LANDER Posted February 10, 2006 Originally posted by ThePoint: I was reading an MBA student's journal when I came across this funny post on cutomer service in Britain. For UK residents - can you confirm the situation below for us? -------------------------------------------- The bank manager finally dragged out a second black-bound hardback, where his name was penciled in for the 2 p.m. slot. They use books to keep track of accounts. How primitive is that? Alot of things about the U.K. seem primitive. These people flick the light switch down to "turn on" the light so what'd you expect?, took me a lil while to get over that. All their power outlets have these huge plugs that look like your about to plug in an industrial machine when your just tryin to recharge your cell phone, they pay to use public washrooms?! which are few and far in between mind you. We could go on, but it seems to me the entire country is traped in another decade so it's no wonder they haven't caught on with customer service innovations. Originally posted by LayZieGirl: What I have a problem with it is ROGERS WIRELESS, their customer service is terrible. I only had one incident with them and surprisingly enough, I won, LOL. Fido customer service are airheads, I can't say enough about them, and now I know why the two companies merged. Ted Rogers wants to influence his bad business practice all across the country. ROGERS gets thumps down when dealing with their customers. ^ Tell me about it I've been payin a small fortune to those ppl for the past year, ironic thing is last summer I worked tech support for rogers' home phone (since they took over sprint), they were supposed to give us a month of training before we could actually assist any customers with real troubleshooting but they were so overwhelmed with calls they had us newbies handeling jobs and taking calls on our first week. None of us really knew what the hell we were doing, some of us were disconnecting ppls land lines all together, removing their answering machines, in the end some customers would end up with more problems than they began with, it was an experience luckily we had some more experience workers to help us out. The problem I saw with Rogers from a strategic point of view is that they merged to fast with too many other companies and where completely disorganized in the process of integrating operations. Originally posted by Northerner: Typical Americans have never heard of HSBC, its only the biggest bank in the world :rolleyes: That's just it norf, what makes the american banking experience far better than the U.K. or canadian one is the fact that in the U.S. there aren't many huge conglomerates of banks but rather many smaller entities that are forced to compete fiercely to attract customers away from other banks with superior customer service. I think that's why many innovations in banking come from the U.S. at least in terms of the "customer experience" as opposed to from the U.K. which we've already established smells a little like an old lady and is stuck perhaps in another century Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sheherazade Posted February 10, 2006 From oh-so-last-year: Originally posted by MR ORGILAQE: Are u Canadian? That would explain the inferiority complex oozing out of your response. Classic sheh response Loved it And now: Originally posted by ThePoint: I'm not sure why u have such a harsh view on the States - inferiority complex? What a come-back! Did ya steal it from me? You remind me of a Goonle. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
makalajabti Posted February 11, 2006 There are a lot of weird things in UK: I have been with the HSBC people and haven't had any problem with them yet but I am expecting the worst..... Because it's Great Britain (what's so great about it ? said Michael Moore one day), and not only customer service but all services are bad: they always try to ripp you off, starting with the compagnies that provide Water, Gaz or Electricity, Have you ever thought about the Congestion charge in London ?..... Everyone in UK would tell you that: This country is just plain weird and I assume we are all happy here because few of us actually leave the UK and worse it attracts more people every year... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alle-ubaahne Posted February 11, 2006 British Banks are very funny, indeed. ehehehehehehehehe. kulahaa, "do as you fit, sir" loooooooooooooooooool Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Foxy Posted February 11, 2006 Alien Member: 5228 posted 10-02-2006 18:15 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There are a lot of weird things in UK: I have been with the HSBC people and haven't had any problem with them yet but I am expecting the worst..... Because it's Great Britain (what's so great about it ? said Michael Moore one day), and not only customer service but all services are bad: they always try to ripp you off, starting with the compagnies that provide Water, Gaz or Electricity, Have you ever thought about the Congestion charge in London ?..... Everyone in UK would tell you that: This country is just plain weird and I assume we are all happy here because few of us actually leave the UK and worse it attracts more people every year... Beause those ppl moving to UK think ingariiska lacag baa taala.... cheers PS I think the TV licensing Fees should be abolished, what a rip off....i doubt there is a country out there in the world that Taxes their ppl for each TV they own.