Bad Customer Service - its just this country

[discobob]

Last year I bought my lad some Sim Racing gear from a fella in Jersey - I actually flew in and out to pick it up. Scroll forward to recently - the wheel stopped working - I thought that the PCB might have broken so I sent an email to the (Italian) company asking if they just sold the board (the wheel is 700 euros plus shipping, VAT, Duty) to which they responded no but suggested the custom cable - I fluked out the cable to find there were wires broken (although the soldered ends looked good) and told them that - They sent a new cable which is available for buy for 100 Euro plus the extra's - FOC and arrived in 3 days.

A week later, his pedals stopped working - the USB socket had broken on the board - Well, I thought in for a penny - so emailed the company in Sweden asking if they done replacement boards - they asked me to send them the order number - and I replied honestly that we had purchased the pedals second hand - and they then sent us a new board FOC which arrived 2 days later.

on the 15th I ordered something from Lego - 5 business days - today I checked to see it was still in warehouse so I called - to get a recorded message to say that they could only guarantee deliver for Christmas for orders for the 14th or earlier - no email, no nothing apart from my initial order email. I was told to expect it by the 28th. The item that I have ordered is out of stock now anywhere else except for ebay scalpers who wouldn't be able to deliver in time anyway. Looks like I will have to print off the order email and put it in a card with LEGO sends their apologies but couldn't be parsed with sending out updates....

[Walker570]

Ordered a jigsaw and it arrived next day(UK company)  ordered two fleece shirts and they arrived two days .... ordered Friday afternoon arrived Monday morning  ...Amazon Prime items seem to arrive almost before I order them and often on a Sunday afternoon.    I suppose the world has the good bad and the ugly on deliveries and service.

Ordered some heating oil last week and was assured it would arrive today which it did at 07.00 and the driver got a Christmas present.

[Newbie to this]

I've found almost every company's customer service, to be next to non-existent since Covid. With Currys being the worst.

Edited December 20, 2022 by Newbie to this

[discobob]

27 minutes ago, Newbie to this said:

With Curry being the worst.

Try Chinese then 😆

They were terrible before Covid as well - a mates daughter worked for them (customer services) and used to be crying regularly because of the company

My point really though was the support I got from foreign companies - despite buying second hand

Imagine that with something bought from Currys/Amazon or anywhere UK

[ditchman]

bad customer service is always about in the UK...............

in my time in the USA i found that customer service was embassingly utterly fantastic....the stores never quibbled on anything and couldnt do enough for you often at great cost to themselves ...and with a genuine smile........

[marsh man]

I liked the bit that stated the item arrived 2 and 3 days later , I have four four outstanding items waiting to be delivered by the Royal Mail which are now a minimum of 16 days and one bloke have been waiting for a pair of boots I sold him from the 28th November , i have now stopped selling anything till the strike by the R M have been sorted out , thankfully all four have been very good and I have told them all that if the items don't turn up by this weekend I will refund them in full , MERRY CHRISTMAS to all R M staff .

[Bigbob]

No company seems too care anymore , It seems tough we got your money 

[discobob]

My point really though was the support I got from foreign companies - despite buying second hand

Imagine that with something bought from Currys/Amazon or anywhere UK

The Snaffling Pig Co gave good customer service last week though. My wife gets me one of their advent calendars every year - well this years was rank - one packet stale and two others tasted foul. The rest went in the bin - but I emailed them to tell them how disappointed I was - asked for address and then two days later (sorry @marsh man) a box arrived with about 50 bags from the advent calendar and I haven't had a bad one yet....

[davewh100]

i like to think the company i work for gaggiadirect.com/gaggiauk, is one of the best customers service you will get anywhere, we offer a zoom meeting to any gaggia/saeco coffee machine customer or a phone call we set zoom up we the pandemic kicked in march 2020 i run this from home and still do, our trust pilot reviews speak for themselves

[oowee]

Wiggle is the worst i reckon. Two orders lost bu Evri (?) no response from wiggle. No telephone number, no live chat. 

