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

skye · 20-12-2007 9:00pm

Adagiodiva wrote: »

ESB- OMG!! bought a new apartment and was trying to get the electicity account activated and turned on when they informed me that my apartment didn't exist?? Five very long calls later (and I was nice and very patient to everyone) I got a nice guy on the phone who was very helpful and we finally got me sorted but I mean it took...hours!

You think that's bad.....it took me 2 years - yes 2 YEARS - to sort mine. Kept telling me the estate was nonexistent, then said the bill was being paid by Mr X and couldn't be told that this was not us. Constant calls, having to explain from scratch each time...bloody nightmare:mad:

Zaph · 20-12-2007 9:58pm

My current trials and tribulations with Virgin Megastores. I'd never bought anything online from them before, and I never will be again:

5/11 Pre-ordered Entourage Season 3 – release date 26/11

4/12 Order showing as “in progress” – e-mail querying when DVDs would be dispatched sent

6/12 Reply received – form response “possibly identifying what my problem may be” and advising what to do in the event of non-delivery – twice

6/12 E-mail sent advising that the problem isn’t that I haven’t received my DVDs but rather that they haven’t been sent over a week after the release date

6/12 Second e-mail sent requesting Virgin to cancel order. When viewing my order it now appears as Entourage Season 3 – Part 1, which is clearly not what I ordered and I do not want as the original pre-order confirmation quite clearly makes no reference to the box set being only part of the series.

10/12 Reply received – form response “possibly identifying what my problem may be” and explaining how I can cancel my order by clicking on the “On order” status.

10/12 Reply sent advising Virgin that as my order status is “In progress” I can’t access the cancellation feature and requesting that they cancel the order at their end.

19/12 E-mail received confirming order has been dispatched.

19/12 E-mail sent to Virgin enquiring as to why my cancellation request had not been carried out.

20/12 Reply received – form response “possibly identifying what my problem may be” and explaining how I can cancel my order by clicking on the “On order” status.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

kleefarr · 20-12-2007 10:04pm

PAYPAL!!! :mad:

You won't find anyone like them!

BurnsCarpenter · 21-12-2007 3:11pm

Chorus. Had the misfortune of dealing with them recently.

Apartment was broken into about a month ago and the box was swiped.
Called them up to find out what we needed to do to get it replaced.
The girl told us we needed to send in a copy of the garda report.
After a week we called and asked where we should send it.
This girl said you don't need a copy of the report - chorus will send out a form which we get signed by the gardai.
After waiting two weeks for this form we called again, and were told that we didn't need anything from the guards. They would send somebody out to replace the box and we pay 100 euro for the box.
2 days ago someone from chorus calls out and replaces the box. He tells us it will start working in a few minutes and legs it.
Lo and behold it doesn't work. I called the helpline and they tell us they can send out an engineer to investigate on new years eve.
Morons.
Luckily there was one decent soul who happened to be in the neighbourhood yesterday. He saw we were on the list for repairs, called in on his own time and set it up. The first guy just hadn't bothered installing it properly.
Was seriously considering moving to Sky, but judging by this thread it's more of the same.

Jeapy · 27-12-2007 1:45pm

emo!! wrote: »

vodafone.. ignorant fcuks

+1. when i attempted to move to meteor, they wouldnt unlock my phone. I had to ring them 7-8 times and the problem was never sorted...and i was charged 30c per call for the pleasure. Had to borrow a 2nd hand phone from a friend. Love Meteor!

Without a doubt, the worst ever is flyglobespan. Was abandoned in JFK for hours without any information. Eventually got out of there on a plane the size of a Ryanair one (737 or whatever) to fly transatlantic and were told we "should make it" without having to refuel. I emailed and posted numerous complaints. Got my first response 3 months later saying they were happy to have been able to offer us a hotel :mad: (bullsh1t, we were left sitting on the floor overnight without so much as a blanket). They got a very strongly worded email back. About a month ago (flight was in June), I got a letter saying they were sorry for any inconvenience caused but i was entitled to no further compensation (apparently the bottle of water and slice of pizza at 3am was enough!) and the matter was now closed. NEVER fly with them!

