Customer Service, or Lack of it
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Dorset UK
Age: 68
Posts: 1,458
Many years ago when airlines wanted to talk to you, the target to answer a call at British Caledonian was 2 rings and anything more than 3 rings was considered a failure. But then they did end up in financial trouble and were taken over by BA.
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Richard Burtonville, South Wales.
Posts: 2,147
Originally Posted by bugged on the right
The intentional obstruction to electronic communications has caused me to adopt a new method when I have something important to say. I write a letter, including a couple of cryptic cc's and post it signed for. It means someone has to deal with it and there is no scope for it being lost in the mail, the junk mail or having to hold on the phone. I get a response in kind so there is a paper trail. Expensive but worth it.
Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: UK
Posts: 25
If it's serious I send a 28 day notice letter to Head Office saying it'll go to small claims court, works every time. All online, easy to do. £150 from TransPennine Express, just got £160 from Halfords for a faulty £70 dashcam. I mention every letter and go-around will add £20 to the final bill, plus of course 8% statutory interest. Usually gets their interest, and gets my problem resolved with minimal effort on my part.
Join Date: May 2008
Location: East Sussex
Posts: 449
Recently Mrs Axe decided that rather than fork out for the MOT she'd buy a new car. Strange as the last 4 have all been changed at MOT even though they boast a 7 year warranty.
This time round, the model we had which was one lower than top of the range has now become 2nd lowest.
Nothing daunted, Madame decided we'd go SKI-ing (Spending the Kids Inheritance)
As we've just gone to solar panels we decided to go for the Plug In, the top of the range.
Reading the Owners Forum, concern was being expressed about lengthy delays.
Bearing in mind our loyalty for the last 4 cars I looked on the 'net for the CEO contact details.
Emailed explaining our concerns as loyal customers and suggesting that one solution might be to allow customers access to their internal production status information, thus saving anxiety for the purchaser and angst against showroom salespeople.
I then politely added that if for example he could advise on the status of our order?.....
Dealer then called to say ours was on its way, and we took delivery 3 weeks ago, just 9 weeks after placing the order.
Obviously a co-incidence, but Customer Service DOES exist, you just need to find it
This time round, the model we had which was one lower than top of the range has now become 2nd lowest.
Nothing daunted, Madame decided we'd go SKI-ing (Spending the Kids Inheritance)
As we've just gone to solar panels we decided to go for the Plug In, the top of the range.
Reading the Owners Forum, concern was being expressed about lengthy delays.
Bearing in mind our loyalty for the last 4 cars I looked on the 'net for the CEO contact details.
Emailed explaining our concerns as loyal customers and suggesting that one solution might be to allow customers access to their internal production status information, thus saving anxiety for the purchaser and angst against showroom salespeople.
I then politely added that if for example he could advise on the status of our order?.....
Dealer then called to say ours was on its way, and we took delivery 3 weeks ago, just 9 weeks after placing the order.
Obviously a co-incidence, but Customer Service DOES exist, you just need to find it
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: The Smaller Antipode
Age: 87
Posts: 31
Online "Chat" robots are the most infuriating, their options to press 1, 2,3 ......9, 10 etc never include the one you want, and "tell me in a few words" and my answer... "connect me to a human" is clearly programmed into their "ignore" file.
Ain't the digital age great ?
Ain't the digital age great ?
Gnome de PPRuNe
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Too close to Croydon for comfort
Age: 58
Posts: 9,819
Originally Posted by Krystal n chips
So why do you feel the need to boast about causing even more possible upset for an elderly lady faced with the intransigence of the then DHSS and now the DWP who have refined their malice over time and which is well documented,
I would concur with the justified sentiments the lady you were speaking to expressed...who would have had to explain to her mother why she was unable to remedy her concerns. There are those who feel criticism of people like yourself ..and your actions in this case... should simply be ignored...I'm not one of them, thankfully, so all I will say, is, feel free to choose your own terms and definitions as to your character... which aren't complimentary.