[discobob]

1 hour ago, davewh100 said:

i like to think the company i work for gaggiadirect.com/gaggiauk, is one of the best customers service you will get anywhere, we offer a zoom meeting to any gaggia/saeco coffee machine customer or a phone call we set zoom up we the pandemic kicked in march 2020 i run this from home and still do, our trust pilot reviews speak for themselves

Good to hear

Funny enough I have raised a ticket with a company called Netwrix for a new system we are putting in to monitor predominantly me - From opening the ticket I got a response with links to standard documentation - I discounted them and supplied further information (their ticketing system doesn't let you add attachments initially) and now I have a Zoom meeting with one of their techs tomorrow. Not too bad..

[davewh100]

4 minutes ago, discobob said:

Good to hear

Funny enough I have raised a ticket with a company called Netwrix for a new system we are putting in to monitor predominantly me - From opening the ticket I got a response with links to standard documentation - I discounted them and supplied further information (their ticketing system doesn't let you add attachments initially) and now I have a Zoom meeting with one of their techs tomorrow. Not too bad..

zoom is very good bob, sometimes its impossible for me to help a customer over the phone with a technical issue, on zoom i can see the machine and identify the problem but also share exploded views so they can see what part they need if out of warranty

[ilovemyheckler]

Problem I have found in the UK is that most companies think they provide good customer but when the chips are down they generally don't

[B725]

1 hour ago, davewh100 said:

i like to think the company i work for gaggiadirect.com/gaggiauk, is one of the best customers service you will get anywhere, we offer a zoom meeting to any gaggia/saeco coffee machine customer or a phone call we set zoom up we the pandemic kicked in march 2020 i run this from home and still do, our trust pilot reviews speak for themselves

I can honestly say that the gentleman above who sold me my coffee machine has been extremely helpful and a pleasure to deal with. 

My new double glazing that was fitted this summer they are having to come back for the 4th time to sort out the windows I have 4 plus the door letting draughts in. 

[discobob]

2 hours ago, davewh100 said:

i like to think the company i work for gaggiadirect.com/gaggiauk

Just had a look - quality stuff and professional site - is it an italian family owned business??

A bit like my son's wheel - people would think £800 for a steering wheel for a computer (we didn't pay that second hand though) but the quality is immense - and again - good customer service.

Perhaps that is what it might be in the UK - in general - a race to the bottom...

[30-6]

Add DPD to any incompetent, lying company list.

[243deer]

2 companies I always quote

Vanguard optics - good value products combined with exceptional after sales service. Even out of warranty they replaced a rubber eyepiece for me FOC on my Endeavour binos. I offered to pay but they clearly understand that a good recommendation that has cost them a pound or two will more than pay them back in the long run.

MTC - absolute rubbish - they simply do not want to help at all when something goes wrong with a scope - I will not buy any of their optics again, no matter how good they are initially and I will continue to send this message whenever I get the opportunity to warn folk.

[henry d]

Wren kitchens. 

First installation and all doors are warped, second and all but 2 are warped. And recently water was spilled on the worktop over a joint but wasn't spotted straight away and wiped up within an hour. Later in the day we found the water had got into the cupboard below as the joint was not sealed (properly?).

However they take at least a week, usually 3, to answer an email. After being fobbed off after the first installation I told them if I didn't receive a call or email within 24 hrs I would be outside the store showing potential customers the warped doors. No contact and I turned up and sat outside and got sorted within 20-30 minutes. 

Very poor service indeed. 

[TIGHTCHOKE]

On 20/12/2022 at 13:18, marsh man said:

I liked the bit that stated the item arrived 2 and 3 days later , I have four four outstanding items waiting to be delivered by the Royal Mail which are now a minimum of 16 days and one bloke have been waiting for a pair of boots I sold him from the 28th November , i have now stopped selling anything till the strike by the R M have been sorted out , thankfully all four have been very good and I have told them all that if the items don't turn up by this weekend I will refund them in full , MERRY CHRISTMAS to all R M staff .