ScouseMouse · 27-12-2007 3:46pm

Standing in the despatch area of Brennans Bakery in Walkinstown on St Stephens day trying to get bread for my shop while a tosser on the desk said he didnt have any. I pointed out I could see it and he replied I should not have got in the front gate and that they were closed.

So my customers got no bread yesterday.

rejkin · 28-12-2007 12:04am

Sub-city in Dublin city centre - last time i went in there,which was a year ago,they laughed at me when i said they had a misleading sign up in their store about prices of back issues of comics and kept saying I was wrong even though it was obvious they had the wrong prices up. Said Id never shop in there again and I havent, Its not like theres no other comic shops in town so they shouldnt be so rude to their customers,hopefully for other customers sakes they have got better staff in now but i doubt it.:mad:

Stepherunie · 28-12-2007 12:59am

Play.com
Had a problem with trying to order something - never ever got a reply from them.

Not Irish But Chase Bank in the states - they froze my bank account for weeks and kept changing the standards about what documentation they wanted. Absolute nightmare, nearly ended up in tears over the issues they caused.

Aircoach

Around Peak time they can be some of the worst people to deal with, a lot of the drivers can be very rude in general, some in fairness are amazing - others are disgraceful.

Security in Gatwick Airport -
They were some of the rudest most unhelpful people ever. One of my friends asked them a question as she had drink that she'd bought in Malta sealed and she was literally screamed at by the Customs guy. She ended up in tears because at this point we'd been going for 24 hours straight and having a 6 foot rugby player built guy scream at her for asking a very simple question was definately not what was needed.

Rashers72 · 28-12-2007 11:31am

Poor

Waited 30 minutes for a seat-no issue. They advised this is in advance. (Had tried to pre-book, but were only taking walk in's)
1st child's main course was served within 5 minutes of ordering. Great
2nd childs main course (plate of plain pasta as ordered) arrived 40 minutes later. Looked like rubber (i.e. was probably ready 30 minutes before, but was forgotten, and then reheated). 2nd time it arrived, the fresh pasta was fine (but a complete rip-off at EUR5 - was EUR2.50 in TGI's Blanchardstown).
Adult starter arrived 40 minutes after ordering. Had to ask a 2nd time for it.
Main courses were fine.
Ordered 2 glasses of water at start. Never arrived. Ordered from a different server. Never arrived. Ordered from original server. Never arrived. 4th time ordering, guy said he had filled the glass on the 3rd order, and he could not believe he never brought it over.
Worst of all. They automatically included a service charge for 2 adults and 2 kids.
Paid, but complained on way out to the girl looking after seating. While she apologised and sympathised, she offered no explanation. The times in her system (i.e. arrival, seating, bill pay) would clearly indicate issues.
Never again. While it was day after St Stephens day, and it was their busy time, they really should have got it better. Or at least made some effort to compensate us i.e. voucher for 2 free kids meals/free soft drinks next time. Would have cost them EUR5/10, but they could have made a bad situation better. Instead they chose to do nothing....:mad:
Captain America's next time!

Hitchhiker's Guide to... · 28-12-2007 12:46pm

NTL

1. Refused to acknowledge my address existed for the first 3-months
2. Made me take a half-day off work and then turned up with the wrong equipment to install the line
3. Crap quality

PC World

*shudder*

ztoical · 28-12-2007 12:49pm

rejkin wrote: »

