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

alexmcred

you forgot the :cool: icon McLove or maybe that should be a :eek: considering its a French car and we all know its a miracle it passed :rolleyes:

Mc Love

Crap - never thought of the cool smily. Yer man said its in great working condition

alexmcred

Happy days so should make it a bit easier to sell on

Mc Love

I hope so Alex! Its slow going at the moment

alexmcred

Have you put it on done deal? Have heard great reports first hand of how good it is.

Mc Love

Yep - I have. Maybe my price is too high?

voxpop

Got mine (523i) done yesterday at Deansgrange and they were fine. German guy tested the car, which failed on a worn bush - the german guy then goes on to blame irish roads for my worn bushes and how roads through fields in Germany are in better condition than most of our primary routes

Stinicker

voxpop wrote: »

Got mine (523i) done yesterday at Deansgrange and they were fine. German guy tested the car, which failed on a worn bush - the german guy then goes on to blame irish roads for my worn bushes and how roads through fields in Germany are in better condition than most of our primary routes

Well I wouldn't go as far as the fields but your average german local/regional road is on a par with our main N Primary roads. Its our secondary and regional roads that are terrible.

intbn

voxpop wrote: »

Got mine (523i) done yesterday at Deansgrange and they were fine. German guy tested the car, which failed on a worn bush - the german guy then goes on to blame irish roads for my worn bushes and how roads through fields in Germany are in better condition than most of our primary routes

A worn brush? I don't even know where brushes on a car are, is there a list of what they check on your car on the nct website? can't seem to find one, i'll post it up if i do

intbn

Got one:
http://www.nolanscars.ie/nct_checklist.htm

I don't see anything about brushes, but then again, i'm certainly no mechanic!:p

end a eknny

Stinicker wrote: »

Well I wouldn't go as far as the fields but your average german local/regional road is on a par with our main N Primary roads. Its our secondary and regional roads that are terrible.

autobahn is now showing its age and road works and roads in need of repair means no joy driving there

end a eknny

the nct staff are muppets, no consistency they are failing cars to generate overtime. you are their customers and are entitled to some curtesy but the fact that you dont have a choice means they can get away with showing you nothing but contempt

Please and thank you are not "small talk"

Big Nasty

section4 wrote: »

the guy could not good enough english to explain

His problem or yours?

I've been to Deansgrange centre twice last month and found the testers nothing but excellent and helpful. However there's a blonde (non numbers matching) ex-bloc woman who takes the dollars would put the fear of God in ya! :eek:

'You Must Have Document!!!'

dharn

intbn wrote: »

A worn brush? I don't even know where brushes on a car are, is there a list of what they check on your car on the nct website? can't seem to find one, i'll post it up if i do

you should have gone to specsavers ...:(he said worn bush

!MAVERICK!

OP Rephrase the title to a lack of social skills. He/she obviously did not want to make conversation with you.

In my humble opinion anyone you deal with that is working as a civil servant is not quite the 'Charmer' when you are dealing with them.

The rudest of them are in the motor tax office so you haven't seen the worst yet.

coylemj

Tail Wagger wrote: »

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?

Visiting an NCT centre is something like getting your car unclamped, it is a process which leaves you with less money but no tangible benefit so why would you want to discuss the weather or engage in any smalltalk?

I went to the Deansgrange centre in March, I was about 10 minutes late. I arrived at the counter at 2:10 p.m., the guy asked me what time my appointment was for, I said 2 p.m. - expecting to get a bollicking for being late but he just asked me for my ID and credit card, then told me to go outside and wait for someone to collect my car to be driven into the test centre.

Was I disappointed that he didn't discus the weather? No.

Was I glad that he didn't tell me that I was late? Yes.

yellowcrayon

Just stumbled across this thread and i know its been a while since anyone posted. But my dad works in the NCT centre and i think whats been said here is crazy.

There is a day shift 7 - 4 (i think) and a night shift (4 - 10) so when the NCT inspector says he wont be there to retest your car later, he actually wont, and you may have to wait until the next workin week if its just before the weekend.

