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

hillbloom

SuperValu are very bad with special offers. I always check my bill. Another problem I find with them is those offers always end on the Saturday at closing but if you go in on Sat afternoon they are changed on the computer. I never come home with a mistake to my advantage and they dont even apologise for the mistake.

daenerysstormborn3

DPD Waterford. They seem to think it's perfectly fine to pretend that they attempted delivery and then insist that the only way you can get your goods is by making the trip out to their depot.

I have given up using websites that use them for deliveries as I never get my stuff.

Fey!

Big thumbs up for Elvery Sports in Corbettcourt in Galway.

I was looking for the impossible (XXL Connacht Rugby jacket the day before their first Heineken Cup home game). The guy helping me was one of the most helpful and friendly sales staff I've encountered in a long time. The supervisor who was on on the day was equally good.

I didn't get the jacket, but it wasn't for their lack of trying to get one for me.

I should mention that I'm not a regular, so it wasn't a case of them trying to look after a good customer; I don't think I've ever darkened their door in the past as I'm not a sporty person. I'll have no problem recommending them in the future, though.

serious

three mobile network are the worlds worst . Hands down.
No reps, no network coverage , quite an awful company to deal with.

Discodog

serious wrote: »

three mobile network are the worlds worst . Hands down.
No reps, no network coverage , quite an awful company to deal with.

A clear winner. We had the epic 300 page megathread of 3 problems & even a lot of the issues posted on "talk to 3" here are never sorted.

the groutch

pixiebean22 wrote: »

DPD Waterford. They seem to think it's perfectly fine to pretend that they attempted delivery and then insist that the only way you can get your goods is by making the trip out to their depot.

I have given up using websites that use them for deliveries as I never get my stuff.

I've had lots of stuff delivered by them up here in Dublin, and always found them very good.

Rob32

Carphone Warehouse: Phone stopped charging after a month brought it back and they sent it away to be checked, they said i "dropped the phone so id have to pay the excess on my insurance as it was beyond repair" I was adament i hadnt dropped it (as i hadnt) I eventually got them to agree to send it to a second independant company (after id paid for a replacement) The manager was so confident he said if my phone came back fixed from the independent company i could keep both phones.

The seconde phone then stopped working!! Turns out the charger was faulty and both phones are fine, i now have two phones and no explanation as to why they told me it wouldnt charge for them in the shop either (which i suggested they try)

To this day im harassed with phonecalls from them to rate there service etc

wmpdd3

Massive praise for the Qpark attendant in McDonagh Station shopping center in Kilkenny.

I had a screaming hungary baby with me and I paid my parking fee and left the ticket in the machine!!

I got to the barrier before I realised, so I grabbed baby and ran back to the machine, but my ticket was gone and another unpaid ticket was left there.

I went to the hut to see what I'd have to pay and the guy made me another ticket so I could get out. Fair play to him, I'm sure he didnt have to, I could be trying it on and the company was out the fee the other shopper should have paid.

Realy made me day.

jamezito

Hey guys ! i`m posting this to see if anyone else had similar problems to me on the service sasha auto galway provide ?

I went in last saturday 26/11/11 @ 11:30am to see if he could fix my car for the NCT ( i had already done a test and failed for minor problems, some lights, seatbelt and pasanger side bearing) Sasha said yeah no problem, price will be e200 and he will call me around 3pm that day to collect it.

I had no contact with hiim again until monday morning where I HAD TO CALL HIM ! he never rang to tell me i`ll have no car for the weekend and i`ll have no car monday to get to work !

After i went there monday he told me that there was more damage than expected and more parts had to be changed, (surprise, surprise !) the cost was now e250 AND the parts he put in were all SECOND HAND !!!!
i asked him 3 times ``will the car definitely pass`` and he assured me.

When it got dark i checked the lights and they hadn`t been touched ! i called him back again and he said oh sorry i ``forgot`` to tell you about that to come back tuesday and he`ll sort it out.

When i went there tuesday he said now the price was going to be an extra e50 on top of the e250 i had already paid him !

i ended up given him e20 after a very heated debate !

I think the service was absolutely shocking ! <SNIP>. while i was waiting for mt lights to be fixed another couple came in complaining about the exact same thing !

has anyone else experienced similar problems with them ?

