On Thursday I was working at a client's office on Holloway Road. I took the opportunity to run round to the Post Office and mail out my Christmas cards. I wanted some of those limited edition Christmas stamps they get children to draw for free under the guise of an exciting competition - Primark should take a leaf out of the Royal Mail's book and instead of getting in trouble for running sweat shops full of child slave labour, they should run 'competitions' to see who can make the trendiest T-shirt. It's all about the marketing. Anyway, I digress...
In order to get these stamps, I had to join the back of a very long queue. A very long, smelly queue (We're not in Richmond anymore, Toto). I try to enjoy the time away from my desk, I am in the middle of finalising some support materials for a client who has a pitch tomorrow and this is the breathing space I need before I go back and sign it off. It takes about 20 minutes to reach a counter, in which time, I study the many posters and leaflets advertising the vast array of services the Post Office has to offer (piss-up in a brewery is strangely absent). It is during this time I realise I can use the Post Office's Special Delivery service to courier the pitch materials down to my client in Bristol. Brilliant, this puts my mind at rest. I buy my slave-labour stamps and have a quick chat with the man behind the counter about the various courier options. There is a Next-Day 9am Delivery option. Perfect. He also told me, to be on the safe side, to bring the package in before 5pm so it would definitely meet the pick-up.
I went back to the office and prepared the visuals for my client, I printed them all out on premium stock and rolled them up into a tough cardboard tube and sealed it with pride. I was feeling particularly confident that I had done a good job for my client. I ran back down to the Post Office with a spring in my step. It was closed. At 4.55pm. WTF???
The place was in darkness, they hadn't just shut up early, it looked like they'd been gone for some time. This wasn't supposed to happen. To check I wasn't going mad, I looked in the window for the opening times and sure enough, it said Monday-Friday 9.30am - 5.30pm. I then looked on both doors for a sign or explanation - had there been a power cut, a robbery? These things do happen. There was nothing. I checked my watch just in case the fault was mine - it wasn't, the branch had closed inexplicably early and there seemed to be no reason. Damn. I now have a situation, I need to find another Post Office and FAST.
I wasn't familiar with the area so had to go back to the office to search online for the next nearest branch. It was now already too late to get there before it would shut. Double Damn. I was speechless. Why had the Post Office shut early without warning? This now caused me a massive problem. How was my package going to get to Bristol before morning? I'd left it too late to book a courier and a taxi or bike was now going to cost a small fortune.
I investigated on Twitter and it showed a couple of other people had been caught out by this particular branch's early closure. I followed one of their complaints and it transpired the Holloway Road branch had closed early due to industrial action. I will not pass comment on this but I will pass comment on the way it was handled. Industrial action is planned. There was no notification of this branch being closed, there was nothing on the door or window when I turned up at 4.55pm, there was nothing on the walls or counters when I was in there in the morning and the counter staff who informed me of bringing in my parcel before 5pm didn't say anything about an early closure. The whole thing was really badly managed and had massive implications for my business.
In the end, at such short notice, the only way I could make sure the package arrived in Bristol at an affordable price was to drive it myself and that's exactly what I did. I will never rely on the Post Office to take care of an important document again.
One positive to come from this is discovering the array of alternative couriers who can match the Post Office for packages and deliveries. Check out Hermes, Despatch Bay, MyParcelDelivery who all offer competitive pricing and delivery times to any of the Post Office services on offer. There are also many plusses; they come and pick up from you (no more smelly queues) and every parcel can be tracked online. They're not just an alternative to the Post Office, they're better. Please don't fall into the trap of thinking that the Post Office is your only option. It's not.
Sunday 22 December 2013
Friday 20 December 2013
London Needs a New York State Of Mind.
I'm a patient person. If I'm queueing for my cappuccino and I see the barista steaming ahead and trying his best to get all the lattes and paninis out as quickly as possible then I'm happy to wait. If I have 4 people in front of me and he's mooching about like he's making his mum a cup of tea on a lazy Sunday morning then I'm mad. I take my custom elsewhere. The only way to get through to a company is to take your money out of their till. If everyone did this, profits would go down and they would realise changes have to be made for the profits to go back up but as long as everyone puts up with shoddy service then the shoddy service will continue.
I endured for a long time, I'd gotten used to waiting in shops and cafes, to repeating myself to the member of staff as their English and/or confidence wasn't at the necessary level, I'd even gotten used to being served by people who could barely bring themselves to look me in the eye. I'd basically gotten used to just putting my money in the company's coffers without so much as a thank you. I had become conditioned to a world of corporate arrogance.
I recently went to New York City. I promised my partner a Christmas shopping trip (a shopping trip is my worst nightmare... the things we do for love...) New York City is BUSY. The streets and stores are rammed. People are bustling about laden with bags and lists. Going into each store, I would get that familiar feeling of dread. It was so busy, the queues were bound to be massive, the staff were going to be miserable and so was I...
The exact opposite happened, the shop staff were friendly and attentive. We were greeted at many stores by smiling, smartly-dressed people. Browsing the stores was a joy and the actual transaction at the till was a pleasant experience often with a conversation but ALWAYS with a 'please', 'thank you' and 'Have a nice day.' It made a world of difference, I was happy to spend my money in that store.
Whilst eating out, we felt really looked after, nothing was too much trouble. In London, if you ask for something as simple as a glass of water, you're lucky to get it sometimes. In New York, if you are just stopping by for a coffee, you are made to feel welcome and you get your coffee topped up as many times as your bladder can handle.
I also had to go to a Post Office to get a money order. I'll be honest, the local office in Greenwich Village had a pretty drab interior in serious need of a sweep and the queue was long but it was dealt with quickly and the clerk behind the counter was entirely helpful and polite and wished me a Happy Holiday. I also had to go into a bank where I found the teller to be equally engaging.
New York City trumps London when it comes to customer service. They are just as busy but they deal with it in a different way. They keep the customer happy and when the customer is happy, they don't notice they have been stood in line for as long or perhaps that the three course meal was a little overpriced. London has a lot to learn.
Why do we Brits put up with such bad service? Is it our stiff upper lip that prevents us from making a scene? Let's face it, it's embarrassing to speak up in a crowded restaurant or post office, even if you suspect that the thirty other people in your immediate vicinity share your point of view. I've let a lot go in the past in fear of drawing attention to myself.
The only way we, as Londoners, are going to get better service is to speak up. I suspect that New York gets a better standard of service because they point it out when they don't receive it. They draw attention to the person providing the shoddy service - not themselves. It's a different state of mind and one that Londoners need to learn.
Since my trip, I've started to speak up and I have received apologies, discounts and refunds - I have received a better standard of service. This has given me confidence to continue complaining and I urge you all to do the same.
This blog didn't start out as a consumer blog, it evolved that way and the amount of hits it gets show that other people are interested. Over the coming days, I will be highlighting some of my previous complaints and how the various companies responded. Some have been outstanding, others have been beyond poor and I will be naming and shaming. Stay tuned and do the same! Complain, Complain, Complain!!!
I endured for a long time, I'd gotten used to waiting in shops and cafes, to repeating myself to the member of staff as their English and/or confidence wasn't at the necessary level, I'd even gotten used to being served by people who could barely bring themselves to look me in the eye. I'd basically gotten used to just putting my money in the company's coffers without so much as a thank you. I had become conditioned to a world of corporate arrogance.
I recently went to New York City. I promised my partner a Christmas shopping trip (a shopping trip is my worst nightmare... the things we do for love...) New York City is BUSY. The streets and stores are rammed. People are bustling about laden with bags and lists. Going into each store, I would get that familiar feeling of dread. It was so busy, the queues were bound to be massive, the staff were going to be miserable and so was I...
The exact opposite happened, the shop staff were friendly and attentive. We were greeted at many stores by smiling, smartly-dressed people. Browsing the stores was a joy and the actual transaction at the till was a pleasant experience often with a conversation but ALWAYS with a 'please', 'thank you' and 'Have a nice day.' It made a world of difference, I was happy to spend my money in that store.
Whilst eating out, we felt really looked after, nothing was too much trouble. In London, if you ask for something as simple as a glass of water, you're lucky to get it sometimes. In New York, if you are just stopping by for a coffee, you are made to feel welcome and you get your coffee topped up as many times as your bladder can handle.
I also had to go to a Post Office to get a money order. I'll be honest, the local office in Greenwich Village had a pretty drab interior in serious need of a sweep and the queue was long but it was dealt with quickly and the clerk behind the counter was entirely helpful and polite and wished me a Happy Holiday. I also had to go into a bank where I found the teller to be equally engaging.
New York City trumps London when it comes to customer service. They are just as busy but they deal with it in a different way. They keep the customer happy and when the customer is happy, they don't notice they have been stood in line for as long or perhaps that the three course meal was a little overpriced. London has a lot to learn.
Why do we Brits put up with such bad service? Is it our stiff upper lip that prevents us from making a scene? Let's face it, it's embarrassing to speak up in a crowded restaurant or post office, even if you suspect that the thirty other people in your immediate vicinity share your point of view. I've let a lot go in the past in fear of drawing attention to myself.
The only way we, as Londoners, are going to get better service is to speak up. I suspect that New York gets a better standard of service because they point it out when they don't receive it. They draw attention to the person providing the shoddy service - not themselves. It's a different state of mind and one that Londoners need to learn.
Since my trip, I've started to speak up and I have received apologies, discounts and refunds - I have received a better standard of service. This has given me confidence to continue complaining and I urge you all to do the same.
This blog didn't start out as a consumer blog, it evolved that way and the amount of hits it gets show that other people are interested. Over the coming days, I will be highlighting some of my previous complaints and how the various companies responded. Some have been outstanding, others have been beyond poor and I will be naming and shaming. Stay tuned and do the same! Complain, Complain, Complain!!!
Sunday 15 December 2013
Live Nation's Katy Perry X Factor Sponsored Tweet Faux Pas
If you're responsible for an international tour promoter's Twitter account, it may be a good idea to actually watch a singer's performance before using it as a marketing tool for their upcoming tour...
Katy Perry just had a screech-fest on the X Factor Live Final and Live Nation thought it would be a good time to sell some tickets for her forthcoming UK tour...
Katy Perry just had a screech-fest on the X Factor Live Final and Live Nation thought it would be a good time to sell some tickets for her forthcoming UK tour...
This was a perfect example of an ill-judged sponsored tweet. An avalanche of tweets spewed forth... These are just a few from the first 4 minutes... Enjoy... *bad language warning*
Quick! Get your tickets now! You'll be sorry when they're gone.
Friday 6 December 2013
Scottish Power's Twitter Timeline is Full of Complaints.
Earlier this week, I had to contact Scottish Power over a small mistake on my bill. I initially thought the easiest way to amend it would be to open my online account and submit the correction but it was impossible to sign into the website. I assumed there was high traffic and thought I would try again the next day. The website was still the same 24 hours later and, in case the fault was with me, I tried to register with another email address but that wasn’t possible either so I waited another 24 hours and the website was still unusable... that's when I decided to pick up the phone...
Now, when I call any customer service number, I expect to wait a little bit… that's fine... while not ideal, 7-9 minutes has become the average wait time for some service providers at peak times. I understand that lots of people are trying to get through, I’m prepared to wait a little bit, I have a pitch I can proofread while I’m waiting.
Now, when I call any customer service number, I expect to wait a little bit… that's fine... while not ideal, 7-9 minutes has become the average wait time for some service providers at peak times. I understand that lots of people are trying to get through, I’m prepared to wait a little bit, I have a pitch I can proofread while I’m waiting.
15 minutes of the most dreadful music later and I am still on hold. I pass comment on Twitter.
Oh how naive that tweet seems now. 15 minutes is a mere flash. After waiting a few more minutes, I decided to search Twitter to see if anybody else was on hold. There was. Here are a few.
Oh dear, some of these people have been holding for 45/55 minutes. That's more than double my duration so far. That seems utterly ridiculous. These people are exaggerating, right? There's no way people would hold for that long...
Being on hold is a weird thing. Once you have gone past a certain period of time, it becomes a battle of wills, you can't give up, you've invested too much time and you have to see it through. Also, you're convinced somebody will answer your call any minute as there's no way a big reputable company like Scottish Power would have such a long hold time as it's basically unacceptable.
My call is finally answered at 50 minutes. The customer service advisor asks me how she can help me, I begin by telling her how long I have been on hold, she doesn't apologise, she just says they are 'busy'. So am I! I don't have time to sit and listen to Ronan Keating for 50 minutes! I tell the advisor my problem and she says 'I'm just going to pop you on hold' NOOOOO!!! Too late, she's gone and I'm now listening to Ed Sheeran. A slight improvement. Two songs later, she's back and my problem is sorted. Now I can just put the phone down and forget about it... But I can't.
Fuel is expensive and essential, a very important requisite for modern living and we place our trust and our money with service providers to keep our homes and families warm and when that relationship begins to show flaws, it's unsettling. It's taken an hour out of my very busy work day to sort the problem, that was never part of the deal. If I am paying a large amount of money then I demand a better level of customer service.
Today, December 6th, Scottish Power are putting their prices up by 8.6% (on average). This will add £113 to the average annual bill. That's a lot of money for most households.
Today, December 6th, Scottish Power are putting their prices up by 8.6% (on average). This will add £113 to the average annual bill. That's a lot of money for most households.
10% of your bill is spent on customer services. That's an awful lot of your money to be sat on hold for 45 minutes.
Scottish Power have a Twitter account and it's constantly manned during office hours actively helping people with enquiries so I sent them one.
They didn't reply so over the course of the next couple of days I sent it twice more. Still no reply. I logged into Twitter last night to see if they had responded, they hadn't so I decided to do another Twitter search to see if people are still on hold. A few were.
These are just a few of the tweets posted in a 3-hour window on the same day, there are many more. And these are by people who are annoyed AND have a Twitter account. The actual number of people hanging on the telephone is higher, the long hold time is testament to that itself.
When companies exist on social media it's a great way to interact with customers and clients, keeping them bang up-to-date with news and offers. It's a two-way conversation and a lot of companies handle it very well. I use Twitter a lot and I'm familiar with leading brands and how they operate. Any successful company is going to get a few complaints on their timeline, everyone from Vodafone to Gap get dissatisfied customers airing their complaints but those brands also get a lot of praise and fun tweets from people too.
Scottish Power's timeline is almost all complaints and few of them are dealt with. The worst thing isn't the actual length of hold duration (although it is maddening), it's Scottish Power's ignorance of it. They don't apologise for their terrible customer service even though they are getting loads of messages on a daily basis (I've listed many more at the bottom of this blog). A simple recognition would be nice, even if they tweeted a short apology and a reassurance they will get around to everyone soon. Just what is going on at Scottish Power? Why is the website unusable and why is Customer Services so woefully understaffed? For one of the market leaders it is absolutely unacceptable.
So, I ask once again, Scottish Power, do you think that 45 minutes is an acceptable hold time for your customers? Coz none of your customers do.
I love that the top two were so aggravated they back up their claims with photos. Good work!
When companies exist on social media it's a great way to interact with customers and clients, keeping them bang up-to-date with news and offers. It's a two-way conversation and a lot of companies handle it very well. I use Twitter a lot and I'm familiar with leading brands and how they operate. Any successful company is going to get a few complaints on their timeline, everyone from Vodafone to Gap get dissatisfied customers airing their complaints but those brands also get a lot of praise and fun tweets from people too.
Scottish Power's timeline is almost all complaints and few of them are dealt with. The worst thing isn't the actual length of hold duration (although it is maddening), it's Scottish Power's ignorance of it. They don't apologise for their terrible customer service even though they are getting loads of messages on a daily basis (I've listed many more at the bottom of this blog). A simple recognition would be nice, even if they tweeted a short apology and a reassurance they will get around to everyone soon. Just what is going on at Scottish Power? Why is the website unusable and why is Customer Services so woefully understaffed? For one of the market leaders it is absolutely unacceptable.
So, I ask once again, Scottish Power, do you think that 45 minutes is an acceptable hold time for your customers? Coz none of your customers do.
I love that the top two were so aggravated they back up their claims with photos. Good work!
If you want to see many, many more complaints, head over to Twitter and search for Scottish Power. If you are unhappy with the service, why not add your own?
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