Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Crap Customer Service

75 replies

yphtutor · 08/08/2020 19:13

AIBU to be thoroughly pissed off with so many companies using COVID for their really really crappy customer service? Can’t get through to anyone, when I do, long message then get cut off! It’s so frustrating. I’m not going to name but a very, normally great customer care airline who cancelled our booking in May, no problem with that totally understand, had to pretend I wanted to make a new booking. Couldn’t get through on the number they supplied for their ‘very valuable customers’ who have had their holidays cancelled (and we haven’t just asked for a refund).
I really think the majority of companies, not all, but definitely most, need to stop using COVID as an excuse for absolutely crap customer service. If I hear one more time I’m working remotely, or please bear with us during this difficult time I will explode. We are all having to deal with this and clearly some, not many, are doing it far better than others.
Stop the excuses 😖

OP posts:
Ilovegreentomatoes · 08/08/2020 19:15

Which is why all this I can work from home just as effectively is a load of crap.

hammeringinmyhead · 08/08/2020 19:17

YABU. If somewhere needed 100% of their call handlers and is now working at say 50% to ensure a distanced office, then responses and wait times are going to be slow. And probably extra extra slow because the staff are spending 20 minutes being yelled at for virus-related issues.

Unfair or illogical decisions regarding policy on covid, fair enough.

OutOfHours · 08/08/2020 19:20

But Covid IS affecting how business's run!

I've worked from the office the entire time, but the business I work for has been running very different, and I will apologise to the customer if they are not receiving their usual level of service.

Airlines in particular have been kicked and punched in the gut through all this, and I feel for every one of their customer service team!

Starbuggy · 08/08/2020 19:24

YABU

I do agree that for most companies, they were affected by the initial shock of having to switch to remote working, but should be more or less back to to speed.

But for companies like airlines, holiday companies, travel insurance, they’re dealing with unprecedented levels of demand for their customer services, and it’s difficult to scale up their operation, and then they will have invested in training people and equipping them for what is a short term peak in demand

Original poster
yphtutor · 08/08/2020 19:26

Sorry forgot to make the point we did rebook today, but again on the phone for several hours, trying many different phone numbers until we
got through on a ‘new booking’ line. No other number was answered and no apology forthcoming from the company involved.

OP posts:
Original poster
yphtutor · 08/08/2020 19:29

As I do but that is no excuse. I work in a customer service industry too and it is even more important now that we do everything we can for our customers.

OP posts:
Rose789 · 08/08/2020 19:29

I work in a call centre and I am working from home. This week alone bt had an internet outage— we lost at least 60% of the staff working from home on bt, plus net and talk talk. Virgin internet has been down in this area for the last 2 days- again several staff can not work. I work in new business and all week I’ve had calls through for people looking to talk about the renewal and then complaining when I say I need to transfer them to that department because they’ve been waiting for ages and can’t get through.
Yes it’s frustrating for customers when they need to wait in a queue. But “pretending to make a new booking” will help absolutely no one. If the wait is long call at another time. For example we are absolutely rammed between 10-3 but between 4-6 and it’s absoutley dead and staff are twiddling their thumbs.
Yes it’s frustrating for you but try dealing with it for 9 hours a day where every single customer complains about the length of the recorded message, the time they have waited, the fact the phone lines sometimes dip in and out or cut off. The person you are speaking to will be trying their best to help you in difficult and unusual circumstances- that’s not an excuse that’s a fact. Be patient and be kind

blacktop · 08/08/2020 19:32

@yphtutor

As I do but that is no excuse. I work in a customer service industry too and it is even more important now that we do everything we can for our customers.

You are missing the point spectacularly. The reason you have struggled to get through IS due to Covid. The same level of service that was given before simply cannot be upheld now with less manpower and a shit load more phone calls. It's not an excuse it's a damn harsh reality.

Original poster
yphtutor · 08/08/2020 19:35

No sorry, not going to wash I called between the hours you have stated and was just left hanging. Not good enough! I get the whole thing but just stop the excuses. Everyone is under pressure, everyone is affected by this, but that is no excuse for crap customer service. Just a courtesy response to an email or answer the phone!

OP posts:
blacktop · 08/08/2020 19:37

@yphtutor

No sorry, not going to wash I called between the hours you have stated and was just left hanging. Not good enough! I get the whole thing but just stop the excuses. Everyone is under pressure, everyone is affected by this, but that is no excuse for crap customer service. Just a courtesy response to an email or answer the phone!

YABVVVU

Seriously, have a think.

Original poster
yphtutor · 08/08/2020 19:37

Rubbish some are just not bothering, working from home! Some are some aren’t don’t be so naive!