Sub-city in Dublin city centre - last time i went in there,which was a year ago,they laughed at me when i said they had a misleading sign up in their store about prices of back issues of comics and kept saying I was wrong even though it was obvious they had the wrong prices up. Said Id never shop in there again and I havent, Its not like theres no other comic shops in town so they shouldnt be so rude to their customers,hopefully for other customers sakes they have got better staff in now but i doubt it.:mad:

they've had the same staff for years, third place isn't much better - alot of those small shops are a little clicky - staff have bunch of their mates in chatting at the till and the place is already too small to start with. Bunch of those small clothes shops in temple bar are the biggest cluprits - 4 or 5 people chatting around the till and you can just fit in the door. Get my comics in forbidden planet cus while the staff have been dim at times, you've got plenty of room so you don't need to interact with them if you don't want to. There has been a bunch of Livejournal/blog posts about FP dublin staff being rude and normally I do find them a little slow [thou not rude] but people are quick to point out bad service and rarely good service so I will say last time I was in I picked up comics downstairs, went upstairs to look for xmas pressies and one of the staff from downstairs came up looking for me with a comic I'd asked about ages ago. When it came in he remebered me asking for it and kept, even thou I hadn't asked him to and I live down the country so only get up every 2 or 3 weeks and he didn't know when I'd be back in. I thought it was very nice of him.

Hitchhiker's Guide to... · 28-12-2007 1:27pm

made this thread a sticky and renamed it as "best and worst", rather than just worst. Let the ranting and praising continue!

Dinkie · 02-01-2008 11:52pm

Rant: Kilkenny Design. I bought an ornament there a while ago (didn't check it properly so partially my fault - I had been eyeing it up for a while, so knew what it looked like) and had to bring it back due to a chip. THe shop assistant obviously thought it was my fault!!! But I had done nothing to the thing except for unwrap it. She kept asking me what I expected her to do about it, even when I told her what I wanted. In the end I got a credit note, but even that was hard going. Will never buy there again (and I used to buy a lot there)

Rave: Marks and Spencers in Dundrum today. There was such a helpful shop assistant helping a women with a buggy today... couldn't do enough for her.

Rave: Wexford AIB. Fantastic. Very helpful, straight talking and capable people working there

Rowley Birkin QC · 03-01-2008 12:26am

Ntl Call Centre: absolute disaster.

Ntl Engineer I bumped into outside my apt.: Absolutely first rate, told me not to bother with the call centre in future. He said they aren't paid enough to give a toss, gave me his mobile number in case of future problems.

rameire · 03-01-2008 12:58am

Colonel Sanders wrote: »

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.

does the e in e saver not give it away, its online, all details are on the website, you could have just set the account up took me less than two weeks to have it all setup and working ONLINE.

qz · 03-01-2008 1:06am

NTL are atrociously poor at customer service. The satellite installer couldn't fit the dish because his ladder wasn't long enough and it would take up to two weeks to get a suitable one? My fúcking hole.

The independant Sky installer was called the next day and easily succeeded in getting onto the roof from the top bedroom and installing the dish.

ztoical · 05-01-2008 8:31pm

Dinkie wrote: »

Rant: Kilkenny Design. I bought an ornament there a while ago (didn't check it properly so partially my fault - I had been eyeing it up for a while, so knew what it looked like) and had to bring it back due to a chip. THe shop assistant obviously thought it was my fault!!! But I had done nothing to the thing except for unwrap it. She kept asking me what I expected her to do about it, even when I told her what I wanted. In the end I got a credit note, but even that was hard going. Will never buy there again (and I used to buy a lot there)

I don't know if the cafe upstairs is run by the kilkenny design or its sub contracted out to someone else but was in there a couple of weeks before xmas with my aunts and they wanted to get food. Nothing at the hot food section looked nice [I'm a veggie] so went to a get sandwich. Big sign in front of sandwiches saying "choice of chips or salad" The sandwiches are already made up and this cheese/salad thing looked nice so I asked for that with chips and the girl behind the counter got really snotty with me saying chips only came with club sandwich. I pointed out that the sign didn't say that and she just snapped back at me chips only with club sandwich. I asked if there was veggie option to the club sandwich and she just rolled her eyes, muttered something to her friend I couldn't hear and said we're very busy I don't have time to answer all these questions.

Needless to say i didn't get any sandwich.

Jack Sheehan · 05-01-2008 8:34pm

RantWhen we were buying a christmas tree this year we went to the place on booterstown avenue. The woman there was the rudest salesperson I've ever met. We only bought the tree because it was perfect and we were in a hurry.