I know all the guys that work there as i pop in and have been present whilst they are dealing with customers.
Yes, a lot of them dont talk to you about the weather or your plans for the weekend plainly because they are not interested and have work to do. Im sure if they were just a receptionist and thats all, then you would get endless conversations. But because they have car after car to test, thats all they're worried about; getting you in and out quickly so that you dont complain about waiting too long.

The inspectors are given a set amount of time they are allowed to spend on each vehicle, so if they start chattin to you, its eating into the testing time,, and after all, you want your car to be tested properly, dont you?
They do say please and thanks, even the foreign nationals; which are just as nice as the Irish guys.

And as for calling them muppets, as one poster has refered to them as, they are far from it. You have to remember that the people that are testing your cars are fully qualified mechanics with a minimum of 10 years experience and with countless training provided by Aplus and they also have to pass exams. And they are not failing cars to generate overtime, they have a waiting list so they always have plenty of work. And with cars being tested every 2 years, and now every year for cars over 10 years old they have a constant cycle of work as the same cars will be comin back, more or less. So you, end a eknny, are an absolute fool to say that and obviously one of those idiots they come across that they have to try and deal with everyday.

Which brings me to my next point.. Im sure, once upon a time, the lads in the NCT centre chatted to the customers, but jusy gave up. There's not a day that goes by that I dont hear at least 2 or 3 stories from my dad tellin me of the sh1t he's had to put up with.; people swearing at him, threatening him, coughin in his face.. all sorts... how do you expect them to want to talk to people when this is the reception they get. I think people need to start seeing the other side of the coin.

johnos1984

yellowcrayon wrote: »

people swearing at him, threatening him, coughin in his face.. all sorts... how do you expect them to want to talk to people when this is the reception they get.

I'm a teacher and in previous jobs that's been what I've gotten from some day in day out.

You put up with it, keep a straight face and most of all BE PROFESSIONAL............the same as every other job.......and I can guarantee you one thing, it happens far more often in other professions........try be a car salesperson for instance

aujopimur

I dealt with a polite and efficient Irish guy in Blarney NCT centre yesterday, please, thank sir etc..
I find in general that most Irish people do not know how to serve people, a lot has to do with their upbringing with regard to manners politeness and basic interaction with people and customers in gereral.
One has only to compare the pleasent attitude of our continental workers here to realise how rude and unpleasent some of own people are when dealing with customers.

ART6

yellowcrayon wrote: »

Just stumbled across this thread and i know its been a while since anyone posted. But my dad works in the NCT centre and i think whats been said here is crazy.

There is a day shift 7 - 4 (i think) and a night shift (4 - 10) so when the NCT inspector says he wont be there to retest your car later, he actually wont, and you may have to wait until the next workin week if its just before the weekend.

I know all the guys that work there as i pop in and have been present whilst they are dealing with customers.
Yes, a lot of them dont talk to you about the weather or your plans for the weekend plainly because they are not interested and have work to do. Im sure if they were just a receptionist and thats all, then you would get endless conversations. But because they have car after car to test, thats all they're worried about; getting you in and out quickly so that you dont complain about waiting too long.

The inspectors are given a set amount of time they are allowed to spend on each vehicle, so if they start chattin to you, its eating into the testing time,, and after all, you want your car to be tested properly, dont you?
They do say please and thanks, even the foreign nationals; which are just as nice as the Irish guys.

And as for calling them muppets, as one poster has refered to them as, they are far from it. You have to remember that the people that are testing your cars are fully qualified mechanics with a minimum of 10 years experience and with countless training provided by Aplus and they also have to pass exams. And they are not failing cars to generate overtime, they have a waiting list so they always have plenty of work. And with cars being tested every 2 years, and now every year for cars over 10 years old they have a constant cycle of work as the same cars will be comin back, more or less. So you, end a eknny, are an absolute fool to say that and obviously one of those idiots they come across that they have to try and deal with everyday.

Which brings me to my next point.. Im sure, once upon a time, the lads in the NCT centre chatted to the customers, but jusy gave up. There's not a day that goes by that I dont hear at least 2 or 3 stories from my dad tellin me of the sh1t he's had to put up with.; people swearing at him, threatening him, coughin in his face.. all sorts... how do you expect them to want to talk to people when this is the reception they get. I think people need to start seeing the other side of the coin.

