In which stores have you had the worst treatment, regarding being processed face to face, while buying something, or/and having to return for exchange/refund…ANYTHING, at all?
My worst was the purchasing of a £300 Lumix TZ40 compact camera, back around 15 years ago. Once I tested it, I found that it was taking pretty terrible photographs, and I’d’ve never expected that from such an expensive camera. The person who picked it up for me took it back to the store. I wanted a refund, for this, because the camera clearly was not fit for purpose.
The manage of the branch said (and, I’ll paraphrase), "I can’t give a refund on the grounds that the camera is taking sub standard photographs, because the packaging was broken open, and the camera was used!"
Chemists! I think they provide some of the worst service ever and act like they’re doin you a favour by dispensing your meds
My last bad one was in Tescos pharmacy. I’d requested my usual meds from the doctor, they’d approved and sent the prescription through electronically
When I get there they say, quite abruptly, “ No, we haven’t got anything for you, you’ll have to get back to your doctor”
So I persist, show them the confirmation and the date and time my doctor put it through.
They check again and find it
So she goes stomping into the back to find my meds and practically chucks them at me as if it’s my fault and I’m a nuisance for persisting!
Not a word of apology, of course
Supposing I’d been timid, old or confused? And hadn’t persisted
I wouldn’t have got my medication and would have had to go to all the trouble of contacting the surgery then making a second journey to Tescos. Perhaps some wouldn’t have bothered and gone without?
What with that, mistakes on dispensing, not having medication in, losing stuff, sometimes I wonder how many people chemists kill off
My worst shopping experience was with a well known store with initials JL
I’d chosen and ordered a rug, it had to be shipped from Holland.
I got a receipt and later tracking info , The rug made it across Holland onto a ferry then to a UK postal depot where it mysteriously vanished it weighed 18kg ! It didn’t just slip behind a cupboard…stolen !
After 2 weeks I contacted the shop for a refund or another rug , both were refused… JL would carry out a search with their carriers it could take up to a month.
My contract was with JL and not with a firm of carriers …also I threaten to ring BBC Radio Solent , miraculously the money appeared back in my account four days later.
When buying an expensive item I now always ask is it in the UK.
I guess shop staff don’t get paid much nowadays, so the old fashion level of service has gone. A typical west end department store in 21c.
“How are you today sir? What can I help you wiv?”
So you take them up on their offer. And they start picking up things, looking for clues, reading info on labels. You say “thank you” and move on to get rid of them. And they recite the classic line:
“Is there anyfink else I can help you wiv today sir?”
I recently bought a jacket online. They took my money, but no order arrived. So I had to contact them, to find out why, and they said they didn’t have it in stock and had to source it elsewhere to fulfil my order.
The next thing which happened was they got my order number mixed up with someone else’s and I was cheerfully informed that my order was ready for collection from a post office in Sussex! I emailed them again asking if they would be paying for my travel and possible overnight stay?
Then after they sorted that out, the package was sent out with the wrong house number, street name, but same postcode so…I did eventually get it…wrong colour, hello? When did blue become green?
Days later they wanted a review…oh I gave them a review alright
Am not bashing the NHS, but twas a bit irritating when we discovered that although the ENT consultant had referred my case via email to Gastro, since she hadn’t stated who specifically she was referring me to it led to 2 months of nobody picking up the case. Was only after a trip to hospital (with pains down one side, much more than one expects with reflux) and an email to my GP, that things finally got moving. 2 months wasted waiting for nobody to pick up the baton!!
My daughter couldn’t get logged in to the e-consult system yesterday, so she rang the surgery (it says on the website “If you prefer, you can still ring the surgery”). She put the phone on speaker, while it went through all the spiel, and eventually asked her to press 1, 2, 3 etc. She pressed 3 (to book an appointment), then had to key in her DoB and her phone number. Oh they didn’t recognise that? Back to the beginning then .