RaveI'll reiterate that the staff in Game on Dawson St. are some of the nicest and most helpful people around.

RaveAlso was on the phone for 30 minutes to a helpful and patient Linksys representative about my Wireless Router. He solved the problem eventually and was very nice every step of the way.

Hitchhiker's Guide to... · 08-01-2008 6:22pm

mini rave: went into HMV to exchange an unwanted CD with no receipt. they didn't even question me for a second, just said to find something else i'd like.

if only all shop's operated that simple a policy

mirwillbeback · 09-01-2008 11:05pm

PAYPAL are the WORST business I have ever dealt with in my life.

cgarvey · 10-01-2008 6:00am

Thortons Recycling have a IVR system that tells you the average wait time and offer you the option to leave a voicemail saying they'll get back to you within the hour. For the buzz at 3.30 I did leave a voicemail, and sure enough they did get back to me within 40-ish minutes. Impressive (having been used to leaving similar voicemails with ESB, o2 and Digiweb and never getting a response)!

Toto Wolfcastle · 10-01-2008 3:28pm

Roundtower2 wrote: »

mini rave: went into HMV to exchange an unwanted CD with no receipt. they didn't even question me for a second, just said to find something else i'd like.

if only all shop's operated that simple a policy

Agree with this. Plus they have their returns policy in clear view at the till and the staff know exactly what the policy is. (This was in HMV Cork.)

Also, the staff in HMV Galway are very helpful.

cashback · 10-01-2008 8:48pm

I've called Bank Of Irelands credit card line a couple of times about an application and each time they were quite unfriendly on the line and seemed to be trying to get me to hang up quickly.
The question I was asking wasn't particularly obvious but you would think from their attitude I was an idiot. Also when I tried to ask an additional question they gave me a rushed answer and more or less hung up on me.

Maybe they have high call targets to meet but their attitude would encourage me to switch provider if it remains as bad.

robo · 11-01-2008 12:32am

Good

I ordered a few CDs on CD WOW recently and after a few days I got 2 emails yesterday informing me that there was a delay with stock and that they wouldn't have the two CDs in until next Monday. Usually I can wait but this time they are for a birthday gift and I can't really wait, so I went out tonight and bought both CDs in town. So I emailed CD WOW to cancel and refund me the amount on both orders...1 and a half hours later, I have an email confirming that my order has been canceled and I will receive a refund - quick service!

I did this about a year ago also and the item was canceled and I was refunded however, CD WOW made a mistake and shipped the CD out to me even though I had canceled it...so I thought about it and informed them that they had shipped an item that was canceled and refunded...and I posted it back. They gave me double the cost of postgae in vouchers...I didn't need 2 copies of the same CD and I was honest!

Beta Ray Bill · 11-01-2008 3:49pm

Everyone here is giving out! have none of you guys got a good story?

Subway in Swords is great staff are so very friendly, and they put a good amount of effort into making you a nice sandwich. I love eating there.

Also the best service I have ever experienced is the Shikansen (Bullet train) in Japan. Train is ALWAYS on time. the word late doesn't exist over there.

When we got lost in northern Japan and had to get a feeder train back to the main station they held the bullet train for us for a minute as it was the last train that day (still wasn't late though arriving at the next station, its seriously fast) and because there was a mix up and we were given the wrong tickets (our fault really we said Oshida instead of Oishida) we were given a major discount for the return trip. A top notch service. If only CIE was like this.

Now that i think about it every service in Japan is amazing. makes me want to go back

ztoical · 11-01-2008 5:23pm

grahambo wrote: »

Everyone here is giving out! have none of you guys got a good story?

read back a couple of posts grahambo, couple of good raves.

This thread use to be the "worst customer service" thread but was renamed and sticked only recently as people were posting some positive stories as well as the bad. So the first few pages are all rants but from about the second last page on its mixed rants and raves.

inforfun · 15-01-2008 11:42pm

grahambo wrote: »

Everyone here is giving out! have none of you guys got a good story?

Makes you think, no?