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dhimbil Posted February 11, 2006 ^lol what you mean........they tax you based on how many tv's you own? waxani ma runba? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sayyid Posted February 11, 2006 This is the UK, even the 'gaalo' are fed up. Wallahi it's 100% true what they wrote and saying. They're not 'frustrated' but telling the truth! Welcome to Bad *** Attitude in Great Britain Dudes with attitude Our Forum Message Board gives you the chance to comment on bad attitude and poor standards of companies and institutions of the United Kingdom. Are the police what they used to be or does your local bobby look like a street yob in a uniform? What are your thoughts on your local Telecommunications company? Have you experienced long delays on the telephone whilst calling a company in the UK? Have you been on the receiving end of bad attitude from an organisation or individual that you would have expected better treatment from? It happens to us all. We ring up to make a complaint and the service operator at the other end is having a bad hair day. Suddenly the moron thinks it is our fault and that we are the enemy. Why do we have to put up with this? As customers are we just a bloody nuisance? No wonder British Business sucks! General apathy and the lack of will to complain used to be what the British were very good at. Thankfully that is no longer the case in the latter and complaining can definately bring better results. We actually spoke to one call centre operator who said that the nice and polite callers were the ones that could be kept waiting or who would go to the end of the list! The difficult and abnoxious callers got the best service. What a weird world we live in. Got an interesting story you would like to share with us? Litter Louts I've seen some fat cow in the West Midlands actually stand at a Bus Stop gorging her face with chocolate bars and dropping the wrappers on the floor one after the other as she waited for a bus. The daft thing is that no one waiting in the queue uttered a word. Does this kind of behaviour piss you off? Chewing gum dropped around local newsagents and busy walkways cost the country thousands of pounds to clear up each year. In some areas they don't clean it up and it almost carpets the pavements entirely. Maybe Singapore has the right idea. Chewing gum is banned. I will ring you back This one makes you cringe. You just know that the person who says that isn't going to ring you back. Three cheers for Telewest, British Telecom and the Banking World as the top three winners in this league. Post your interesting topic here or just comment on items of interest and current affairs. Road Rage Road rage seems to be getting worse. Normal and sane people, office workers and bank tellers or customer service representatives can be as nice as pie one minute but stick them behind the wheel of a car and they become monsters. Why is this? Have you got any experiences you would like to tell us about?. What do you think about dog owners that let their animals crap all over your lawn or pavement outside of your home? Add your comments We want to know what irritates you most about the UK Add your comments to the Message Forum and voice your opinions now! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sayyid Posted February 11, 2006 Britain in the grip of a crime wave? Crime in the UK Has the crime wave finally started to slow down or are things actually getting worse?. The politicians will tell you that things are improving but of course they don't live in down town slum city or experience the worst of crime in the UK. Just what should be done about it?. Have we become too soft?. Even if the police are able to make an arrest the prisons are overcrowded and some old fart of a judge will probably decide to send the offender on a holiday abroad instead of a prison cell. The Police There are more police in the UK now right? Well....where are they? They are certainly not on the beat. Your house has just been burgled or your car stolen and yet trying to get a police officer to do something about it is becoming increasingly more difficult. What can be done to help the police more and ensure that we get value for money from our police force? The Judicial System Ask any member of the public what they think about judges and magistrates, barristers and solicitors and the majority will soon tell you that the law is a mess. Shouldn't we have some national guidelines on sentencing and less emphasis on the whims of local judges who depending on their mood on the day can dish out sentences that often seem entirely innapropriate? Drop it nigger! Drop' it like it's hot! Daylight Robbery So many people in the UK have been at the receiving end of some form of theft or violence that if unreported crimes were taken into account the statistics would be