Why is everyone so incompetent these days?

Pennywise

I need a rant. My mother died earlier this year and I've had nothing but mistakes, delays and general stupidity from everyone I've had to be in contact with, i.e. banks, probate registry, doctors, registrar of deaths, etc. Dumbing down is so blatantly obvious - the staff you have to deal with are absolutely hopeless.

It took four days before they even decided whether or not to hold a post-mortem and even when they decided they didn't, it was another two days before the doctor bothered to write the death certificate, and then I had to go to the registry office immediately as the time limit for registering a death had nearly run out, not to mention delaying the funeral.

Then the problems really began. I called into the various bank branches armed with proof of ID, copy of will, etc., and in the four banks concerned, every single one gave me duff information about what needed to be done - they clearly hadn't the foggiest about the procedures. Result was that I had to go through it all again a few weeks later when I got letters back from the bank's head offices saying that they needed different documents/information - contrary to what their branch staff had said.

Then come to probate and inheritance tax. I duly filled in the forms as downloaded from HMRC and probate registry website, having carefully studied their websites so that I knew exactly what needed to be done. After six weeks, I'd heard nothing back at all and phoned them, only to find that they couldn't process because I'd filled in the wrong forms. So, taking their word for it, I downloaded different forms, completed and sent them in. Then I get a phone call back saying the latest forms were wrong and that I was right in the first place! Result - probate taking twice as long.

Then, I come to opening a bank account for the executors. Check on the bank's website for the documentation requirements, which I duly complete and send to them. Again, nothing heard from them for weeks, so I had to chase them up. Then they say that they need more documents, none of which were mentioned on their website, which I send to them. Then I get a call from someone else asking why I havn't sent everything they need as per the website - apparently they've lost the original documents I first sent. Then, after almost 2 months, I get a letter saying the bank account is open, so I wait (and wait) for paying in books and cheque books, but they never come, so after another two weeks, I phone to chase them, only to be told that someone had forgotten to order them.

Finally, today, the final straw. Last week, I sent three large cheques from the closure of some bank accounts, all in the same envelope, all by special delivery (which they signed for). Only two appear on the bank statement. They've managed to lose a cheque for over £33k and are now claiming that I must not have put it in the envelope as they are adament they've not got it.

I've had nothing but sheer incompetence from start to finish. It's about time that employers started to take disciplinary action against incompetent staff, as standards are now dangerously close to being completely unacceptable.

Reggie_Rebel

While your experiences are not to made light off and not ones that anyone should be subjected to, especially at a time of such stress it is not totally the individual staff that are at fault.

Too many companies still pay nothing more than lip service to staff training and development, in the banking industry especially preferring to spend the money on new uniforms seemingly every three weeks

uktim29

Reggie_Rebel wrote: »

Too many companies still pay nothing more than lip service to staff training and development, in the banking industry especially preferring to spend the money on new uniforms seemingly every three weeks

Yeah, it's more the nature of modern industry (often stretched resources) rather than anything specific. But then the nature of modern industry is just responding to consumer demand for everything cheaper.

Pennywise

uktim29 wrote: »

Yeah, it's more the nature of modern industry (often stretched resources) rather than anything specific. But then the nature of modern industry is just responding to consumer demand for everything cheaper.

The probate service, coroner and doctors aren't "responding to cunsumer demand for everything cheaper". They are public services, allegedly staffed by well trained staff (or so they'd have you believe). The problem is a complete absence of accountability. These people know you have no choice but to deal with them and there seems to be no incentive for them to do their jobs properly. The probate office, in particular, is hardly stretched - I was sat in their office for well over an hour waiting until they finished chatting and their cup of coffee before they finally called me through for the meeting, an hour after the agreed appointment time - during that time, no-one else had come to the office, and they'd only had one telephone call - in fact I don't think I saw them go near a pen or their computer - they were just chatting. That isn't acceptable and it is absolutely nothing to do with pay, over-stretching, etc - it's just shoddy staff getting away with doing as little as possible and treating their "customers" with disdain.

uktim29

Pennywise wrote: »

The probate service, coroner and doctors aren't "responding to cunsumer demand for everything cheaper". They are public services

Funded by tax, which comes from the public/consumers. The public would rather pay less tax, the Government would probably love it if we paid more, then everything could get the funding it needs.

