Your best and worst customer service experiences [rant & praise]

Toto Wolfcastle

3 in Blanch. Went in for a sim to check the coverage in the area. Free if we bought credit, a fiver if we didn't. Once he found out what it was for he gave it to us for free and then spent ages telling us about the phones that we were interested in, being totally honest about them and being totally honest about the coverage. He also had a good sense of humour. I know it's his job to make a sale, and he did because we'll be back for 2 phones, but he did it in a non-pushy manner. Never experienced that in O2.

artyeva

^^^exact same reason both myself and mr artyeva changed our mobiles and broadband from o2 to 3!

btw - it's now thursday and i still haven't got samsung to fix my fridge :rolleyes::D

Forest Master

Worst companies ever to deal with are GLS & UPC.

The best are probably Superquinn & O2.

wmpdd3

Bobblehead Panda wrote: »

3 in Blanch. Went in for a sim to check the coverage in the area. Free if we bought credit, a fiver if we didn't. Once he found out what it was for he gave it to us for free and then spent ages telling us about the phones that we were interested in, being totally honest about them and being totally honest about the coverage. He also had a good sense of humour. I know it's his job to make a sale, and he did because we'll be back for 2 phones, but he did it in a non-pushy manner. Never experienced that in O2.

Totally agree, I went into the store in waterford after giving up with the helpline no. The girl there spent ages sorting out my porting. Even though I bought my phone online, she didn't even ask.

Corruptedmorals

LyndaMcL wrote: »

Rant - Dunnes Stores


Absolutely sick of Dunnes in my local shopping center (Northside SC). I go in there every second day at least (for energy drinks for work ) and the customer service is awful. You spend about 10 minutes in the queue at the fast track checkouts, because the staff are all too busy talking to each other. No joke, there'll be 5 of them there but 4 of them standing chatting while one serves. They never speak, not even a hello or to tell you your total, they just scan the items and stick their hand out. I once got really annoyed at them because I stood waiting for 5 minutes while every person on the fast track checkouts chatted to each other and ignored the customers, so I asked one of them to get me a manager and lo and behold, one of the people chatting was a manager!

Another time I was buying smokes there. I asked for 20 vogue. The girl had never heard of them (every spar, centra etc sell them) and said "There's no such smoke as vogue." I said that they're in a small white and pink box, trying to help her but instead of saying that they don't stock them, she insisted to me that they don't exist and do I want something else as she had people to serve behind me!

I really hate the place and over the last few weeks I've started going to another shop and paying more for the stuff I want because the service is decent. They're obviously thinking it's fine to stand there and chat because a mate of mine works there and every time I am served by her, she'll chat for ages even after I've packed my shopping and will ignore other customers to talk to me until I tell her I'm in a rush and have to go because I don't want other customers experiencing what I have!

They don't care about customer service. Having worked for them for 3 years I can tell you it's not pushed at all- training involves how to work a till and how to pick up a box- they care far more about deliveries and stock. They also employ people on a temp basis now only- this means by the time these people are competent, they're gone and replaced, which puts HUGE pressure on the store and permanent staff.

Nor do they care about staff. HR undermine people, constant threat of warnings- nor are they shy about issuing them, constant messing up of rosters and holiday rosters with no notice. Then managers- a power-hungry HR manager can destroy the morale of the whole store- and individual managers with the same petty attitude can destroy people's self esteem. The rules are extremely old fashioned and petty uniform and appearance wise and cause much un-neccessary aggro.

Not that all employees are like those girls- that tends to happen far more in grocery than drapery, because it's generally much quieter and away fro the focus of head office visitors etc. A store like Northside is far down the list too- they very much care about Stephen's Green, Henry Street, Cornelscourt, Liffey Valley and Patrick Street...the rest get little interference directly from the board of management. It's rotten from the top-down, the managers and staff hate their jobs and frankly plenty couldn't care less about customers if they're given no incentive to do so, or training actually. Now M&S have the opposite attitide, and their staff are lovely! It makes such a difference to treat staff well and train them properly.

Dunnes starting wage is €9.13, not €9.30 anymore. Worth noting that very few make it past 6 months, and those that do are given a series of temp contracts these days- this means they have no rights and little chance of their pay going up every year liek it would if they were permanent.

The_Conductor

Corruptedmorals wrote: »

Worth noting that very few make it past 6 months, and those that do are given a series of temp contracts these days- this means they have no rights and little chance of their pay going up every year liek it would if they were permanent.

Ahem- it might be in order to research the Fixed Term Working Act- specifically the part relating to continually renewed fixed term contracts..... If HR are as inept as appears probable- there could well be a whole cadre of staff entitled to permanent positions, by virtue of their rolling temp contracts......

maxer68

Arteyva - re Samsung.

