N.C.T Center, Staff lack of Communication skill's.

Tail Wagger

I have visited our local N.C.T Center to day, and I returned very disgruntled.
Oh not on the result of the car, that passed. I feel very bad about the guy whom I dealt with in the office.

On the form you are asked to arrive 10-15 minutes before your appointment time, I did and I was left waiting for about 10 minutes. guy arrived to the hatch
Next!
I walked over and handed in my papers, wished him a good day!
No reply! as he walked away,
He came back, [Keys!] I handed him the keys,[€50] and not another word.
What time will I come back at?, I requested.
reply [half hour]
the total conversation was, Next! €50! half hour!
So there you are where do these guys get their communication skills ?
How do they get these jobs?
Are they really that bored?

I thing maybe a little chit chat about the day and the weather wouldn't go astray, or is it to much to ask? Or does it bother your when you find this treatment in your N.C.T Center?

Yakult

No job motivation probably

Zubeneschamali

Tail Wagger wrote: »

Or does it bother your when you find this treatment in your N.C.T Center?

It suits me fine. The less oxygen I have to expend on dealing with these guys the better.

MagicMarker

I hate it when people try and make small talk, just leave me the fúck alone and let me do my job!

Cookie_Monster

it's not their job to make pointless small talk with annoying customers you know

mickdw

Some of them are ok although uninterested. Seems like you got a right ass though.

Bearcat

as we are all aware the nct stations now are mainly staffed by our eastern european fellow europeans. From my muliple visits thereon an on- going basis, they (a) don't possess the abilityto converse beyond two words and (b) their job is not to discuss the changes of weather etc so in reality their job function is to check and have the use of four words in english being "keys,50 euro, pass and fail". I don't even Thank them any more as they have never shown me an ounce of courtesy. Sorry I'm so negative but I'm telling it as it is.

TheColl

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

it's not their job to make pointless small talk with annoying customers you know

Of course it's not their job, but it's courteous and not exactly difficult to do.

daveharnett

The joys of dealing with a monopoly I suppose.

That said, it's not all bad - I found both guys I dealt with during my last NCT in Limerick (test and retest) to be perfectly pleasant.

After the first (failed) test, the engineer (Sean afair) was happy to briefly discuss the points of failure, and a couple of minor problems he noticed which were outside of the test parameters.

ART6

TheColl wrote: »

Of course it's not their job, but it's courteous and not exactly difficult to do.

Pure ignorance is never excusable. If they are immigrants, then learn our customs and try a little civility. Personally I don't need a discussion on the weather or whether Ireland will win the Six Nations (whatever that is), but a "Hi. How can I help", and "Fine, let's have the docs and a fifty note and we're in business" said with a smile might help.

peasant

ART6 wrote: »

"Fine, let's have the docs and a fifty note and we're in business" said with a smile might help.

"Have a nice day!"


I'd smack him, tbh

Chat will cost extra

enviro

Hello, thank you and goodbye is the norm when dealing with paying customers. Poor management is what it comes down to.

P.C.

Tail Wagger wrote: »

I have visited our local N.C.T Center to day, and I returned very disgruntled.
Oh not on the result of the car, that passed. I feel very bad about the guy whom I dealt with in the office.

On the form you are asked to arrive 10-15 minutes before your appointment time, I did and I was left waiting for about 10 minutes. guy arrived to the hatch
Next!
I walked over and handed in my papers, wished him a good day!
No reply! as he walked away,
He came back, [Keys!] I handed him the keys,[€50] and not another word.
What time will I come back at?, I requested.
reply [half hour]
the total conversation was, Next! €50! half hour!
So there you are where do these guys get their communication skills ?
How do they get these jobs?
Are they really that bored?

I thing maybe a little chit chat about the day and the weather wouldn't go astray, or is it to much to ask? Or does it bother your when you find this treatment in your N.C.T Center?

OP - what you have described here is a simple lack of any customer service.

There are far too many people who say or think - I don't work in a shop, there is no customer service in my job.
WRONG

Customer service is all about being polite, saying hallo with a smile, treating the 'customer' with respect.

When I take my car to the N.C.T. Centre, I am the customer - treat me as such.

People want the person behind the till at their local shop to smile and be polite when they go and buy bread and milk - after all, I am spending my hard earned cash there - but when they are at work, it is a different story. :mad:

mail4liam

It can be hard to deal with the public in general, but it doesn't cost anything to be polite & pleasant. People who work with the public should be trained whether it be the N.C.T office or a book shop,and while dealing with people you need to be tolerant and experienced.

I worked in shops from time to time over the years and to say hi and a bit of chat with a customer goes a long way. customers can be fun to deal with, but you can come across some difficult ones, but it's all in the training and a days work.!

In the last year or so I had a car for NCT at Blarney in Cok, NCT centre in Limerick and one in Galway. All cars required a retest and I found the staff courteous, knowledgable and very helpful.

DannyBuoy

OP, its like every other retail outlet, there are good staff and poor staff. I've brought a lot of cars for tests and I've come across 1 or 2 that I'd be embarrased to have working for me, but most are fine.
I agree with others here though, good manners cost nothing.

fonecrusher1

Bad manners really. Not saying the guy should try to engage in an in-depth conversation about the meaning of life but simple communication pleasantries such as hello, please, all the best don't take too much effort.

