Good customer service is a thing of the past. AIBU ?

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In the last year I have had cause to complain to a couple of companies. The customer service I have received after the complaint has been shocking. Very slow response, having to use online forms generating automatic replies, no available phone number to speak properly to a staff member and a general complete lack of awareness of a customer's needs. The first complaint was last year against Ryanair and took 9 months to resolve, the second is ongoing but after waiting 3 weeks to a reply to me email, I rang the only available number to be told they are sales, don't deal with it, don't have a number for complaints. When I asked what I should do then and was told to send another email(that generates a generic standard reply of 'we'll get back to you in 21 days') I said I wasn't happy and was asking to speak to a supervisor when the staff member said " If i can get a word in...." AIBU to think this is not the way to speak to a customer? Granted, I wasn't happy but I was not being rude or shouty. I used to handle complaints for a large building society and would have been seriously reprimanded for saying that.

We have to use services that have good customer service, not the cheapest. If you use the cheapest, the cut came from somewhere. Training, customer service, people answering the actual phone.

People want great service fabulous stuff, lots of staff, corporations to pay their staff properly and pay their taxes ethically and be nice to polar bears. All while paying 2 quid for a t-shirt. Or 20 quid for a flight...

Customer service is weird now.

Bit like the Hunger Games. You need real skill to negotiate.

Facebook or Twitter are the way to get quicker action I'm told.

Depends really, I can't fault some - Amazon, H&M, John Lewis, and Waitrose off the top of my head.

You gets what you pay for

Hmm yes I suppose you are right. The second company is JET2. Another cheapy. Still, I'm not expecting bouquets of flowers but just someone who knows how to speak to a customer and has basic manners would be nice.

Ryanair are notorious for not caring about customer service ,I'd never fly with them.

You're complaining - why would they spend money on you....

I vowed after that complaint to NEVER, EVER use Ryanair again and I won't. I came very close to throwing my phone across the room when dealing with them, they really were an absolute joke.

t4gnut Image, reputation, repeat business?

When you complain you test the company/service. How they respond or resolve a complaint or problem can make or break the relationship/brand loyalty. as a customer, I accept that mistakes happen, it's how they are put right that counts.

If I'm having issues with a company tweeting about it gets a fabulous response!
I had poor delivery service from Waitrose 3 weeks in a row and got flowers, wine and a £20 gift token cos I tweeted!!
I had fab customer service from White Stuff lately...dress out of stock on line but they found a store near me who had it in stock and kept it for me

I work in customer service dealing with technical isssues for a large retailer. I know that the training that we receive does make all the difference and we will all go the extra mile for our customers. However, some customers just cannot be pleased, you could give them a moon on a stick and they'd still complain that all customer service has gone out of the window.

Sometimes you just can't win.

It just depends on the place. I've had excellent experiences with Netflix (when someone in Mexico stole my account they got me right back in within minutes) and Pets At Home (sent me £40 worth of vouchers all because I let them know that a toy was a bit dodgy)

I had always thought RyanAir was notoriously bad for everything and that people used them at their own risk, no excuse for bad customer service mind and I'm not surprised you're annoyed but I genuinely thought everyone knew...

I suppose I am referrring to call centre/online customer service. I've had great service in shops, restaurants etc. I will try the Facebook thing. I don't tweet.

Customer service in some places is excellent. We went to Centerparcs recently and had a couple of issues. Leaking dishwasher one night. Key broke in bike lock the next day. Both times, guest services were friendly, courteous and helpful. Both problems sorted out very quickly.

for the record, I didn't use Ryanair, my parents did. I was handling their complaint and now everyone I know will only use Ryanair if they like risk.

Good customer service in the UK isn't a thing of the past. It's a thing of the future. In other words, it has never existed but someday (if we close our eyes and clap our hands and repeat, "I do believe in customer service") it might.

I'm only half kidding. Some companies in the UK do offer good customer service, of course. But it isn't something that can be counted on, as it can in some other countries.

Quick update. Eventually got a written reply from JET2 with satisfactory compensation. It took 4 weeks to reply to my email with no update in between and their call centre staff seriously lack the right approach but we got some money back at least.

I've been thinking the same thing. I've had shocking customer service with a very large well know Building Society. It's my mother's account but I have power of attorney so was dealing on her behalf. It was almost comical the amount of things that they got wrong & then the follow up was as equally as dismal. I'm moving her accounts now & can't wait to finish dealing with them.

I had terrible customer service twice in the same a supermarket recently, so asked to speak to the manager. Not in a rude nasty way. Just as I wanted to pass on some feedback as the service was shocking & he might be able to rectify it. He genuinely didn't give a shit & I just wished I hadn't said a word & I shop elsewhere now.

Is it perhaps that we can easily change our banking/supermarkets that they don't care about good customer care anymore, the next person will be along soon!

Given the great service, friendly advice and pleasant conversation we had this morning I'd say YABU if you want that to be a blanket statement.

Many companies, large and small, round here are great. Very friendly, very helpful and never leave you waiting for a response.

How very frustrating for you! Our local Tescos store customer service team is awful (they seem to have gone looking for the most unhelpful members of their staff for that team, while the staff at the tills are lovely!) , and Currys staff are very charming but nothing actually gets done about any problem. However two fabulous women at Homebase spent half an hour putting together a mower for an elderly relative on the shop floor behind the till so he didn't have to get it out of the packaging and fight the bolts with arthritic hands, and one of the staff at the Tesco bakery counter saw my DM looking for her favourite type of loaf, told her the batch was still in the oven, to carry on with her shopping and he'd bring her one when it was done, and he not only searched the store to give it to her, he'd had it sliced first. There are some individual gems out there.

We had an issue with Jet2 it was solved in a phonecall within minutes. They upgraded our holiday at no extra cost, made sure we were all sat together on the plane and gave us free meals. We couldn't fault them.

We had a problem with Thomson, again after a letter of complaint they gave us an apology, refunded the cost of the holiday that we'd already been on and gave us compensation.

I suppose it's luck of the draw.

Netflix have INCREDIBLE customer service. I wish things would go wrong sometimes just so I can call them

Good to hear there is still some great service out there, I've been unlucky it seems.