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Who's Providing UK Based v Offshore Customer Service

2

Comments

  • regularsaver1
    regularsaver1 Posts: 4,930 Forumite
    HBOS - UK (Halifax, Bank of Scotland, Birmingham Midshires, Esure, Sheila's Wheels, First Active, Itelligent Finance, Sainsbury's Bank ect)

    although now links in Australia
  • pin
    pin Posts: 4,265 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    Who cares where the cs is provided from? After all we live in a global community where we trade goods with other countries.

    As long as the service is good, who cares where it comes from?
    "An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind" - Mahatma Gandhi
  • wymondham
    wymondham Posts: 6,356 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Mortgage-free Glee!
    pin, My experience is that CS moved from UK to overseas are not as good as UK based ones - the companies have done it for one reason and one reason alone - to save money and cheapen the operation. It shows which companies put resources into looking after their customers, and which see it just as an expense they can save on....
  • M_Thomson
    M_Thomson Posts: 1,596 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture
    HBOS - UK (Halifax, Bank of Scotland, Birmingham Midshires, Esure, Sheila's Wheels, First Active, Itelligent Finance, Sainsbury's Bank ect)

    although now links in Australia

    Regularsaver1, First Active is Royal Bank Of Scotland rather than HBOS.
  • pin
    pin Posts: 4,265 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    wymondham wrote:
    pin, My experience is that CS moved from UK to overseas are not as good as UK based ones - the companies have done it for one reason and one reason alone - to save money and cheapen the operation. It shows which companies put resources into looking after their customers, and which see it just as an expense they can save on....

    I beg to differ. My experience has been that both foreign based AND UK based CS can be both good and bad.

    Its all down to training of the company providing the CS REGARDLESS of where they are based.
    "An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind" - Mahatma Gandhi
  • Hazzanet
    Hazzanet Posts: 1,724 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    wymondham wrote:
    pin, My experience is that CS moved from UK to overseas are not as good as UK based ones - the companies have done it for one reason and one reason alone - to save money and cheapen the operation. It shows which companies put resources into looking after their customers, and which see it just as an expense they can save on....

    Same here - I've dealt with customer service centres here and abroad and have had mixed experiences with both. I must admit, I don't like the whole call-centre system. Whilst they're great at dishing out a balance, or doing a transfer/paying a bill, anything more complicated which deviates from 'the script' normally results in pain and anguish for me. Typically, anything more complicated will result in a trip to the branch for me, or even writing a letter spelling it out step-by-step.

    As for call centres abroad, I've had good experiences and bad. Usually, the main problem is that the staff haven't received sufficient training, and there's a lack of UK management control on the operations, so quality of service normally falls. Also, I find that the poor telephone lines, and thick accents cause me a lot of bother, in that I can't understand a word of what is being said. Shame really.
    4358
  • mcfisco
    mcfisco Posts: 1,957 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I'd choose one business over another if all other things that matters were equal on the fact that they had a UK call centre. Having lost my job too many times to overseas competition, I would like to not add to it if poss.
    I also buy British as much as I can.
  • reserved
    reserved Posts: 104 Forumite
    Vodaphone - UK
    UKOnline ISP - UK
    More Than - UK
    :beer:
  • Coventry BS - UK
    Everyone needs something to believe in.

    I believe I need another beer.
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