To think customer service is SHIT in the UK

[PMTsickandtiredofyourshit]

•All phone lines are automated and take up to an hour to get through. They usually have some nonsense excuse answerphone message about Covid 19 causing ‘higher than normal call volumes’ that hasn’t been changed in years.

•restaurants are increasingly taking ages to serve and give the impression you’re on a time limit at your table. Wait staff less charming/ less people skills/ less cherishing of customers.

•Today I went to mountain warehouse to get DD some snow boots. Every question I asked the staff they couldn’t answer. I asked if they’d had shoe fitting training because I couldn’t tell which size DD should have. The staff just shrugged and said they had no training. Finally found a good pair but it had a sharp bit sticking out of the inside. I asked if they had the same pair without the fault and was told no but they’d give me a discount! Obviously I wasn’t going to buy my DD a pair of boots with a metal shard sticking out of the interior!

•Then I went to Aldi where they had loads of new self-checkouts which I was heartily encouraged to use by one of the staff, despite the fact I had a full trolly of food. It was a fucking nightmare and took a good 30 minutes. Every other item didn’t scan, there was no where to fit my DD, my trolly and myself without being in the way of the people trying to get out, there were boxes and crap dumped on the floor in front of the trolly. It was incredibly stressful and made me resolve to stop using ALdi and just bankrupt myself by using a nicer, less stressful supermarket.

•Finally I went to Neros where the queue was its usual mile long glacial paced scenario with three women behind the counter, one who was having a huge scratch of her scalp then serving pastries. She got in a huge muddle when selling me two gift cards and was completely baffled by the fact that the two gift cards were to be given to two separate people so I would need two separate gift receipts. I have no idea if these £30 worth of gift cards have actually been credited.

Even trying to book an appointment with my Dr, I have to be given the Spanish Inquisition by one of the receptionists who seems to be qualified to triage the doctor’s diary in the most brusk, patronising non-compassionate way ever. I’m sorry if I don’t want to tell you the ins and outs of my vaginal thrush problem whilst stood outside my office in earshot of my colleagues having been on hold since I was getting dressed at home Janet! FFS. 🤦‍♀️

I just don’t know what has become of customer service these days. It’s as though people who work with the public actively hate them.

How can this be changed!?

Yes. As I said on the Royal Mail thread, companies seem to think it's fine to take money and provide an inadequate service in return. Or no service at all.

And they only get off their bottoms and sort out problems if the newspapers or Which? get involved.

For example in business class someone ordered a cocktail. The crew member who took the order was saying things to the other crew like its going to take ages to make this stupid cocktail. Why should I have to spend ages doing this when they could just have a wine instead. We shouldn't offer these types of drinks it takes too long

I am with them - making cocktails in the air is silly! And they should be able to feed back to colleagues - obviously they shouldn't say anything to the customer.

Some customers are stupidly needy on aeroplanes anyway - just asking for things because they can.

It's different from refusing to provide straight forward service like selling a product that works and knowing what to do when it doesn't.

Public sector is the same sadly, especially the NHS and in particular GP services. Happy to take the money but you really have to push them to get them to provide the services they're paid to deliver.

Like I said I agree that sometimes the public ask for things and I agree everyone will internally roll their eyes and think why are you asking me for annoying things!
But the fact remains the airline offer it and the passengers are paying a premium to have it offered and they are free to ask for it. And as such it is the cabin crews job to do it for them. My friend has been working as cabin crew for 20 years. She just gets on with the job she is employed to do.
My point is more that people take jobs then moan they don't want to do parts of the jobs. People on here always say if you want a particular service you need to pay for it. Well the people in business/first class ARE paying for it. But apparently that still isn't good enough. I understand the cabin crew don't see that extra money, but that's not the customers fault. They are paying a premium for a cocktail and whatever else they want if it's included.

It's not always the workers though
I use the self scanner in the bigger supermarkets and sometimes they have to do a full check and not just for any meds or alcohol etc
I accept this as it's not the employee deciding this , it's the system and it picks out random checks.
I Was going through yesterday and a couple next to me were giving the employee a hard time because they were flagged up for a check
I heard her explain that it wasn't her fault , but they just kept on complaining as apparently it had happened last week too and being aggressive to her. She looked crushed poor thing.
If people can't be respectful, no wonder the employees can't be bothered either
I agree that service is bad for things like HMRC and places like this, but in shops I'm always polite and I know they don't have it easy.