This time the system did recognise what she input, and then told her she was 4th in the queue. Oh good we thought, only 3 people in front! She was 4th in the queue for over 20 minutes, then 3rd in the queue for over 20 minutes. Finally 2nd in the queue. Phew, nearly there, after a total of 55 minutes. And what happened next? The system suddenly, for no apparent reason, kicked her back to the beginning again. But this time, oddly enough, there was no option for “Book an appointment”, so she hesitated, wondering what to press next. She hesitated for no more than 4 seconds, when the robot said “Thank you for calling, goodbye.” and cut her off
So I said, come on, I’ll run you down to the surgery. Now, we get all these warnings about abusive behaviour not being tolerated, and “we treat all our patients with dignity and respect and we expect them to treat us the same”. My daughter is always very polite. She approached the receptionist and calmly and politely explained the problems she’d had with the phone system. The receptionist said, “hmm, so what can I do for you?” Not a word of apology or sympathy, not even “Oh that’s been happening a lot, I’ll pass it on to our IT people”. Just nothing, no reaction. I don’t call that “treating us with respect”.
Perhaps slightly unfair to say ALL of them are useless?
I must say the reception lot at my previous GP’s were the rudest people I have ever had to deal with, but since I managed to change practices recently, the new people are really helpful - and actually smile! I hadn’t seen a smile from a receptionist for years before I changed to this new practice.
As for Pharmacists - again I must be lucky.
My pharmacists are smashing. There is one particular super young man who has personally come with me into the previous GP’s reception and insisted I am seen. Both times it was when I was my arm was swelling badly from an inseact bite. This lovely chap even gave me a box of antihistamine tablets and wouldn’t take any money.
I would marry him if I was 30 years younger.
Think there was a thread a while ago about the rudeness of a gp receptionist when a member tried to enter without wearing a mask and had an exemption note on their records to prove it.
Was that from me while back, Dex?
I remember writing about the nasty old bat on the desk at my previous GP’s practice and her remark about a workman who came in with a bad Asthma attack. She sent him away because he didn’t have a mask on! When he had gone, I heard her say to the equally nasty old bat next to her . . . “Yes, that’s it, go away and die quietly somewhere else.”
No point in reporting her, because it would have only been her word against mine what she said, and her mate would have backed her, not me.
One memory I have of a bad customer experience wasn’t really my bad customer experience but watching someone else’s. I was buying a computer at an electronics store. As I was checking out, I watched as a customer was asked if he paid for his items. I didn’t hear what he said, but I saw them wrestle him to the ground, with his clothes flying in the air, then tasering him. Then they dragged him to a back room where you could hear zaps and yelling/screaming.
I couldn’t go anywhere since they were blocking the front entrance. Not something I wanted to see.
I don’t know if any of that was legal. But that’s a really bad customer experience.
Don’t think it was Mups, but it ended up with a letter of complaint being sent with the reply to that accusing the member of behaving unreasonably (or something like that). Bottom line is that some GP receptionists, I guess like in all walks of life, seem a little unsuited to dealing with customers.
Maybe not quite relevant but the local B&Q keeps shutting up shop earlier than the closing time. Usually about ten or fifteen mins sooner. The chap doing it refuses to let you in saying the manager has ordered closing. So annoying.
To be fair I haven’t had problems face to face in most shops. You can usually resolve anything by explaining your point in a clear and polite way, perhaps make them feel human by being kind and friendly. Then asking if there is any way they can help you or if there’s someone else you can talk to. I usually find establishing rapport & understanding that they are just the buffer for the organisation helps. They will then go the extra mile to help.
My main bugbear is online services who no longer provide a telephone number and expect you to do all the work online. I had to purchase several dresses to try on and items of clothing for a recent wedding which took place abroad. Sending them back was a horrendous process. Some of these online clothing shops such as Coast do not even have a call centre. Plus most stores expect you to pay for the returns postage now.
In the end I ended up driving to the local shopping centre and trying on what I could find in the shop (the stock and variety most high street stores have now is much reduced). Luckily I found some Hobbs dresses and jackets there which saved my sanity. But online it was a total nightmare. I did manage to find some nice shoes online at Dorothy perkins and JD Williams. Although JD williams site tries to con you into opening an online account & credit agreement grrr!
The DP shoes were very comfortable and looked lovely with my outfit
I’m not sure how you’d define a typical West End department store anymore.
I don’t go home very often but I I took Chilli junior for a day trip recently.
Oxford Street was a real disappointment, but hey ho there are two mega branches of Primark to choose from.
As for Carnaby Street I couldn’t believe it… sterile!
Maybe there’s some truth in what they say about not going back!
On a positive note we both thoroughly enjoyed the day out! Still pissed off about Carnaby Street though;-)
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