To think that since covid happened some businesses have 'got lazy and stayed lazy'

[Ilovechocolate87]

DH and i used to have an expression a couple of years back 'because covid' which we used when we thought a company was just using the virus as an excuse for not doing something properly or making unnecessary cutbacks.

But even now it seems that this is STILL continuing, but for no legitimate reason!

Some examples include;
-Our local bank shutting at 3pm...every day of the week.Crap for 9-5 working people like DH!

• No fireworks display at center parcs, which is a shame as it was really good and atmospheric over the lake.
• Soft play at our local sealife centre sitting there unused and wasted...such a shame as there is nothing wrong with it.
• Fitting rooms have been scrapped at sainsburys and asda (maybe elsewhere too?) so there is nowhere to try on clothes, resulting in either having to order online and have the expense and bother of posting it back if its not right (which it often isn't) or travelling to return it, neither of which are very good for the environment either, with all that plastic packaging and fuel!)

Has anyone else noticed that it just seems like SOME businesses/companies 'can't be bothered' anymore and are just doing the minimum possible? And the most frustrating thing is that as usual, they make the cutbacks, but the prices keep on going up!!

*it's confrontational before you start and it's certainly not mine or my company's fault you've been on hold somewhere else for an hour.

It often IS your organisation's fault if the caller has been on hold or passed around wrong departments within your own organisation. Not "your" fault personally of course, but if the customer has been passed from pillar to post by YOUR organisation, constantly put on hold, maybe ended up at the wrong person after listening to inane music/message for an hour or so, then they're not going to be sweetness and light when they finally get to talk to you, are they*

You left out quite important part in your quote that it's not their fault if you are on hold elsewhere. It is not X company's fault company Z never answers!

Literally an example of "they don't listen to all information" and "come in aggressive from a get go when it's nkt our fault"😂

My local hospitals are still asking people to wear masks. COVID hasn’t gone away.

it's confrontational before you start and it's certainly not mine or my company's fault you've been on hold somewhere else for an hour.

It often IS your organisation's fault if the caller has been on hold or passed around wrong departments within your own organisation. Not "your" fault personally of course, but if the customer has been passed from pillar to post by YOUR organisation, constantly put on hold, maybe ended up at the wrong person after listening to inane music/message for an hour or so, then they're not going to be sweetness and light when they finally get to talk to you, are they?

This is exactly what I'm talking about, despite me saying 'on hold for an hour elsewhere' you've changed the context to make it be about being on hold to my organisation when that didn't actually happen in the example I gave - the person I answered the phone to was answered on the first ring, straight through to who they needed to be - what about what I typed led you to believe that they had been passed from pillar to post already within my organisation? They weren't. You've changed the context of what I said so you can complain...... Which was exactly my point.

I often wonder if they're on two calls at once, or doing something else, as they're certainly not concentrating on the call in hand.

Sometimes they are made to simultaneously conduct web chats, or they might be trying to catch up on the admin from the call before (because there are 50 calls queuing so they're not allowed to take 5 mins between calls to update the system).

Before covid, our local Boots had the pharmacy counter and the counter for 'over-the-counter' products next to each other, each with an assistant to serve customers. Then during covid they stopped manning the 'over-the-counter' bit, and only had an assistant at the pharmacy counter, meaning everyone had to join one queue. I went in yesterday for the first time for ages to get some eardrops, and was dismayed to find that the covid arrangements were still in place. Just one person serving at the pharmacy counter and a queue a mile long. I voted with my feet.

I think a lot of people working from home aren't actually doing much working.

@Maverickess I feel your pain, after once again being screamed at (no exaggeration) by someone this morning who would not listen, spoke over me, was adamant she was right and my company was wrong (in fact I found when checking paperwork we were very much correct) I have told my DH I no longer want to work in his business. I just can't do it anymore, today was the final straw. I would say a lot of the companies that suffer staff shortages after COVID has little (though maybe some) to do with cutbacks and a lot to do with people not willing to deal with the public anymore. Its awful really to walk out of a business I helped him build but my health is more important.

Definitely the NHS! I’m waiting on a surgical procedure.. it’s already delayed due to covid.. because I have an underlying condition, I need a ten minute appointment with another specialty before the surgery can go ahead.. I’m now at the back of the waiting list for that department, which is delayed “because covid”.
There are plenty of other organisations that I could grumble about - from parcel delivery to our local shopping centre - but for me that’s the thing that would literally change my life. And I’m not criticising the individuals, but there is so much red tape and unnecessary waste, and things like forms sent out by second class post with a stamped addressed envelope, that could save so much time and money if they had the systems to email an online form that could be returned instantaneously.

Covid has provided cover for some businesses that will do the minimum they can get away with, banks being the prime example. Yes it contributed to some staff shortages (people deciding to live nearer to their family and moving, or retiring early), and Brexit is a factor despite the denials that the 52% will argue.

We need a modern consumer act, to end some of the worst practices, especially where there is limited choice or taking business elsewhere is difficult. Currently we have analogue laws in a digital world.

I wholeheartedly agree! Seems like an excellent excuse for cutting back on EVERYTHING!

people don't listen, don't pay attention to information provided to them and cut you off when trying to explain something to them

It works the other way too. Staff just don't listen to customers, and won't admit if they don't know something and ask for help.

We need a modern consumer act, to end some of the worst practices, especially where there is limited choice or taking business elsewhere is difficult. Currently we have analogue laws in a digital world

I agree with this. The government has announced new consumer laws (if they ever draft a Bill to get to parliament) but actually we need the basics - people answering phones and emails and dealing with issues promptly and efficiently. It's no good having consumer rights if you can't enforce them and can't get the supplier to do what they are meant to do.

