I bang my head with outsourced call centres - is it just me???

chomsky_2

I am having a nightmare with Debenhams card services at the moment and their call centres. I pay my balance every month by going in store and paying as their website refuses to let me pay my card online. When I complained to Debenhams in store about this, a nuclear orange coloured sales girl informed me that the store card was “nothing to do with Debenhams you’ll have to call the helpline yeah?” I of course was surprised to learn that a Debenhams store card has nothing to do with Debenhams and was really peeved at having to call the premium rate line.

It is one of the worst call centres I have ever dealt with, it's not the fact its based abroad that is a huge problem it's the sheer incompetence that I find exasperating. I naively assumed Debenhams would have a UK call centre and an email address to deal with card problems but was told the only method of communication is the ridiculously priced helpline. Clearly the call centre is based in India as without sounding rude, I cannot for the life of me understand the call centre staff, which I appreciate is not their fault, it's just frustrating trying to decipher what I am being told.

After being kept on hold for 35 minutes I was assured by someone 4000 miles away that my call was of great importance to them and that I should now be able to make online payments to my store card, I found that oh shock horror, nothing had been sorted at all and I find myself having to phone Mumbai once again.

Surprisingly any request to speak to a supervisor resulted in an almost immediate loss of fluency in English and then a prompt disconnection. Clearly relocating customer services overseas has been an unprecedented success for Debenhams.

BargainGalore

I had similar problem with Halifax

Joined the reward bank account online

Filled in all details then it said do I want to confirm my ID via phone call to me. I said yes it then said online I had to use the conformation number they gave me

I got a call but for some reason it didnt quite connect properly due to them using a international number which my call screener ignores

I rang them up and explained and I may as well not bother, they said I would have to open a new account again, why !!!!!! I just needed to confirm who I was

chou_123

sookipeaspud wrote: »

A famous motor insurance company uses call centres from abroad, various countries.

Firstly I got through to an automated machine,then an indian call centre, then a canadian call centre and finally back to the uk.

I soiled myself in joy though when the insurance quote for three cars was lower than one car insured by the company who does not use gocompare! Anyway Gocompare is the biggest waste of time and resources ever.

I feel sorry for the guy whos antics are shown every four minutes countrywide. I bet his children get bullied and his wife has had a sex change to rid herself of him. Poor fella -fat, stupid and desperate for money .....go compare son,

Yep I've used Admiral as well and their call centres are great. Got through to Canada, very helpful and very polite and easy to understand! They have call centres in Cardiff and India but if you want to get through to Canada then ring about 7pm! Thumbs up from me!

FatAndy

sookipeaspud wrote: »

I feel sorry for the guy whos antics are shown every four minutes countrywide. I bet his children get bullied and his wife has had a sex change to rid herself of him. Poor fella -fat, stupid and desperate for money .....go compare son,

That would be this chap - http://www.wynneevans.co.uk/. He looks different without the 'tashe.

paulofessex

Is there not a website similar to saynoto in respect everyone getting together to try and abolish the outsourcing of call centres. About time that us consumers was heard

I_luv_cats

I had my wallet stolen and had to phone GE card services to cancel my Fraser Card.

The outsourced centre said can I have your card number, it took ages and at great expense trying to tell them I had the card stolen!!!!!!


Once call centre phoned back and said how did they do with my call????

fluffnutter

I read this at the weekend. Quite interesting. But we'll never get rid of call centres; they're cheap. And if you live in a society where the consumer is king, then cheap is what you get...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/blog/2010/apr/10/call-centres-treating-customers-staff-fairly

dizziblonde

I've always got through to nice Scottish gentlemen when I've rung the Halifax... it's one of the few pleasures of having to deal with the bank (I do love a bloke with a Scottish accent)!

I also worked for a company that brought its Indian call centres back to the UK - and I've seen some of the messes that were made of accounts by staff over there. In their case it was an experiment that failed spectacularly!

mickeypops

You've got to get through to the call centre before you can have a bad expereince!

I'm flying with Thomas Cook Airline this summer, and need to contact their customer services department (reason unimportant.)

I've been trying since early March. I must have rung their 0844 number over a hundred times. You get a four minute spiel of nonsense, then it says that they are experiencing a high call volume, advise me to call again later, then disconnect me.

ONCE I got in the call centre queue. I was number 26. After forty minutes, I was number 24 and had ran out of time.

tafer2uk

I have to say, as I get older and (touch wood) more financially secure, I have started to no longer jsut go with the cheapest any more when it comes to certain products or services.

I do now try and research how their customer services rate, where the call centres are based, are their numbers freephone etc...

I am growing tired of the constant battles with cheap and not so cheerful companies happy to take your money but then stick two fingers up at you when a problem arises.