Anyone else fed up with poor customer service in the UK?

[Grenoside123]

Bit of a rant thread but I'll feel better for getting it off my chest!

 

Is it just me or does anyone else find that no one does what they promise to do for you, and that customer service is generally shocking?

 

Last month we signed up for broadband with Sky which they gave us free for 12 months. When the letter came through, it was down as £7.50 a month. I called to clarify and they told me that the discount only gets applied when you're broadband has been activated so it was just a standard letter. Lone behold, when the first bill came through we'd been charged!

Call number 2; The seemingly helpful lady told me that she was really sorry, it looked like it hasn't been applied so she'd look into it and call me back tomorrow.

Call number 3 (as nobody called back). I was told they hadn't called back as my query had now been passed to another department who would call me soon!

After a few weeks, still not a sausage from them so I made call number 4, Getting a bit annoyed now! This time I've been told it'll be resolved in 3-4 days. Seriously? Nearly a month to correct a mistake? I'll not hold my breathe on this one!

 

Then today, I was due to have a new boiler fitted, the engineer to arrive between 8 and 10. At 10.20, no engineer!

I called to see where they were and it turns out that the engineer scheduled to install my boiler today had called in sick. A phone call would have been nice eh? So now, I can't have it fitted until next Friday. Wonderful.

 

I was right, I do feel better for that!

Anyone else receive such wonderful service lately?!

[tinfoilhat]

We don't value it as a skill. Ditto retail work as was shown by meckys derisory comments on an earlier thread. We look down on call centre and retail staff, pay them buttons and expect them to give a toss and get all shocked when they don't.

[Grenoside123]

We don't value it as a skill. Ditto retail work as was shown by meckys derisory comments on an earlier thread. We look down on call centre and retail staff, pay them buttons and expect them to give a toss and get all shocked when they don't.

 

That is very true but you'd think that as there are so many people out there desperate for a job, that the one's lucky enough to actually have a job would consider themselves lucky and put a bit of effort in.

[top4718]

That is very true but you'd think that as there are so many people out there desperate for a job, that the one's lucky enough to actually have a job would consider themselves lucky and put a bit of effort in.

 

I dont buy into this lucky to have a job malarkey, if you take a job you should have the pay and benefits that come with it not just take any crap because its better than not having a job at all.

 

Service in this country is poor mainly due to low pay, poor conditions and even lower morale, hence big staff turnover rates and people who don't give a monkeys about the job.

[Daid]

I no longer expect a polite manner on the phone or across the counter it's just nice when it happens.

[Grenoside123]

I dont buy into this lucky to have a job malarkey, if you take a job you should have the pay and benefits that come with it not just take any crap because its better than not having a job at all.

 

Service in this country is poor mainly due to low pay, poor conditions and even lower morale, hence big staff turnover rates and people who don't give a monkeys about the job.

 

I think any job IS better than no job at all.

I am lucky enough to have a good job which I really enjoy but if I was ever unfortunate enough to find myself out of work, I would take any job that I could land (and give it my all whilst I was there as that's what i'd be employed to do) until something better came up.

Too many people these days think that they're above working in some roles and would rather be out of work than take a job in say, McDonalds or ASDA etc

 

---------- Post added 06-09-2013 at 13:16 ----------

 

I no longer expect a polite manner on the phone or across the counter it's just nice when it happens.

 

Very true. Maybe I'll adopt this outlook going forward to avoid disappointment!

[WallBuilder]

I tend to find it is the big companies utilising call centres that I have issues with. I've become quite good though at getting mypoint across and I always try to get the names of specific departments they've passed my issue on to and better still a name of the person. I also chase things up and have been known to ask for a call back on the same working day if i feel they're still not listening or passing the buck. One large company that I've been dealing with for 18 months has tried every trick in the book, calls not being logged, member of staff not available, on leave or has left the company, they've lied to me been very spotty with giving me info I've asked for. I think they are under the impression I'll give up but that is not in my nature so i just come at it from a different angle and the last email I recieved said they felt as though they'd done as much as they could which is basically nothing but I had managed to dig out some info which shows Mr. xxxx head of customer services told me a direct lie, not good when dealing with me. Ding ding round [high number]

[Mecky]

Like everything else in the UK it's a case of hand over you money and go away. When we want something from you we'll hound you to kingdom come

[Janus]

I must say Wallbuilder, I`m with you all the way in respect of what you describe and how you deal with things. Too many people won`t put the effort in. I know they should not have to, but if you don`t you invariably end up losing. Keep up the good work.

 

By coincidence, I was going to start a thread on the subject of good and bad customer services, and it seems appropriate to tag on to this one (if that’s ok with you Grenoside).

 

When a company grows to a large size, do you think the customer service declines. It seems that when a company gets to a certain size, call centres are then incorporated in to the system-is this the point where the weak links and cracks will form?

 

Do you find that small businesses often offer the best customer service generally? Are call centres the problem within a business? Presumably costs would increases without them?

[Grenoside123]

I must say Wallbuilder, I`m with you all the way in respect of what you describe and how you deal with things. Too many people won`t put the effort in. I know they should not have to, but if you don`t you invariably end up losing. Keep up the good work.

 

By coincidence, I was going to start a thread on the subject of good and bad customer services, and it seems appropriate to tag on to this one (if that’s ok with you Grenoside).

 

When a company grows to a large size, do you think the customer service declines. It seems that when a company gets to a certain size, call centres are then incorporated in to the system-is this the point where the weak links and cracks will form?

 

Do you find that small businesses often offer the best customer service generally? Are call centres the problem within a business? Presumably costs would increases without them?

 

Of course it's OK, tag along and enjoy the ride!

I do think the bigger the company, the worse the service in most cases, and usually they do come with a call centre.

 

Wallbuilder - You are a man/woman after my own heart for never letting them get away with it. However the issue is that we as customers shouldn't have to go to these lengths to get the job done should we? Sadly though we often do though.