Basically a block of ice has formed where the cooler fan is. The only real fix is to clear it (quite easy) and then always operate the fridge part at 4 degrees.

It took me about 40 minutes to do and if you like I'll find the web link to the exact instructions. - and I would not be considered a fix it type. so if I can do it anyone can

wmpdd3

smccarrick wrote: »

Ahem- it might be in order to research the Fixed Term Working Act- specifically the part relating to continually renewed fixed term contracts..... If HR are as inept as appears probable- there could well be a whole cadre of staff entitled to permanent positions, by virtue of their rolling temp contracts......

True but I have yet to see anyone in retail make it to 3 years.

Initial 12 weeks probation, meeting/increase probation for another 12 weeks due to business needs recession blah blah. Repeat.

At anytime you can be given a weeks, notice usually before 12 months are up.

missgroovy21

BEST: amazon.co.uk customer service is 2nd to none, Clerys in town are brilliant aswell, New Look Liffey Valley are also very very good

WORST: ticketmaster for refunds, no email or nothing. M&S for refunds in date when you have a receipt

tommy21

missgroovy21 wrote: »

BEST: amazon.co.uk customer service is 2nd to none, Clerys in town are brilliant aswell, New Look Liffey Valley are also very very good

WORST: ticketmaster for refunds, no email or nothing. M&S for refunds in date when you have a receipt

To be fair, ticketmaster advertise this in their terms and conditions - No refunds. Do I agree with it? No. But you know what you're signing up to. Never had a problem with M&S Cork city centre myself, great staff all around. I agree with you on Amazon, excellent.

Rhalliord

tommy21 wrote: »

To be fair, ticketmaster advertise this in their terms and conditions - No refunds. Do I agree with it? No. But you know what you're signing up to. Never had a problem with M&S Cork city centre myself, great staff all around. I agree with you on Amazon, excellent.

surely though you should be able to get a refund if the artist cancels?

Dan133269

tommy21 wrote: »

To be fair, ticketmaster advertise this in their terms and conditions - No refunds. Do I agree with it? No.

Doesn't make a difference, you can't opt out from legal rules and principles.

tommy21

Rhalliord wrote: »

surely though you should be able to get a refund if the artist cancels?

That is the case of course, but the OP never mentioned that, presumed they meant refunds if you decide you don't want to go or can't.

missgroovy21

should have mentioned that the artist in question did actually cancel the gig had to send the tickets back to ticketmaster in grafton st and i did.... 3 weeks ago and nothing!!!!

the groutch

missgroovy21 wrote: »

WORST: ticketmaster for refunds, no email or nothing. M&S for refunds in date when you have a receipt

item bought in sales that was excluded from returns policy?

missgroovy21

this was a full price item i tried returning last yr and was told id worn it by the manager so i wasnt gettin a refund she accused me of it and i hadnt worn it had the receipt and in date too....my mam went in the next day with my dress and got a refund no problem!!!!agesim!!! and i wouldnt mind its not like im 15 or anything

primavera85

the quays bar in galway.

it was a very wet and rainy day yesterday when i went up to galway to do a bit of shopping etc maybe have a bite to eat. as i had my sheepdog with me i decided to take shelter from the rain under the canopy outside the quays and ordered a bite to eat inside, i had just sat down at a table outside after placing my order when the RUDEIST MOST OBNOXIOUS BARMAID came over and in an extremely patronising voice told us "tables are for customers only" speaking down to me and my husband like we were dirt.

i was and am still disgusted by this treatment, i had my food payed and left.

everytime im in galway i usually buy oysters in the quays and bring family who are visiting from abroad there for a meal.
well from this point on i will never step foot in that establishment again.

ltdslipdiff

Bit of positivity, flew Aerlingus recently on family trip to Spain, found the whole experience excellent, also found Cork airport efficient and well laid out !

jimoc

primavera85 wrote: »

the quays bar in galway.

it was a very wet and rainy day yesterday when i went up to galway to do a bit of shopping etc maybe have a bite to eat. as i had my sheepdog with me i decided to take shelter from the rain under the canopy outside the quays and ordered a bite to eat inside, i had just sat down at a table outside after placing my order when the RUDEIST MOST OBNOXIOUS BARMAID came over and in an extremely patronising voice told us "tables are for customers only" speaking down to me and my husband like we were dirt.

i was and am still disgusted by this treatment, i had my food payed and left.

everytime im in galway i usually buy oysters in the quays and bring family who are visiting from abroad there for a meal.
well from this point on i will never step foot in that establishment again.

Why did you pay if the food hadn't come out?
I would have just left and leave the barmaid to explain to her manager where the customer was gone.