horrendous. Why do crimes not get reported? Well if you have ever reported a crime you will find out why. See what some of our contributors have to say on this subject. Is it about time that we got tough on antisocial behaviour and violent crime. In fact, isn't it about time we got tough on all forms of crime. Do the so called 'do gooders' piss you off? What would you do about crime and the law in the UK? It is more likely that if you take defensive action or act in a violent manner to protect your home and family that you will be the person ending up in court. Has the world gone mad? What rights do we have when the odds are stacked in favour of the criminal? Hooligans and the Yob Culture One of our most well known exports seems to be football hooligans and the behaviour and moronic attitude of some of these people defies belief. As a nation we should be ashamed of ourselves. Just what is being done about this? Should be adopt a zero tolerance policy? Mindless Vandalism Smashed up phone kiosks, graffiti on walls, damaged vehicles and outright senseless behaviour on the part of street yobs or gangs of youths around Britain's towns and cities has reduced some areas to almost dereliction. Should we be sorry for poor little Johnny who comes from a broken home and a poor family? Is this an excuse? How come many third world countries where poverty is the norm the attitude of the local people is so different. Is this attitude so entrenched in our society now that we have come to accept this type of behaviour? No wonder so many Brits emigrate. Add your comments We want to know what irritates you most about the UK Add your comments to the Message Forum and voice your opinions now! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sayyid Posted February 11, 2006 Is there a British Culture? What is it like to be British? What is Britishness and what defines our national identity? Do we actually have a national identity anymore?. Such a diverse nation with a wide variety of different opinions and cultures should be a good thing but what have we lost along the way? Our Forum Message Board gives you the chance to voice your opinion. Let people know what you think of our cultural heritage, the advantages or disadvantages of being British and what it means to you. Have you recently arrived in Great Britain or have you emigrated and come back? Are you considering leaving the UK for a better life elsewhere? TV addicts and couch potatoes We are not exactly a very fit nation. Our favourite passtime seems to be watching the telly or going for a drive at the weekends. Just what is wrong with the health of the people of this nation? Is it the weather that makes us this way? Should we get out more? Have we become isolated from social interaction and do you actually know who your neighbour is? Beware of foreigners Mass immigration and a variety of cultures have eased public fears and distrust of everything foreign but with global terrorism and gains by the National Front in key areas around the UK we could be in for troubled times ahead. We live in a society that has created segregation with whole communities living in isolation within the boundries of our cities. Do people actually want to integrate? How much of a problem has religion been in the UK? Many British born whites are or have already lost their faith in religion whilst other communities have clung desperately to their roots and religion. Just how big a part does religion play in our society and what problems does it cause? Racism and racial intolerance is illegal in the UK but ask a Pakistani or a Vietnamese of his or her experiences in Great Britain. Racism is not all one sided either. Many whites have been on the receiving end of racist behaviour from non whites and asians are often treated badly by other asians from different castes or cultures. Just how big a problem is racist behaviour in the UK? Why as a nation are we so bad at learning foreign languages? Other countries put us to shame. Is this an attitude problem in that we have become so accustomed to expecting people to speak English or is it just that the British have no ability or interest in foreign language or culture unless it involves a sun drenched holiday on a sandy beach and good beer?. British Restaurant When was the last time you saw a sign for a British Restaurant? Is British cuisine limited to everything with chips, and a roast on Sundays? Your average Brit is more likely to order a pizza or pop down the local Indian or Chinese take away these days. The fast food outlets contribute to our poor health and national obesity problems and fish and chips seems to be the staple diet for those that prefer truly British Food. What are your thoughts on British Cuisine? British Mentality What is is about the stuck up Brits with their superior and snobbish outlook? Many foreign nationals see us this way and still imagine us in bowler hats or in tweeds tending to our gardens at the weekends. Are we a cold and aloof people? Do we have an inferiority complex or a hankering for the good old days? Have we become complacent and accepting of 'the way things are' and has general public apathy now become the accepted norm? Add your comments We want to know what you think about what defines the essence and meaning of being British. Add your comments to the Message Forum and voice your opinions now! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sayyid Posted February 11, 2006 Wankers or Bankers of Great Britain? Poor Service Our Forum Message Board gives you the chance to comment on poor service or bad experiences you have had with UK banking institutions. Trying to open a new bank account in the UK can be time consuming, frustrating and sometimes downright impossible. Banks will send you mail shots and spend millions of pounds on advertising and trying to convince you how good they are, but when it comes to basic efficiency and the processing of applications and common sense we find that many of them are sadly lacking. What bad experiences have you had? Credit Cards They pester you to fill in a credit card application, they keep raising your credit limit, send you endless mail shots asking if you want a loan to pay off the debt that you run up on it and then chastise you if something goes wrong. Got an interesting story you would like to share with us? When things go wrong Banks are very good at producing literature to try and improve their tarnished images but seldom proficient and competent to deal with a problem efficiently when things go wrong. It's easy to hate the banks and despise their methods. This seems to have become a national pastime. Are we being unfair? Financial Advisors Well lets face it, if these guys were any good then they wouldn't have to work for a living would they. Financial advice or sometimes lack of, is a major cause of complaint in the UK. Banks are sometimes no better at providing financial advice than other institutions. In some cases they are much worse. So what has your bank done for you today? Your friendly Bank Manager The bad news is - you don't have one anymore. The banks sacked them all. If you are an important customer with a healthy account balance you might get an account manager. Trying to get hold of them on the phone or get them to actually do something for you could be interesting. Business Banking This is not for the faint hearted. We can't blame the banking institutions for the number of businesses that fail in the UK each year but we can certainly have a go at them for some of the carefully guarded secrets and the things they don't tell you down at the branch ! The buzz word these days is e commerce. Get online they say and take credit card payments over the internet. When things go wrong and they hit you for a few thousand on dodgy credit card payments you will wish you had read the small print. Health Warning: Accepting credit card payments online or over the phone can seriously damage your wealth ! Add your comments We want to know what irritates you most about the UK Add your comments to the Message Forum and voice your opinions now! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sayyid Posted February 11, 2006 British Government - Does it work for you? Just how much do you trust our government? Politicians lie to you and make false promises. Government departments squander huge amounts of your taxes in supporting the welfare state, education, police, armed forces and the NHS, all of which require massive funding but is it all being wisely spent? We think not. Our Forum Message Board gives you the chance to voice your opinion. Let people know what you think of current politics, politicians, government departments, the education system or public services in general. Let us know what you dislike most about the British Government. Do our MP's really have much of a clue about what ordinary Brits think about them or their policies? Are they out of touch with reality? Cutting Taxes v Social Services All this crap about cutting taxes has ended up just making governments more devious in their ways of raising revenue. Instead of raising the rate of income tax they make a big thing about how they are committed to keeping taxes low and then sting you with VAT or changes in National Insurance or increases in tax on the goods that you buy. In the end we are seldom better off and ministers can sit snoozing on the wooden benches at Westminster confident in the knowledge that they have yet again managed to shaft the UK taxpayer without a fight. What are your views on taxation? Should you be paying all this money to support single mums, the long term unemployed and immigrants? Transport and Britains roads With the price of rail travel and the unreliable services of buses and public transport, the government now wants us to abandon our cars and take to public transport. Hmmmm. Perhaps Londoners would like to cram more people in their sardine canned underground system or people travelling from Wolverhampton to Birmingham might stick with the hugely expensive, unpopular and troubled metro system. Governments have always been good at telling us what we should do and then lacking in the support and infrastructure to enable us to make their aspirations come to fruition. Government Projects & Benefits Agencies If anyone can come up with a multitude of ridiculous and inefficient ways in which to squander money then it has to be