Your best and worst customer service experiences [rant & praise]

Senna · 12-12-2007 3:42am #1

In my experience the worst are;
1.Payal. Leave you on hold for hours and wont answer emails that are in anyway complicated.
2.Dell. Complete morons, lost my order, i reordered, they canceled my order, they couldn't tell me way.
3.Currys. Local shop changed to Currys and now they keep sending me bills for something i paid for in the shop.
4.Sky. Make up reasons not to turn off your movies or whatever crap. I phoned up a couple of days later and the fella (must be the only intelligent member of staff) was able to do everything i asked their and then. Asked him why this couldn't be done 2 days ago, he couldn't answer that one, it wasn't even the end of my billing month.
5.Quinn Direct. Gave me a quote on a car i was think of buying. Just by chance i phone again to confirm quote, only to be told, we don't quote that type of car, the first quote was a mistake.

I seriously dread phoning any company if i have a problem, you just know its not going to be nice and easy and sorted out at the end of the call.
What your experiences?

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar · 12-12-2007 3:43am

I don't remember any ones I experience, but when I worked in a call center I was pretty terrible.

Morlar · 12-12-2007 3:56am

I have dealt with ntl before and also indian call centres but right now I reckon its . . . .microsoft ! 'Download this 1mb update to media player', fine ok. The 1mb update is in actually a hefty download and not an update to media player but a new version of media player instead which they dont tell you.

Try to open the new version and get 'Microsoft needs to verify your version of windows - please click ok for microsoft to verify your version of windows is legitimate' This also is something they conveniently dont mention when you get the media player update notice.

I am installing vlplayer instead. Not looking to get into a whole debate with some idiot lefthanded ms fanboy but they really dont understand the concept of customer service imo. 'Please click here so we can verify your not a liar or we will keep a component of your operating system disabled'. Yep cheers.

Jesus Wept · 12-12-2007 3:58am

NTL are fúcking dreadful. Shower of Bastards Ted.

Karoma · 12-12-2007 4:00am

Belkin: I had the misfortune of dealing with a clueless idiot that ignored pretty much every bit of information given over several emails, despite repeated clarification(Using Basic English after a while just in case it was something lost in translation). She tried to close the case off when the problem was clearly unresolved. Then, closed the case off after I explained that it was not even near resolved. So many emails later... got nowhere. Damn their crap hardware. Damn their 'service'.

Canon Promotions: I haven't the foggiest why they have a website or email address; they ignore them.

PayPal: I only had one dealing with them, several years ago and found them very efficient. Luck of the draw, etc?
Dell: cold-called me at work to push me into buying "insurance" (It's actually an extended warranty) - I got a rude and aggressive salesdick.

Morlar · 12-12-2007 4:20am

*/shakes fist & adds names to enemies list

Ruu_Old · 12-12-2007 4:21am

Called Paypal last year sometime and found them easy to deal with.
Dell: too many incidents to go through, communication very poor.
Esatclear: Some of you remember the No-Limits saga and a few of us who received the 'spirit of the service' cut off letter.:mad: My problems with them continued for sometime after that. They went on 'the list' when they called me in the middle of a holiday to inform me that they hadn't been withdrawing the money from my bank account (where direct debit had been setup) a year or so after my service and now wanted payment in full.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar · 12-12-2007 4:22am

that letter took away my innocence.

Senna · 12-12-2007 4:39am

Forgot about Microsoft, they are just a bunch of tossers. Have you tried their 'live chat with a support professional', obviously some poor cnut trying to talk to 20 people at the same time. treats you live a complete moron, 'did you try pressing escape, that the small button at the top left of your keyboard with Ecs on it', REALLY i thought that was the Electric Super Charger button.

tman · 12-12-2007 4:47am

NTL are fairly bad alright, spent 40 minutes trying to get through to them, then had to talk to three different people before I found someone who had a clue. (that was to do with them sending me a warning letter for going over their "download" limit, when in fact the figure they quoted was my combined download and upload)

Other than that, I've been fairly lucky... the next worst was having to wait an hour for a call to Eircock to get answered.

