-- Sidetrack 2 (Companies) --
August 28th 2007 21:33
Companies!
Chains, multimillion pound businesses or even ye olde corner shoppe. They are all companies. They all have customers, they all make money and they all have problems.
I know this isn't making any sense so far so I will tell you about my run ins with companies today. Yes, in just one day I have done dealings with multiple companies and I got to thinking, why, if they all need customers to survive, do they not treat their customers with the respect that they deserve.
I am not saying that all companies disrespect customers. Far from it. The majority of companies have great customer service and spoil their customers with little extras here and there.
But the odd few companies ruin it for the rest by ignoring customers or by being disrespectful.
The first time I came across an example of bad customer service today was in a small newsagents in the city centre. I had popped in to purchase some cigarettes for my mother and myself and waited patiently in the queue to be served. I noticed that the people in front of me were being asked if they had the odd penny so I knew that the shop assistant was short on change, but I had left my mum about 5 minutes walk away with my bags and daughter and I had only taken a ten pound note into the shop. Sorry if this sounds lazy but I wasn't willing to make a ten minute round trip for the sake of a couple of pence so I stayed in the queue and waited to be served.
When I reached the till I requested the 2 packets of cigarettes that I wanted and was told gruffly that the total cost was £9.92 so I handed over the £10 note that I was holding with a smile and a thankyou.
"Have you got the 2p?" the assistant grunted.
"No, I haven't sorry." I replied. Now I was wearing a summer dress with no pockets and I didn't have a bag but the assistant looked me up and down with a look in her eyes that said I was lying. But I ignored it and waited for my cigarettes and change.
After a few seconds she slammed the cigarrettes down on the counter so hard the corner of one of the packets crushed and almost threw a ten pence piece at me saying "Well, have it then."
I was enraged.
" I am not accepting the damaged packet." I said to her calmly. "and there is no need to speak to me like that."
"I didn't speak to you like anything" she began yelling at me in front of a shop full of customers.
Immediately another assistant sent her in the back and swapped the damaged packet whilst mumbling an apology at me.
Obviously I have written a letter of complaint to the manager of the shop and I expect an apology from the woman.
Maybe she was just having a bad day, but I don't know her or her problems. I only wanted some cigarettes. Plus I wasn't aware that it was my responsibility to have the correct change in a shop.
Later, when I arrived home I decided to call Npower as for the last 6 weeks I have been attempting to extract nearly £500 in a refund owed to me. We have a prepayment meter and nobody has any idea why we are owed that much so it was agreed that the account would be investigated before a refund was sent and I was told 14 days. Now it has been 3 times that and I am still waiting.
When I called I got straight through to an operator and explained the problem. He went quiet for a minute then said.
"There's a note on here to say that the account has now been passed for investigation. You should recieve a cheque within 14 days."
"That will be 4 times its been passed for investigation. It's nice to know that Npower are more thorough than the MI5 but I would really like my money back now please." I replied.
" Sorry" he stuttered, " but it's with our backoffice team and there isn't anything I can do."
"Well at least somebody there admits they are useless. Could I speak to your back orifice please?"
"Sorry they don't take calls directly from customers."
"Could you put me through indirectly then?"
By this time the advisor was stifling a few giggles.
"Sorry, I don't understand."
"Put me through to your manager then."
"She's unavailable."
"How about her manager?"
"He doesn't take calls. I can try to help."
"You said there isn't anything that you can do. Can I speak to the managing director or a CEO please?"
"Sorry they are unavailable too, they have meetings."
"Oh yes, sorry, I forgot business dinners are more important than the people who pay their wages." I was getting agitated by now can't you tell. " Put me through to anyone in a management position."
The line went quiet and then a woman came on the line.
"Hello my name is (I ain't putting a name here for her privacy) I am (noname) manager and he has explained the problems that you are having. What exactly is it that you want?"
"Hi, well shall we start with the £500 that you owe me and work from there?"
"The refund is being looked into. I am about to leave the office but I can speak to the department that are dealing with it in the morning and then call you back."
"Ok but could you make it around 10am as I have a few calls to make first."
"Would 9.30 be ok?"
"No sorry, at 9am I am calling energywatch and asking them to contact you, at 9.10 I am calling OfGen who I understand is your ombudsman and reporting your company for refusal to return money that is mine, at 9.20 I am contacting the media and there is a lot of it so it may take a while and then at 9.45 I am calling a solicitor with regards to a warrant to send bailiffs to collect the amount owed and to start legal proceedings against yourselves for causing undue distress."
"I am so sorry you feel that is necessary, maybe we could come to an arrangement. How about you give me 24 hours to process the refund and give you an exact date that you will recieve the cheque and if I don't succeed you then make the calls?"
"Can you process the cheque? I thought the back orifice had to do that?!"
"I can do it."
"Ok I will expect a call by 4pm tomorrow or I make the calls."
"Ok I will make sure it is sorted by then." She sounded relieved.
