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

[Mellonsprite]

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!

@rosiethehen

We turned up at the farm shop having googled their website to find out what the rules for visiting were.

Turned up, washed our hands at the outdoor sinks and politely stood outside the shop. The woman barked at us, asking if we'd washed our hands, then told us one person in the shop at a time. There was only me and dh there. We selected our items and queued up as we were paying separately, but she started having a go at dh because he was standing too close to the demarcation line on the floor - like about 0.3cm too close.

I'll never return. It was like dealing with a rottweiler in a pinny

I'll never return. It was like dealing with a rottweiler in a pinny hmm

I can almost see it

I’ve had that at a local farm shop, it’s almost as if some people are looking for trouble barking out orders etc when you are doing the necessary already or assuming you are going to argue about the restrictions in place, I would never harass someone doing their job, at least wait to find that out before going off on one! When I finally got through to the DVLA I didn’t shout or accuse I just stated the facts as the man who picked up the phone isn’t personally responsible for my woe 😂 well I hope he isn’t or I missed a trick there!

But so many private organisations said "they're only dealing with urgent key workers" or "vulnerable customers" right now.

Hell yes. In about May I had need to contact my water supplier and my bank. Both had automated messages saying it was vulnerable/key workers only but what about everyone else? I still needed to sort out an over-charged bill (water supplier) and move some money (bank) and for various reasons neither could be done online. So I ignored the 'Only stay on the line if you're vulnerable or a key worker' message and you know what? Both companies picked up within seconds. Not that bloody busy then.

My absolute bugbear is how some - note some - shop assistants have become so rude. No matter how accidental the transgression, some seem to genuinely enjoy coming down like a ton of officious bricks on people who've had the temerity to come in and even think about spending money. Superdrug, I'm looking at you.

I get that it's been a massive, catastrophic upheaval as everything got turned on its head almost overnight. But I remember the companies who put in a bit of effort and thought (Waitrose, who were handing out umbrellas to those in the queue outside on wet days and bottles of water on hot days) or even just tried to remember that their customers are scared, worried humans too. Some adapted brilliantly - my local coffee shop became a deli overnight, a local brewery went from having a tap room to having an online shop with free local delivery - and those are the ones that will have my money in future. The ones who let their staff be rude, and who tried to hide their poor customer service and their lack of effort behind excuses? Not so much.

I’m a Keyworker and I don’t agree it’s fair either,
Not much has been imo

IMO Ocado will be gone within months and M&S must be kicking themselves for signing up with them.

@AlternativePerspective I doubt that. They seem to be very much on top of things again - I did a big order on Sunday morning and it arrived on Sunday evening, no substitutions!

London bridge station staff - brilliant.

South East London Royal mail sorting office - has gone from being open 6 days a week business hours to 4 days a week, 3 hours a day (so 48 hours to...12). I cannot for the life of me fathom how this is acceptable and justifiable on account of CV-19. Blatant cost cutting and providing a horrendous service. Because of work I cannot get there to pick up a parcel (which the postman didn't bother knocking on our door to deliver - we captured him on ring cam posting the "while you were out" through our door even though there were three of us at home). Maddening.

Yes, totally agree and would add that whoever are running these companies must be unbelievably dense.

Right now people and companies should be going out of their way, safely of course, to give good service to rebuild client bases and to regain client loyalty.

My favourite right now is a travel clinic in my town that does under 16's flu jabs. They are open according to their website. I've called up 3 times and pressed the button I want to get through and then it says "no one is available to answer your call.....Goodbye!"

Covid is an excuse for people to be even bigger jobsworths than they were before and for companies to treat their own staff like dirt.

Agree OP, and I include (some, not all) GPs and health visitors in this. There’s no reason why they can’t see patients face to face again now.