I'm fairly pissed off with the Halo 3 limited edition fiasco... feckers took a month to send out a replacement copy, and only returned the game disc. (Not that I was going to bother my hole watching the bonus material... but it would have been nice to have.)
Can't be arsed complaining about that though

condra · 12-12-2007 5:10am

ISPs:
Irish Broadband

Grub joints:
Abrekabra (Phibsboro)
Mc Donalds (Phibsboro)

Pubs - drink
The s**thole beside powerscourt, BA MITZU or whatever it isn't called.

Pubs - bouncers
Mc Gowans, Phibsboro
Botanic House, Glasnevin
Pal Joeys, Temple Bar

Retail Outlets
Jean Scene, Omni Park
PC World, Blanch

thefinalstage · 12-12-2007 7:20am

Senna wrote: »

Forgot about Microsoft, they are just a bunch of tossers. Have you tried their 'live chat with a support professional', obviously some poor cnut trying to talk to 20 people at the same time. treats you live a complete moron, 'did you try pressing escape, that the small button at the top left of your keyboard with Ecs on it', REALLY i thought that was the Electric Super Charger button.

Now, you can't blame the pleb. You would be surprised how many people don't know where the esc key is.

spurious · 12-12-2007 7:22am

Eircom, though thankfully I no longer have to deal with them.

luckat · 12-12-2007 7:58am

Maplins - lovely when you buy stuff; the other side of the coin if you return it as faulty. I bought a 50-DVD stack the last time I dealt with them, some years ago now (used to go in there a lot before this) and when they didn't work on my Mac I brought them back. They claimed they worked on a staffer's Mac, therefore weren't faulty, and refused to give me my €30 back! (The stack had cost €50; I was not asking to be repaid for the coasters already made.)

Palm - sent my TX back for repair and left the stylus still slotted in. They sent it back without the stylus, and refused point blank to return it, pointing out that one of their many emails had said to take off the cover and stylus and take out any cards. Eventually after weeks of phone calls and emails they sent back my stylus (much nicer than the kind you can buy separately) "as a goodwill gesture".

However, the next time I sent the TX in for repair, I'd left a 1GB expansion card inside, and when I emailed them to ask for it back, I told them that there was an old Avengers episode on it with my dad playing a villain. They pulled out all the stops to try to find it. Didn't find it, but they were nice about it, and sent me another 1GB card in its place.

Mad policy, though, not returning styli and expansion cards and even covers belonging to customers! They mustn't want customers!

HarryD · 12-12-2007 9:48am

Paypal - Crap customer service. I applied for an ebay item refund under buyer protection policy and website said I was not covered. But then got an email stating I was.
Buyer protection policy is terrible. I've been burned so many times with it.
BTireland - On hold for several hours then told the call centre is closed.
Budpest - Public service here in general (shops/restaurants) is the worst I've experienced. Makes the Irish tax/postal system seem golden.

Cabaal · 12-12-2007 10:28am

In order of amount of hassel I had
BT - Awful billing problems, quickly got them sorted by e-mailing directors (twice!)

Eircom - ASwful billing issues, couldn't get the install/billing address right for a line
Sky - Billing issues, useless support
Local Hotel who couldn't even get the year right for a wedding despite being told it 5 times!

Agent Smith · 12-12-2007 11:55am

IQON: If ever there was a Reason not to buy one of there pc's, there customer service is it.

jor el · 12-12-2007 12:58pm

Chorus - 'nuff said.

BT - 12 months of inability to set up a direct debit and then threatening me when no payment received. 6 months of continued billing then after service was canceled. Thankfully they had screwed up the direct debit so were unable to take my money.

Tesco - if buying anything electronics wise, don't shop here. TVs, computers, laptops, games consoles etc. Any problems and they just shrug their responsibilities and tell you to contact the manufacturer.

Vodafone - Liars told me my broken phone would be replaced after the 3rd repair attempt. They then returned the same broken phone to me and told me they couldn't find a problem so I wasn't due a replacement. Bye-bye Vodafone.

I'm sure there are more that I can't think of right now.

sgt.bilko · 12-12-2007 1:15pm

can i take it that no one has ever shopped in Power City?

this wonderful company was named & shamed on Q102 by the director of consumer affairs when talking about customer service or lack thereof ! :mad:

12-12-2007 1:46pm

On a much more local level.

My local Spar.

No one speaks English in it. Its fustrating to shop in, local children won't go near it for the same reasons and if something is behind the counter and not on the shelves forget about asking for it.

Other than that I'd have to say SMART telecom, dreadful.

