Do big companies really want our business?

smartpicture

I would love to change my credit card, mobile phone, phone, electricity, internet, bank etc to a company that offers a least a bare minimum of customer service - but in my experience, they're all as bad as each other! Is it just me?

I had an Abbey credit card and they charged me interest for 4 consecutive months, despite me paying it off in full, on time, every month, and ringing them & writing to them. So I switched to Capital One, and asked to add my daughter as an addional cardholder. So far they have written to me 5 times saying that I haven't filled in the enclosed form with her details, so they intend to stop her card within 28 days - even though they've never even sent her a card! And I've filled in the form twice and sent it in. And I've rung up and navigated through their endless button-pressing phone system 3 times and been told they will sort it out. And the 0800 phone number they include in their letters is unobtainable, so you have to ring an 0845 one instead.

Today, they told me it was my fault because I haven't sent in her proof of identity - even though they've never asked for it. She doesn't have utility bills or anything because she still lives at home, but she does have a Capital One account in her own name, so I asked if that would suffice as she has already proved her identity to them once for that. I was told that I have to send in a copy of her Capital One statement to prove her identity - errr - surely they can just look at it on their own computer system? However, I shall do as I'm told & see what happens next.

I could fill in this whole page on my bad customer service stories alone - if a company ever opened that really did customer service, it would clean up the market.

Airwolf1

Companies do get it wrong at times, but consider how many customers they may have. I generally find a letter to the Chief Exec's office puts things right.

I would say that in the interest of fraud etc, then asking for ID is reasonable, even if she has her own account with them, but I can see your frustrations!

If you want to change services etc, then do so. It's all about money saving at the end of the day.

Pennywise

It's call centre mentality that causes these problems. No individual member of staff is given responsibility to particular customers so there is no incentive for them to do things properly. They are monitored on the wrong criteria, such as speed in answering a call, call duration, etc., rather than whether they actually achieved anything during the call.

BYALPHAINDIA

Pennywise wrote: »

It's call centre mentality that causes these problems. No individual member of staff is given responsibility to particular customers so there is no incentive for them to do things properly. They are monitored on the wrong criteria, such as speed in answering a call, call duration, etc., rather than whether they actually achieved anything during the call.

Don't forget the 'average' call center operator has the 'Brains Of A Pork Pie'

And is paid to listen and not get 'infatuated' into the customer's needs.

RadoJo

That's a pretty rude attitude towards call centre staff - most of the problems arise because of lack of training, not lack of intelligence. In a time when people want cheaper products and the best value on everything, companies often cut training budgets to start with as that is a 'hidden' cost of running their operation. People are trained on the most common queries, meaning that if something out of the ordinary comes up they are ill-equipped to deal with it as the company takes the decision not to train everyone on every aspect of the business as it would not be cost effective.

If you have a problem with customer service, it can usually be resolved by referring it to someone higher up the chain of authority, but as PennyWise said, the monitoring of call centre 'achievement' is only based on certain factors. If enough people contact the 'superiors' it may encourage them to review their proceedures, but bear in mind that if they also get complaints about waiting too long in a telephone queue, and people asking for lower prices, they will have to decide which is more likely to keep people coming back. Call centre staff are rarely responsible for the company's attitude towards customer service, and assuming that they are stupid because they can't help with a specific problem is unfair.

BYALPHAINDIA

RadoJo wrote: »

That's a pretty rude attitude towards call centre staff - most of the problems arise because of lack of training, not lack of intelligence. In a time when people want cheaper products and the best value on everything, companies often cut training budgets to start with as that is a 'hidden' cost of running their operation. People are trained on the most common queries, meaning that if something out of the ordinary comes up they are ill-equipped to deal with it as the company takes the decision not to train everyone on every aspect of the business as it would not be cost effective.

Oh dear not a 'Jobsworth'?

What Lack of Training - They get paid don't they??

If they have no training then it's the companies responsibility isn't it?

The rest is just 'Drivel'

uktim29

BYALPHAINDIA wrote: »

The rest is just 'Drivel'

What you're post?

Someone has the brain of a pork pie!

powder_blue_sky

Pennywise wrote: »

It's call centre mentality that causes these problems. No individual member of staff is given responsibility to particular customers so there is no incentive for them to do things properly. They are monitored on the wrong criteria, such as speed in answering a call, call duration, etc., rather than whether they actually achieved anything during the call.

It seems you are right. You can never speak to the same person anyway, so you simply have to start from scratch every time you ring up, at your own expense.

mrcow

smartpicture wrote: »

I would love to change my credit card, mobile phone, phone, electricity, internet, bank etc to a company that offers a least a bare minimum of customer service - but in my experience, they're all as bad as each other! Is it just me?

For your bank, credit card and savings account, switch to First Direct if you want hands on customer service.

They'll give you £100 for switching too and 0% on purchases for your card

Pink_fluff

BYALPHAINDIA wrote: »

Don't forget the 'average' call center operator has the 'Brains Of A Pork Pie'

And is paid to listen and not get 'infatuated' into the customer's needs.

Brains of a pork pie? If you've ever worked in a call centre, then you'd know that about 60% of the idiots...ahem... customers that call in have the brains of half a pork pie :rotfl:

uktim29

Pink_fluff wrote: »

Brains of a pork pie? If you've ever worked in a call centre, then you'd know that about 60% of the idiots...ahem... customers that call in have the brains of half a pork pie :rotfl:

BYALPHAINDIA isn't clever enough to know that!