I'll never return. It was like dealing with a rottweiler in a pinny

😂 sounds like our farm shop

Ours had a go at me for wasting food ‘cos Covid when I bought a bag of pony carrots - you know, the mangled misshapen carrots in an orange string bag labelled as ‘pony carrots’

I’ve had good and bad from the NHS. DD is waiting for an ‘urgent’ referral for a paediatrician and a neurologist. Weeks on, I finally got a letter asking me to call to book an appointment, but the number is either permanently engaged or rings out. On the other hand, when she dropped a kettle of freshly boiled water on herself, we were in and out of A&E within an hour of her doing it

Dreams.... Three months we were waiting for our bed, to be told a variety of excuses from stock availability to covid.
Their non contact deliveries were non existent and after a further three weeks of waiting so almost four months, I politely canceled.
Another company had a bed delievered in three days.
I'm reluctant to part with money to any company that has a waiting list for delivery, you just cannot take the risk that the company will fold and your money lost.

Also, got into a spat with our local councillor online after seeing him blowing smoke up our appalling local leisure centre's arse when it reopened with err.....no services and started charging full rate again. They still haven't opened the pool and are charging people full rate despite this and no fitness classes. According to the Leisure Centre they are really concerned about our safety. I actually know people who work there and was told the management don't want to unfurlough workers and pay them again until absolutely necessary. I cancelled my membership and gave them this reason.

I know they are about Marmite like but Argos have been pretty ok for me.

Interesting about sky - we rang yesterday they couldn't have been more helpful and there sending someone out next week with a new box.

I wonder if it's because we were looking to completely cancel the TV element -in end haven'ty but will get more services for less.

It was how DH got through to his mobile phone compay when there was a bill problem - he went through all the screening menus numbers pressing ones about cancling then he got through to a person who again was very helpful.

More generally though you have a point and it's something we've noticed and yes reacted to by changing services and companies and it will affect who we deal with in future.

I’ve been told that the procedure I need now has a two year waiting list.

I also had a broken crown and a broken tooth. It wasn’t regarded as urgent and the earliest appointment was November. That’s as a private patient, but at an NHS dentist. So far I’ve spent £700 getting them fixed elsewhere and the crown was only a year old.

I've had more positive experiences than negative ones. The main negatives that stand out to me are Argos and Homebase.

Homebase I ordered paint at the start of lockdown so we could re-decorate the living room. I was told 7-10 day delivery - fine. 5 weeks later, no paint. We managed to get some locally so no longer need or want the Homebase order. Three e-mails go unanswered. When I finally get to speak to Homebase, they say they can't issue a refund unless it's delivered and I reject it at the door? Bonkers. Eventually I get through to someone who is actually useful and I get a refund. Of course the paint arrives the next day. I sold it on eBay

Argos were equally bad. Ordered some stuff for the garden - they took money off me but the order never went through on my account. Couldn't see what I'd ordered, had no order number to contact them about, so they couldn't refund my money . Eventually the money went back on my card 10 days later. I assume it was a website error but if I'd spent hundreds I would have been royally screwed.

Won't shop with either company again.

@greengreengrass14

I had recently changed my electric and gas meters pre-payment meters from Utilita to Scottish Power.

Reasons being obviously cheaper tariff, I had inherited the prepayment meters, plus inconvenience of top ups, i.e. if I was ill it would be difficult to get to the shop.

Scottish Power assured me everything would be okay 'at their end' and they would 'automatically' switch the meter over to credit as it is a smart meter.

All i would need to do is provide a meter reading.

Day after switch I find out meter readings no longer appear on my meter. So they plan to use estimated readings to bill me.

Person on the other end of the phone thought this was fine, and said 'we can't send anyone out due to Covid'.

Beg your pardon I said. You mean you can now bill me whatever you like and I can't even check on it myself as meter readings don't show on meter. So as far as I'm concerned they effectively lied to me all along.

I personally find that disturbing. I took a reading before the switch just in case. I've made a complaint.

I've had a similar problem with Scottish Power. I won't bore you with the details, but when I tried to complain about it I was made to feel that I was being unreasonable, and that I should "make allowances" because of Covid. I got the distinct impression that they're just using Covid as a convenient excuse.

