although everyone is on different teams, it feels like we're one big team because everyone is so willing and ready to help with any questions. I've never felt unwelcome. You will be checked on often to help you develop and improve in your role. I've already brought up advancing in job and my manager was 100% on board with wanting to help me grow.
Shifts go 8 &10 hours. From what I've seen, everyone works weekends. They do have different shift options, but weekends seem like a must. There is a premium for working on the weekends though!
Booking.com as a whole is always listening for feedback and constantly changing to be a better company for it's customers and employees.
I love the benefits - health, dental and vision. Gym on site, massage chairs, fitness reimbursements, Free fruits, coffee/tea/hot chocolate. They have a mini store to buy disc
While the culture may be fun, that only lasts for about a week when you realize people who are managers haven't graduated from diapers to potty on their own.
Sale people are subjected to their phone, half hour for lunch, if you're one minute late, you get points against you.
As for the admin side, while they don't do that (well last I was there), the Office Manager has serious issues of her own. The level of disrespect is an atrocity. The admin calls are a waste of time. All voices chiming in on how a job could be done better instead of taking those two hours and doing the job.
They expect you to life heavy boxes and the sales team can't help you if you ask for help, you get in trouble. ???? This coming from twenty something year old manager who does nothing but writing poetry all day on how much he loves the company and reads them during the Monday morning meetings (issues much?)
Then they're not sure who you're reporting to...are you reporting to the office manager or the manager on site who has secret conversations with the office manager and then come back and invent stories about you three months later.
The employees there have a lot of grown up to. Since my departure, they haven't found a suitable admin and agencies in New York refuse to work with them because they don't know what they are looking for.
If you're an admin, spare yourself from this circus. Trust me the Ringling Brother's treat their elephants better than you would be treated at this pl
Salary much lower than the average for this type of work and somewhere near the salary that a professional cleaner or anyone without any qualification would be making (without any exposure to the stresses of this particular type of job).
You are supposed to leave your desk exactly at 5:30 if your shift ends there, you are not supposed to do more than what your job specification entails.
Reporting "unethical behavior" is encouraged within the company and employees are invited to "give feedback" on the performance and commitment of other employees which makes for the unpleasant feeling of being constantly under scrutiny (and this is quite separate from your metrics, that also come on top of all that measuring).
An awkward silence comes if you say anything slightly critical (even if it is a joke) about the company.
The greatest drawback of working for this company has been the zero job security. You start with a one-year contract and the probation period is 6 months. Then there is a possibility for contract renewal but this is only for another six months or for another year. So you are constantly stressed if you will get extended, your life is secure for only another 6 months or for another year. If you want to apply for a loan or for a nicer apartment, if you have a family or dependents to provide for, or if you have to convince the immigration authorities, this contract is not going to get you anywhere.
If I were to be entirely fair, i think i should rate i
Prosinternational teams, interesting colleagues, competent and helpful management
Consno job security, poverty wages, tactics to keep people docile, stressful interactions with customers or partners, you have to speak all day
3.0
Customer Service Representative | Orlando, FL | Nov 9, 2020
A nursery for individuals in transition
The company attracts people of all ages, experience levels, areas of study and lifestyles with competitive pay compared to other starting-level positions in the job market. If you can prove yourself minimally competent in the English language (and others), you are certain to be employed answering the telephone. Do not expect to advance unless you can sell yourself as a company cheerleader and ingratiate yourself with the people who have done the same before you. Internal positions are often times pre-determined, so be sure not to get too excited about possible prospects. Those who can pucker up the best and make it to a leadership position have it made in the shade and can enjoy a good salary for nothing more than attending unnecessary meetings and micromanaging those in the position they just left themselves. Although your colleagues will be the best part of the job, beware of high school-style cliques and individuals whose only joy in life is stepping on others, as there is no shortage of either, especially if you work in the larger call centers. As much as the company tries to sell an image of inclusivity and deep concern for its employees, they are like any other establishment and will happily send you on your way without an afterthought. If you need a job as you transition to a better phase of your professional life, by all means work at the company, but if you are seeking professional fulfillment, do not linger, because the company is happy to drain your talents, effort
ProsCompetitive starting pay compared to other companies
ConsMicromanagement as an artform and classic corporate ladder jockeying for leadership positions
5.0
Customer Service Representative | Orlando, FL | Jul 24, 2020
Amazing company, stressful work
With any customer service field, specifically with calls, it can be a stressful job or it can be an easy job. The days will vary of course since you will be assisting guests' with their complaints and questions, and it also depends on how well you handle negative situations or stress. In my position since it is a call center you will most of the time be taking calls, however you will also be scheduled at some times to respond to emails, messages and live chat. Some times you will be on calls all day and sometimes the tasks will alternate. Your task schedule is not fixed, meaning if they need more people on the phones and you are scheduled to respond to emails, your schedule may change 15 minutes prior to switching tasks to assist in taking calls.
