Bosch - we treat our customers the same

[appropriatelytrained]

Interesting experience with Bosch.

Washing machine breaks down. Had cause to contact customer services about cost of repair as no one could answer the question on the telephone. But it took ages to get a response - weeks in fact.

I explained in the initial email that with a disabled child in the house, so I couldn't be without the machine and required an urgent response.

Bosch's response to this was that they treat all the customers the same and aren't concerned whether anyone in the house is disabled.

Seriously, wouldn't you expect a big company like this to appreciate that treating everyone the same in the delivery of their services impacts unequally as we are not all the same. This is why we have laws which require more than this with regards to disability.

A very poor attitude.

Maybe copy the email to their CEO!

thats ok, i am having same trouble with Centre parcs and all im getting from other mumsnetters is its my problem and i should pay or cancel!!

equality isnt about treating everyone the same but giving people same level of service and giving adjustments to ensure those that need extra help get it!
idiots!

Just respond that it's a shame they are unable to cater for your needs and that of course you will be passing on the information that unlike other major manufacturers they are unable to help customers with disabilities to all the national disability charities, hospitals and clinics your son is involved with including social services, who themselves have a lot of buying power/give a lot of product advice.

it's pretty dire customer service making anyone wait weeks for a reply!! But you would expect more from them, it only takes a bit of compassion really, it's not that hard to appreciate that someone with a desability might need a quicker response.

Lisa, we went to cp about 4 years ago when my mum was ill, yanbu. Being closer to the centre evens the playing field rather than giving an advantage, it's crap you have to pay extra.

disability even, can't spell for toffee today.

I think whether they are being unreasonable depends partually on what you wrote. If you just wrote that you have a disabled child therefore they needed to come to you first then it's different than if you explained why having a disabled child means that being without a machine is harder for you than other people.

Because otherwise I'd guess a lot of people might develop a "disabled child who happens to be out at when the engineer comes" to get priority. Or someone like me to whom the disability would make not a bit of difference to the washing machine could use it too.
Like when the AA decided they'd give priority to single women/women with children. They discovered that the call outs to single women went up... and the man/other women went and hid round the corner.

If you did explain then they are very unreasonable. I'd try phoning the customer service and explaining because doing it on the phone rather than email makes them see you as a real person not just a number.

Dewe - My point was a general one about approach which is why I have provided no details of the specifics of my case.

Whatever my particular issue with the washing machine and whatever my initial complaint, service providers cannot say on a generic basis 'we always treat our customers the same irrespective of whether they are disabled' as there will always be times when they are obliged, by law, to make reasonable adjustments for disabled customers. They are demonstrating a failure to understand that with such a broad statement.

Of course, whether they should make reasonable adjustments or treat any customer differently because of disability in the household is a question of fact which will vary with each case.

However, their duty to treat people differently in some situations is a matter of law. Whether that was the case in my case is neither here nor there.

Unfortunately, I should add that before emailing them, I spent a long time trying to speak to a human being without success (or speaking to human beings who could not assist and referred to the website, and subsequently the email address)

I think that the idiot you dealt with was probably trained to tell you that they treat all customers the same meaning that they have a fantastic customer service for everyone when in fact in your experience their customer service is awful and awful for everyone regardless of disability. Definitely agree e-mail the CEO and possibly throw in the words "Watchdog" and "Anne Robinson".

Yep.

e mail the CEO

I guess I was slightly coming at it from a different angle. My dm knew someone that thought saying they were a doctor should get them priority on everything like that. No proof, just saying it should get them jumped to the front of the queue whatever and whenever they had to wait.

I see what you're saying now, not I was treated badly, more their attitude is wrong.

Sometimes a snail mail complaint can get closer to the managers and get a better response. You could complain about the phonelines at the same time.

Lisad I'm amazed that CP don't have chalets in the centre reserved for disabled at no extra cost. I'm sure the Butlins ones cost no more than the equivalent, and they come with things like a parking space near to the chalet and things like that. Think they need to have a good look at their disabled policy too.