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Original poster

To think that Covid has become a convenient excuse for poor service ?

447 replies

Mellonsprite · 26/08/2020 10:09

For some firms (not all) ?
Just come back from a couple of days away in the Uk. Lots of car parks still closed, public toilets not opened, Not many inside activities like museums and castles re-opened yet, the officious-ness of the clipboard wielding all in the name of Covid? The hotel Meal meal (Prepaid) was cancelled at last minute, then acting like refunding my fee paid upfront was highly generous of them, apparently they’d ‘mis-calculated due to Covid’. Neglecting the fact that it left us completely high and dry, unable to speak to guest relations via email or phone. Bars closing at 9pm with staff asking customers can we pay up & leave!

OP posts:
M2B19 · 27/08/2020 17:54

I could understand it more March/April time but not now. It’s just an excuse to be rude and deliver a less than adequate service. I think people think by barking a Covid excuse at you, you should just put up and shut up.

ProfessionalWeirdo · 27/08/2020 17:57

@Namechangr9000

Post office - early on lock down 2 special delivery parcels were delivered (items worth up to £500) I know they cant ask for a signature but they didnt even knock, just left in an open porch. Me and DH work for a small business, it's open every day, our customers want things within certain timeframes.2 of our main suppliers seem to be operating as normal. One is open 9-3 , closed for an hour for lunch and always has queues, another is open 11-3 and always has queues. The amount of time we waste queuing means us working later to try to deliver to our customers on time while the other places staff naff off at 3pm!
If you still have the Special Delivery labels, contact Royal Mail and raise a complaint.
kangaShade · 27/08/2020 17:58

YANBU - we've been waiting for 10 weeks now for Virgin to fix our internet! Apparently it's someone called covid's fault..

justmakemeacuppa · 27/08/2020 18:18

Waited nearly 3 months for windows fitted. They still have my £1000 deposit 3 fit dates later and still no windows. Delays due to covid even tough they are supposed to be on the van???

raspberrylimoncello · 27/08/2020 18:24

Completely agree.

Sainsburys cancelled our grocery delivery with an hours notice because their driver was sick (these things happen) then they said that they could raise an order for it to be delivered on another day but it would have to be charged for a second time and then we would need to wait for the first order to be refunded. It was £150 worth of food per order (so £300 total needed from my account)

Fortunately I had the money in my account but know many wouldn’t have, and what choice would you have when your family need food?!

They don’t take phone calls anymore due to COVID, you just call through and eventually get cut off. Facebook you get an automated response.

Absolutely shocking way to treat customers. Will never shop with them again.

snoodle1 · 27/08/2020 18:26

Yes. Just picked up my car from being serviced and mot'd. I have a service plan with the dealership which I know probably works out a bit expensive compared to shopping around at other garages but they have always valeted the car inside and out and picked up and dropped off for me so for me the convenience is worth paying a bit extra. Until Covid. Now no pick up and drop off (which I sort of understand) but also no valet! I was told this was due to Covid and when I pointed out that someone would need to have been in the car to do the MOT, I was told that only certain people could go in and they weren't the same ones who carry out the valet! I was offered no reduction.

Chocrock · 27/08/2020 18:38

Yes! I’ve come across too many instances of this to mention and service in the UK was already poor

mdh2020 · 27/08/2020 18:39

Just for the record, we went to Dreams this afternoon to buy a new bed and the service (and hygiene precautions) couldn’t be faulted

PullTheBricksDown · 27/08/2020 19:10

Fed up with my GP surgery treating you like terrorists if you suggest you might need an appointment.

Jamdemic · 27/08/2020 19:24

Call centres: I understand the staff are all working at home but why does it take 50-60 minutes to answer the phone? It should be same as if they were all in the call centre itself.
Morrisons - 30-45 minutes to answer, then they cut you off halfway through if you need a refund.
Next - one line was 50 minutes wait (but I did redial and choose a different option that was quicker)

I am perfectly happy next to speak to any staff in person every again, but please make the call centres work again, even if the staff are working at home.

Jamdemic · 27/08/2020 19:27

GPs: only telephone consultations - very good idea, what I would have preferred in most instances before coronavirus.
But they say the appointment is 9.10 then call at 11.30 - if you are then out because you couldn't wait in for 2.5 hours for a phone call that might never come, you have to rearrange and are given an appointment in 2 weeks' time! This has happened twice.

MadisonAvenue · 27/08/2020 19:35

snoodle1 My husband’s car was serviced a couple of weeks ago and didn’t get valeted either, and they’ve not replaced the pollen filter either, they’ve just left a new one in the boot and said that they’ll do it next time.

My son has a hospital appointment tomorrow, by phone. He hasn’t even been given a time, just been told to be available to take the call sometime in the afternoon.

MulticolourMophead · 27/08/2020 19:40

public sector local government jobs didn't use furlough scheme.

Yes, they did use the scheme.

My employers did.