You are scheduled to work in a team that can range around 10-18 colleagues of different races and backgrounds. You will work with other co-workers that speak different languages which is cool because you can learn more about their culture.
The company itself does a great job in wanting to make their employees feel inclusive and help the work be less stressful, it is obvious that they are aware that the customer service industry can be tolling. Because of this, they do fun events such as pajama days, potlucks, team outings and sometimes catered food. They also have subsidized healthy food/snacks in the cafeteria area and there's free coffee, tea and fruit. There are a lot of benefits that come when working with this company. If Cust
Prosgreat benefits, company cares about their employees, PTO
This company has no consistency with how it works. There are good years with management, and then there are bad years. With no doubt, at least once per year it feels as though they do an employee cleanse towards customer service agents. You feel this because out of no where all your metrics and codes are looked at with a magnifying glass. And any discrepancy or sense of work avoidance gets you into PIPs (performance improvement plans). Depending who your team lead is, this can be hellish. IN customer service you are either in the reservations department assisting guests (which are usually complaints) or partners ( properties on our website). You are mostly on the phone. We have metrics to reach and satisfy. In the summer and xmas season it's back to back.
The good: There are 3 health plan options. One where you don't pay anything out of pocket. The health plan is very good with Aetna. You get 18 days per year of PTO, no sick days. The holidays you are placed to work you can redeem by getting paid x1.5 or for another PTO day. After 5 years you get a whole extra 5 days of PTO. You get $125 every March if you had a medical revision the previous year. You get $240 every year for fitness reimbursement. You get a quarterly bonus which ranges from $300 -$550.
Nowadays they are placing agents in flex schedules, meaning your start time and day of working change everyday per customer demand.
Culture is very inclusive for all. There may be a sense of hypocrisy. And last, your team
ProsBenefits
ConsManagement, may be stressful, schedules, bonus, pay
1.0
Customer Service Representative | Grand Rapids, MI | Oct 14, 2013
Four years of my life wasted
I spent two years there and quit having failed three times to get the promotion my work and knowledge had earnt... I gave full notice and was told I would be welcomed back.
I returned a year later once family situations had changed and after working my way back in for almost a year I applied for one of THIRTY of my old position again. Denied.
Pay is around $12/hour but ridiculously low funded health care took $2.50/hr of that from me for my family of 3. Was left without enough money to live on. What in 2008 was a great place to work has slowly morphed over 5 years to be your average call centre environment with a load of corporate rules due to their rather low hiring standards.
I was eventually fired for posting this on Facebook after a call with a guest: "Yes, caller, you do have to restart your computer if your browser has locked up. No, you don't have to restart the computer in your car as that doesn't handle anywhere near the kind of data a browser does. And hanging up on me doesn't help either."
My account is private. The post (and a follow-up post telling people why I got fired) were both removed by Facebook without informing me. My wife is now in withdrawal from prescription pain meds as she has a chronic arthritic condition and now has no health care. We are 10-14 days late paying our rent and facing eviction.
Social media policy? Just an excuse to take care of the squeaky wheel in the office.
ProsInternational contact, multiple languages
ConsAwful corporate style cube farm environment, no recognition of actual skills and experience in promotion process
2.0
Customer Service Representative | Grand Rapids, MI | Jan 7, 2019
Management sucks and sometimes money isn’t worth your mental state.
Management breaks or makes the job and recently management has caused so many people to quit or find other opportunities. I worked there 3 years and had to leave because they hardly offered new shifts. When they did, it always seemed people that sucked up to team leads and management would get morning shifts. Everything changed!
When I started it wasn’t stressful and our main goal was to provide great customer service to our guests. Now they are numbers based when this job doesn’t require any sales or retention of guests.
They make you worry about your talk time, customer satisfaction, your adherence, hold time, your contacts per hour on phones and email, finalize and then make you track every reservation you worked on. Basically the job is being micro managed and are just money hungry.
Booking offered a trip to Amsterdam for conferences but that was cancelled. They are open 365 days, they do not close for any holiday. So chances of you working important holidays are high. I spend my New Years at work when the clock hit 12:00 am, January 1st.
Management will stab you in the back especially if they do not like you. I’ve seen it happen to a lot of people.
ProsSometimes they offer free lunches, PTO is decent. Overtime
ConsManagement is bad, favoritism, stressful, dispensable, they don’t care about you.
Working at Booking.com has been a bitter-sweet experience, happy at first and painful at last.
The salary of a CSE/ASE is just a few euros over the minimum by law, for the effect (it's not the lowest!). But with the weekends, late shifts, peak season overtime and quarterly bonus (where applicable) it can turn into a decent salary. For me it was ok. And with this job you save a lot of money buying food and cooking at home. Hands down for the company caterer!