The last time I had a car tested (my wife's) it had been giving trouble that I thought was fixed. On the way to the test centre it started to hesitate. When I got to the test centre I told them that it had a problem and so a test would be a waste of time. Instead, the tester said "Well, stick it through. At least you'll know what's wrong with it."

Since I would have had to pay a cancellation fee I went along with that, and I ended up with a printed report that identified the problem. The tester even made sure that I understood it, although as a manager of a motor operations a few years ago I did.

I got the car fixed that afternoon and was back in the test centre the next day. A pass without a retest fee. To me excellent value for the small payment I made.

I know it's a hassle taking time out to go to the test centre, and waiting for the test is itself a test of one's nerves, but really, is €50 every two years too expensive for an independent report on the condition of your car, particularly of things you could never check yourself (even if you bothered)? I reckon it's very good value, particularly for my wife's car, since she would never know if there was anything wrong with it, and at the time I was too committed to work to properly check it regularly.

MugMugs

@yellowcrayon Eh... I have never been rude to an NCT employee... I have never coughed in their faces or done anything like you have mentioned above. I also deal with customers day in and out and work to very tight deadlines and if I attempted to justify my being rude or downright ignorant toward a customer irrespective of my companies monopoly to my peers with one of those reasons, I'd expect to be pegged out on my ear.

Manners cost nothing... Grunting at a customer because your busy and the other person beforehand was rude is no justification for bad manners.

V Eight

I reckon it's probably the other way around I would imagine staff working in NCT centres probably receive abuse as clients are told their cars are too sh*te to pass a basic test. Staff probably prefer to maintain a distance and not engage with people who may challenge the test and basically become abusive. If anyone has experienced an NCT failure the first thing you think is the guy who tested it is just plain wrong......

Plug

If a customer talks to me I'll talk back, best way to get tips I think:p

Big Nasty

I've never had a problem with any NCT tester but did find a receptionist a little frosty once.

I've heard of other people having problems in the past but I've always found the testers to be courteous and helpful myself.

vetstu

He gets paid whether you are impressed with the service or not, and you won't take your custom elsewhere because you can't. You'll be back in two years anyway and he will still be as grumpy or as happy as he was thisvtime.

yellowcrayon

Its nice to hear so many people having good experiences with the NCT lads
@johnos1984: i understand that a lot of people have to deal with unpleasant people in their line of work day in day out. I myself deal with it. But if its happening all the time you tend to stop being so forgiving and tend to stop chatting. For instance, Im sick of opening doors for people and standing back out of the way, only to being walked past without even being looked at; i now no longer do this for anyone. The way people treat you eventually impacts on your attitude towards them.

@mugmugs:i was no directing the post at you. i was not sayin that you personally coughed at anyone or done anything i mentioned. I was saying it in general from what ive seen and been told. so no need to take it personally. thanks.

jimbo1502

Hi all,

I cant help but smile at some of the comments put up here by customers who have been to many nct centres around the country, and had a varied number of encounters with receptionists, and nct staff alike.

I am an NCT inspector, and have worked for this company for the past 4 years now, i have been in the motor industry for nearly 20 yrs now, and worked abroad in the trade too, we are all highly skilled professional people with many years experience, including customer service, accounts, problem solving, computer software, and hardwear,