Much the same thing really.

pulliptears

When my Dad passed away earlier this year he had a small sum in an ISA with Natwest. I was the executor and I banked with Lloyds. Natwest's probate department needed to send me a cheque for the balance of his ISA so that I could distribute it as per his will. Considering this department deals solely with the bereaved I have never met a more incompetent bunch in my life.

Firstly, the cheque they sent me was in the wrong name, and dated 12 month prior. Given the stress I was under at the time I didnt notice and banked it. Lloyds didnt notice either for a day or two, but when they did they froze my account while they sorted it. I called Natwest, who spent 2 days blaming Lloyds. After a lot of going back and forward, and a lot of tears because I didnt need this stress on top of everything else Lloyds gave me back access to my account and returned the cheque. When I saw it I realised it was Natwest at fault. I didnt get so much as a "sorry" and it took them a further week to reissue the correct cheque.

At the time I meant to write to Natwest underlining just how stressful the whole procedure had been. The bulk of the money was to go to my now widowed mum and the rest to pay for the funeral so it was incredibly stressful for Mum too. Unfortunately, the funeral and family came first and I never did send the letter. But I would never bank with Natwest.

Pennywise

uktim29 wrote: »

Funded by tax, which comes from the public/consumers. The public would rather pay less tax, the Government would probably love it if we paid more, then everything could get the funding it needs.

Much the same thing really.

Completely irrelevant. Would a payrise have made the probate office staff any better. No, it wouldn't. Would a payrise have made the doctor agree to sign the death certificate any quicker - no it wouldn't. This claim of lack of funds is just an excuse for the lazy to carry on being lazy. There was a time when even the poorest paid people actually did their jobs properly.

Daytona_nev

Its very sad. I had similar experiences this year thankfully not under such serious circumstances.

Having to move house and then inform all the relevant companies of address changes & changes of services was a nightmare.

Talktalk were by far the worst, Having delayed switching our services for 3 months, we were lied to on several occassions and told something different every time we called. I called in quick succession a couple of times just to test whether they'd give a consistent message but got a different story each time.

But generally, staff didn't take ownership and no-one seems to want to take responsbility any more, even for doing their own jobs. They'll tell you what they think you want to hear just to get you off the phone.

uktim29

Pennywise wrote: »

Completely irrelevant. Would a payrise have made the probate office staff any better. No, it wouldn't. Would a payrise have made the doctor agree to sign the death certificate any quicker - no it wouldn't.

Funding is different to pay rises.

Maybe the Doctor has a backlog of other similar things to get through? That is well known for being a profession with one of the highest levels of stress.

Pennywise

Daytona_nev wrote: »

But generally, staff didn't take ownership and no-one seems to want to take responsbility any more, even for doing their own jobs. They'll tell you what they think you want to hear just to get you off the phone.

How right you are.n It's about time public and private sector organisations stopped using "tickboxes" and internal performance evaluations loved by the public sector. What we need is a measurement of what really matters and that is independent and direct questions of the end-user. Something like a massive extension of mori-polls so that the "man on the street" can have his say on how he feels about the service he receives. A huge extension of the mystery-shopper type of approach or Which consumer surveys. It's absolutely no use to joe-public if a hospital's internal tick-boxes say how well they're doing - what really matters is how the patients and their nearest & dearest perceive how good or bad the service was. In a call centre environment, it shouldn't matter how quickly a call is answered and dealt with - it's not rocket science to devise a way of evaluating how well it was dealt with which is far more important.

Gosia

Sorry Pennywise to hear that you've been through such extreme bad luck at such a difficult time, whilst going through bereavement.

I too get days or even when I think I am dealing with incompetence (your case is an extreme example of incompetence), but just when I give up on mankind and things going smoothly ever again - they do tend to get better.

Keep your chin up and hopefully there are some good days waiting for you just around the corner that will truly restore your faith in people and staff.