My GP practice has been excellent. I've used them twice since March. Once for a routine smear, once when dd was ill.

My Mum's practice 10 miles away has been disgusting. The way they've treated elderly, disabled patients has been appalling.

Completely agree - there are meant to be lots of unemployed people and twice recently I've been told that something isn't done "due to Covid19". These are jobs that could be done with minimal training.

ok todays service..
8.30 I ring GPs to ask for an appointment as I think Ihave an eye infection( and due to current mediation I was told by GP to keep an eye on my eyes and any problem whatsoever to ring them.)
9,20 get through,explain concern please may I see someone or go on the triage list?
No sorry our GPs dont deal with eye problems anymore
oh ok so what can I do?
You need to ring this optician,leave a message and they will ring you back
OK fine thank you I will do that(rings optician leaves message)
10.50 call from opticians assistant..optician will ring you .back shortly
12.05 hello this is the optician,,yes it does sound like you have an infetion I can see you 28th september to check or you could ring your GP and ask to see them
12.20 I give in...
then my car door lock develops a fault
1.30 ring garage main dealers
2.10 get through explain problem ..can I bring the car in yes of course
will the 24th september be ok with you?
err thats a long time,my car wont be safe out and about would it?Would this void my insurance?
Well does it matter they reply its all covid related?
Is it? Is it really covid related? a car door lock issue?
well yes it could be...
again I give in....
It seems to me based on these two examples of my morning that the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing...clear guidance and policy structure looks to have been forgotten,not read or just not understood...something needs to give or we as a country are going to grind to a holt!!

Oh and our local butchers.

They were doing deliveries locally for free.

Both my parents shielding due to both having chemo at time of lockdown.

I'm a keyworker so was working.

Rang them and asked if they could do a weekly box for me and I'd collect. They were working limited hours so I asked if I could come at opening due to work. They delivered for me even though my parents are village 5 miles away and not in my town.

So I now am a loyal customer.

It's so true that those who did and have and made an effort will reap the benefits long term of loyal custom.

With furlough.

If you didn't need staff because you couldn't run your business fair enough.

But when you have business demands you cannot meet because you've furloughed staff you need them.

So the state are paying for the staff and not getting the services they have paid for.

IMO that's misuse of the scheme.

The Good:

GP Practice - under difficult circumstances got a handle on a severe asthma attack and got the treatment spot on (including oral steroids). Very difficult for them but they have done an amazing job.

TUI - had a lovely holiday in Greece and was kept well informed of everything including changes to covid policy by the Greek government

The Bad:

Legal and General - cancelled my home insurance at the start of lockdown and didn't tell me until 26 August. Blamed covid.

Arriva - told me I couldn't board a bus without a mask without my disabled card. Had to use my blue inhaler 4 times on 20 minute bus ride home.

LoveHolidays - holiday cancelled before final payment date. They attempted to take the money for a month after cancellation. Every day. Twice. Couldn't contact anyone.

Opodo - flights cancelled in April. No ability to phone them without a booking in next 7 days. Finally refunded us today after getting our credit card provider involved.

meh - i keep seeing posts here with "I've been furloughed but i don't want to go to work" or "i'm in work but 90% of our team are furloughed and i have to do all the work"

How do you think standards can be maintained under those conditions? Lucky you - you got a holiday.

Arriva - told me I couldn't board a bus without a mask without my disabled card.

That's disgraceful - AFAIK they aren't allowed to demand that you prove an exemption. Did you complain?

@tapdancingmum - I know the problems with Sky!
I ordered Sky broadband in February and they took a £5 deposit. I subsequently cancelled during the cooling off period because despite what was stated on their website they refused to change the installation date (even though I would be abroad at the time).

Realised my £5 deposit had not been refunded so tried to phone and was told shielded/keyworkers only so I emailed them only to be told that it had to be sorted out via phone!

Over the next few months each time I tried to call I still got the message about shielded/keyworkers only so eventually I lied and said I was a keyworker. Got through to call centre and money was refunded that day!