OP posts:
MumsyMumIAmNot · 08/08/2020 19:39

YANBU I work for a charity and I'm returning every single call and email within atleast 24 hours, just me responding aswell.

Original poster
yphtutor · 08/08/2020 19:40

Exactly my point thank you for your honesty

OP posts:
blacktop · 08/08/2020 19:41

@yphtutor

Rubbish some are just not bothering, working from home! Some are some aren’t don’t be so naive!

I'm not the one being naive about the gravity of this situation Confused

Bellybootcut · 08/08/2020 19:41

YABU. Of course it has affected business. In my office we can only accomodate 50 percent of usual staff. Some can work from home but many can't. We don't need to be given a hard time by people complaining we're not up to standard. We're knackered and doing our best.

blacktop · 08/08/2020 19:42

@MumsyMumIAmNot

YANBU I work for a charity and I'm returning every single call and email within atleast 24 hours, just me responding aswell.

You are one example. One. Just be seen the number of contacts you are recovering is manageable for you does not mean that will replicate throughout the customer service sector. Be realistic.

blacktop · 08/08/2020 19:43

Urg what a mess that post was Blush

I mean you are managing but you are not the same as everyone business. Can you not see that some organisations are affected differently?

Original poster
yphtutor · 08/08/2020 19:43

Government were paying for furloughed staff, maybe you should be questioning why your company didn’t and look for a new employer

OP posts:
blacktop · 08/08/2020 19:45

@yphtutor

Government were paying for furloughed staff, maybe you should be questioning why your company didn’t and look for a new employer

This comment doesn't even make any sense. The poster was explaining why less staff were working, not complete about furlough

Rose789 · 08/08/2020 19:45

No sorry, not going to wash I called between the hours you have stated and was just left hanging. Not good enough! I get the whole thing but just stop the excuses. Everyone is under pressure, everyone is affected by this, but that is no excuse for crap customer service. Just a courtesy response to an email or answer the phone!
Umm you know I don’t work for the airline you were calling right? As I said try at different times of the day if your call is urgent. If it isn’t urgent then send an email and wait for a response.
I’ve been trying to get a refund for a holiday paid on my credit card since March. It finally came through last week. Was I pissed off about it- no. Because I thought of how many of the exact same request they will have had to deal with. With reduced staff, with it issues and working remotely.
You say you work in customer service? Then surely you understand if the demand for your business is suddenly 4x more then usually and you have less staff then usual that you are not going to be able to answer every call and email straight away. Again be patient and be kind.

Original poster
yphtutor · 08/08/2020 19:45

Clearly, not rocket science!

OP posts:
modgepodge · 08/08/2020 19:46

I agree. I saw someone say in here a few days ago, lots of places have a ‘can’t do’ attitude to reopening stuff. It’s like Covid gives them a great excuse to be a bit rubbish.

For example, I went to a well known restaurant chain the other day. I arrived at 11.57 and the door was open. A waiter immediately barked ‘we don’t open til 12!’ When i tried to step inside. Oh, ok, I’ll wait outside and entertain my toddler in the car park, not a problem. A few others arrived, same treatment. Then at 12.03 a waitress arrives and asks if we’ve all joined the virtual queue. No, because we weren’t told to and the poster to do so is on the door, which we were barked at when we went near. Cue about 6 tables all trying to scan a code to join a virtual queue at once, and her asking everyone to make an orderly line and panicking everyone was too close. Would it have killed the original waiter to say ‘we don’t open til 12, please join the virtual queue’ and perhaps had a smile on his face? To top it off, they no longer do children’s meals. I don’t know if you’re particularly likely to catch Covid from a kids meal or what 🤷‍♀️

blacktop · 08/08/2020 19:46

@yphtutor

Clearly, not rocket science!

Can you maybe start quoting who you are responding to because I can't link this to make any kind of sense either Confused

I get that you are annoyed but your anger is misplaced due to your inability to accept you may be wrong.

Fallenmadonnawiththebigboobies · 08/08/2020 19:47

I imagine the staffing levels are diminished through furlough and redundancy. The travel industry is on its arse, going from profitable businesses with money coming in to no profits with money flowing out literally overnight. This will have an impact on service, it's a fine balance between keeping service levels up and keeping your business afloat. As per pp it's also likely that most calls are longer as the situation with quarantine/travel advice evolves.

Original poster
yphtutor · 08/08/2020 19:48

By the way did the email thing 14 days ago no response! Now more than ever customer is important and customer care should be paramount, because people will remember.

OP posts: