O/T Customer Service.

[Junior Senior]

Apologies to anyone who works in customer service but I am in on my own and just had to vent my spleen to someone!!

Customer service in this county has to be my absolute pet hate. - its appauling! - No response, umpteen button pressing options and then after you finally get through, they cut you off! - wtf?!  I had real trouble with BT recently.  DHL never ever answer ever and Egg set a new record for incompetence and lack of interest last month.  However today i have finally lost my rag and the new leader for ultimate poor service is............ Severn Trent Water. - OMG, there surely is no worse.  Average call waiting times are up to 16 minutes, they know absolutely nothing when you get through and when you get even remotely hacked off with them they just put the phone down.  I decided to email them as they advise you to do this on the phone and they say they will guraentee a reply within 3....................... WORKING DAYS!! - my god, i was thinking 3 hours would be too long but no, it could be up to 120 hours should you email over a bank holiday weekend! - this is just not good enough!! - how on god's earth do they get away with it? - they need investigating.  Anyway, here's the email i sent them - lets hope i get my quandry sorted!  if they phone me back, then i am putting them on hold at least 4 times during the conversation for at least 3 minutes a time. - see how they like it!


Hi,
I would phone you but i have now spent over 47 minutes on hold in just 3 calls to your pathetically under staffed call centre. - sort it out!!!!!

Anyway, I actually want to pay you for the water i use but you seem to not want to talk to me about paying for it.  I have had 3 bills in the past few weeks and every time i have attempted to query it i have been left hanging on the phone for at least 12 minutes without response - i refuse to wait any longer listening to a phone ring in my ear as i fear my head may explode or should someone answer i would be less than pleasant to them. - On the one occasion i did get through i was deliberately cut off by one of your ignorant dis-interested staff members (if only i had taken a name!)

I have lived here for a year now and didnt receive a bill from you for the first 11 months - the first one being dated 25 July, this demanded payment by 4th August. - well, i am sorry but you cannot take more than ELEVEN MONTHS to bill me for service and then expect me to pay within 8 days - it aint happening!

I therefore requested a reading as you only gave an estimate (despite me being here for a year). - in the meantime we got a reminder for the first bill on the 12th August(despite being told we wouldn't).  I then get another bill dated 22 August for a different amount.  i have no idea whether this is an estimate or actual reading (i have requested a reading by the way) and whether the balance brought forward is accurate from a reading or whether this is estimated.  I have since received a RED reminder dated 30th August for the first amount, even though this amount is detailed on a seperate bill! - I have no idea what i a supposed to be paying and whether it is actual or estimated. - I do not know this because your call centre is incapable of pcking up the phone (even after 17 minutes!!!!!!) and i can't talk to anyone about it. - Please reply to me or call me back (although i was told you can't make outgoing calls) - get with the program ST!! its 2006!

I really would like to get this paid and am happy to pay whatever is due so it isn't difficult - you tell me how much and explain what period the charges cover and whethe or not they are actual or estimated

any response asap will be appreciated but i will sit tight and wait for the full quoted 3 working days for a response (which in itself is ridiculous and shouldn't really be labelled with the word service).

Thanks and regards
Greg Hill

[ifm]

This is spooky!!

I switched over to water meters nearly 18 months ago (i live alone, so cheaper) and Severn Trent were very good about it, came out promptly did the work well and even fitted a brand new stopcock at no cost (they say they charge for this).

What happened is they cancelled my direct debit and opened up 2 new accounts in my name (i have 2 meters as i have 2 incoming water sources), this is fair enough but they didn't set up new DD's.
They didn't even bill me though.
Sooooooo, about a month ago i get a red letter saying they are taking me to court unless the outstanding amount is not paid in a week (i got 2 letters of course).
Here is where i disagree with you Greg.........average waiting time!!

16 minutes!! YOU ARE HAVING A LAUGH
I gave up twice on 30 minutes and on my 3rd (and final) attempt they answered after 21 minutes then transferred me to a different department where i waited for ANOTHER 20 minutes or so!!

