Customer Service

[Gloucester Saint]

It’s not been good for some time in this country but it’s got a whole lot worse since Brexit and less competition.

Trades are even worse than retail - trying to get them to turn up to a job you’ve arranged your day around is a hard task in the first place, level of supervision required from a clearly agreed job spec is something else again.

I have found some gems as well amongst UK trades who have pride in their work and want a happy customer where they get offered fresh jobs and recommendations from us to others we know but far too many that want to do half the job contracted and invoice. They end up taking less because of it even after they’ve tried to fix mess ups but the email exchanges to facilitate it and resolve disputes because the job isn’t done as specified are as costly to us as to them.

Beef up consumer protections and more people will have confidence in commissioning new work. I know the law and this frustrates rogue trades, but a lot of people don’t and it’s a national issue that standards and attitudes are so poor. When there was more competition they were less able to get away with it. 

Is it just me or do others have this experience?

[Raging Bull]

Honestly I’m not sure if it hasn’t always been like this. 

The business model of some trades is to assume that they won’t be getting much repeat business, possibly because of pressures on cash flow etc, therefore they cut corners. 

We’ve used a lot of trades of the years and almost without fail the best are almost always 30% more expensive. But we use them every time we have a job for them  

There’s also the fact that the vast majority aren’t adept at running businesses. The amount of times we’ve been waving money under tradesmen’s noses because we needed something done asap, and they’ve not even responded blows my mind. 

What really mashes my spuds is tradesmen who openly brag about not paying taxes for 10 years, which leads to all of us paying more. 

[Gloucester Saint]

11 minutes ago, Raging Bull said:

Honestly I’m not sure if it hasn’t always been like this. 

The business model of some trades is to assume that they won’t be getting much repeat business, possibly because of pressures on cash flow etc, therefore they cut corners. 

We’ve used a lot of trades of the years and almost without fail the best are almost always 30% more expensive. But we use them every time we have a job for them  

There’s also the fact that the vast majority aren’t adept at running businesses. The amount of times we’ve been waving money under tradesmen’s noses because we needed something done asap, and they’ve not even responded blows my mind. 

What really mashes my spuds is tradesmen who openly brag about not paying taxes for 10 years, which leads to all of us paying more. 

I do wonder if some of them struggle with organisation because of learning difficulties eg time and money management. To be fair, supplies and supply chains have gotten more difficult, one big job got postponed becuase we literally couldn’t get a price on bi-fold doors because there was a shortage…

The very good ones can advise you on the spec as well if it’s not your own area of expertise and it leads to both parties understanding and executing the job to a good standard. They are the ones we repeat with and the ones you need to book well in advance. Just need far more like that. I agree on getting what you pay for but even when they’ve come with good recommendations and a premium they still require more supervision than they ought to. 

Edited Friday at 13:34 by Gloucester Saint

[Whitey Grandad]

‘Customer Service’ is non-existent these days. Don’t even mention AAsDa in Chandlers Ford. Customers are there just to get in their way and they break down in tears if you even think of complaining.

[Gloucester Saint]

11 hours ago, Whitey Grandad said:

‘Customer Service’ is non-existent these days. Don’t even mention AAsDa in Chandlers Ford. Customers are there just to get in their way and they break down in tears if you even think of complaining.

My father in law was area manager for Carrefour, as it originally was in the 1970s (opened 1974 I think) and 1980s. Left when International (Unilever) sold out to Gateway and it started going downhill. Was also area manager for the Caerphilly store which opened the year before and Cribbs Causeway (which is also now an Asda).

Not a fan of Asda these days I have to say. 

He was years ahead of his time, if a customer wanted something and they didn’t have it, it was there the next time they came in and that’s how the businesses grew. Moved to Co-Op and miles ahead of the trends focused on local produce and companies which they and the customers loved, head office didn’t! Took a lot of political crap from them despite being the most profitable stores in the region. 

[spyinthesky]

I dont shop at Asda so difficult to make  a comment on their customer service.

However I wonder if things have changed since the Issa brothers have taken over?

[Whitey Grandad]

3 minutes ago, spyinthesky said:

I dont shop at Asda so difficult to make  a comment on their customer service.

However I wonder if things have changed since the Issa brothers have taken over?

When was that? 
 

I have only shopped there occasionally and I shall never shop there again having been treated like a dog that had wandered in from the car park. It’s now almost exclusively self-scan and the layout of these terminals means that customers with trolleys get in the way of the staff member who is there to provide customer assistance. These are typically young and inexperienced and they can get frustrated. It’s all a result of reducing the numbers of experienced staff and relying on the customers to do their work instead.

Incidentally, how many large supermarkets feel the need to employ uniformed security agents?

[Holmes_and_Watson]

My local Asda is on my way home, so I use it way more than the others. It's really well run, and they always get a little round of applause from me for all their work through Covid. A good mix of staff ages and always enough people on tills or overseeing the self service. My fav for customer service.

Now for the fascinating story of me getting free sandwiches, when they wouldn't scan...

[rallyboy]

Don't let Lord Trousers get started on this thread, he spends most of his life asking Sainsbury's drivers why they've replaced his ordered bottle of Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2009 with a turnip.

[whelk]

2 hours ago, Gloucester Saint said:

if a customer wanted something and they didn’t have it, it was there the next time they came in and that’s how the businesses grew

Sainsbury's need to take this on board, I am constantly asking them why they don’t have any turnips in the shape of a thingy 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

1 hour ago, whelk said:

Sainsbury's need to take this on board, I am constantly asking them why they don’t have any turnips in the shape of a thingy 

Which also answers Whitey's earlier question.

2 hours ago, Whitey Grandad said:

 

Incidentally, how many large supermarkets feel the need to employ uniformed security agents?

 

Edited Saturday at 13:14 by Holmes_and_Watson

[Whitey Grandad]

1 hour ago, whelk said:

Sainsbury's need to take this on board, I am constantly asking them why they don’t have any turnips in the shape of a thingy 

If you didn’t have such an unusually shaped thingy their job might be easier.

[Winnersaint]

Cant remember the last time i actually went into my local ASDA store although it is the easiest place locally to get petrol.