Credit (or not) where its due for customer service.

[Rorschach]

In the past couple of weeks I have had to deal with 2 customer service departments regarding faulty parts. Aimtools and Draper.

Draper being the bigger company with the more expensive tools you might think would be better but not so, Draper basically told me "tough luck" whereas Aimtools went above and beyond what I was expecting and were incredibly prompt, courteous and efficient.

 

[MattRoberts]

My Robovac developed an error recently, which I reported to Eufy customer service. They asked a few follow up questions which I answered telling them the fault was still present, and they said "OK" and sent me a brand new £200 Robovac the next day. That, to me, is service, and they've pretty much guaranteed that I'll be buying from them again in the future.

It's funny how some companies just don't get it.

 

[Rorschach]

I don't understand it, Aimtools have retained a customer at very little cost to themselves (a sub £10 replacement item and a few emails), draper have lost a customer for the sake of a few polite emails and less than £10.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

We just had a call to say my wife's car is ready for collection from the small local garage we always use. It was taken in this morning for an intermittent lighting fault. Brilliant, she says, how much do I owe you? Oh, nothing, it was only a faulty connector and we had one kicking around. That'll be another tin of chocolate biscuits then.
My 22 year old daughter uses the same place - when one of her workmates told her she'd been quoted £200 +VAT (at the garage we used years ago) for a wiper problem (without their even looking at it), she told her to take it there. When she next saw her a week or so later she asked how she'd got on - great, she said - they did it while I was waiting and charged me £30.
And we go back, again, and again and again.

 

[Rorschach]

My old mechanic was a bit like that, sadly retired a few years ago. When I bought a car that had been sat idle for many months I asked if I could take it in for a once over, see if anything stood out as a problem and get it fixed before it caused a big problem.
He told me to bring it in before opening hours, which I did, he put it up on the lift, gave it good check over, ran it, looked at the oil etc etc, spent over an hour of his morning doing that, wouldn't take a penny for it.

 

[rafezetter]

I don't understand it, Aimtools have retained a customer at very little cost to themselves (a sub £10 replacement item and a few emails), draper have lost a customer for the sake of a few polite emails and less than £10.

I guess from thier point of view being the bigger company "there's plenty more where you came from" - not taking into account that social media means people are more likely to share bad experiences and Draper are thus less likely to get recommendations or sales from the wider audience.

Try thier facebook page or twitter (that can't be deleted) and remark what shoddy customer service they give, they might change their tune.

It's funny how often a "nope, tough luck" soon changes when bad service becomes public.

 

[treeturner123]

Rorschach

You're lucky to speak to a human anywhere now. I've been trying to speak to an electricity company who ALWAYS seem to be VERY BUSY so try the internet page, which naturally does not have an answer to my query!!!

Phil

 

[sickasapike]

Rorschach

You're lucky to speak to a human anywhere now. I've been trying to speak to an electricity company who ALWAYS seem to be VERY BUSY so try the internet page, which naturally does not have an answer to my query!!!

Phil

There's a web site somewhere that gives the numbers to feed into the voice menu to get a human for lots of big companies that don't like talking to customers (err, that's all of them I think). I can't find it on a quick search but it's out there somewhere, or was at some point.

I used to have the secret number sequence to speak to a human at Parcelforce recorded in my contacts but the menu changed and I've not been able to get hold of one since; when they invariably post a 'you were at home eagerly waiting but we didn't bother ringing the bell' slip instead of delivering my parcel.

There should be a gallantry medal of some kind for the first person to get a human on the DVLA (un)help(ful) line !

The thing that peeves me most is emails from [email protected]; so dashed rude but seems to be the norm these days.

 

[SPSlick]

This the one?
https://www.saynoto0870.com/numbersearch.php

 

[Phil Pascoe]

If someone can tell me where "Heating on Benefits" head office is carnage will be beheld. I tried to get the calls blocked by BT .............. but the BT site won't accept the password that BT gave me, and without a password I can't get to change my password. The numbers are usually a German registered mobile No. or else it's withheld. I don't know why there shouldn't be a licence issued to be allowed to withhold a number - there are legitimate reasons, but cold calling isn't one.
My loved one has the answer to financial glitches when she gets through after twenty minutes of "your call matters to us" and they say "you'd better contact your bank" - I am my bank (which she is), followed by the details. It usually works OK.

 

[sickasapike]

This the one?
https://www.saynoto0870.com/numbersearch.php

Mmm, no, I know that one, just tried another search and all I can find is companies that will set up phone menu systems. Perhaps just posting a box of radioactive anthrax spores to each one will do the trick given a bit of time, but they'll probably not get delivered at the first attempt and wipe out ParcelForce too.

Oh hang on, yes, now that's a plan !!!!!