They could not find my account(s) or any record of me at all and promised to call me back the next day after some investigating, i asked for a direct line but they wouldn't give it.
Needless to say they haven't called back........
Interestingly i have been told that water is the only utility that CANNOT be cut off for non payment

So SOD 'EM i say.

BTW if anyone is thinking about water meters i live alone in a 3 bedroom house and they want around £50 for the last 18 months, now that is a saving (if i were to pay it)

[Junior Senior]

lol
glad i'm not the only one!

[Karabiner]

I ended up taking Severn Trent (or they took me) to court about 18 months ago when we had a long-running dispute over the date on which I had applied for a water meter. I was due a discount from the date on which I applied which was actually 1992 but according to their records it was 1999 !

The judge believed me and ruled in my favour. Severn Trent are crooks and were recently exposed by a former employee who admitted to giving false information to the public on ST's orders about water reserves and costs.

Another firm who don't seem to answer their phones is British Gas. I have tried three times to contact them in order to switch my energy supply in their favour but got fed up waiting each time.

[johnlarsson]

DHL never ever answer ever and Egg set a new record for incompetence and lack of interest last month.  However today i have finally lost my

i dont just work in customer service i also work for DHl.  who were u phoning the courier side ?

[vegaslover]

Contact OFWAT Junior.
Give them a copy of your email too. They're pretty good at getting things moved along. Discuss compensation with them too.
My partner had loads of shit from all the energy/water suppliers when opening her business. Went through the regulators and got things sorted and compensation.

[ItsMrAlex2u]

I think Virgin Atlantic are a candidate for most useless "customer service"
My flight back from vegas recently landed on time but was an hour late getting on stand, so i ended up missing my connecting flight and had to buy new tickets. No big deal, thast what insurance is for.
My insurance told me i had to get confirmation from virgin re the delay.
You can ONLY contact their customer service by email, they dont take calls and i am now up to 19 emails, i have them all printed ready for the letter to Richard Branson !!
I have not had any sort of acknowledgement ( apart from the auto ones so i know the emails have got theire)
It is just a joke, they are useless. My emails have been getting more and more sarcastic as it is now almost funny.
Hopefully i will eventually get some free flying club miles out of them or something but how these companies get away with having such pathetic levels of service just baffles me.

[Junior Senior]

DHL never ever answer ever and Egg set a new record for incompetence and lack of interest last month.  However today i have finally lost my

i dont just work in customer service i also work for DHl.  who were u phoning the courier side ?

finally go through to them this morning! - only took 2.5 minutes to answer too!

[Trace]

I'd like to nominate Lancashire County Council's School Travel Service for some sort of unlessness award.

Some councillor in his wisdom decided to charge new bus fares as of September 2006.  Single fares - Up to 3 miles £1, 3 to 8 miles £1.50, Over 8 miles £2.00.  A season ticket can be bought saving you 20% of full fares.

So, on 18th July I rang to request a quote for a season ticket.  My details were taken and life went on as normal.  On 7th August I phoned them again to ask where the quote was, there was apparently a back log of applications and they were all going out that week.

Two weeks ago I rang again, my details were emailed to their "back office".  Last Friday I rang again, was told they had a back log of queries and they were going out that day, I should receive it this week.  My mate rang for hers last Tuesday and received it the same week.

School started on the 4th, so yesterday I phoned them again, was told that they would phone the "back office" and find out what was going on and phone me back yesterday - I'm still waiting.

Now because of someone's incompetence to prioritise their work, bus fares for my youngest to get to school are costing me £10 a week.  There is no one I can complain to, there is no office I can call into to collect the sodding quote and paperwork, I'm at their mercy and in the meantime being ripped off.  I'm lucky I only have one child, one woman down my road is paying out £50 a week to get her 3 kids to school!!!!

"They" moan about the school run and too many cars on the roads, yet make it too expensive to send your child on the school bus.

OK, rant over!


P.S.  Forgot to add  10 mins listening to stupid music every time before my call is even answered !!!



EDIT:   Wooooohooooooo   One quote and application in post to me tonight  -  £288 for a year!