The atmosphere at work is great - friendly and relaxed. The work is easy - friendly interface and software, all the tools are there. Camaraderie and solidarity is encouraged between employees of the same level - which is the best thing in this company, from my point of view. Not the same is encouraged between employees on different hierarchical levels - which, from my point of view, is the worst thing in this company.
I quickly developed passion for the job and took a great reward from listening and helping people. Working in the call center has definitely improved my empathy and listening skills, if nothing else.
I always tried to help as much as I could, as I understood this is the purpose of my job. I was rebuked for doing more than it's required of me - because my actual performance would then seem low - the numbers don't look right ! - and for the same reason I was accused of arrogance, because I thought I can make a difference.
I found that the management does not put their employees at the center of everything
ProsAmazing cultural diversity, small family-like international teams, international clientele, free food/ drinks of good quality and without restriction, company sponsored team outings, quarterly bonus, gifts from the company (even if not useful), Booking Cares (annual paid day volunteering for a good cause supported by Booking.com)
ConsAbsurd attendance (1 second late and you're threatened to be fired), severe and humiliating punishments for the smallest mistakes as if we are small children, threat and bullying functioning as methods to enhance productivity and ensure obedience, rigid management, hypocritical values boosted in slogans imposed to employees but not respected by leaders, frequent mistakes in planning of schedules, holiday allotments, and payrolls - for which the company never holds itself accountable
Pros
- Very international environment, many smart people from around the world
- Good compensation and benefits
- Support for you and your family with relocation and paperwork
- Many opportunities for quick career growth (if you want it)
- Very good office location
- Good office facilities, cafeterias, cheap lunches, free snacks and fruits
- Many projects to choose from (depends on a manager)
- Agile attitude without too much of the methodological nonsense
- Flexible working hours (not for everyone)
- Various events at the office
- Hotel discounts
Cons
When people scream "Booking can destroy your life!" on this and other websites, it's not an exaggeration. If you cross the company (and you won't even know it at the time), the retaliation will be absolutely insane. The abuse I experienced during and after my employment is unbelievable, and to this day I'm afraid to share the details publicly. Before Booking I was a traveller and a developer, now I'm unemployed for almost 3 years, with no opportunity to lead normal life at all.
The level of cynicism is what makes Booking special, compared to other giant companies. Your colleagues will write blog posts about "empathy" and "kindness" while simultaneously helping to turn every day of your life into a nightmare, both online and offline. Once you are The Enemy, there are no limits. They will mock any illness or disability you or your family members had. All of your internet searches, social media posts, online
1.0
Customer Service Representative | Amsterdam | Jan 20, 2017
WORST Call Center - must read !
It is VERY important that you all will pay close attention to this review if you intend on applying for the position as a Customer Service Executive for booking.com in Amsterdam.
I have been working for booking.com on a mid-term contract for 7 months. I was very excited be selected for the position as Customer Service Executive as a new expat in a amsterdam. As a side note - considering the fact that I have an extensive work experience in the customer care field working for well known companies in the past, I was shocked by my time in booking.com. I definitely did very well and exceeded expectations. These expectations or two of the most important ones are measured in CSAT ( customer satisfaction ) and CPH ( customer per hour ) stats - inside company indicators for self performance.
I managed getting 95 % in customer satisfaction and 8 in my contacts per hour parameters, dealing with the hardest customer support line in the company and topped other representatives score who supported the same line. The only issue I had was not getting along with my team leader which is a biased, cruel person who lacks inter-personal capabilities and who didn‘t care much of my performance. She kept on finding ways to twist facts and constantly get down on me, showing her dissatisfaction while ignoring other represantives behaviours, ones she liked a lot and were close friends with. This company measures your toilet time in a matter of seconds. personal time or toilet time ( 10 minutes
ProsNice international inviornement and colleagues, modern offices, central
ConsNon-human leadership department, bad salary and regulations
It looks like a very young, modern and colourful company. Offices nicely decorated, free organic fruit, one paid party per month... It seems like the dreamt company where they promote friendship and "solid values" and a career development.
I worked in UK and other countries where this company have offices.
First thing to say, there are 2 kind of workers considered for them> Customer services agents and all the rest.
While Agents from Customer Care does a very hard work, the company considers them the last and least important workers in the company - unless the ones hired through a 3erd companies *EPS- that are not only low paid for the same work but are completely left apart without tools or proper support, specially in countries where the wages are very low. Welcome Globalisation when makes legal to take advantage of politics for profit!
After 8 years in the company I can confirm that the only positive is the money paid, but this does not cover the constant humiliation as worker.
The lack of professional preparation from the very first level of management to work with people is so disturbing, that you end up wishing your direct manager is your friend or you will be suffering until death - your will is ruined and your professionalism too, if not your personality.