Oohmegooliebird · 27/08/2020 19:46

Argggh the jobsworths. So fed up of having orders barked at me. ' You need to wait outside' ''I'm a medic. I've been dealing with COVID since the outset. I don't shout at patients if they happen to sit on the wrong chair.

thenovice · 27/08/2020 19:57

It was certainly the case in France. You think the UK is bad.....

ohcarolina2001 · 27/08/2020 19:58

Not even just companies.... Local government is also using it as a good excuse to offer even less services than before.... Libraries still dithering about opening, cycle paths overgrown with weeds and bushes that should have been trimmed all summer (no excuses for this since its an outside job). All very tiresome now
.....

middleager · 27/08/2020 20:35

This

To think that Covid has become a convenient excuse for poor service ?
user1490954378 · 27/08/2020 20:36

Some businesses seem to be putting mistakes down to Covid19... I recently got a refund on an online order I'd placed. I hadn't heard anything about my order for weeks, and they only replied to my third email when I demanded a refund. I was starting to wonder if I'd been scammed, as many other people were expressing the same concerns on their Facebook page. When they finally replied to my last email, they said that Covid19 had caused them delays. I get that there have been delays, but they had ignored me for over a month after processing my payment. I was relieved that my refund went through quite quickly. They had been taking the absolute piss.

AbsolutWitch · 27/08/2020 21:00

Whilst I agree in general, I can't believe so many people are moaning about the NHS, especially waiting times for routine surgery.

TerryChoc · 27/08/2020 21:19

Absolutely balls right now, originally there was the Dunkirk spirit but that quickly turned into the let’s make excuses to be selfish as can be just because.
Customer service is a thing of the past.
Imagine: sorry a&e only now works 12 hours a day instead of 24 if you could please limit your accidents and emergencies between these hours because: COVID.

ALongHardWinter · 27/08/2020 21:25

Totally agree. I've been kept on hold for ages when I've had to phone my bank and my phone service provider. I know it was normal to be put on hold for a short time in pre-covid times,but usually for about 10 minutes maximum,not an hour! The same thing has happened when I've tried phoning shops with queries. I haven't even been given the option to wait in a queue then speak to someone. It's just 'Sorry,we're understaffed/run off our feet/too busy to answer the phone due to the pandemic. Goodbye'.

The same with the NHS. Don't get me wrong. I love our NHS and with good reason,as they've saved my life twice in recent years. But I have heard awful horror stories about staff who can't be bothered and then put it down to being 'too busy with covid patients'. My son-in-law was admitted to hospital a month ago (when the worst of the pandemic crisis was over) with a massive and painful abcess in his groin. The treatment he received was so appalling that he has lodged a complaint. He was not given anything to eat for 24 hours,nothing to drink until he'd been there for 8 hours,no pain relief,none of his usual medication and was repeatedly told different things by different people. When he asked when he was going to be brought some water,the nurse said 'This isn't a hotel you know'. Shock In the end he discharged himself as soon as he'd had the abcess drained under local anaesthetic because he was sick of it. When he hears back from them regarding his complaint,I'm fully expecting them to say that the staff were overwhelmed with coronavirus patients. The part of the hospital he was in was 'covid free',i.e. no covid patients there at all.

dancingshoex · 27/08/2020 21:28

Here's one from a local business: "Because of Covid, we are only accepting CASH at the moment. The nearest cash point is ... ".

Before you ask, no, I wasn't given a till receipt or a VAT receipt.

Bit dodgy, eh?

Noodledoodledoo · 27/08/2020 21:29

@AbsolutWitch

Whilst I agree in general, I can't believe so many people are moaning about the NHS, especially waiting times for routine surgery.
My compliant is being asked to shout personal information through a door on a busy public street as the receptionist was annoyed I had gone to the surgery as instructed to by a doctor.
Notenoughchocolateomg · 27/08/2020 21:33

I needed a virgin box relocating in my living room due to work being done by landlord, I rang and asked, they were absolutely fantastic, I phoned at about 10am and a man came at 2pm the same day to do it. I didn't have to pay either, which I was definitely expecting. This was back in June and I wasn't vulnerable or shielding. Fabulous service from Virgin for me personally.

Ninjamom · 27/08/2020 21:41

M&S took 3months and five emails to refund me for a return that I did in store.
Dr was very helpful but then mentioned that I need to get a smear and that they are up and running again. I call for that, on hold for 30 mins, get through and they cut me off. Call back later and the receptionist says ‘ooh you’ll just have to wait as we have no appointments till November.’ Do you have a waiting list I ask? No, you have to call every day Hmm.
Opticians keep texting YOUR APPT IS OVERDUE so I email and ask. They sent back an email saying, I need to understand that they are only seeing urgent problems. You texted me!
Few days later Gp rings up to tell me my smear is overdue. Seriously! Shock
Went to large shopping mall the other day, John Lewis were lovely - staff said hello etc. M&S were miserable.
In Sainsbury’s today. Staff were horrible - three till ‘supervisors’ chatting and on their phones. Rude security staff when my children needed help. I’ll be writing to head office as I was just shocked at the attitude. Don’t want to feel like this, but I do. Def pandemic being used as an excuse.