Well. A favourite here i had the "pleasure" to deal with as well:
NTL/Chorus/UPC

Never in my entire life i have run into such a bunch of useless kocks.
It took them 11 months to get my BB connection back to standard. It took me at least 70 calls. All the time the usual promises to call back etc.
Not going into that too far, the stories are on the boards here.
The, when it was finally dealt with part 2 started. They had refunded some months subscription and for the last 2 months of 2007 i would not have to pay either. Well, bill came, of course it showed the €80 for 2 month BB for november and december. Called them again and was told to not pay and they would make a note. earlier this month the reminder for the 80 came and the threat to disconnect me.
Really... i pity the fool who meets me and tells me he or she works for that joke of a company.

Next one
PCworld.
Bought for about €400 from some uninterested kid and after paying him i asked if he could call a raxi as it was too much to walk to the taxi stand. No he couldnt and walked off . Ii was without words. Believe me.. that doesnt happen often.

I generally avoid any shop after 4 in the afternoon or in the weekend if i can. it is then the part timers are out and really they dont give a flying fcuk. they are just out htere to collect there €7 an hour by doing as less as possible and having a competition who can look the most uninterested.

it is because of that behavior i try to buy my stuff on line as much as i can. Or just wait till i am abroad and buy there. Saves you usually quite a bit as well.

No good experiences? Hardly but 1 stood out.

Dixons in Blanchardstown SC replaced my 2 months old DVD player after i started to refuse more and more discs.
I counted on it that thye would send it for repair but in stead they handed over a new one, gave me a new reciept making the warranty starting that very day and on top of that refunded me the €10 the dvd player became cheaper in the mean time.
Too bad they hardly ever really have what i am looking for as that is one of the few shops i dont mind going.

Also no complaints with O2 so far. Few queries i had were dealt with competent and fast. Now i do have an issue with their BB as well and i fear this one might not go that smooth as the first call back promise has been broken as well....

Sam Vimes · 18-01-2008 1:12am

grahambo wrote: »

Also the best service I have ever experienced is the Shikansen (Bullet train) in Japan. Train is ALWAYS on time. the word late doesn't exist over there.

true. but this is the price of such efficiency:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7624164/

Investigators said the driver may have been shaken after overrunning the last station by 130 feet and falling 90 seconds behind schedule. Takami got his train operator's license in May 2004. One month later, he overran a station and was issued a warning for his mistake, railway officials and police said.

Jeapy · 23-01-2008 9:09pm

Seeing as I rantd earlier in the thread...
Rave; Meteor. When i changed over from Vodafone (see earlier post!) my 5c calls wouldnt work. I was told to keep making calls and they would refund me on all calls and texts! When it came to the refund, I had spent thirty something euro. They credited my account with fifty and thanked me for changing!
Rave; Tesco. I bought my brother Now 68 (or whatever the latest one is) for Christmas. I then found that he'd bought it himself already! Was sickened! I brought it back up and they had no problems exchanging it at all- she wasnt even interested in why i was bringing it back really and was just really nice about it!

Degsy · 25-01-2008 11:10am

DID Electrical..clearwater shopping centre.Went in these to buy a washing machine,was waiting about ten minutes for anybody to come near me despite the shop being nearly empty.Eventually a fat bastard lumbered over with a scowl on his face and stood there staring at me."Hi"..no response.."i'd like to buy a washing machine"..audible tut.."around 400 euro"..another tut..and he gestured vaguely in the direction of a few machines.I asked him about thier interest free credit option and he started getting impatient as if he was tryingto describe colours to a blind man.I asked him about delivery and he just shrugged and rolled his boggly eyes up to heaven..i think he was about to tell me about it when i stormed out and left him standing there.I think his problem(apart from his weight) was he wanted to sell LED tellys,on which i presume they make a much bigger commison.Anyhoo,went to power city and they were very helpfull,even telling me how to plumb the machine in and saving me a few bob in the process.