In my opinion they <SNIP> extra cash and after all that <SNIP> about the car been fixed and trying to charge me more to get it `fixed`

chickencurry02

i have used them a few times and not had any problems.
Not saying they are better or worse than anyone else.
also if he didnt ring ya back that evening as promised why didnt you contact them, garages only move when you put a bit of pressure on them

squirterist

i had a horrific experience with sasha motors a couple of weeks ago. Left the car in for wheel change and service and they did not service it but was still charged for service. I made an appointment for 4 o clock, when i arrived to get it done, they said they cant do the car til 6. I had a newborn at home and could not waste 2 hours in the cold and rain after a hard 9 hours in the office.They didnt do the tracking and said to call back the next day for the tracking. I rushed down at lunch time to get it done and they said it would cost an extra 35 euro. I just walked out. They have a appalling manners and no customer service skills and I would never use them again.

cranky bollix

I also had a bad experience, I left the car in for a simple job on a loose window.when i came back, they had botched it up and dented my car door in the process, and they tried to charge me for the pleasure

biko

Galway city -> Consumer issues.

dudara

A reminder that this is a forum for Consumer Issues - not for bashing.

Please stick to the original topic.

OP - are you looking for advice on how to proceed here, or are you just seeking to vent?

dudara

jamezito

hi dudara,

I`m not looking to bash anyone. i just wanted to know if other people had any issues similar to mine using sasha auto.

I just feel potential costumers should be able to make up their mind based on previous costumers experiences.

I would welcome any comments on sasha auto weather good or bad on the thread i started.

i don`t want to bash them but i did have a bad experience and i`m seriously thinking of making a complaint to prevent other people being treated the same.

I`m sure some people have had good experiences and i would like to hear their comments too.

thanks

dudara

Then this isn't a Consumer Issue and I am going to merge with the Best/Worst Customer Service thread.

dudara

Xcellor

OK. I should have learnt my lesson from a previous incident with Littlewoods but I was prepared to give them another chance.

25/11/2011 12:00PM ordered a laptop from their site. THe site showed availability and the order went through and I got confirmation. An issue with their site stopped me from checking order. So I phoned later in the day and spoke to customer service who advised me.

1) Laptop was in stock
2) Payment had gone through
3) Would receive the laptop 1st/2nd December.


Great!! I tell my wife to expect an early xmas present...

So today I phone up to check when it will be delivered and am told its out of stock and it won't be coming back into stock and my order is cancelled.

No email. No phone call. I checked my bank account and the money was taken from my card and then just put back on the next day. In the littlewoods account it says this:

26/11/2011

E9MVS24

Sony Vpcej1z1e 17.3in Laptop 575.20 - Sorry Not Available

So on the 26th they refunded me and didn't bother even contacting me to tell me!! I complained and said could I have an alternative product at the same price and was told no.

Absolutely terrible service. Misleading website, misleading call centre agent and then not even bothering to tell me order was cancelled.

Had to tell my wife that her laptop that she was expecting to receive tomorrow is not coming...

X

Zapp Brannigan

Vodafone

I've been living in Canada since January and while here I lost my VF sim card. As I'm coming home soon I decided to contact one of their representatives on boards (Dwayne) and ask if I had to go to a shop to get a new sim and reactivate my account. Knowing that my credit expired six month after my previous topup (which was in December) I was prepared to have to maybe pay for the sim but definitely have to top up my phone when I got back.

Dwayne told me that he had reactivated my number and sent a brand new sim to my home address as well he also gave me back the credit that I had left on my phone when I left the country.

This went above and beyond what I expected and now I won't be phoneless when I arrive back in the country!

Cheers Dwayne and cheers Vodafone!

Curley72

Last christmas i bought a Yamaha micro Hifi for my daughter and in Sept the ipod dock was not recognizing the ipod. Since it was in warranty i took it in to Peats in Parnell St (where i bought the unit) on 1st October.

After a month and a half of waiting i called them and they didnt know where the unit was and it is not back. I was told that they will get someone who is working in the repair center to call me back. Waited another week and i did not get a call back.

So i went in to the store and a guy names <SNIP> attended to me. He checked and advised that it is not here and he can only check with Yamaha service center on Monday and he will call my back. I told him that thats what they always say but dont do. He assured me that he will call me back.

As expected <SNIP> did not call me back on Monday but calls me over a week later to advise that it will be in the store on Saturday 26th Nov but its best that i come on Monday 28 Nov. I gave it time and went on 1 Dec and was told that it was not last Monday but next Monday 5 December.

Everytime i speak to anyone in Peats even a floor manager, then answer i get is its not our fault and we cant do anything and we dont know where your stereo is.
So i called them on 8th Dec and advised them that i will be coming on 9 Dec to collect my stereo and if it is not there i will be either compensate in cash or replaced with an item of equivalent price. Otherwise i will be filing a claim with the small claims court for €1000 on Monday.
I got a call back from a guy called <SNIP>, who was the only person who was up front, honest and told me exactly whats going on. Issue with parts and there is an issue with the service center. they have officially complained to Yamaha about this and will compensate me with a 6 months warranty extension.

Went in to collect the stereo on 11 dec, and spoke to <SNIP>. firstly he brings out a big box with Logitech written on the side and asks me if this is my item! What a moron! Do i look like i have xray vision??
Then he proceeds to take it out as i requested it to be tested before i leave the store.

While testing i asked him about the issue with the service center and all he can say is, "Hey, its not my fault". So i proceeded to show him that the service sheet i have states Peats Eletronics which means they are responsible.
His come back was, "Its not my fault and i am not going to argue with you" then he proceeds to walk away! I told him that he is representing Peats and yes its Peats responsibility and fault.

Is this what customer service is? Do they know who the customer is? He fails to realize who is paying his wages!!!

Many people in the service industry in Ireland fail to realize who pays their wages and who the customer is!
Rude, arrogant, dumb, are only some of the words i can describe some of the staff in Peats.

Never again will i buy from such a store! If they cannot treat their customers properly they dont deserve my custom.
Its time we all make a stand to such treatment from stores who think that they are doing us a favor!!!

More like Peats World of Morons!!!

looksee

We have purchased several items from DID. Recently a television stopped working after 13 months with no additional warranty. The assistant voluntarily checked to see if the company would repair under warranty, and they did. Great service!

Zorbas

Have decided I like special offers. Most of the SuperValues, Quinns etc are short-changing people who dont bother or have the time to check till receipts.
With Tesco you get twice the value of the mistake and now I'm in charge again so move to Tesco and exploit the option of offers that are only for the wary. 2x the price = great value = every little helps.

tsoparno

Zorbas wrote: »

Have decided I like special offers. Most of the SuperValues, Quinns etc are short-changing people who dont bother or have the time to check till receipts.
With Tesco you get twice the value of the mistake and now I'm in charge again so move to Tesco and exploit the option of offers that are only for the wary. 2x the price = great value = every little helps.

yep happened me today in supervalue. you could argue these aren't mistakes, they're actually robbing people.

Corruptedmorals

Tesco and Dunnes employ people to literally scan all products and adjust pricing as neccessary (scanned price is always right, it is the signs and labels that have to be adjusted). Big effort also in making sure offer signs etc. are taken down when the offer ends. I don't know why Supervalu don't do the same. Well worth it in the long run.

Dawn Rider

Some of the staff in the Tallaght Tesco are complete scum. I can't believe they're still working there... They're obviously too good for the place Or, so they assume.

The older ladies on check-out are grand. But, I've had one of the others toss my bag on the floor at the self service because 'the machine doesn't recognize it'. When I told her there's a code she has to type in, she barked 'well I don't work here. I'm usually on a till. You'll have to put your stuff through and pack it after you've paid'. And then walked off!
I called her back, but luckily an older staff member stepped in and sorted it out.

But oddly enough, I've had great experiences with the same company in Nutgrove.
About two weeks ago I only realised that I'd forgotten my razor blades when I got to the self service till. So Geraldine (think that's her name) rang through and bagged my items while I ran back for them.

Another time, in the same branch, I was over charged on some crisps. So I went over to customer services where the girl Niamh sorted everything out in a perfectly straightforward courteous manner. She kept apologising while I waited for the label to be checked and then also when she counted out the money returned, which threw me a bit...

For me these are deciding factors on whether I go back to a shop. As in, if an issue occurs do I want to go back to a place where the staff are openly hostile and take it as a personal insult if you point out a mistake?
Or, go to where the staff are friendly and polite and just fix things without any dramas?

The_Conductor

I've had similar geographic experiences in different Bank of Ireland branches- treated like a criminal and made feel that I was somehow out to try and scam them in the old Clondalkin branch- whereas treated like a family member, by lovely staff in Eyre square Galway, Rathmines, Montrose, Baggot Street, Lucan and elsewhere. The way they treated me in the old Clondalkin branch (which I believe has since closed?) has made me avoid Clondalkin as a whole whenever possible (and some of the staff there actually knew me- as I went to school in the area 20 odd years previous).

Edit: I was buying dollars in the Clondalkin branch and did the calculation incl. of commission in my head, correctly, and this was somehow taken to mean I had some ulterior motive as people aren't supposed to be able to do maths in their heads (I'm also the guy who knows exactly what my weekly grocery shopping will come to at the till- and I remember the shelf prices for absolutely everything I've bought- I'm on first name terms with the manager of Tesco Maynooth as a result).

What goes around comes around......

Zorbas

Roberts Radio are good. My internet radio (a Roberts Stream 83i) got corrupted following a software update download and sent it to Roberts for repair. They sent me back a new radio free of charge even though it was not under guarantee.

Dawn Rider

smccarrick wrote: »

I've had similar geographic experiences in different Bank of Ireland branches- treated like a criminal and made feel that I was somehow out to try and scam them in the old Clondalkin branch- whereas treated like a family member, by lovely staff in Eyre square Galway, Rathmines, Montrose, Baggot Street, Lucan and elsewhere. The way they treated me in the old Clondalkin branch (which I believe has since closed?) has made me avoid Clondalkin as a whole whenever possible (and some of the staff there actually knew me- as I went to school in the area 20 odd years previous).

