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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Does anyone take customer service seriously now?

91 replies

Vitnery · 19/03/2022 00:10

Like most people I've spent a lot of the last two years listening to hold music and being told my call is important before being cut off. I've kind of come to expect that any dealings with any government department will be frustrating, truncated and unsatisfactory. I know that there are some people - DVLA, HMRC, Passport Office - who no longer deal with queries at all.

But today I finally managed to get through to Octopus. I've been trying for a while, because they took over my gas and electricity after my previous company went bust, and now they've sent me an email offering what they say is their best deal which involves me paying £150 more a month than I was previously. Plus they've finally got their act together and actually billed me for the period between September and now which is obviously hundreds, with just a week to pay it.

Obviously I'm going to have to pony up but I do balk at such shoddiness - not billing me throughout the winter despite me requesting it etc. And to top it all when I was on the phone getting gouged up the arse by them I could quite clearly hear Judge Judy playing in the background, which the call centre agent was obviously listening to, from home.

AIBU to think that if we're all going to get fucked over - which we are, no doubt about it - these corporations should at least pretend to act professionally while they're doing it?

OP posts:
Unsureaboutit9 · 19/03/2022 00:53

No, for the third time, I said they should have issued the bill properly, but that hopefully you were putting money aside anyway for the bill that you were waiting for… obviously if you weren’t and now don’t have any of the money that is your fault too, because you spent your gas and electric money knowing you’d need it when the bill came. Judge Judy makes no difference to any of this, nor does Putin.

Original poster
Vitnery · 19/03/2022 00:55

You said I was to blame. Here's your actual words:

You… because it’s not like you didn’t no you would

OP posts:
moonbedazzled · 19/03/2022 00:56

@ClariceQuiff

But yeah ofc you shouldn't have your telly blaring while you're at work.

Are you saying the agent showed signs of being distracted by the television, or the volume was high enough to make the call difficult to hear? If so, YANBU. If it was simply that Judge Judy was audible in the background, YABU.

I disagree. It's disrespectful and distracting. In the past I've had to listen to the tennis and to kids playing and squabbling in the background. It interrupts my concentration when I'm trying to remember everything I have to say and as a customer I shouldn't have to listen to it. It's rude. When I'm waiting for the phone to be answered, I might be watching telly, or making a brew or chatting with my husband but when the phone is answered, I stop what I'm doing and concentrate on the other person. It's just good manners. And I expect to be accorded equal respect. If they're not watching it, and they shouldn't be, it doesn't need to be on.
YouCantTourniquetTheTaint · 19/03/2022 00:56

Octopus gained 5 million customers when EDF went tits up, they wouldn't have the number of necessary staff needed to give you, your updated bill, when they needed to help existing customers too.

You know that you're going to be billed and will need to pay your gas and electric bill, that money should have been put in a "safe place" and not spent.

And everyone's bills are going up, especially when the price caps go in April, by thousands each year.

As for judge Judy, do you expect them to work in silence? OK they should have put it on mute, when taking your call, but is it really the end of humanity? And the end of customer service standards because she puts a tele program on?

Unsureaboutit9 · 19/03/2022 00:59

@Vitnery

You said I was to blame. Here's your actual words:

You… because it’s not like you didn’t no you would

Yes, for not having any of the money if you hadn’t put it aside. Not for you not receiving the bill. No point quoting me when you aren't actually reading what I’ve written properly. My point remains the same no matter how much you want to misunderstand it.
Unsureaboutit9 · 19/03/2022 01:01

You even cut off my quote were it carried on the sentence about how I was referring to putting the money to one side.

streamee · 19/03/2022 01:02

@ClariceQuiff

And to top it all when I was on the phone getting gouged up the arse by them I could quite clearly hear Judge Judy playing in the background, which the call centre agent was obviously listening to, from home.

I'm not quibbling the rest of your post, but does it matter what the agent had on in the background? Judge Judy is probably less distracting than the babble of an average office or call centre. I WFH and have Classic FM on in the background - is that OK, or should it be Radio 3 because it's posher?

They should mute it when on a call, surely?
moonbedazzled · 19/03/2022 01:07

As for judge Judy, do you expect them to work in silence?
If they're so busy with this extra 5m people that they can't bill them promptly, how do they have time to be watching telly? If they have time to watch Judge Judy, they have too many staff in customer service. Maybe they need a round of redundancies or transfers to the billing dept.

LovePoppy · 19/03/2022 01:10

@Vitnery

As I previously asked, what exactly was lacking in the customer service you received?

I didn't get a bill for six months and when I did get one I had a week to pay it. I repeatedly asked for a bill during that six months.

How was that this agents fault?
Original poster
Vitnery · 19/03/2022 01:25

@milkyaqua thank you! I feel like I've wandered into a parallel universe here but actually it's just Mumsnet. One wee gobshite comes up with a hatstand POV and others pile on for the fun of it.

