Why has customer service gone to pot lately ?

Rabidlamb

Has there been a conscious decision by companies to save money by not dealing with complaints.
In the past 2 months I've been to the ringer with Vodafone, Ulster Bank & Smyths Toys over issues that would have been a priority years ago.

Vodafone wouldn't send out a replacement for their broken router unless I signed a new 12 month contract, I sourced one myself for a tenner on Adverts.
Ulster Bank had to be threatened with the financial ombudsman before they caved in & offered decent compensation for the 6 weeks of misery.
Smyths Toys wouldn't replace a broken belt clip on a new buggy, I relieved them of the replacement from a store display model instead.

Has anyone else noticed a deterioration in customer service in recent years ?.
Maybe I've just rose tinted spectacles of the past.

Where To

People don't take pride in their work, that's why.

summerskin

We call them cuntomers.

gobnaitolunacy

It seems to be sh1t in this country, generally.

In Australia, 99% people serving at counters were pleasant, rather than being annoyed at being woken up from their nap here.

Edit: Is 'relieved' code for nicked?
Nice.

Death and Taxes

Rabidlamb wrote: »

Has there been a conscious decision by companies to save money by not dealing with complaints.
In the past 2 months I've been to the ringer with Vodafone, Ulster Bank & Smyths Toys over issues that would have been a priority years ago.

Vodafone wouldn't send out a replacement for their broken router unless I signed a new 12 month contract, I sourced one myself for a tenner on Adverts.
Ulster Bank had to be threatened with the financial ombudsman before they caved in & offered decent compensation for the 6 weeks of misery.
Smyths Toys wouldn't replace a broken belt clip on a new buggy, I relieved them of the replacement from a store display model instead.

Has anyone else noticed a deterioration in customer service in recent years ?.
Maybe I've just rose tinted spectacles of the past.

So what you mean is you stole one! Well done big man.:mad:

Duggy747

Rabidlamb wrote: »

Smyths Toys wouldn't replace a broken belt clip on a new buggy, I relieved them of the replacement from a store display model instead.

So some Joe / Jane Soap working there is in trouble because you effectively stole from the shop.

krudler

Rabidlamb wrote: »

Has there been a conscious decision by companies to save money by not dealing with complaints.
In the past 2 months I've been to the ringer with Vodafone, Ulster Bank & Smyths Toys over issues that would have been a priority years ago.

Vodafone wouldn't send out a replacement for their broken router unless I signed a new 12 month contract, I sourced one myself for a tenner on Adverts.
Ulster Bank had to be threatened with the financial ombudsman before they caved in & offered decent compensation for the 6 weeks of misery.
Smyths Toys wouldn't replace a broken belt clip on a new buggy, I relieved them of the replacement from a store display model instead.

Has anyone else noticed a deterioration in customer service in recent years ?.
Maybe I've just rose tinted spectacles of the past.

If the router was broken and not a manufacturers fault then why would they? Not their fault if you broke the router, if it was faulty within warranty thats a different story.

Ulster Bank had a huge issue, these things happen, sure it was badly dealt with but you weren't the only one.

Smyths wouldnt replace something broken so you stole it, brilliant.

ScumLord

Customer service is expensive. People care more about getting cheap products so after sales service is going to suffer because of those lower prices. Businesses regularly pay extra for a good after sales support system but the general public are fooled into thinking their buying something that is of much better quality than what they're actually getting.

dr.bollocko

Perhaps you're just older and as a result crankier and less polite OP.

UCDVet

I think it's a result of it being too hard to fire people.

Where To

summerskin wrote: »

We call them cuntomers.

Although you are joking (I think), this is sadly a very common attitude. Not all customers are *****, but they generally turn into ***** if that's how you treat them.

super_furry

A lot of people working in customer service don't want to be. They weren't doing it five or six years ago (and many simply wouldn't) but needs must now and they're working in these jobs through gritted teeth.

Overheal

Where To wrote: »

Although you are joking (I think), this is sadly a very common attitude. Not all customers are *****, but they generally turn into ***** if that's how you treat them.

You sire have never read the Cries of Retail.

msg11

Poxy investors is the problem they want to see an increase in profits year on year and the workload placed on staff while staff levels drop is the reason for bad customer service..

krudler

Overheal wrote: »

You sire have never read the Cries of Retail.

By far the funniest thread on boards.

Overheal

krudler wrote: »

By far the funniest thread on boards.

And it saves lives

Duggy747

krudler wrote: »

By far the funniest thread on boards.

The only thing that stops workers from killing customers by allowing them to blow off steam :pac:

Rabidlamb

krudler wrote: »

If the router was broken and not a manufacturers fault then why would they? Not their fault if you broke the router, if it was faulty within warranty thats a different story.

The router slowly died, nobody broke it.
They were continuing to charge us for broadband that we couldn't receive due to their faulty hardware.
Would you continue to pay Sky if their dish fell down or the box stopped working & they failed to repair/replace them.

krudler wrote: »

Ulster Bank had a huge issue, these things happen, sure it was badly dealt with but you weren't the only one.

Agreed but €25 was an insult for what me & my wife went through.
Ombudsman was the nuclear option but the only thing they'd listen to.

krudler wrote: »

Smyths wouldnt replace something broken so you stole it, brilliant.

That's one way of looking at it but no greater an infringement than ignoring my consumer rights.
My actions expedited the matter to it's ultimate conclusion anyway.
Also, I'm a bit of a c*nt & tend to be rash in these situations.

Where To

Overheal wrote: »

You sire have never read the Cries of Retail.

I have and some of the attitudes there are quite frankly shocking:), and I never underestimate the stupidity of the general public either. But people with a good customer service attitude generally have less angst with customers than those who see customers as a hindrance.

It actually takes less effort to be helpful than to be hateful, but sadly a lot of people seem not to realise this.

Dodge

I find most customer service staff I deal with are fine

I think its more down to customers a) expecting too much b) unable to explain their problem and/or c) just looking to have a moan

msg11

Where To wrote: »

Although you are joking (I think), this is sadly a very common attitude. Not all customers are *****, but they generally turn into ***** if that's how you treat them.

Well almost 90% of people I deal with start sentences like so,

Where are the eggs(or product).

Not sure about you but I was brought up with manners. So if they had any respect for staff they would use. Excuse me , Where are the eggs please? Customers who approach me get 120% this way.

Death and Taxes

Rabidlamb wrote: »

The router slowly died, nobody broke it.
They were continuing to charge us for broadband that we couldn't receive due to their faulty hardware.
Would you continue to pay Sky if their dish fell down or the box stopped working & they failed to repair/replace them.



Agreed but €25 was an insult for what me & my wife went through.
Ombudsman was the nuclear option but the only thing they'd listen to.



That's one way of looking at it but no greater an infringement than ignoring my consumer rights.
My actions expedited the matter to it's ultimate conclusion anyway.
Also, I'm a bit of a c*nt & tend to be rash in these situations.

Post fixed.:D

Where To

msg11 wrote: »

Well almost 90% of people I deal with start sentences like so,

Where are the eggs(or product).

Not sure about you but I was brought up with manners. So if they had any respect for staff they would use. Excuse me , Where are the eggs please? Customers who approach me get 120% this way.

So two wrongs make a right?

krudler

Where To wrote: »

I have and some of the attitudes there are quite frankly shocking:), and I never underestimate the stupidity of the general public either. But people with a good customer service attitude generally have less angst with customers than those who see customers as a hindrance.

It actually takes less effort to be helpful than to be hateful, but sadly a lot of people seem not to realise this.

Nobody working in retail or customer care starts out hating the public, you become that way from the abuse and stupidity you put up with on a daily basis, make no bones about it 90% of people you deal with are complete fcuking morons, the minority are the polite, sane and rational people who make it bearable. You could equally ask the question when did customers be one rude, self entitled assholes?

Rabidlamb

WileyCoyote wrote: »

Post fixed.:D

Why you little . . . . . [ruffles hair]

iDave

People call customer service with the intention of being confrontational. Usually armed with a demand there just not entitled to.
From my experience in call centres you get eejits demanding a lower price for no good reason even though they're fixed prices. The same people wouldnt walk into a shop though and demand a lower price on a fixed price item. Its the telephone version of keyboard warriors, act like an @sshole as theirs no consequences and your dealing with a stranger you cant see.

ArthurG

ScumLord wrote: »

Customer service is expensive. People care more about getting cheap products so after sales service is going to suffer because of those lower prices.

+1

You can't expect First Class service on Ryanair prices......

Mountjoy Mugger

msg11 wrote: »

Well almost 90% of people I deal with start sentences like so,

Where are the eggs(or product).

Not sure about you but I was brought up with manners. So if they had any respect for staff they would use. Excuse me , Where are the eggs please? Customers who approach me get 120% this way.

Sweet mother of all that's holy..if that's all that's bothering you, you've got a problem.

P.S. Thanks for reading.

Where To

krudler wrote: »

Nobody working in retail or customer care starts out hating the public, you become that way from the abuse and stupidity you put up with on a daily basis, make no bones about it 90% of people you deal with are complete fcuking morons, the minority are the polite, sane and rational people who make it bearable. You could equally ask the question when did customers be one rude, self entitled assholes?

They've always been that way. Hazard of the job. If you can't handle it you can't do your job. The customers haven't gotten any worse, the way they are dealt with has.

msg11

Where To wrote: »

So two wrongs make a right?

No see the thing is regardless I have to help them, if there attitude changes while dealing with them mine will too.

Do you work in retail can I ask? I think not, if you did you would understand. We deal with some of the most rudest people in our society.

And if your thinking I am only a prick , well on the way home from my shift off the clock, me and my friend noticed one guy pushing a car, flat battery, we offered to help push and got him going. So going on that I take pride in my job and company, but I cannot stand people looking down on me because ' I pack shelves in a shop ' and you can tell these people from lack of manners. The demanding I want it now, trying to tell me I am wrong when I say we don't stock a product.

msg11

Mountjoy Mugger wrote: »

Sweet mother of all that's holy..if that's all that's bothering you, you've got a problem.

P.S. Thanks for reading.

If you seen some of the most degrading looks and down right snobbery when asking that questions towards you, such as that. You wouldn't be happy in fact it's disgraceful the way people have no manners towards each other. So yes , I do have a problem.

Where To

msg11 wrote: »

No see the thing is regardless I have to help them, if there attitude changes while dealing with them mine will too.

Do you work in retail can I ask? I think not, if you did you would understand. We deal with some of the most rudest people in our society.

And if your thinking I am only a prick , well on the way home from my shift off the clock, me and my friend noticed one guy pushing a car, flat battery, we offered to help push and got him going. So going on that I take pride in my job and company, but I cannot stand people looking down on me because ' I pack shelves in a shop ' and you can tell these people from lack of manners. The demanding I want it now, trying to tell me I am wrong when I say we don't stock a product.

Rise above it man. My job revolves around dealing with people when they are at their worst, but no matter how awkward, hateful or downright evil they are treating them as such does you no favours whatsoever.

sfwcork

often have battles with Three mobile. Theyre robots though so end up with me losing my cool and them hanging up

msg11

Where To wrote: »

Rise above it man. My job revolves around dealing with people when they are at their worst, but no matter how awkward, hateful or downright evil they are treating them as such does you no favours whatsoever.

I do rise above it, you said do two wrongs make a right. I don't change my attitude, I will help you out even if you have no manners. But if your been a little polite you'll have my full attention about what you want.