Colonel Sanders · 12-12-2007 1:46pm

spurious wrote: »

Eircom, though thankfully I no longer have to deal with them.

+1. the second the phoneline was connected (only took 12 months+, numerous phonecalls, them telling me numerous lies, me threatening to take the to every trade body i could etc etc ...it'd take an hour to type the full horror story) I went elsewhere.

EDIT: I don't take back what I said above but how could I leave out Air France? Another long story but their customer service manager laughed at me in CDG airport when i said I was gonna complain about her and the reply i recieved from my complaint smacked of 'f*ck off'. Also add in any semi state or public body.

podge018 · 12-12-2007 3:09pm

ntl

foggy_lad · 12-12-2007 3:11pm

For PC - has to be dell ordered 2nd pc in 6months and they have sent wrong monitor yet again and customer care are not much help

isp - Clearwire then irish broadband

mobiles - has to be Three:eek:

landline -eircom and then smart

prendy · 12-12-2007 3:14pm

has to be NTL for me aswelll absolutly shocking.

kenco · 12-12-2007 3:22pm

Colonel Sanders wrote: »

+1. the second the phoneline was connected (only took 12 months+, numerous phonecalls, them telling me numerous lies, me threatening to take the to every trade body i could etc etc ...it'd take an hour to type the full horror story) I went elsewhere.

EDIT: I don't take back what I said above but how could I leave out Air France? Another long story but their customer service manager laughed at me in CDG airport when i said I was gonna complain about her and the reply i recieved from my complaint smacked of 'f*ck off'. Also add in any semi state or public body.

+1 Air France
Had a complete PITA trip with them to Paris last year. They messed up the tickets and told me to collect them at check in (were they there, oh no....)
Then on the way back another big issue which I wont go into but when I called on my return they told me there was a 6 mth waitng time for a response to customer complaints (i.e. F Off)

sobaga · 12-12-2007 3:44pm

prendy wrote: »

has to be NTL for me aswelll absolutly shocking.

Agree completely, NTL is the worst.
And the second place goes to DELL - they are unbelievable! It is a long story though, so I won't go into detail here...

Colonel Sanders · 12-12-2007 4:44pm

kenco wrote: »

+1 Air France
Had a complete PITA trip with them to Paris last year. They messed up the tickets and told me to collect them at check in (were they there, oh no....)
Then on the way back another big issue which I wont go into but when I called on my return they told me there was a 6 mth waitng time for a response to customer complaints (i.e. F Off)

I was told in CDG that my flights shouldn't have been sold to me as the connection only had an hour between flights (despite ringing their customer care number 3 times and being told it was 'ample time' and in any case they'd use mini bus transfers from plane to plane if there was any delay). Was then told by 3 people in CDG that I shouldn't have been sold them, they then refused to change my flight home (again with an hour between changes) eventho they all agreed it was too short a time and I shouldn't have been sold the tickets. They also refused to let me make a phone call whwn I missed my departure which is against air passenger rights. All the above (and more) mentioned in my complaint letter, I recieved a reply but it ignored just about every question i asked them.

If I was to type the whole story i'd need an hour!!!

galah · 12-12-2007 4:49pm

Eircom...

(the witch in "Faults" had the cheek to tell me in a patronising tone that my phone was broken, and the solution would be to get a new phone - when the actual problem was that THEY registered my phone with the wrong exchange.... It took them 3 weeks, three technicians, and 17 complaints to sort this out...).

And a close second would be NTL (too many stories to tell)

Followed by O2 (I actually had a phone call from the "customer service" department after I changed to Meteor - and that person got really cranky and angry with me because the reason I changed providers was crappy customer service...which proved my point...)

MOH · 12-12-2007 5:08pm

Good

NTL, Iarnrod Eireann worst by a long way.

Also Eircom, Carphone Warehouse.

Colonel Sanders · 12-12-2007 6:54pm

galah wrote: »

Followed by O2

you just reminded me, i senttheir customer services a mail about 2 months ago asking about different prce plans, still no reply.

Just thinking, I mailed 2 branches of First Active and their head customer service dept about 6 months back to enquire about their e saver account and am also still waiting.

12-12-2007 8:02pm

Ericom ,possibly the most inneficient company in the world.

Brutally over staffed where they're not needed and understaffed where they are.

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