This is a corporation that has failed to bill me for six months. In that time I've had numerous smiley emails from them welcoming me to the octopus family 🤢 and I just need to hold on while they tell me what they're charging me, but in the meantime click through interminable screen after interminable screen of utter PR horseshit with no info, every time I ring it's hold for half a day then click, every time I email I just more of the same claptrap, and when I do finally get through to someone they're watching telly. Which is maybe why they're not so hot on the ol' customer service front.

But somehow I'm the one that's being unreasonable. Only on Mumsnet, I frigging swear.

OP posts:
SquirrelG · 19/03/2022 02:12

I shouldn't have to pay six months' fuel in one go.

If you've used it then of course you have to pay for it. They obviously have a problem with their billing, but you knew you would be charged eventually and should have put the money aside for when the bill
arrived.

KeyWorker · 19/03/2022 04:44

OP I’m not sure why you are getting such a hard time on this thread. For what’s worth I agree you’ve been treated poorly by your energy supplier. Not billing you for half the year is rubbish. I understand they may have taken on more customers than they can handle to begin with but as it’s been 6 months they e had time to take on extra staff. Even if you were putting a guesstimated amount aside each month it’s unreasonable for them to expect payment in 1 week.

I expect plenty of people working from home have the TV/radio/podcast/whatever playing but really it should be muted when on a call to a customer. Keeping it on gives the impression that your call is an inconvenience to them and give an overall impression of poor customer service.

I think COVID and WFH has been the perfect excuse for some company’s to give up on customer care.

mjf981 · 19/03/2022 05:10

Ugh some right obtuse and sanctimonious twats have jumped on this thread. Just to get a rise out of the OP. The worst of mumsnet.

I completely agree OP. You are being completely reasonable. Especially about Judge Judy in the background. Very unprofessional and would piss me right off as well

Twiglets1 · 19/03/2022 05:25

YANBU- customer service has been shit on the whole since Covid and I’ll be glad when more people return to the office as I’m sick of hearing that excuse. I nearly lost my mind trying to deal with HMRC- total shambles where you could wait in a queue for an hour. Energy suppliers were rubbish too according to friends and my own experience with Bulb Energy (RIP) and I wouldn’t be happy to not get a bill all that time either

ZealAndArdour · 19/03/2022 05:36

OP has decided Judge Judy is the hill she’s dying on and there ain’t no mumsnetter talking her out of it.

Sitdownnext · 19/03/2022 05:59

It’s bloody rude to have the tv on whilst having a conversation - in person or on the phone, personally or professionally. Customer service has really gone down hill.

PAFMO · 19/03/2022 06:01

Sounds like you've touched a nerve with a lot of people "WFH" and watching telly while they do it.
YANBU.

WildFlowerBees · 19/03/2022 06:03

I had to call EasyJet as I couldn't cancel a flight for work online, finally got through the lady sounded like she was at home, kids running round, tv on then when I was saying I needed to cancel she started yawning on the phone!

Customer service has gone hugely downhill. Yanbu.

CheshireDing · 19/03/2022 06:13

They really should pause the tv when they answer the phone to you, I can’t believe all the people thinking that’s ok !

UsernameInTheTown · 19/03/2022 06:19

YANBU but all the slackarses who doss round at home when they're supposed to be working will disagree. The telly in the background noise is unprofessional and distracting.

Bibbetybobbity · 19/03/2022 06:32

Completely agree with you OP. I’ve been trying for months to solve a glitch with Barclays and on one of my most recent attempts the call handler was obviously on the bus (doors beeping as they closed intermittently, noise of fellow passengers). Complete joke.

Londoncallingtothefarawaytowns · 19/03/2022 06:35

No. They don't care. Even if they get paid more than min wage.
We're all just accepting bad service.
Im amazed Hermes etc are actually allowed to trade -we just accept that your parcel may or may not be delivered. Then there's no customer service.

FleurDeLizz · 19/03/2022 06:37

@ZealAndArdour

OP has decided Judge Judy is the hill she’s dying on and there ain’t no mumsnetter talking her out of it.
Pretty good hill - call centre agents shouldn’t be watching TV while working. As an ex call centre employee I can’t believe anyone thinks thats reasonable but there we go
theglitch · 19/03/2022 06:38

Colleague of mine lives in a packed house share and there's very little space. We often see housemates walking round in background and you can hear their tv, games or chatter sometimes. So it may well have just been someone else watching tv.

No idea how he puts up with it and stays so chilled, I'd lose my mind!!

FleurDeLizz · 19/03/2022 06:40

This thread really is the worst MN has to offer. Posters being deliberately obtuse just to wind the op up.

OP I’ve enjoyed reading your posts anyway. Customer service is shit, the billing system is automated so there’s no excuse not to send you a bill. And call centre agents should not be watching anything on tv while taking calls. Yeah it’s a boring job but at least make a stab at professionalism