Weird Aviva experience

TIGs

I was with Aviva for 1 hour, same as you got quote online, took it up but stuff missing. So phoned!!!! What a joke, was on hold 20 minutes trying to get through to be put through to a call centre somewhere in India, couldn't understand a word the woman said, kept telling her "sorry i can't understand you" so what did she do??? Cut me off. Tried again, on hold 20 minutes trying to get through again to speak to another indian lady, she tried to tell me that i'd tried to change it on line, how could i when it gave me a error message that told me to ring them, she also cut me off. By this time i was well peed off, not how i had planned to spend my Sunday afternoon. Phoned again, 20 minutes getting put through spoke to an Indian gentleman, he was spot on told him i wanted to cancel my policy and explained why! somehow i ended up not cancelling it. Had had enough by then and thought i'll just stay with it and leave it, cos i couldn't be bothered anymore, no matter how many times i asked i couldn't speak to someone in the UK.
After i'd slept on it i thought if thats what customer service is like trying to buy the policy what would they be like if i needed to make a claim, so i went on live chat online and they told me to ring and insist on speaking to a manager, i did this and was put through to an english speaking lady, explained what had happened and got a full refund.
was relieved when i took up another policy to actually speak to someone who i could understand and who could understand me

dacouch

Tigs I find the way to try and avoid most customer service staff (Of all companies) is to ask their name at the start of the conversation and then use it a few times in the conversation. It's amazing how much this reduces them putting the phone down and they are often more helpful.

The Aviva off shore call centre staff normally have names like kieron, dave, christine etc etc

squares

I have just swapped mine to Aviva - they were £100 cheaper than my current insurer online. I phoned them to double check the info, and it was all correct. The only thing picked up was that my quote had stated my car had a tracker - i said it doesn't, and i didnt see an option online to say I did. So she re ran the quote, took the tracker off and it was instantly cheaper by a fiver! The lasy was very helpful and spoke perfect English. i was very pleased.

AnxiousMum

I exchanged cars on the weekend, and prior to being taken to pick up the new car, I tried to go online to change the vehicle on my policy. Put in all the info required, and received a message that it couldn't be processed online, and had to call customer service. Forty five minutes on their customer service line - the guy on the other end was unable to change the policy, as there was a 'system error'. It could not be looked at until Monday - but I needed my car insured that day. I asked to speak to a supervisor - and apparently there aren't any! hmmmm He eventually gave in that the title of the supervisor was something different - and so I asked to speak with this person, and I eventually hung up after being on hold for at least 25 minutes. The second person hung up on me when I insisted on speaking to a manager, because being unable to change the policy, I had asked fora new policy to be set up on the new vehicle, and the old one cancelled. He insisted this couldn't be done, as he couldnt' even access the original policy on their system. He hung up on me. Third time - I got a person who obviously has had customer service issues of his own - as his customer service was fantastic. Eventually, I found someone willing to look for way to solve the problem - which was exactly as I had asked the previous one to do - put my policy in for cancellation, and create a new policy for me please. He did it no problem, and informed me what to do with the old one, and to watch for bank charges etc. Not bad on the third attempt, but what a waste of two hours on Saturday morning with the first two people.

TIGs

dacouch wrote: »

Tigs I find the way to try and avoid most customer service staff (Of all companies) is to ask their name at the start of the conversation and then use it a few times in the conversation. It's amazing how much this reduces them putting the phone down and they are often more helpful.

The Aviva off shore call centre staff normally have names like kieron, dave, christine etc etc

When i finally spoke to a manager i was told the car insurance department was based abroad where as the home insurance department is based in Scotland. I don't think i would have understood the first ladies name if she'd spelt it to me, i honestly couldn't understand one word she said, best thing was i felt awful for not being able to understand her lol

dacouch

TIGs wrote: »

When i finally spoke to a manager i was told the car insurance department was based abroad where as the home insurance department is based in Scotland. I don't think i would have understood the first ladies name if she'd spelt it to me, i honestly couldn't understand one word she said, best thing was i felt awful for not being able to understand her lol

The staff Aviva employ in the off shore call centres are generally Graduates and the jobs are very sought after as the pay is well above the local averages. They are taught about UK customs and television programs etc etc

The call centres there have quite a high turnover of staff as the staff get poached by other call centres and vice versa. This causes high wage inflation there and there are rumours that the savings Aviva were expecting from the off shore call centre have been wipes out or are no where near as great as they expected due to the wage inflation there.

TIGs

Gets even better, got my mastercard bill to find they have taken another £280 from my card.
Thats after they had refunded me the £280 i paid to set up the policy when i phoned to cancel it.
So not only do i have 2 car insurance policies now, which i'm sure is against the law, i am also £280 out of pocket. Once again through to a call centre abroad, couldn't help or put me onto a english manager, put through to 2 different departments to be told, contact your mastercard issuer and they'll refund the £280 to my card as it would take Aviva over a week to do it. And yes they had taken the money (without authorisation from me) due to a error on their computer system.
I would not recomend them to anyone, appauling customer service is too nice a word to use.

[Deleted User]

TIGs

If you'd be able to send me some details so that I can investigate I will look into how this payment has been taken and make sure that it gets refunded asap for you.

Becca
(rebecca.sibley@aviva.co.uk)

Justicia

TIGs wrote: »

So not only do i have 2 car insurance policies now, which i'm sure is against the law,

Don't believe that it's against the law, as long as you don't claim from them both in respect of a single event.

Hope that you can get sorted.

consumer

I've found Aviva to be very difficult with, over last 3 yrs when it comes to Customer service....Somewhat similar to 3....Things definitely get done after 2-3 phone calls to customer service representative. Usual answer will be- the systems are down, can you call 30 mins later?

I've had car insurance from 3 other companies and Aviva and generally have avoided Aviva..These are my personal views...