Rabidlamb

sfwcork wrote: »

often have battles with Three mobile. Theyre robots though so end up with me losing my cool and them hanging up

What I really hate is being kept on hold for 15 minutes & then the line goes dead.
Or explaining your problem to one company rep & ringing up the next day to repeat the same conversation to someone different.

maximoose

I'm sick of seeing people moaning about f*cking customer service on company pages on facebook.

sfwcork

I completely agree.My issue with Three is the attitude of the reps. Theyre like robots.

I did work in a job like that years ago when out of college so I understand it from the other side but on the flip side I also understand how sometimes they go out of theyre way to be awkward

My pet hate is constantly repetion and thenif you ask for a manager they promise a call back which never comes

sfwcork

I worked a customer service job before for a UK education company and I hada teacher thretening to burn kids exams until he got the response he wanted. Sad thing I actually couldnt help him but he wouldnt listen.He was going crazy. He called me a " Paddy A$4hole". My reply was "Oh how professional" and hey ho off he went..Thatw as 6 yrs ago

bluecode

I'm never rude or obnoxious to shop staff. I'm rather diffident in real life. That doesn't stop them being rude to me at times. Now I understand bad experiences with customers are a reason and having a bad day might be a reason. But I didn't cause it. So don't take it out on me!

One thing I do hate is when I ask for something and the reaction is almost surprise and dismay that I've disturbed them somehow. Now if I was more of a b****x I might react badly. But usually I make a note of it and don't go back.

Yeah you hate your job, so do we all. Get over it and do what you're paid to do.

Customer has dis-improved even as it has had more emphasis than ever in the modern world.

One of the worst I ever experienced was with Smart Telecom. We set up a direct debit but something went wrong and they never took the money. Just kept sending bill after bill. We tried everything to get them to take the money. But it took months and month of us begging them to take the money before we finally got someone who knew what they were doing.

Another time we ordered a kitchen from a well known DIY chain. The rep came out and it was all arranged......we thought. We heard no more. My wife rang and rang. No one was available. We got onto Supervisor, he didn't know anything about it he said and was completely unhelpful. We kept ringing back. Now my wife is an exceptionally pleasant person but even she began to lose it. Eventually we went elsewhere. It was unbelievable.

I think everyone has similar experiences.

krudler

Where To wrote: »

They've always been that way. Hazard of the job. If you can't handle it you can't do your job. The customers haven't gotten any worse, the way they are dealt with has.

I can do my job just fine cheers, I'm never rude to people back, all I'm saying is people who are nice get way, way more done for them than the screaming assholes on the phone. It seems people think shouting abuse (often personal abuse) down the phone or across a counter at someone is going to get their issue sorted faster, it won't the majority of the time.

mashedbanana

krudler wrote: »

Nobody working in retail or customer care starts out hating the public, you become that way from the abuse and stupidity you put up with on a daily basis, make no bones about it 90% of people you deal with are complete fcuking morons, the minority are the polite, sane and rational people who make it bearable. You could equally ask the question when did customers be one rude, self entitled assholes?

Oh hang on I think I can answer this one! :-)

It's simple 'some' members of the public like my mother (who is a complete and utter B****) get a sick & twisted enjoyable feeling out of making staff bend over backwards for her.
She knows very well, know that these people (some who are highly qualified, and now working in mundane jobs just to pay for the car petrol) are hanging onto their jobs by the skin of their teeth, trying to make ends meet. In a rotten depression (not recession). She makes them dance for her, cos she can. Customer is always right and that sh*t.

i once sat and watched her tell a woman (inside the counter of a café) that she could get her sacked, cos my mother knows the owner of the café very well! What an absolutely rotten disgusting thing to threaten anyone with.(I refuse to be seen in public with her in case some one says 'wow is that your mother'. Its easy to to, I now live miles away from her)

But there are also 'some' staff members out there, that are very sweet & nice. Others shouldn't be left near a customer. They just don't have the people skills, or have not been trained in properly, or resent the fact that 2 years ago they owned their own business, and today they are making breakfast rolls... Either way...it takes all sorts to make the world go around.
Everyone is alot more sensitive, moody, piggish again, cos of the money problems. Well...thats my penneys worth. :-)

Plazaman

WileyCoyote wrote: »

So what you mean is you stole one! Well done big man.:mad:

Duggy747 wrote: »

So some Joe / Jane Soap working there is in trouble because you effectively stole from the shop.

Better the belt clip be hot
Than the ground with a tot

Better to have a stolen belt clip than an injured child.

Please and Thanks are standard in my vocabulary when buying something, can't understand the reluctance of people to use them. Even when the service is ****ty I have the misfortune of saying Thanks.

okiss

I have noticed that customer service has gone to pot lately.
I have gone into shops and wondered how the staff got the job and then how have the kept there job. Some places you go to you feel that you should not be there as your keeping them from the chat about the social life ect.
I would agree with the previous post that a lot of people are doing customer service work which they would have not done during the boom.
Recently someone I know thanked a woman in a shop for being so helpful and she replied if we don't have customers I don't have a job.
I have worked with the public and I know that some people are demanding/hard to please but if you sorted out things the 1st attempt it would be better.

Dodge

maximoose wrote: »

I'm sick of seeing people moaning about f*cking customer service on company pages on facebook.

Sweet suffering jesus these people are the pits. Possibly only below people who call radio stations to complain.

Do they think that getting a thousand other saps to 'like' their post will help sway anything?

Dear Ryanair,

I didn't read the T&Cs and was embarressed in the airport when the plane left without me. I demand an apology....

krudler

Dodge wrote: »

Sweet suffering jesus these people are the pits. Possibly only below people who call radio stations to complain.

Do they think that getting a thousand other saps to 'like' their post will help sway anything?

Dear Ryanair,

I didn't read the T&Cs and was embarressed in the airport when the plane left without me. I demand an apology....

I'd love if companies could post the full history of the issue just to embarass them enough into never posting there again.

Where To

krudler wrote: »

I can do my job just fine cheers, I'm never rude to people back, all I'm saying is people who are nice get way, way more done for them than the screaming assholes on the phone. It seems people think shouting abuse (often personal abuse) down the phone or across a counter at someone is going to get their issue sorted faster, it won't the majority of the time.

Well, I am one of the most mannerly people anyone will ever have the pleasure of dealing with I can honestly say that being nice as a customer rarely helps getting anything done.

Bottom line, dress it up any way you want.

People don't give a sh1t about customers.

Anyone

Customer service hasnt changed much, peoples expectations has. Everyone is an expert now and "knows their rights".

dan1895

krudler wrote: »

I'd love if companies could post the full history of the issue just to embarass them enough into never posting there again.

That happened before with some hotel in Waterford with hilarious consequences

Davyhal

I must say there are only a few incidences when I have found staff extremely rude or unhelpful (and they have all been girls in their late teens/early twenties aka. same age as myself). In all incidences, they were working in newsagents/petrol stations and were too occupied with their mobile phones or their friends in the shop to care about the customer, and they made it quiet clear that you were interupting their social lives by daring to purchase milk, bread and cigarettes!!!!

But in the vast majority of my encounters, I have found them the standard of customer service not to be as dire as described here... This is possibly because I have worked in customer service before, and 3 years in the complaints department of a health insurance company (those are people with real complaints!)., so I know what they are going through... Therefore, I generally am as polite and cheery to staff as I know the difference it makes when you are working, and I always find that the response is very positive... and dealing with call centres, just have all your information with you before you call and it'll be fine. You cant call up with nothing to hand and expect the worker to perform miracles... the volume of customers is immense!

bodhrandude

Well with Colorado and Washington customer services, this is self explanatory.

saralou2011

msg11 wrote: »

Well almost 90% of people I deal with start sentences like so,

Where are the eggs(or product).

Not sure about you but I was brought up with manners. So if they had any respect for staff they would use. Excuse me , Where are the eggs please? Customers who approach me get 120% this way.

Usually they don't even bother with "where is...." they just bark out "eggs"