LadyE · 25-01-2008 9:19pm

Was in McDonalds in Blackrock before christmas and got a takeaway coffee...Myself and my son were then at the far side of the car park (about 150 metres away) and I put my coffee on a wall whilst I did up my sons jacket..My son then karate chopped my coffee off the wall onto the floor, spilling it everywhere.

By chance, the owner of McDonalds saw this, and asked what I had and walked off, he reppeared 5 mins later with a coffee, a stirrer and some sugar!!!..and then wouldnt accept the money for it! Thumbs up for him..only something small, but kit absolutly made my day!!

Silverfox · 06-02-2008 10:15pm

Rave: So my best customer service people have to be meteor. I don't know what's in the Kool-aid but they're fantastic. I've been a customer since the start and I've saved thousands (literally) from their reward schemes, phone-a-friend-for-free and free text schemes. Their customer service line is second to none, always answered, always helpful and always solve the problem. As a pathological phone-loser/damager, I can't count the amount of times I've called meteor at 4am after my phone fell into the sink in a bar or was lost or stolen and I needed the card locked and replaced. They always helped me right away and were really nice about it.

Basically I can't say enough for them.

Rave: M&S. Basically all round good customer service and the assistants are always surprisingly perky! Food is also yum.

Rant: One of my many bad experiences was with Dell. PC arrived and the screen kept pixelating. I called dell and after an hour I was told they would email me the new driver for my graphics card because that's all it needed. Of course this was not the case. I called again. This time I was eventually told my graphics card itself was the problem and it needed replacing. I was to be sent a new one which I was informed I had to install myself. It's a good thing I know a bit about computers and was able to install it - I don't know what my dad would have done!!

My card arrived and it was a reconditioned one which I thought was a bit rich considering I had payed a not-inconsiderable amount for a new pc. Needless to say though, this didn't fix the problem either. It took three more calls to Dell, during the first of which I was told to check if I just hadn't plugged the screen in properly - hilarious given that they had expected me to install the graphics card on my own. In the second call I was given the brush off and told that it was probably something that would right itself. It clearly wasn't. Finally I just lost it completely and firmly said that I wanted things fixed immediately, that I was sick of waiting, that the customer service was a disgrace and that they were to send out a technician to sort things out. That seemed to do it. They came out a day later and replaced my motherboard and everything was ok again.

It had to be said!!

Lizzykins · 07-02-2008 5:37pm

M & S for great customer service ALL the time. Staff could not be nicer or more polite. Same goes for our local pharmacy in Woodstown Knoclyon.

Worst customer service award goes to Arramount in Liffey Valley. Ordered a leather suite in Dec 2006 and found out SIX months later that it had never been ordered from the manufacturer! I had to chase them constantly until I got an answer and then threaten them with all sorts of adverse publicity until I got a refund of my deposit.

copacetic · 11-02-2008 10:35am

name check for thread, from Conor Pope in today's Times pricewatch section:

THERE ARE RETAILERS in Ireland who do attract praise. On the boards.ie website there is currently a thread asking people to rant or rave about the customer service they have received. Unsurprisingly, there are pages and pages of messages about people's negative experiences and only the occasional good news story. Marks & Spencer, HMV and cdwow.com all get the thumbs-up for being friendly, helpful and offering a no-fuss returns policy.

(Hi Conor <waves>)

dudara · 11-02-2008 10:50am

That's a nice mention. Well done everyone who has contributed.

Let's try to have some more stories about positive consumer experiences.

dudara

Toto Wolfcastle · 11-02-2008 3:36pm

dudara wrote: »

That's a nice mention. Well done everyone who has contributed.

Let's try to have some more stories about positive consumer experiences.

dudara

Isn't the reason they're mainly negative that this used to be just a worst customer service thread?

Curvy Vixen · 11-02-2008 3:56pm

Rant: GLS parcel service!
After many, many calls to them, the longest lasting 57 minutes, I am still waiting for them to find my parcel or at the very least return a call! The parcel was due here 10 days ago. TO make it worse, the number on their website is only a 1530 number that costs x cent per minute. Only that I went the sneaky way and got a number from directories has it not cost me a small mortgage in calls!