Its one thing to avoid meaningless small talk & another thing to just be an ignorant pr!ck.

mondeo

The last time I went to the Nct centre was in january 19th @ fonthill and I was amused by two of the testers in particular spending more time looking up at the customers peering down at them then testing the actual cars. Typical body language of a paranoid person was written all over them....Facial expressions on them was amusing lol. I'm not sure if thats ignorance though but perhaps incompetent behaviour in front of the public.

Yawns

Last two times I was in my local NCT and the same Irish guy twice. not even a next, just stares out the window at whoever happens to be there. Only words ya get is fifty & keys.

God help ya if you have a fail.
She's failed. Come back before 12.30.
But the sign says your open til later.
I won't here, it'll have to be on monday then.
So someone else can't check it?
suppose so.
Ok. * checks lists - a seat belt buckle wasn't out fully to be buckled in. it was halfway down the back of the seat. Go out, get buckle out the last few cm. back into him before he even gets back into the office to get him to walk out again, quick look, ok that's a pass.

delly

I had my NCT today and happened to be browsing boards at the time and saw this thread. The guy who dealt with me didn't make any chit chat, but was perfectly fine asking for keys and payment etc. There was two other guys waiting on there cars and when there testers came out they spent a few minutes explaining why they failed and what would have to be done to sort it which I thought was sound enough. All three were non nationals, but I didn't feel this hampered the communications process at all.

Oh, and my little Punto was the only one that passed, w00t!

kravmaga

Tail Wagger wrote: »

I have visited our local N.C.T Center to day, and I returned very disgruntled.
Oh not on the result of the car, that passed. I feel very bad about the guy whom I dealt with in the office.

On the form you are asked to arrive 10-15 minutes before your appointment time, I did and I was left waiting for about 10 minutes. guy arrived to the hatch
Next!
I walked over and handed in my papers, wished him a good day!
No reply! as he walked away,
He came back, [Keys!] I handed him the keys,[€50] and not another word.
What time will I come back at?, I requested.
reply [half hour]
the total conversation was, Next! €50! half hour!
So there you are where do these guys get their communication skills ?
How do they get these jobs?
Are they really that bored?

I thing maybe a little chit chat about the day and the weather wouldn't go astray, or is it to much to ask? Or does it bother your when you find this treatment in your N.C.T Center?

May I ask if the guy was Irish or a johnny foreigner??

I find the foreign guys dont want or like small talk and thats fair enough, he is just doing his job. irish guy might keep you too long talking about weather, sh1te talk, etc

What do you want a conversation or get the business done and dusted.

Maybe he is under strict supervision from Superiors to get the cars through on time.

I believe there is a 7 week waiting list in Dublin alone.......plus I would imagine morale may not be great as the salary is low and the hours are long.

You gotta put yourself in his position.......

daveharnett

blueeyedboy wrote: »

What do you want a conversation or get the business done and dusted.

Maybe he is under strict supervision from Superiors to get the cars through on time.

I believe there is a 7 week waiting list in Dublin alone.......plus I would imagine morale may not be great as the salary is low and the hours are long.

You gotta put yourself in his position.......

Come on, people can be efficient and polite all at the same time. Not liking your job is no excuse for acting like a dick either.

Tail Wagger

blueeyedboy wrote: »

May I ask if the guy was Irish or a johnny foreigner??

A---I'm embarrassed to say he's Irish!

I find the foreign guys dont want or like small talk and thats fair enough, he is just doing his job. irish guy might keep you too long talking about weather, sh1te talk, etc
A---Most foreign guys are nice people and are very helpful, if it was a foreign National I'd understand there might be a language barrier.

What do you want a conversation or get the business done and dusted.

A-- just for him to be polite and civil would be nice.

Maybe he is under strict supervision from Superiors to get the cars through on time.

A-- Absolutely no pressure he was letting everyone know he was the man, if you looked at him you'd be afraid he fail your car.

I believe there is a 7 week waiting list in Dublin alone.......plus I would imagine morale may not be great as the salary is low and the hours are long.

A-- there is a waiting list for several weeks, but thats nothing got to do with his treatment or non treatment of customers.

You gotta put yourself in his position.......

A-- I work for myself and I certainly wouldn't treat a customer like he does...

Stinicker

You should have firstly declared, You speakey the English? I swear I find myself having to say this more now than even when I am in Europe! :mad:

Yawns

why are you not in Europe now?

Stinicker

Yawns wrote: »

why are you not in Europe now?

Not on the Continent no!

Yawns

Still a part of Europe tho

Yawns

Sorry wasn't getting personal, I just couldn't resist

I used to do it in the bar if we were real busy and some guy got a slightly larger head, if he complained I would quickly explain it was a european pint.

and usually you'd hear a "But we're not in europe" cue the laughter from ppl around him while looking away from him

if he looked like he knew he said something stupid I would knock the head off his pint and give him a proper one, if he didn't well he'd be told to examine the advertisements them pints have big heads lol.

section4

when my car went through there was a minor problem but the guy could not good enough english to explain to me exactly what the problem was, apart from the fact that he was as friendly as a hungry polar bear

Mc Love

Just been to NCT today and they were fine! Mine passed though