Let's name and shame the worst service in Ireland

mambo

Fed up with the poor service in shops/cafes/restaurants/taxis/etc in Ireland?
Been abroad (e.g. the US) and seen how much better it should be?

Let's name and shame the worst offenders...

I'll start with the Bagel Factory in the IFSC, staffed by 3 people who never seem to smile, or even just nod or say "sure" to acknowledge an order.

(I guess they're not paid that well, but a smile costs nothing. Of course they're probably not on any performance-related bonuses, so if they provide good service and get more customers as a result they'll be even busier without any extra reward, so maybe they're just acting in their own interests?)

(For good service, post your positive experiences at the Good Service Thread at http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055011766 )

mambo

Another one to get off my chest: The Aircoach drivers seem uniformly surly and unhelpful (I'm guessing they didn't reach the high standards required to be a taxi driver! )

This is especially bad as they are often dealing with tourists who have just arrived in the country and who are getting their first taste of Irish "service", though on the upside at least they recondition the tourists to not expect too much from Irish service.

as_seen_on

Eircom definitely have the worst broadband service. Stupidly, I forgot to pay my phone bill and my service was cut off. Having paid back my bill, my phone service was reconnected but not my broadband. The next day I spent talking to support people who said everything looked fine from their end.

After a week and loads of support people someone finally found the problem. My eircom modem had to be reset and reconfigured. As there were no instructions about this when I got the modem, I didnt know about it. So I would have been spared all this hassle if Eircom had proper Tech support

MOH

mambo wrote:

Another one to get off my chest: The Aircoach drivers seem uniformly surly and unhelpful (I'm guessing they didn't reach the high standards required to be a taxi driver! )

This is especially bad as they are often dealing with tourists who have just arrived in the country and who are getting their first taste of Irish "service", though on the upside at least they recondition the tourists to not expect too much from Irish service.

Aircoach are bad?! Try the dublin bus guys at the airport. I've seen a guy wearing a 'customer service' jacket turn his back on an elderly lady and walk away when she asked him how long until the next bus, minutes after another tourist had asked the driver of a bus sitting there inactive the same question, and had the doors shut in his face. The last time I was there I gave the 'every ten minutes' service ten minutes, then queued for a taxi. Went past 15 minutes later and the same people were still waiting.

But I'm nominating the DART employees, all of them, who unfailingly provide the lowest level of customer service possible.

bmaxi

Allianz Insurance. Twelve calls to Customer service to update a policy, twelve promises to call back, never did. In frustration wrote to Operations Manager to complain af poor C.S. No reply. So obviously the poor service isn't confined to the shop floor. But, when another policy fell due, sales staff called me three times in one day to see if I was renewing. I said I'd think about it and call back. Guess.

Sparky

DHL at times.

el diablo

Bill Griffin Motors on the Long Mile Road. shockingly poor customer service.

once they've sold you a car they don't want to know.

they even sold me a car with not enough petrol to get to the nearest service station.

:mad:

DublinWriter

Jesus H. Christ on a tricycle, why don't you just rename this thread "Let's get Boards Ltd. even more sued".

mambo wrote:

Fed up with the poor service in shops/cafes/restaurants/taxis/etc in Ireland?
Been abroad (e.g. the US) and seen how much better it should be?

I'll start with the Bagel Factory in the IFSC, staffed by 3 people who never seem to smile, or even just nod or say "sure" to acknowledge an order.

Yes, it's because punters tip in the US. I'm really sorry you feel your order for a cream-cheese bagel and Americano wasn't received with the world-shattering importance that it merited , but do try and bear in mind that these people make minimum wage and have to deal with hundreds of rude and agressive non-tipping numptys for eight hours at a time.

bmaxi

DublinWriter wrote:

, but do try and bear in mind that these people make minimum wage.

This is trotted out time and again as an excuse for bad manners and service. It may be a reason but it is not an excuse. The customer, who incidentally may also be on minimum wage, is entitled to at least courtesy when they hand over their hard earned cash. They can't be held responsible for the career shortcomings of the staff.
In Ireland, we have a very laissez-faire attitude to bad service. I guarantee that while the front line staff or even the branch manager may not give a toss, somebody up along the line will, it's a matter of finding them.