Real example:
Me: You're thought to oldbrownjug at XYZ company
Caller: I've got this problem and I want you to XXXX because it's f** disgusting.
Me: Can I take your account number please?
Caller: I don't have a f** account number - that's your job
Me: I'm sorry I can't do anything unless I have a bit more information - I really need.....
Caller; I don't want any of your lip- just do your f*** job. I want xxxxxx
Me: Sorry - I think you might have made a mistake - I'm not the bank/insurer/DVLA./Council
Caller: - oh! ---> puts the phone down

What can you do?😂

@lieselotte
but actually we need the basics - people answering phones and emails and dealing with issues promptly and efficiently. It's no good having consumer rights if you can't enforce them and can't get the supplier to do what they are meant to do.

I absolutely agree with this. You should ALWAYS be able to get through to someone to sort something out. But there is a cost implication.

Our Government, and their covid policies, have created a country full of lazy wasters, no doubt.

people don't listen, don't pay attention to information provided to them and cut you off when trying to explain something to them

It works the other way too. Staff just don't listen to customers, and won't admit if they don't know something and ask for help.

Staff are often working from a script, not allowed to use their initiative and common sense to solve an issue and then get abuse for it. Don't get me wrong, that is entirely the companies fault and I totally agree that it needs addressing, it fosters bad feeling all round, the customers and the staff are both victims of it, but I think a key thing here is how we have degraded these types of jobs as a society for years, made them the lowest of the low, made out they're unimportant and not worth much - yet when that's the service that's provided, well look at this thread for the impact and reaction, clearly it is important.
I worked somewhere like that and I hated it, often agreed with the customer too, but in order to keep my job I had to do as I was told. The sad thing is most people do actually know this, but because they're angry and frustrated they take it out on the person they're dealing with, changes absolutely nothing, except drive more people out of customer service thus making the service worse again.
The general public are not blameless victims, the entitled, self absorbed attitude that some people have is part of the problem, and that attitude is increasing and needs addressing too.

Companies have encouraged entitled behaviour by not giving you the best service or prices until you complain though.
I phoned up to ask to get quotes to put my son on my/his own car insurance. The poor woman had to prompt me to say I wasn’t happy so she could take £30 off. I had to say that with every variation of driver/ owner because she wasn’t able to give me the best price straight off.

Even if Brexit has meant staff shortages business have had long enough to do something about it. If you can’t cover the phone lines, make your website more functional. Don’t take on new customers, downsize.

How many times do you need to phone Amazon to sort something? Never? Because it’s pretty easy to sort out problems as their website is functional and easy to use.
My local pub expands or contracts to meet demand. It only does takeaways on Mondays and closes early Sunday/ Monday nights. In the summer it puts marquees in the garden so it more than doubles it’s capacity and opens late.

I'm really sorry you've been through that, I would say that people don't understand the impact of their abusive behaviour towards customer facing staff, but sadly I think it's more a case that they know fine well, they simply don't care.

I honestly feel like the enemy at least once a day, people trying to set you up to catch you out happens regularly, so many people seem to actively want something to complain about and will deliberately engineer a situation to make it happen, and some are so disappointed when it doesn't they'll invent things anyway.

It's ok saying "don't take it personally" but it's nearly always directed personally and being in that negative atmosphere and treated like that so often is draining. I genuinely think that as consumers 'we' have at least partly created this issue by way of the general treatment and attitude towards anyone who's customer facing, by treating them like whipping boys for our anger and frustration, if customer service is going to get better then customer behaviour needs to.

@Maverickess thank you, it's so sad but I've just had enough of it. I was being screeched at so much I put the phone down yesterday. I am normally a sociable happy person but unless after taking so much abuse from customers the last couple of years I'm absolutely done with it. I could tell you some really shocking incidents I have had including being physically threatened and called a c@@t (two separate customers) the rest would be very outing. Everyone wants fabulous customer service but some of their idea of that is to be able to say and do what they like and the supplier/call handler/customer service/waitress to smile sweetly and take it. Whatever job I look for next I will ensure I do not deal with the public, that is I would suggest why companies are short staffed, there are plenty of jobs where you don't have to take abuse everyday. I know so many people who have left the service sector because they liked the job itself but were sick to death of the publics behaviour.

@Tara336

I totally agree, I've had people tell me I 'owe' them because I had furlough a few months off at their expense, I've

never once pointed out that actually, for the majority of lockdowns I worked in social care, so if anything, they owe me! It would be seen as poor customer service to tell them that, to 'embarrass' them over their own behaviour with something as mundane as the bloody truth!
Because of this monster that is 'The customer is always right'.
It would seem that an increasing number of people think 'The customer is always right ' translates to 'the staff are always wrong' and set out to punish and demean as so.
I too really do think this is part of the problem with customer service staff shortages, and companies encourage it by blaming their staff for systematic issues with apologies on their behalf and free stuff when they've actually done nothing wrong.
I left a job once when I was told to apologise to a customer for refusing to serve him - I refused to serve him because he threatened me and called me a fat, useless c**t - he did that because we didn't stock a particular beer he wanted.........

@Maverickess I believe that some people actually think their behaviour has no affect on the person they are abusing as if somehow we are just robots rather than a living breathing person. There was a point after lockdown when we were exceptionally busy and short staffed because we were all contracting COVID where my hands would shake when I was on the phone because I was so exhausted from the workload and so stressed from the crap I was taking. We were working really hard and when I explained to one customer that we had a 3 week waiting list she suggested we weren't working hard enough and should work weekends as well! I'm not sure when she thought we were to eat and sleep like other people get to do. A lot of people are just selfish me me me arses.