Customer service in the UK sucks (living in, restaurants, prices)

[Scotslass]

Originally Posted by tonrob

On what do you base that rather broad and generous statement?

Well I wouldn't post that kind of statement if it weren't true! Considering i've been in the US many times, practically lived there. My partner is American and I can tell you the customer service there is alot better.

Having lived here i've had alot more "bad" experience, I think alot of people here do not know the true meaning of "customer service" so much arrogance and no one seems to care.

[Cyanna]

Customer service in the UK is at best inefficient and at worst absolutely horrendous! Whenever I need to phone the USA and deal with customer service there I find it a great relief and tend to have an enjoyable chat about the weather and other such things. In the UK if you ask a shop assisitant where something is at you tend to get the standard..."Eeeee! I don't know!"

[geeoro]

I had a problem transfering money from my British Bank to my American Bank. Many phone calls later to my British Bank i Phoned the US Bank from the UK. They sorted out the problem for me from the States. Whenever i phoned my British bank from the UK i was put through to a handling office in Asia. British Service sucks big time.

[blackrabbit]

Originally Posted by geeoro

I had a problem transfering money from my British Bank to my American Bank. Many phone calls later to my British Bank i Phoned the US Bank from the UK. They sorted out the problem for me from the States. Whenever i phoned my British bank from the UK i was put through to a handling office in Asia. British Service sucks big time.

Funny you should mention this as I have been fighting for a month with my UK bank over some stock certificates. Their service is the worst I have ever experienced and most of the time I speak to someone who cannot even speak English properly. I wish there was a list of banks that outsource to India etc so I can not let them have my business. The red tape is insane in the UK with banking these days and as you state the service is rubbish. They seem to forget who's money it is!

While my US banks are not perfect they are much better and easier to deal with.

[chilaili]

I have to agree that, despite inventing the ATM and debit card way before US banks even thought of them, UK banks are pretty hopeless and they drive me insane with their officiousness and procedures. I changed my bank because the old one had a policy that when someone called Customer Service they had to provide a password, so when I called to GET my password, they refused to talk to me because I didn't have a password and wouldn't even agree to mail it to me. What I told the English customer service rep is unfortunately unprintable, but I doubt they missed me when I closed the account.

[LINCOLNSHIRE]

Lloyds TSB now only use UK call centres..I`ve had no problems recently...Or should I say yet...
Listen in on our bank call centre ring around | Bank customer service | This is Money

[atlmburns]

Originally Posted by Raggy dee Ann

Of course Marks and Spencers is a shining example of what is good about cutomer service in this country, but there is a world outside M&S and the other stores with generous return policies. It's a fact people here don't complain enough, too afraid to hurt other peoples feelings or make a fuss.

I just moved into my new home a few days ago and dealing with some of the utility companies has been a nightmare. And what's with not providing 800 numbers for customer service. Most of them provide premium numbers instead, not quite top rate premium, but why should I have to pay 10p a minute when I have an all inclusive package with my phone company? The banks are the worst. They &%%$ you both ends. Kept on hold forever, then you speak to some person in Mumbai reading from a q card or whatever it is they give them.

The piece de resistance came last year when I asked a neighbour to fix his fence as my dogs could escape through them, which they eventually did. He told me he was renting and gave me the realty company name that managed it. I contacted them, they told me they'd get back to me after they spoke to the owner. This went back and forth for 3 months. Some thing as simple as reparing a fence. One day I just about had it and armed with two landline phones and a cell. I called both the letting and sales team one after the other hitting the redial key for two hours. Next day I was arrested spent 7 hours at my local cop shop and was released. All because some 6ft tall strapping son of a byatch said I threatened him and he was fearful. Of me Poor excuse of a man that he was. But hey, the fence was fixed by the time I got outta jail.

I don't understand why you stay there, if you don't like you can always leave.

[jenn02674]

I just came back to the US from a five week visit to the UK. My family is english alhough I was born and raised in the US but I have been to the UK many many times throughout my life.

Anyway, this is one of my few negative observations (LOVE the UK in general). Customer service in general is much, much better in the US than in the UK or anywhere in Europe really. Shopping it is usually much easier (except for the Walmarts) to find a sales associate to help you and in general the service at your everyday restaurants (not counting fine dining) is much better. You automatically get a glass of water, it stays filled, you don't generally have to wait long for your meal and your bill, etc. I never encountered anyone rude it just seems more like they don't staff as well or train as well. And I am not just talking about greetings and smiles.

It seems like the British like to complain, but not to the people that it really matters to so I think this contributes to customer service. For example, I stayed a night in London at a supposedly very nice large, hotel in central london. It took us, no lie, over an hour to check in, and this is once we got to the desk not including waiting in line. The rep taking care of us was obviously new and not trained. Now it was a small group of us girls sharing rooms and my cousin (british) was the one checking in. When she finally got done out of the six of us (I was the only american), I was the only one that made a phone call to the manager. I suggested it to them but no one else actually did anything although they all sure griped about it amoung each other. In the US, I guarantee that I would have gotten a pretty large discount on my hotel bill but at that hotel all I got was a bunch of so sorry's. Not to mention that there wasn't even a clock in any of the rooms and this was supposedly a 4+star hotel!! We would get better service and amenities in Travelodges!

Anyway, that is just my general impression. I can also remember asking my family members when they would complain about something or other if they talked to a manager or wrote some letters and they never, ever would. These were things where I could imagine many Americans making 15 calls and letters! I also think it is why some americans come across as rude when traveling abroad. Most will be vocal about something they think should be corrected. The british not so much.

Oh well, I would usually just chalk things up to different culture and different expectations.

[LINCOLNSHIRE]

I really think the main difference is thus....Brits tend not to need help [customer service] as they have been encouraged from a young age to just do it...At least I was and encouraged mine to..Some Americans [ but also some of dubious nationality] , from what I`ve seen on some of these threads, need their arses wiped for them....

[What!]

Lincolnshire, the whole point of good customer service is to increase sales. The customer service reps in America are trained to be nice because corporate stresses it tremendously. Study shows that people are more likely to buy something when the customer service is friendly. Why do you think we Americans are have a huge consumer culture? Last time at DiscWorld the customer service rep was so nice I actually bought a C.D. I didn't intend to buy.

I used to work in customer service and it was tough at times but there were a few rewards. I sometimes got tipped for doing really good customer service even though it wasn't customary. I was working in Dairy Queen back in the summer of '06 when some British dude walks up, slaps a $10 bill in my hand, and says "Good service. Cheers", and then walks off. I was shocked because British people usually don't tip and it isn't customary to tip at Dairy Queen. That was just one example but I thought I'd point that out because we're in the U.K. forum.

So yeah, good customer service increases sales. American consumer culture is a testament to that.

Personally, I think anyone who hates a person for trying to be helpful is a horribly negative person who shouldn't be associated with. Sure, the niceness can be annoying, but there is no need to be hateful about it.