Sponge Bob

bmaxi wrote:

This is trotted out time and again as an excuse for bad manners and service. It may be a reason but it is not an excuse. The customer, who incidentally may also be on minimum wage, is entitled to at least courtesy when they hand over their hard earned cash.

You are correct, one particular toyshop I could name probably pays minimum wage to many of its staff or its seasonal staff but the staff are pleasant courteous and professional despite that and despite the pressure at christmas . This is the wrong thread in which to name the shop though

Other places seem to have an ingrained culture of rudeness and the purest of ignorance , Dublin Bus have been at it for centuries now .

foreignobserver

My nominee for the Worst Service Award is the company called HSGS Hi-Speed Gas Services. That's one of the small companies pampered by overwhelming demand and equally poor professional standards of few competitors.

We decided to call them to check the gas installation. Just to be on the safe side, it was not causing any problems, but we like to be sure about things when we move in. The guy came, spent some 20 minutes allegedely cleaning pipes and cashed 100 quid. Fine. A week later in the middle of the night the heater started roaring like a shot-down B52, the flame went off. I turned it off and we rang the house owner in the morning. She said the exactly same thing happened last time she had this installation checked with the very same company. Allright, things happen. HSGS advertise they are open on Saturdays 10-13. I hoped they would simply come and fix it today.

I tried to reach them today 7 times inbetween 10 and 13 but nobody was taking calls. I managed to speak to some Dave shortly after 13 but he informed me he does not work after 13 and I should have rang them earlier.
Maybe they will come on Monday. "Hi-Speed". Indeed.

Arogant person running poor service for years, I doubt such company would last anywhere else. Is there any tradesmen society where you can lodge a formal complaint about poor standard of a service in Ireland? I guess no.

Whatever happens - never ring Hi-Speed Gas Services. "We-Are-Useless" could be their new marketing slogan.

Apologies for a long rant, it is pretty cold in the house, at least my fingers warm up a bit while typing

bmaxi

Sponge Bob wrote:

This is the wrong thread in which to name the shop though
.

Sorry, not being smart but I don't understand that.

foreignobserver

I'd say he means shops are not services per se.

There is customer service involved in the proces of selling and supporting the product, but you are actually paying, primarly, for the physical object i.e. a product, whereas with services you pay for work done.

Sponge Bob

No , I meant that they are good and deserve a mention in a thread about GOOD services. "Service" is the way the company transfers product and support to the customer whether it be physical or not , OK .

A solicitor or plumber or clothes shop can equally give a good service , or a bad service .

myjugsarehuge

Argos at Blackpool Shopping Centre, Cork. I waited 35 mins in the queue to place my order. There were 11 desks and only 2 were manned (well womaned). They were so slow, one was actually helping a lady decide what present to get her niece. WTF tell her to go away and come back when she's made her mind up. The whole queue was bristling with pent up frustration.

When I finally took my receipt to claim my goods the girl behind the counter didn't even make eye contact, let alone smile. I know people get paid crap wages and Christmas is a busy time but they shouldn't be in the job if they can't at least acknowlege you. Horrible experience I won't go there again.

The queue was actaully to the door when I left, I reckon they had an hour's wait ahead of them.

bmaxi

Sponge Bob wrote:

No , I meant that they are good and deserve a mention in a thread about GOOD services. "Service" is the way the company transfers product and support to the customer whether it be physical or not , OK .

A solicitor or plumber or clothes shop can equally give a good service , or a bad service .

OK, confusion over, I thought you meant I was posting in the wrong thread.

daywalker

NTL by far are the worst imho, just check out thread here
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055025817

also they have a new system in place when you ring them, if you're waiting more than 10 mins, the call system diverts to a voicemail service, and they claim to ring you back, as per thread above messages have been left, but no calls returned.

Really crappy system, tho which would you prefer, to stay on hold in the false hope of getting to a call centre rep or to leave a message in the false hope that someone will call you back

DublinWriter

bmaxi wrote:

In Ireland, we have a very laissez-faire attitude to bad service. I guarantee that while the front line staff or even the branch manager may not give a toss, somebody up along the line will, it's a matter of finding them.

Someone like Michael O'Leary for example?

Gimme a break.

bmaxi

DublinWriter wrote:

Someone like Michael O'Leary for example?

Gimme a break.

Yes, a good example. Like him or not he is a shrewd businessman and if he thought an employee was costing him custom, for whatever reason, he wouldn't be long about bouncing his/her ar*e out the door.

el diablo

daywalker wrote:

NTL by far are the worst imho, just check out thread here
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055025817

also they have a new system in place when you ring them, if you're waiting more than 10 mins, the call system diverts to a voicemail service, and they claim to ring you back, as per thread above messages have been left, but no calls returned.

Really crappy system, tho which would you prefer, to stay on hold in the false hope of getting to a call centre rep or to leave a message in the false hope that someone will call you back

I had a similar experience with NTL. and you can't call their free-phne helpline from a mobile. waited for 20 minutes and they didn't call me back either.. :mad:

Hobbes

DublinWriter wrote:

Jesus H. Christ on a tricycle, why don't you just rename this thread "Let's get Boards Ltd. even more sued"

As I recall Devore mentioned before this kind of thread is better suited if you do your own personal blog. Its only liable to get deleted here.

DublinWriter

bmaxi wrote:

Yes, a good example. Like him or not he is a shrewd businessman and if he thought an employee was costing him custom, for whatever reason, he wouldn't be long about bouncing his/her ar*e out the door.

...and customers too, like the recent case of the party of deaf people kicked off a Ryanair flight in the UK, all Wheelchair users and their Millionth customer.

A sterling example, so he is.

grahamo

SMYTH'S TOY STORE! I'm sure a lot of people have had this problem in the last few days. I pre ordered a nintendo Wii a couple of months ago, paid a 25 euro deposit and was told the console would be out on dec. 8th costing 249 euros. Turn up on Dec. 8th. and was told the cheapest bundle was 319 euro. They wouldn't sell me the console unless I bought a bundle containing the console, a game and some worthless vouchers. I'm f**&&^$g furious with them!

foreignobserver

^this one wins against HSGS i have mentioned earlier.
(they have actually rang me on Monday themselves, came and fix the problem)
So maybe I should have not put them onto this list.
The Wii scam at the Smyth's is so much worse.
Why don't you try to ring some consumer rights group? They have to sell you the thing at the price that has been agreed when you were paying deposit.
They cannot change price or product contents afterwards.

Kashkai

foreignobserver wrote:

^this one wins against HSGS i have mentioned earlier.
(they have actually rang me on Monday themselves, came and fix the problem)
So maybe I should have not put them onto this list.
The Wii scam at the Smyth's is so much worse.
Why don't you try to ring some consumer rights group? They have to sell you the thing at the price that has been agreed when you were paying deposit.
They cannot change price or product contents afterwards.

The Smyths case pales in comparison to a house I was buying 10 years ago. I had paid a deposit on the house (purchase price of £150,000 - it was 10 years ago!!) but when the contracts came out to my Solicitor, the builder had put the price up by £40,000. It was a take it or leave it situation so I left it. This is Ireland, the land of the rip off merchants and shag all consumer rights

Sponge Bob

grahamo wrote:

I pre ordered a nintendo Wii a couple of months ago, paid a 25 euro deposit and was told the console would be out on dec. 8th costing 249 euros. Turn up on Dec. 8th. and was told the cheapest bundle was 319 euro.

Yes. This mandatory bundling of high margin crap is a signature of Smyths game shops. Otherwise I find Smyths are very good and with excellent staff. They did the same stunt last year with the PSP. I suspect others do it too like Game HMV and xTravision .

Can you PM me details on how you did this pre order ???

humanji

myjugsarehuge wrote:

Argos at Blackpool Shopping Centre, Cork. I waited 35 mins in the queue to place my order. There were 11 desks and only 2 were manned (well womaned). They were so slow, one was actually helping a lady decide what present to get her niece. WTF tell her to go away and come back when she's made her mind up. The whole queue was bristling with pent up frustration.

Eh, isn't this GOOD customer service? She was helping a customer with her problem. Bad customer supprt would have beem telling the old woman to feck off and come back when she's made up her mind. You seem to want to be treated like a king at the expense of every other customer.

kippy

Eh, isn't this GOOD customer service? She was helping a customer with her problem. Bad customer supprt would have beem telling the old woman to feck off and come back when she's made up her mind. You seem to want to be treated like a king at the expense of every other customer.

I agree totally humanji and was just about to post on it.

I think the main issue was that there were only 2 people on 11 desks during a busy period-this is not the fault of the staff but of management who should have the desks staffed to meet with demand.
Patience is a virtue and when queueing for service such as this patience comes to the fore - what if you had a similiar problem.
I suppose most other stores would have "sales people" to help with such issues, Argos as such does not and the clerk was doing her best to help this customer.

Someone mentioned above the issues arising from this thread regarding slander and libel. I believe the mods should ensure the thread is not of danger to the community before it goes any further.
Kippy

2funki4wheelz

Sky. That should be enough but here's my worst example:

In the Summer, got the €35 off a sky+ box offer. Having always complained that existing customers get no deals - here it was, a deal. (as always with my name spelled wrong despite repeated corrections sent to them)
Rang to order it.
Spent over 20 mins on the call, took all my details, and at the very end,
"Our system is broken, we have the order ref and we'll call you back this week when the system is up and running. Sorry, the leaflets went out and the discount was never set up on our system"
She was apologetic. I understand systems break. I don't understand advertising something you haven't actually set up yet. Well.

Week went in. No call. Called them again. Long wait as always, got through to guy and complained I wasn't called back
"Well the system's not fixed yet so there was no point calling you."
I said why didn't I get a status report?
"You're on alist" Hung up. Awful awful rude manner.

Another week. Called again and requested immediate call back having wasted 2 calls and never having calls returned. Guy refused, "We can't call Irish landlines". Gave him the mobile. He said "We'll do the order now instead".
I refused as from experience it took 20 mins as they read out disclaimers over and over to keep you on the line.
No call back.

Wrote email complaint (along the lines of crap service, omg why won't Sky take more money off me when I offer it). Week later, Customer Service girl called, lovely, very apologetic, "we're crediting €10 to your account, will I put you through to order?"

Yes please. Transferred to orders. Line went dead. Never called again, never got €10.

Had to email Sky for an address where I could send my complaint as their online thing has 150 character limit. 1 week later got email address. Complained. A few days later got response, will get €10 credit. Didn't even attempt to ask me to order Sky+.

So I'll keep the money myself, they don't seem to want it.

Kashkai

Sky's customer service is very hit and miss - you can get some very good and helpful people, or a rude ignorant eejit.

I rang to cancel my subscription a few months ago and was put on hold for 30 minutes. I hung up and tried again. I told the customer service person that I had been on hold for 30 minutes and he basically accused me of lying stating that we never keep people on hold for longer than 2 minutes (guess I must have been in a time warp but I would have thought if you start a call at 8pm and hang up at 8.30pm, thats 30 minutes??)

I was once again put on hold and then I got through (after 10 minutes) to a very nice Scottish guy who asked why I wanted to cancel and offered me some inducements to stay with Sky. I decided in the end to just freeze my account (I'm extending my house and have moved out for a few months). He said that if and when I wanted to get Sky turned back on, I should call up and tell them that I was cancelling my subscription and they would then offer me a free SKY+ box or something similar. When I joked that this could cost him his job, he said he always tells his mates to try this and most times it works. I put down the phone feeling that for once, I'd been dealing with someone who doesn't treat their customers as if they're something he's stepped in.

myjugsarehuge

I've changed my mind its not Argos, (or Sky although I rang them once & was told by an automated service that it would be 164 minutes till my call was answered WTF thats nearly 3 hrs !)

Its BT Ireland in top spot for me, despite them promising a €45 all inclusive package, to include line rental, broadband and all Ireland and UK landline calls they cocked it right up, they put me on the wrong tariff and I've been paying extra for all my calls for the past 2 months. Only found out now I've had my first proper bill. They have kindly agreed to "upgrade" me to the package I was supposed to be on in the first place. I've written to them to try and get my call charges refunded, we'll see if I get a reply even.