Apart from complaining about what services they offer and basic general knowledge I think a lot of things would be easier for everyone concerned if CS actually read or listened to what some one was saying

I had cause to do a live chat with someone as I was trying to log into my account and every time I tapped the Log On to my account button on their website It was taking me to a blank page.

The answer I got was to go to the address bar and type in www.theirwebsitename.co.uk and press enter. This would take me to their website and then click on the log in button and it would take me to the log in page. Then to put in my email address and password and press enter

What part of that answer actually indicates that someone read my issue. This answer took 15 minutes to come through. So I had to start again and put my issue in more simple terms.

And then wait refreshing the page for another 15 minutes to try and get an answer

Turns out after 2 hours my phone is too old to work with their websites new safety features

So had to borrow an alternative means of communication with their website.
Which begs the question, how much safer is their website if some people have to use other people’s devices to gain access to their account

enchantedsquirrelwood

*NeedToChangeName

Ah, I'm not in England. Not familiar with a 6 hour rule

Still, I can see why customers are irritated if a shop is open but you can't buy anything!*

*Yes there was another thread recently discussing the silly Sunday trading laws in England.

Scotland doesn't have them, but the SNP voted to keep them in England when Cameron was (last) in government.*

Not as stupid as not finding in France a restaurant open to new customers after 9pm

Virgin Media have utterly rubbish customer service. I am trying to cancel my account as I am moving and likely will have everything provided by landlord at the new property.
Offers of "we can look at your package" or "You are paying a lot for this package, are you sure you don't want to reconsider?"

It got so bad that I had to interrupt the person and say "The only option I really want to discuss is cancelling". That settled they started with "Do you know who is moving into your property? We have a 'refer a friend'-scheme you could make use of".

In the end it took 45 minutes to cancel. Now next up British Gas...

They are quick enough to send ' customer satisfaction' emails and what not after one visit to their shop or restaurant, but ringing up with a problem or wanting to speak to a human and your basically fucked.

I've worked in retail on and off over the years.

I've never deliberately given poor service, but everyone has an off day where they might press the wrong button, get flustered as it's so busy, count change wrong, be feeling sick etc.

It doesn't help that quite often, the person trying to help you has just had a mouthful of abuse off someone. If someone screamed "cunt" at you, or threatened you, or threw something at you, or grabbed you and tried to ram their tongue down your throat, you might want to be able to go somewhere for a bit to collect yourself. Not in retail, turn around and smile at the next person while you try to stop shaking.

This annoys me hugely - every single interaction with anyone outside my home results in a stupid email! Why? I don't ask them what they think of me? Maybe I should, see how they like being interupted all the time.

Except shops/restaurants etc are actually paying a higher percentage proportionally on wages than ever before....

Minimum wage has risen exponentially over the last few years - it's gone up from £7.83 to £10.42 in just the last 5 years - most "professional" jobs haven't had a 30% pay rise over the same period, if anything many people in the public sector are on less once inflation is taken into account - as we can see with the junior doctors strike.

A 999 ambulance ECA will start on less than an aldi checkout operator.

Not saying its not still a struggle to exiat on minimum wage, having done it, but pay is comparatively better than ever before.

Over the last few days I have had to cancel an order of a Christmas present that I had paid £9 extra for delivery to get to me in time for Christmas

They have refunded the money for the item which it turns out they didn’t send because they ran out but now want another £9 for postage and packing after assuring me the item was in stock

Separate company. I paid for a particular part to repair a machine I use and after 2 weeks they finally sent me a part but not the right one I ordered that fitted my machine. I not only have to spend time and money sending this part back
But the postage and packing I had originally paid for they aren’t refunding

It is one giant scam

They're not paid a livable or decent wage OP

My local Sainsbury's staff ( located in a nice part of a nice city) wear BODYCAMS!!!!

Presumably due to high level of abuse from customers. I think retail staff have a lot of awful customers and dreadful behaviour to deal with.