I would concur with the justified sentiments the lady you were speaking to expressed...who would have had to explain to her mother why she was unable to remedy her concerns. There are those who feel criticism of people like yourself ..and your actions in this case... should simply be ignored...I'm not one of them, thankfully, so all I will say, is, feel free to choose your own terms and definitions as to your character... which aren't complimentary.
Finally, you'll be pleased to know that, like quite a few other people I'm aware of, I'm consigning you to the ignore bin - the very first time in nearly twenty years I've felt the need. Which is a great pity, as when you can reign in your apparently overwhelming desire to offensively denigrate the opinions or comments of those with whom you disagree, you can be very pleasant and entertaining.
Thought police antagonist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Where I always have been...firmly in the real world
Posts: 1,178
Originally Posted by treadigraph
Oh dear. Boasting? Not at all, a humorously intended self-deprecating account of how nearly forty years ago at the dawn of my low-trajectory career, I completely inadvertently made a difficult situation worse, very probably as a result of being utterly rattled by her unpleasant rant; something for which I was completely unprepared (45 solo minutes of switchboard time with minimal training, dealing with other callers without any problems). I took immediate action to make amends and ensure her problem was addressed through the good offices of the excellent Karen. To say I was mortified at the time is an understatement, Karen was at pains to put me at ease. However, there is never any excuse to be rude as an opening gambit - a point of which I suggest you take note - especially to switchboard operators, alas a useful function largely superseded by automated awfulness as recounted by others above. Alienating people from whom you require help is never a clever move. Incidentally, if it was my use of the word "exquisite" that inflamed your rancour (seemingly never far below the surface) then perhaps you should look it up.
Finally, you'll be pleased to know that, like quite a few other people I'm aware of, I'm consigning you to the ignore bin - the very first time in nearly twenty years I've felt the need. Which is a great pity, as when you can reign in your apparently overwhelming desire to offensively denigrate the opinions or comments of those with whom you disagree, you can be very pleasant and entertaining.
Finally, you'll be pleased to know that, like quite a few other people I'm aware of, I'm consigning you to the ignore bin - the very first time in nearly twenty years I've felt the need. Which is a great pity, as when you can reign in your apparently overwhelming desire to offensively denigrate the opinions or comments of those with whom you disagree, you can be very pleasant and entertaining.
As exonerations go, a very eloquent effort...however, you seem to have missed this bit..
"I then transferred the call to Karen and, with exquisite incompetence, somehow managed to cut the lady off. If you are going to pi$$ a customer off, do it properly! "
Now how could anybody possibly misconstrue this as boasting I wonder ?.
True, I do lampoon those who open themselves up to ridicule, same in real life by the way, when they attempt to "impress " similar minds on here.
Anyway, I hope your message box is empty because it will doubtless be overflowing with messages of congratulation now you've mentioned the famed JB "ignore " list. As I've said before however, it speaks volumes for the "personalities" of those who boast about using this function...and how shallow they are
. Never used it and never will.
With regard to call handlers I refer to the usual blurb about "these calls may be monitored for training purposes " etc...which is why, when I do complain, I stress my complaint is not directed at the call handler...but towards the "management " and whoever is responsible for causing me to complain in the first place.
As for going to the top, that works as well, IF, you've got a valid case as I discovered in the recent saga of my car purchase from " A.C "....I stressed, from the onset, this was not a complaint about the brand per se, but purely related to one outlet and three individuals in particular . To their credit, they did they're homework and, as I'm not prone to BS or over hyping they concurred with my complaint and resolved it for me.
Last edited by Krystal n chips; 1st May 2022 at 09:55.
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 23,327
I used to keep getting Advertising mail from several companies even though | had signed up for the service to stop it, tried calling several times, finally i got a result, i collected all of the junk they had sent me over 6 months and packaged it up with a note telling them why and added some weight to it, this was of sufficient size to go in the mail back to them, through the post offices box, It was sent back without any postage on it meaning they would need to pay to get it back..... no more junk.
