Customer service no longer

Been having a few problems lately with a few companies,

First of all you cannot speak to anybody but need to send a e-mail, well as SHMBO will not go anywhere near a computer she would be totally stuffed. Oh and the response times are totally unacceptable lets see

Hotter shoes first response says will contact you within 3 working days took them 4
Regatta 2 days took them 2 and they did phone me  HSBC came back next day from a query posted at 10 o clock at night
but the best to date is Bailey simple question about water tank on my caravan computer generated response says that they will respond within the next 5 working days (so therefore a full week) but really I should be contacting the dealer who would be happy to resolve any query (they could not unless I took the caravan to them so they could have a look and no doubt say it would need a new tank and fittings at mega bucks) and if they cannot will contact Bailey for a answer they didn't offer to do that

And when you can phone you often have to press 15 numbers to get through only to be told after 15 minutes that all our operators are busy and would I like to phone back or sent a e-mail or you are left hanging for over 30 mins being told some one will be with you shortly every 30 seconds

I am sure that there are some big companies (like HSBC did on this occasion) who do give good customer service but the norm seems to be the opposite

Anybody want to add any names

David

I'll add HSBC to the useless list!

After constant and repeated episodes of holding the phone for ages to speak to someone in Glasgow, because it's impossible to contact your own local branch even though you have a Premier Consultant - who never replied to her voice messages or texts, we cancelled our account. (There were other reasons of course, but all due to dis-satisfaction in one way or another.)

This was six months ago, and they have just sent us new Credit cards!! I've tried five times to contact them this morning, and every time it has been, "We are experiencing very heavy calls at the moment . . . . . "

OK - that's fine, but couldn't you spend a little bit of your massive annual profits on a couple more lovely Glaswegian girls - whose accents I can't understand!!!!      

We are with Nationwide now, and when we phone our local branch we always get an almost instant response, and we are greeted by name!!

Dave

A trick I have learnt. Recently had a problem with my land line. Spent well over an hour "speaking" to a TalkTalk computer, but going round and round in circles and nothing was resolved. Managed to find a number to call and was greeted with the usual press this and press that. However one option was "Thinking of leaving us?". Pressed that bingo! Got through to a humanoid.....had a rant though "not your our fault". Was then put though to the Engineering Dept and again a human voice. He got me to run a few checks......within 24 hours the phone was working!

Not just big companies....

We want some work done on our French windows. We've had the man to measure up but after 2 weeks, 2 emails and a message left on the phone, still no quote for the work.

We want to have a heavy duty bike rack fitted. Two firms are still to get back to us. Meanwhile, the German firm, our first choice, have been extremely efficient and helpful. Guess where we are taking our business ?

I could go on. I'm fed up with trying to get people to come and do something. Do they really not want our money ?

Surprisingly, on my list of good-to-deal with companies, high up the list is Google.  Click to request help and, without exception, I've got patient, knowledgeable and friendly young men phone me back immediately and ,no matter how long it takes, talk me through the problem.  Arguably there should not be a problem but that's not their fault !

Ancestry used to be like that as well but, since they got taken over, the chatty ladies from Salt Lake City are no more.

I went into my local Barclay's on the 9th to close my two business accounts having retired. Was told that the closure had to be done by the business manager who was based elsewhere, however the counter staff took all details (the balances were to be transferred to personal account, so no cash to actually change hands) and would get the business manager to sort it and would ring me. On Monday this week I had not heard anything and the transfer had not been done (that's after 13 days). So back into the branch, different counter assistant, tried to phone the business manager on her mobile, went to voicemail, so assistant would leave a message and get the manager to call me. Still nothing. On the off chance that the accounts may have been closed, I went to hole in the wall this evening and lo and behold transfer had been done on Monday but no-one had the decency to call me. Had the nerve though to deduct an extra months fee.

Well Bailey did come back quicker than they said
Answer was
"Have found a copy of the 2009 Handbook which is attached"
I already told them in my original request it was not covered in the handbook, but of course why should they read that