I recently sent a small parcel through the RM Signed For system. I was unable to track it from the code given. I complained to the Royal mail only to get a generic email saying they would respond later. Eventually the item arrived at its destination and I finally got a reply from RM stating it had arrived!

The system is supposed to allow you to track it in transit, that is what the extra fee is for.

 

I really will do my very best to use any other courier firm rather than fund the balls up that is the once great Royal Mail.

9 minutes ago, henry d said:

Wren kitchens. 

First installation and all doors are warped, second and all but 2 are warped. And recently water was spilled on the worktop over a joint but wasn't spotted straight away and wiped up within an hour. Later in the day we found the water had got into the cupboard below as the joint was not sealed (properly?).

However they take at least a week, usually 3, to answer an email. After being fobbed off after the first installation I told them if I didn't receive a call or email within 24 hrs I would be outside the store showing potential customers the warped doors. No contact and I turned up and sat outside and got sorted within 20-30 minutes. 

Very poor service indeed. 

My ex wife used Wren and its subcontractors for her new kitchen.

WOW! They were awful. I sorted a fair bit of it out and she got £4k refunded!

[Gordon R]

henry d - I admire your direct action. I haven't had the need for that line of action and it's cold. 

I write to the CEO of any company who provides poor customer service. I have had about 6 payouts this year, which is about average for me over the last ten years. 

The flipside is that I write a very nice thank you email. Some years ago, my complaints far outweighed any plaudits, but in the last three years or so, they run about even.

 

PS TIGHTCHOKE - got caught with that one. Royal Mail seem to only track on delivery. No information of what happens after posting.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Well I have just decided to write to the boss of Greene King after the terrible service at one of their establishments last Sunday.

Edited December 22, 2022 by TIGHTCHOKE
Forgot the pointless extra "E"

[marsh man]

7 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

I recently sent a small parcel through the RM Signed For system. I was unable to track it from the code given. I complained to the Royal mail only to get a generic email saying they would respond later. Eventually the item arrived at its destination and I finally got a reply from RM stating it had arrived!

The system is supposed to allow you to track it in transit, that is what the extra fee is for.

 

I really will do my very best to use any other courier firm rather than fund the balls up that is the once great Royal Mail.

My ex wife used Wren and its subcontractors for her new kitchen.

WOW! They were awful. I sorted a fair bit of it out and she got £4k refunded!

 

8 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

I recently sent a small parcel through the RM Signed For system. I was unable to track it from the code given. I complained to the Royal mail only to get a generic email saying they would respond later. Eventually the item arrived at its destination and I finally got a reply from RM stating it had arrived!

The system is supposed to allow you to track it in transit, that is what the extra fee is for.

 

I really will do my very best to use any other courier firm rather than fund the balls up that is the once great Royal Mail.

My ex wife used Wren and its subcontractors for her new kitchen.

WOW! They were awful. I sorted a fair bit of it out and she got £4k refunded!

Evening Dave ( T C )  ..... Our village post office was getting bombarded with people ringing them up with them thinking there parcel was held up at that post office for the simple fact that the two I sent signed for have got a tracking number on , when you put the number in on the track and trace you get a message to say they have received your parcel , you then click on the tracking and it will give you the post office that first received it which in my case was the Bradwell post Office , I even got one bloke sent me a email stating it was held up in my small P O , this little P O have two collections a day and the parcel went to the main sorting office the same day I posted it .

As an update , I had the last three parcels delivered yesterday and my funds that were held is now back in my bank account , so I will no longer have to ask you for any left overs from the big day to feed the two needy o a p's and a seven year old Labrador .

All the best and have a good one

[TIGHTCHOKE]

John (MM)  the once great Post Office/ Royal Mail will soon be no more as the strikes are just pushing more business to the Courier firms!

I am off to get cartridges on Saturday, a Christmas present to myself, you two have a great Christmas.  

[henry d]

39 minutes ago, Gordon R said:

henry d - I admire your direct action. I haven't had the need for that line of action and it's cold. 

It's OK, it was summer 😎

[manthing]

Isn't Lego Danish?