Avoid imitations
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Posts: 13,723
We’ve asked our local post office, which is less than two minute’s walk away from here, on any number of times to desist from posting unaddressed junk mail leaflets / flyers to our house. This was taken notice of to some extent but the problem has got much worse again over the last few months. Some days we get one letter plus four or five pieces of junk mail for stuff like local takeaways, window blinds manufacturers, lawn treatment companies, conservatory roofing upgrades etc (which go straight in the recycling bin). Presumably they get paid by the companies involved so they prefer to continue delivering it. Because we live so close to the post office it might be in the post lady’s personal interest to dump as much weight of junk mail as soon as possible, namely down our little street next door, then there’s less to carry round the rest of her round.
Nutty’s post gives me an idea. Collect a a week’s worth and repost it in the box outside the post office. I might well do this.
Nutty’s post gives me an idea. Collect a a week’s worth and repost it in the box outside the post office. I might well do this.
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: The Smaller Antipode
Age: 87
Posts: 31
......... your apparently overwhelming desire to offensively denigrate the opinions or comments of those with whom you disagree,.............
Collect a a week’s worth and repost it in the box outside the post office. I might well do this.
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: heathrow
Posts: 53
Originally Posted by treadigraph
your apparently overwhelming desire to offensively denigrate the opinions or comments of those with whom you disagree
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Bomber County
Age: 71
Posts: 192
"I then transferred the call to Karen and, with exquisite incompetence, somehow managed to cut the lady off. If you are going to pi$$ a customer off, do it properly! "
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: UK
Posts: 1,954
Originally Posted by 747 jock
Something that seems to be happening more and more often with that particular poster and also something that I'm of the opinion of that they wouldn't have the guts to do in a face to face disagreement in their local pub, whereas on a forum such as this, they know that they can be as obnoxious and condescending as they like with no chance of getting a well deserved slap.
Thought police antagonist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Where I always have been...firmly in the real world
Posts: 1,178
Originally Posted by Uplinker
Put her on your ignore list :
Sadly despite you helpful users guide, some bad news.
Last time I looked, about 10mins ago to be exact, I am, in fact...male. Further expert testimony could be provided by more than one member of the opposite sex, otherwise known as females....but honestly, do you really want to know the sordid and depraved details of my intimate private life ?
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Mostly in my own imagination
Posts: 129
Originally Posted by 747 jock
in their local pub, whereas on a forum such as this, they know that they can be as obnoxious and condescending as they like with no chance of getting a well deserved slap.
What kind of local do you hang out in?
is it mostly men who go there?
Controversial, moi?
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 1,602
Last time I looked, about 10mins ago to be exact, I am, in fact...male.
I do not use the ignore facility. I often skim through K n C's posts purely out of curiosity. One has to admit he is the most cosistent poster here and, in my view, one very unhappy individual to devote so much of his obvious intellect to denigrate and criticise with almost every word. In fact in continually attempting to prove his moral superiority he epitomises the worst aspects of JB.
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Asia
Posts: 1,376
A threat to involve the regulatory authority will often work if you have a genuine case. I discovered that I was being charged the wrong interest rate and the wrong installment on a bank loan for nearly a year. After initially taking the position that the money already paid had gone towards the debt, but that the error would now be corrected, the bank soon changed its tune when the prospect of involving an outside agency was brought up.
The result was that the correct interest rate and repayment sum was used from the start date and the overpayment was refunded to my account. Being specific with exactly how I wanted things corrected and naming the relevant agency that would be involved obviously helped.
The result was that the correct interest rate and repayment sum was used from the start date and the overpayment was refunded to my account. Being specific with exactly how I wanted things corrected and naming the relevant agency that would be involved obviously helped.