the British Government. We are always hearing stories about this initiative or that initiative to help this wishy washy subject or that wishy washy subject. Post offices to have separate queues to help our troubled asylum seekers or extreme cases of political correctness going beserk and causing more problems than they solve. Massive amounts of government money is spent on surveys and hordes of consultants are employed to dream up yet more ways of spending money on areas that would probably be strongly resented by 95 per cent of the population. Where will all this madness end? The Education System and the Establishment Take a look at the state of some of our schools today. Teenagers roam the streets instead of going to school and despite government talks of a clampdown any citizen of our inner cities will tell you that government policy is not working. The private schools flourish yet should we have to consider private education which is restricted to only those that can afford it or should it not be a right for every child to have the best education facilities available. The establishments attempts to meet some of the public concerns are under constant ridicule and whilst all the right things are being said there is very little evidence of any changes taking place. See some of our visitors comments on the state of the nation and how they view the establishment in the UK. Add your comments We want to know what irritates you most about the UK Add your comments to the Message Forum and voice your opinions now! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sayyid Posted February 11, 2006 By far the 'biggest' sh!t is when you go to the Accidents&Emergency Departments of the many 'crap' hospitals in here. We once 'took' a friend of us to the hospital, who had injured his head and he was quite heavily bleeding. It was my first experience in the UK, visiting their hospitals and what I saw really 'shocked' me to the core! In other countries you're treated swiftly but when we arrived at the hospital the people at the 'recption' told us to take a 'ticket' and sit down! Like we wanted to 'watch' some soccer game in a stadium or booking flights out of the country. I really couldn't believe it. Next we waited and waited and the guy was still bleeding from his head 'wound', we had to take 'tissue's' from the toilets to stop the bleeding because they said that they could not give us anything to stop the blood. After some waiting of three hours, we were seen by a nurse, who asked us some question and she did nothing, she just said okay go back and the doctors will see and call you! My friend replied 'how' long it'll probably take and she replied 'maybe' another three to four hours! Anyway after some four hours finally we saw the doctors and they didn't do much either, they simply washed the wound with some 'distilled' water and said simply to my friend 'first thing tommorrow, go to you GP (general practicionar)! It was hilliarious! I saw a man sleeping on the 'dirty' ground of the waiting room of the A&E and rolling back and forth out of pain, whilst holding his stomach. I also head a horrible experience, when I went with a 'relative', who had a dislocated shoulder and after some 'six' hours wait, some guy with a Indian accent, who was said to be a doctor saw us, he suggested 'pain killers'. My relative suggest that he 'scanns' the shoulder first before giving 'painkillers' in order to see what's wrong with it. Afterwards he said everything was 'fine' and only 'painkillers' were needed! We simply went away without taking his 'painkillers'. This country is really weird. Nothing seems to work properly, I just wonder why I bother in the first place coming to 'this' third world country. Many people have said that it reminds them of 'Nairobi', despite the fact that I've never been to Nairobi, I accepted and trust the analogy of the good people, who seem to 'know' what they're talking about! This country 'sucks', down with the UK! Say(y)id Qutb! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ElPunto Posted February 11, 2006 Originally posted by sheherazade: From oh-so-last-year: quote: Originally posted by MR ORGILAQE: Are u Canadian? That would explain the inferiority complex oozing out of your response. Classic sheh response Loved it And now: Originally posted by ThePoint: I'm not sure why u have such a harsh view on the States - inferiority complex? What a come-back! Did ya steal it from me? You remind me of a Goonle. You have a patent on the phrase 'inferiority complex'? I will assume you are joking! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Baluug Posted February 11, 2006 Originally posted by LayZieGirl: RBC bank is the ish, love them. No way, Royal Bank sucks. I wanted to open an account with them, and they wanted this, and that, and this again, I just said f*** this, and went to Scotiabank, got myself an account in an hour. TD Bank is good, but I screwed up my account with them, and they started putting holds on my checks, so I closed it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sheherazade Posted February 12, 2006 You know what they say about assumptions. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
