bad customer service
@yodainthehouse (30)
February 2, 2007 4:09pm CST
Am I just unlucky or are there others out there who share my bad customer service experiences? In the last month I have had 3 really bad experiences.
1. HSBC decided that they would close my account while I was on holiday in Australia. I went to a cash machine and it ate my card- in the middle of outback Australia. When I got back to London I had a letter from them, which very rudely told me that they were closing my account and didn't want to have me as a customer anymore. When I called they told me that it had been a bank error!
2. I ordered some draught excluders from a company called Reddiseals in October. They were supposed to be delivered in 10 days. After 3 weeks I called them to say I hadn't recieved them. Apparantly they were incorrectly delivered to an address in the far north of England. They then told me they would send them again. After a month I recieved a letter from a shop 10 minutes down the road from where I live; again, my parcel had been incorrectly delivered. The really bad thing was that the company invoiced me a second time- demanding that I pay for the re-issued goods!
3. My gym, Virgin Active, recently sent me a letter telling me my membership had been cancelled due to the fact that I had an outstanding payment due for 30 pounds. I called to inquire- saying that I would like to know what this amount was for- they were unable to tell me. I then was advised to call another number and was told that I should ignore the letter!
So there you have it- one big long rant! AM I THE ONLY ONE?? Am I just unlucky? Any advice for how to deal with this? I think I might need to write some letters- becuase no one seems to care when you complain on the phone.
2 responses
@wolfie34 (26771)
• United Kingdom
2 Feb 07
Not, that it's any consolation but things happen in threes, so hopefully you've had your run of bad luck! You start to think it's you, and it becomes personal after a while and think, this kind of thing only happens to ME. I both hate and dread ringing customer services, because I dread what country the call centre of the service I want to ring is in and whether they will be able to understand me! If I have had bad service then I always write, because a) you get your point across, b) you feel better for getting your point across and c) sometimes, just sometimes they send you some vouchers, cash or a token gesture for your trouble, so good luck and get writing, For the price of a few first class stamps and some time, it'll be worth it. Best of luck to you! Oh and welcome to Mylot!
1 person likes this
@yodainthehouse (30)
•
2 Feb 07
I am getting inspired now- will get to writing that letter tomorrow. I used to be really good at complaining when I lived in Australia- but really, I think England has just taken the thing to a whole new level. There is just so much of it that I feel hopeless and defeated. I think people expect bad service here- it's more likely to be the norm, than the exception. Don't mean to bi**h about the place- love it, really, but really customer service needs to be radically improved.
1 person likes this
@jellylilyjujuluver (251)
• United States
2 Feb 07
I'm so sorry to hear about your streak of bad customer service. Yes! Get to work on those letters and report them to some agency so that others will be aware of the crappy service the companies you've listed have provided.
Here in the states we have something called the Better Business Bureau that makes all these companies names available to the public. I've used it more than a couple times and always feel like I may be helping someone else out when I do.
@yodainthehouse (30)
•
2 Feb 07
I am from Australia and living in London now. In Aust I know all the places to complain to- but not here in London just yet. I am sure that there must be an equivalent of the Better Business Bureau. Many thanks for your support.
1 person likes this