As you see, threats do get you somewhere!
Companies don't seem to appreciate their customers as much as they should do they? Comment and tell me your stories of good or bad customer service.
Chains, multimillion pound businesses or even ye olde corner shoppe. They are all companies. They all have customers, they all make money and they all have problems.
I know this isn't making any sense so far so I will tell you about my run ins with companies today. Yes, in just one day I have done dealings with multiple companies and I got to thinking, why, if they all need customers to survive, do they not treat their customers with the respect that they deserve.
I am not saying that all companies disrespect customers. Far from it. The majority of companies have great customer service and spoil their customers with little extras here and there.
The first time I came across an example of bad customer service today was in a small newsagents in the city centre. I had popped in to purchase some cigarettes for my mother and myself and waited patiently in the queue to be served. I noticed that the people in front of me were being asked if they had the odd penny so I knew that the shop assistant was short on change, but I had left my mum about 5 minutes walk away with my bags and daughter and I had only taken a ten pound note into the shop. Sorry if this sounds lazy but I wasn't willing to make a ten minute round trip for the sake of a couple of pence so I stayed in the queue and waited to be served.
When I reached the till I requested the 2 packets of cigarettes that I wanted and was told gruffly that the total cost was £9.92 so I handed over the £10 note that I was holding with a smile and a thankyou.
"Have you got the 2p?" the assistant grunted.
"No, I haven't sorry." I replied. Now I was wearing a summer dress with no pockets and I didn't have a bag but the assistant looked me up and down with a look in her eyes that said I was lying. But I ignored it and waited for my cigarettes and change.
I was enraged.
" I am not accepting the damaged packet." I said to her calmly. "and there is no need to speak to me like that."
"I didn't speak to you like anything" she began yelling at me in front of a shop full of customers.
Immediately another assistant sent her in the back and swapped the damaged packet whilst mumbling an apology at me.
Obviously I have written a letter of complaint to the manager of the shop and I expect an apology from the woman.
Maybe she was just having a bad day, but I don't know her or her problems. I only wanted some cigarettes. Plus I wasn't aware that it was my responsibility to have the correct change in a shop.
Later, when I arrived home I decided to call Npower as for the last 6 weeks I have been attempting to extract nearly £500 in a refund owed to me. We have a prepayment meter and nobody has any idea why we are owed that much so it was agreed that the account would be investigated before a refund was sent and I was told 14 days. Now it has been 3 times that and I am still waiting.
When I called I got straight through to an operator and explained the problem. He went quiet for a minute then said.
"There's a note on here to say that the account has now been passed for investigation. You should recieve a cheque within 14 days."
"That will be 4 times its been passed for investigation. It's nice to know that Npower are more thorough than the MI5 but I would really like my money back now please." I replied.
" Sorry" he stuttered, " but it's with our backoffice team and there isn't anything I can do."
"Well at least somebody there admits they are useless. Could I speak to your back orifice please?"
"Sorry they don't take calls directly from customers."
"Could you put me through indirectly then?"
By this time the advisor was stifling a few giggles.
"Sorry, I don't understand."
"Put me through to your manager then."
"She's unavailable."
"How about her manager?"
"He doesn't take calls. I can try to help."
"You said there isn't anything that you can do. Can I speak to the managing director or a CEO please?"
"Sorry they are unavailable too, they have meetings."
"Oh yes, sorry, I forgot business dinners are more important than the people who pay their wages." I was getting agitated by now can't you tell. " Put me through to anyone in a management position."
The line went quiet and then a woman came on the line.
"Hello my name is (I ain't putting a name here for her privacy) I am (noname) manager and he has explained the problems that you are having. What exactly is it that you want?"
"Hi, well shall we start with the £500 that you owe me and work from there?"
"The refund is being looked into. I am about to leave the office but I can speak to the department that are dealing with it in the morning and then call you back."
"Ok but could you make it around 10am as I have a few calls to make first."
"Would 9.30 be ok?"
"No sorry, at 9am I am calling energywatch and asking them to contact you, at 9.10 I am calling OfGen who I understand is your ombudsman and reporting your company for refusal to return money that is mine, at 9.20 I am contacting the media and there is a lot of it so it may take a while and then at 9.45 I am calling a solicitor with regards to a warrant to send bailiffs to collect the amount owed and to start legal proceedings against yourselves for causing undue distress."
"I am so sorry you feel that is necessary, maybe we could come to an arrangement. How about you give me 24 hours to process the refund and give you an exact date that you will recieve the cheque and if I don't succeed you then make the calls?"
"Can you process the cheque? I thought the back orifice had to do that?!"
"I can do it."
"Ok I will expect a call by 4pm tomorrow or I make the calls."
"Ok I will make sure it is sorted by then." She sounded relieved.
As you see, threats do get you somewhere!
Companies don't seem to appreciate their customers as much as they should do they? Comment and tell me your stories of good or bad customer service.
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