In fairness, i have encountered many people in my role as an NCT inspector, most of them are nice, polite, and friendly, but we do on a daily basis, have to deal with the "tricky ones", too...lol....where we have to endure verbal abuse, physical abuse, swearing, spitting, threats, amongst others......what you need to understand is.....
We are under strict time guidelines, and our workload has increased 25% over the past 12 months, with no extra money to us, we have not had a pay increase in 3 years...and the equipment is slow and out-dated now...not the customers fault ..you may say..not ours as workers either...you can only do the job as well as the equipment your using allows you too...our time on your car..begins when we book your car in at reception...so we cant spend much time chatting about the weather..or whatever your day has brought you, we try to be courtious and friendly, we have 25 minutes to test your car...the first 10 minutes..is between reception and bringing your car in on to the lane..at this stage..5-6 items have been checked....we now have 15 minutes to complete the test....the vehicle has to go through a strict test...as set out by the RSA, and we are tested by spot checks ...at anytime with no prior notice...so no cutting corners....when the test is completed...we now have to park the car outside..and come to you with the results...this is where we spend most of our time..explaining to most people in general..who really dont know the indepths of the workings of a motor vehicle...but we do our best to explain it best we can for you...sometimes having to do it 2-3 times..all this in 25 minutes...so if you feel you have'nt be treated fairly...you can ask to speak to a supervisor at any time..bear in mind, he too is on the clock...all this for €50...once every 2 years..which i feel is good value for money...and if you prepared your vehicle a little better, it would speed up out time fighting to get in and out and around your vehicle...with some of the stuff we see inside it.....what customers need to remember....we test cars..not people...so we have no personal grudges against anyone....we dont generate overtime by failing cars..we dont do overtime...our hours are set...so if your car fails..its not personal..its a safety inspection...and we take great pride in bringing to you attention..anything which will improve your safety and your passangers too..in our role as a NCT inspector

Yawns

Just back from having the car tested today. Nice bloke who booked me in. I sat down and the test was over in about 15 mins when the car was brought into the lane. I thought it was very quick and it had failed but nope, all good to.

Had a nice little laugh with the guy when booked in and he was polite and helpful when I left even asking did I need a hand to bring the baby's car seat out. I'm a bloke too so it wasn't like he was hitting on me. ( Or was he? )

Overall a great experience today. I had a previous experience in a different center that wasn't fantastic. I had what felt like a lazy tester. He didn't want to clip the seatbelt into the buckle. I had left 1 out. He failed on that and told me it would be a visual recheck and to come back the following week. This was 2pm on a Wednesday. Of course I then just clipped it in and said there you go. He spend more time going in to reprint then.

CiniO

jimbo1502 wrote: »

Hi all,

I cant help but smile at some of the comments put up here by customers who have been to many nct centres around the country, and had a varied number of encounters with receptionists, and nct staff alike.

I am an NCT inspector, and have worked for this company for the past 4 years now, i have been in the motor industry for nearly 20 yrs now, and worked abroad in the trade too, we are all highly skilled professional people with many years experience, including customer service, accounts, problem solving, computer software, and hardwear,

In fairness, i have encountered many people in my role as an NCT inspector, most of them are nice, polite, and friendly, but we do on a daily basis, have to deal with the "tricky ones", too...lol....where we have to endure verbal abuse, physical abuse, swearing, spitting, threats, amongst others......what you need to understand is.....
We are under strict time guidelines, and our workload has increased 25% over the past 12 months, with no extra money to us, we have not had a pay increase in 3 years...and the equipment is slow and out-dated now...not the customers fault ..you may say..not ours as workers either...you can only do the job as well as the equipment your using allows you too...our time on your car..begins when we book your car in at reception...so we cant spend much time chatting about the weather..or whatever your day has brought you, we try to be courtious and friendly, we have 25 minutes to test your car...the first 10 minutes..is between reception and bringing your car in on to the lane..at this stage..5-6 items have been checked....we now have 15 minutes to complete the test....the vehicle has to go through a strict test...as set out by the RSA, and we are tested by spot checks ...at anytime with no prior notice...so no cutting corners....when the test is completed...we now have to park the car outside..and come to you with the results...this is where we spend most of our time..explaining to most people in general..who really dont know the indepths of the workings of a motor vehicle...but we do our best to explain it best we can for you...sometimes having to do it 2-3 times..all this in 25 minutes...so if you feel you have'nt be treated fairly...you can ask to speak to a supervisor at any time..bear in mind, he too is on the clock...all this for €50...once every 2 years..which i feel is good value for money...and if you prepared your vehicle a little better, it would speed up out time fighting to get in and out and around your vehicle...with some of the stuff we see inside it.....what customers need to remember....we test cars..not people...so we have no personal grudges against anyone....we dont generate overtime by failing cars..we dont do overtime...our hours are set...so if your car fails..its not personal..its a safety inspection...and we take great pride in bringing to you attention..anything which will improve your safety and your passangers too..in our role as a NCT inspector

What you've written seems to be exactly the same what I observed during my visits to NCT centre. I was there few times, of which last one was today.