I'm trying to think of a 'rave'....

zeusnero · 11-02-2008 4:00pm

My worst customer service award: Dell

(many many reasons, the latest being they sent out a replacement power cable for my 3 month old xps 1330 - a 2 piece power cable which not only wasn't compatible with the 1330 but both pieces of the cable weren't even compatible with each other. This is the second time in a year they've done that

My runner up worst customer service award: Paypal

My best customer service award: Macy's - In the US recently and what can I say but wow. Their sales assistants treat you like royalty...

ztoical · 12-02-2008 2:01pm

janeybabe wrote: »

Isn't the reason they're mainly negative that this used to be just a worst customer service thread?

yes it did - maybe we should have restarted the thread when it was renamed and sticked - it does look very unbalanced when you first look at it.

Ginger · 12-02-2008 2:37pm

Rave: Magnet (when I joined them back in 2005).. sent out all the kit. System didnt work. So helpdesk girl, rang the engineer who rang me at 2000 on a Friday and confirmed that it should work. Waited on the line and it was working away.

Rave: SAS. One of the guys in Dublin has to be the legend to beat all legends. Has helped me out a couple of times when I have been in need. And always with a smile. Also SAS in Oslo for sorting our hotel even when they didnt have to.

Rave: Apple Customer Care. Bought my sister Itunes vouchers for christmas. They sent out a sterling one which wouldnt work on the Irish site. Sent me a new code for the same value in euro and sent me a replacement card which also worked. Checked with them and they said have it as a way of saying sorry for the mixup.

Rant: NTL customer service.. it just sucks.

Nea · 12-02-2008 5:48pm

Boo.
Eircom - Need I say more, no one wants to handle your call.
Belkin - Tried to RMA a product, no help what so ever.
Asus - Possibly the worst support I have ever come across, 3 and a half months to replace a mobo in a laptop, when it returned the casing was cracked and took another 6 weeks for that to be changed..

Yay!
Tevion - MP3 car Stereo started to lose power after 2 years. Had a spanking new one within a week.

A-Trak · 18-02-2008 10:13pm

Rave - UPS.
Have had cause to have a few dealings with them lately and have to say there call centre staff I've spoken with have been brilliant, extremely helpful and accommodating.
Through my own stupidity I made a mistake on the return address and they sorted it all out for me when I called them at the last minute without making me feel like an idiot.

Rant - NTL
Incompetence personified. You're made to feel like a crank when you request anything, even the most basic of answers to why the service you're paying for is not working.

bulbist · 19-02-2008 12:23am

naas county council,sent me a parking ticket ,i parked on double yellow @ 2.07 on a friday,when i was at my daughters school picking her up (in celbridge)@1.45 _1.50,so it took me and the kids 10 15 mins to get to nass find dbl yel lines,park on them and wait to get a ****n ticket in all that time,no idea what to do......

bulbist · 19-02-2008 12:33am

for some reason my connection turns off at about 6 in the evening for a bout an hour and a half(realy pisses me off)i calld them umpteen times about this,and they said i needed a new modem,so i got it 2 -3 wks later and the same happened again,si i called again and was talking to an indian chap (who i found very hard to understand(i think its those mics they talk into,just sounds hollow and distant,he told me i needed a new network card,i bought one and it didnt solve a thing,i rang again and another chap told me i didnt need a network card (i went f>ckn mad)so 2 weeks later im going to try again 2moro,wil fill you in.9that was good to get off d chest,good luck

texas star · 22-02-2008 7:19pm

Got sky in the other day and the engineer couldnt have been nicer,a bloke from Scotland hid all the wires and no big holes in the wall.A nice chap and done a great job.Im delighted.One regret I forgot to give him a tip :mad:

daisy123 · 23-02-2008 10:13pm

My mum at Christmas made the mistake of downloading an I-tunes voucher onto my account instead of her own, and so I decided to try and "gift" her music, which apparently you can't do i.e. can't buy a gift for someone else with a gift card. I-tunes took the money off my credit card instead of my I-tunes account balance, so I emailed them my problem. In the meantime my mum had downloaded the album I had gifted. Apple got back to me within 24 hours and directed me to their gift policy for the future, AND they refunded my card within 24hours, so basically my mum got her gift for free. They treated my case efficiently and satisfactorily and pleasantly and hopefully the fact I pointed out the unclearness (word??) of thier policy, they may change it so others don't make that mistake! I will continue to use Apple and their products!