Edit: I was buying dollars in the Clondalkin branch and did the calculation incl. of commission in my head, correctly, and this was somehow taken to mean I had some ulterior motive as people aren't supposed to be able to do maths in their heads (I'm also the guy who knows exactly what my weekly grocery shopping will come to at the till- and I remember the shelf prices for absolutely everything I've bought- I'm on first name terms with the manager of Tesco Maynooth as a result).

What goes around comes around......

I get some very suspicious looks in chemists for having the exact money ready for Panadol!? I've obviously bought them before and must be up to no good :rolleyes:

hellboy99

Worst customer experience ever, and I don't say that lightly.

Myself and a friend where in PC World Dundalk last week, looking to purchase Windows 7 Home Premium. Before going to the store I checked the price on your site and then rang customer service to verify if there was a copy in the store and the shop floor price, I was told there was 3 copies available and the in-store price was €139.99 (same as your website).

We went to the store to purchase it and when the sales guy scanned it in it came up as €149.99. With that I told him the above and off he went to the girl in charge to get a price change done as he didn't have the authorisation to do it. Before I get into the rest of my experience I have to say that the sales guy that I was dealing with I found very helpful and a pleasure to deal with, apologies as I can't remember his name, he was a tall foreign person and his name begins with an "L".

So he comes back from speaking to his work colleague, I presume she was the manager (her name is <SNIP>) only to be told he could not do a price change as €149.99 was the in-store price and the price of €139.99 on the PC World website was the online price. I questioned him on this especially after being told over the phone that the in-store was €139.99. He asked for the same person to come over and she just ignored him, this went on for a couple minutes. Now fair enough if the store was packed but it wasn't, there was about three other customers in the store and she was clearly ignoring him. He ended up printing off the product and price from the site and brought it over to her, when he came I was told the same again that €149.99 was the price.

I then went off to ask her for myself and as I went after her she started to walk off, I eventually caught up to her and asked about the prices only to be told that the store price and online prices were different and before I could question why she just walked off and went out the back. Needless to say I was not a happy customer and I also felt sorry for the way she treated the sales person.

I left the store and went next door into Currys looking for the same product, thankfully <SNIP> was there who I have always found a pleasure to deal with. I told her what I was looking for and the treatment I received next door, she was shocked to say the least. She checked the PC World website and said that the price was indeed €139.99 and that would be the price I pay in-store. As it was near closing and the one copy they had would be a bit of a job to find she personally took me back next door into PC World asked the girl there what was going on, to which she replied; "she didn't like the way I spoke to her!", I didn't even get a chance to have a conversation with her and neither did the sales guy who tried to help by doing his job!

In end <SNIP> from your Currys store sorted out the purchase for me by going beyond that "extra mile for a customer".

I don't like to come back with bad feedback but in this instance I really have to, coming from both a customer and work colleague perspective. I have worked in various retail over the years, from sales person, to supervisor, to manager and I'm shocked at the behaviour from this one person, especially from someone in charge. It is no way to treat a customer and a work colleague.
There is really no excuse for it, it's certainly something you don't want to see happening on a shop floor in front of customers. Not only that but given the times we find ourselves in and the level of unemployment, when you see something like this happening you can't help but think that there are plenty of people out there more deserving of the job.

Pretty Polly

Rant: Vogue Hair Salon Dublin 3

I went in there one Friday, i had decided to get my hair done at the last minute and Vogues was the the only one in the area with a slot available.
Firstly a new girl washed my hair, thats fine as i understand they have to learn somehow. It was the girl who was cutting my hair that i had the problem with.

My hair was a bit messy as i had it down and the wind had blown it in all directions. The girl told me there was a huge knot in my hair. Oops i know. Darn wind! Then she started questioning me like a 2 year old on why i hadn't brushed my hair and how bad it is for my hair. I felt like i was getting a telling off.:mad: Then she started lecturing, yes lecturing me on hair. Like seriously!!

Then she had a look at my hair and told me it was uneven and she asked me if i'd cut in myself.:mad: I'd paid €43 to get it cut about 2 months previous so no. Then she asked me about 50 questions on where i lived, what i worked at etc. Do you know it was as if she was speaking without thinking! I just wanted to slap her in the end so i ended up leaving without getting my blowdry:(

I paid €30 and i shall not be back.

the groutch

hellboy99 wrote: »

I left the store and went next door into Currys looking for the same product

PC World & Currys are both owned by the same company, you should have found somewhere else (Harvey Norman, Power City, etc) to buy it imo.