Actually, it is very obvious that if you do not have friends within management, no promotions will ever happen. Further more, if your manager is not your friend, you may be penalised for stupid
4.0
Medewerker Klantenservice (m/v) | Sloterdijk | Mar 5, 2016
Kan een positive ervaring zijn.
Dit is een werkgever die zeer hoge eisen stelt aan zijn medewerkers, als je daaraan kan voldoen dan zit je bij Booking.com goed. Pauzes zijn heilig voor het management in de zin dat je ook maar een seconde te laat incheckt op je werkstation en je gaat ervan horen bij de volgende evaluatie-gesprek.
Echt coachen doen ze niet, het is samen te vatten als een 5 minuten gesprek met je teamleider die je opbouwend kritiek geeft, maar omdat de werkdruk meters hoog ligt voelt dit aan alsof je nooit goed genoeg zal zijn voor de functie.
De positieve eigenschappen van dit werk is dat je de werkvloer deelt met de meest diverse en vriendelijkste collega's die je ooit zal tegenkomen.
Wat wel kwalijk is is dat als een lastige case voorbij komt dan zullen een aantal agents proberen deze "hete aardappel" door te schuiven naar de volgende agent. Dit heeft helaas vaak als uitwerking dat jij de slechte review van de klant krijgt en in het ergste geval niet je target zal halen ondanks je goede instelling en bereidheid om te assisteren.
Vaak organiseert het bedrijf feesten voor haar medewerkers als een soort bedankje voor het tolereren van de hoge verwachtingen van het bedrijf. Deze zijn echt de moeite waard om naar toe te gaan.
Al met al, Booking.com is echt niet voor iedereen. Als je keihard, secuur en ieder telefoontje kan afhandelen volgens de normen dan kom je er wel. Bovendien als je bereid ben de klant iets extra's te geven dan ga je een goede tijd tegemoet bij deze werkgever
Prosgratis lunch, leuke collega's, de uitjes, de feesten
Consasociaal management, te politiek correct
1.0
Customer Service Representative | Toronto, ON | Feb 7, 2020
Just fire all your management and start over.
It all started so well, a European born company previously run by a woman, a bright promise to have a great experience. Oh how wrong it was. Not your typical support, a support specialist here has to be deeply knowledgable about the industry and normally immediately affects expenses of hotel guests all over the world. However internal culture generated by the management inside the company is horrifying. It all begins with the management that pressures team leads to make support specs bleed dry, in order to be able to innocently report to the head office how much the local office has exceeded the targets. So even in the case that you have a recommended goal of, let’s say, 25 cases a day, you will be intensely pressured to go to 30-35-40, depending on what your nervously trembling body will be able to handle. Downhill from here, the team leads start competing with each other and play little harm games trying to make their teams overperform even harder. Some start pressuring their teams to the extent that it becomes morally uncomfortable to go to a washroom, and boy do they have tools to make it work as in the end of the month they decide who has met expectations and who has not, and if you dared to pathetically visit the washroom, say good bye to the monthly bonus. There is no control over what is going on, and it feels like a knot of snakes biting each other and contaminating it all with their venom. But people still stay because you are mazed into thinking that this is all yo
Questions And Answers about Booking.com
When working for the company do you get discounts on hotels?
Asked Apr 21, 2017
There’s no discount during the booking. But you get 25% of your booking back after stay and complete reviews. This can take 2-3 months
Answered Sep 21, 2019
No, we do not receive discounts at hotels or any accommodation,
Answered Oct 31, 2018
How do you feel about going to work each day at Booking.com?
Asked Mar 29, 2017
Very depressed. People are either getting fired or leaving. You never know if your co worker will be there next day. Very tiring and stressful place to work
Answered Oct 3, 2019
Save yourself from the headache. We need new management. Very stressful and demoralizing environment. Two years ago, I enjoyed coming into work. Since management changed I'm full of anxiety and hate going to work. Their way of thinking is please be open and share your thoughts, once you do, it's over. You will never progress. Just keep your thoughts to yourself and trust NO ONE.
Answered Nov 6, 2018
What is the interview process like at Booking.com?
Asked May 1, 2018
Very thorough and concise.
Answered Feb 28, 2020
Phone Interview
Onsite Interview
Answered Jan 15, 2020
What questions did they ask during your interview at Booking.com?
Asked Sep 30, 2019
What and how have you handled an upset customer?
Answered Feb 28, 2020
They use the STAR method religiously
Answered Jan 15, 2020
What is the most stressful part about working at Booking.com?
Asked Sep 30, 2019
Keeping up with your numbers. During these difficult time of uncertainty this is one of the only thing that has stress me out.
Answered Aug 25, 2020
No hands on training and then still struggling with not much guidance.