invadernim · 26-02-2008 4:10pm

Eircom:
My fella worked for Eircom for about a year- it was his first job in customer services & I reckon it will be his last! The entire problem with Eircom seems to be that the people you are talking to on the phone cannot get anyone to investigate or deal with problems

Example: Someone rang him in with a valid complaint. Customer wanted to talk to a supervisor. My fella goes over to his supervisor & tells her that he has a customer on the phone who wants to talk to her. She tells him "to take control of the call yada yada yada & that if the customer asks again that she is not there". My fella goes back over, apologises again to the customer etc etc. Customer (Who has no issue with my fella & is just wanting to talk to a supervisor about problems they had been having over the past few weeks) is still insisting to speak to a supervisor. Fella goes back over to supervisor & explains the situation. Supervisor tells him to go on his break, leave the customer on hold & that she will deal with it. Fella goes on lunch, comes back & customer is still on hold, supervisor hasn't done squat!

It was probably the most sould destroying job anyone could probably have- and it wasn't the customer complaints that was the problem, it was the "higher ups" refusal to aid the people on the phone with basic issues.

Rody Bolands Rathmines:
4 of us went in to get breakfast- they had a sign up for all day breakfast with no prices (you reckon 10 quid odd for breakfast) (yes I know we should have asked)- ordered 4 full irish - They ask if we want tea or coffee etc etc... get to the till: €11.95 for each breakfast & €2.20 for each tea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A total of €56.60 for breakfast for 4 people!!!!!!!!!! Very rude service, awful breakfast.... just as we were finished, the guy behind the counter comes over and says "I over charged you for the food so here is a slice of apple pie" & with that he plonks a single piece of apple pie onto the table & walks away.

Firstly: If you overcharge someone, shouldn't you at least apologise & offer to give them the amount overcharged back!!!!

Secondly: Who the hell eats apple pie after a full irish breakfast

Thirdly: 1 piece of apple pie for 4 people???

Wouldn't go in there again for food if my life depended on it!!!

Noart · 27-02-2008 4:31pm

Praise For Irish Broadband

Have had the Ripwave connection for about a year. About a week ago started having trouble with the connection. Rang up Irish Broadband, very knowledgable rep who investigated the problem & told us that they would have to change the modem & would send out a courier in 3-5 days.

3 days later they sent out a courier to pick up our old one & deliver a brand new one.

The replacement works perfectly.

Today, a customer service rep called from Irish Broadband to see if the new one was working OK & if we had any other problems or questions. We didn't so he gave us his name & told us to ask for him in future in case of any problems.

Fair play Irish Broadband!
A courteous, no-fuss, professional & efficient response to problem!!!!

dewsbury · 27-02-2008 11:08pm

Absolute Crap Service : NTL - So bad they're special!

Great Service : The AA - Automobile Ass. - Always great!

Toto Wolfcastle · 28-02-2008 1:19am

Rave: Dell

My colour cartridge which came with my printer wouldn't work. I e-mailed Dell and they arranged to send it out on Monday (this was a Friday). They then called to make sure it had arrived, which it had, on the Monday. This was a couple of days before Christmas too, when they were probably quite busy.

Rant: Irish Broadband

Fix my internet already! I timed how long it took to get from yahoo to you tube. It took over a minute and a half off peak. This is supposed to be broadband. Our Eircom broadband in my parents' house takes seconds.

Oh, and also, although I'm told that our connection is with Irish Broadband (my accommodation manager told me), NTL were up the road twice last week playing with cables or something and my internet disappeared for 5 or 6 hours each time.

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

Comments