Fey!

jimoc wrote: »

Why did you pay if the food hadn't come out?
I would have just left and leave the barmaid to explain to her manager where the customer was gone.

The food and the bar are seperate, and you normally pay for your food in there when you order.

Fenster

Name and shame, right? I emailed Digiweb's technical support with a question and got a really crappy answer:

Hey,

Quick question. Are there any plans to migrate your MySQL server 5.0 or higher in the near to medium future?

Thank you!

Hi Mark,

Thank you for your email to hosting support. I looked up your account details
by the ref number HST14061 it shows the account is suspended.
Any how coming to your question regarding support of MySQL 5.0, new customers
signing up will be getting mysql5.0.


Kind Regards
X

Hi X,

My account is actually active; there's a Home Advanced Linux package paid for and in good standing. You seem to be pulling up information on a second and now defunct hosting package that I had on my account.

Will MySQL 5.0 support be made available to existing customers, and if so is there a migration path I need to follow for my databases?

Thanks!

Mark

amdublin

Poor

To be fair Fenster, seems an honest answer based on the reps interpretation of the screen in front if them.

Like if they are incorrect they still weren't rude or anything they were just wrong.

You have two accounts easy enough mistake to make.

I would assume they will recheck and come back to you.

i71jskz5xu42pb

amdublin wrote: »

To be fair Fenster, seems an honest answer based on the reps interpretation of the screen in front if them.

Indeed, while not the correct answer it's not something I'd worry too much about.
I hope we're not going down the American route where reason is thrown out the window with respect to customer service.

Kandor

UPC I had to ring to cancel my fathers account after he passed a lovely lady named Toni did everything she could she was amazing if only all business calls could have been as well handled as well.

mikemac

Rant then praise

Issue with my imac so I rang technical support and assumed Holyhill in Cork would sort me out. I didn't call in the early morning or evening, I waited for Irish business hours for this reason

I seem to have been bounced to India. Friendly guy on the line but I struggled to understand him and he was zero help to me at all. We were going around in circles and he realy wasn't much help.

Asked for a supervisor, got bounced to Cork and issue sorted no problems boi! :pac:

I know "follow the sun" is a buzzword and you have centres around the world to give 24 hour coverage. I've called in the evenings before when Cork are closed and got through to Texas who are also good.

There are hundreds employed in Cork, when I call in business hours I want to speak to them, not India

John Mason

O2 have now top my scale on the worse company in deal with - i have passed NTL by a mile

they are horrendous, i will be going out of my way to tell everyone to keep away from them

dudara

mikemac wrote: »

Rant then praise

Issue with my imac so I rang technical support and assumed Holyhill in Cork would sort me out. I didn't call in the early morning or evening, I waited for Irish business hours for this reason

I seem to have been bounced to India. Friendly guy on the line but I struggled to understand him and he was zero help to me at all. We were going around in circles and he realy wasn't much help.

Asked for a supervisor, got bounced to Cork and issue sorted no problems boi! :pac:

I know "follow the sun" is a buzzword and you have centres around the world to give 24 hour coverage. I've called in the evenings before when Cork are closed and got through to Texas who are also good.

There are hundreds employed in Cork, when I call in business hours I want to speak to them, not India

Call centres and support centres in India overlap with Irish working hours - plus they often work late into the evening, so that they can provide support to the European markets.

SOCOM

Here's a good one, a box of Finish dishwasher 30 tablets plus 100% extra free (60 in total) price €7.99
walked around and found the standard size of 30 tablets exact same as before €5.99!!!
tried explaining this to a staff member but they could not understand me, I was made to look like an arse!
Don't anyone tell me it's nothing to do with the staff as they would not like to see their friends or family being ripped off, I also mentioned it to a supervisor who informed me that you were getting an extra 30 tablets for only €2 more, and what was the big deal? I said they are supposed to be free!!

Jesus Wept

Irish Rail - lol bad.

Emailed them with a query, got an auto response email informing me 'Thank you for your email. We will endeavour to respond to your query as quickly as possible. '

Heard nothing, have resent it 3 times over the last 6 weeks and never get a real response from them.

Well played lads.

SOCOM

The-Rigger wrote: »

Irish Rail - lol bad.

Emailed them with a query, got an auto response email informing me 'Thank you for your email. We will endeavour to respond to your query as quickly as possible. '

Heard nothing, have resent it 3 times over the last 6 weeks and never get a real response from them.

Well played lads.

On a similar note, was trying to order an item from China yesterday but their ordering system was not accepting my information so I emailed them at 4 pm yesterday and was told it will take up to 48 hours for a reply lol
Not 5 minutes ago they sorted the whole problem out and gave me a 5% discount for the inconvenience!!!!! I think Irish rail need to take a leaf out of these guys book!!