A tale of two cities

[Cornish Steve]

City #1: London

I've just returned from Athens, am staying at a hotel off Oxford Street, and will be flying to Atlanta in the morning. En route to Athens yesterday, I had the most frustrating experience at Heathrow Airport, but I think it's quite illustrative.

I took the train from Cornwall and worked on my laptop for most of the journey. By the time I reached Heathrow Airport, my battery was flat. I had a conference call planned at 6pm for which I needed my laptop, so I plugged it into a power outlet in Terminal 1.

Lo and behold, along came an official: "I'm sorry, sir, but it's illegal to use a power socket in the airport." Frankly, I was incredulous and asked for the reason. Apparently, the company running the airport is trying to cut costs. The only place I could power up my laptop was in an airport lounge.

I found a lounge for which I could gain entrance for about 20 pounds. After paying the money, I found a phone and a socket to charge my laptop - only to find that freephone numbers are disabled in that lounge. Since my only access to the conference call was via a freephone number, I asked where I could find another phone: "in the public area downstairs." :?

How could I participate in the conference call and use my laptop? Downstairs, I would be arrested for using a power socket; in the lounge, the use of freephone numbers was blocked. I explained the dilemma to the lady managing the lounge. Her words were very polite but so frustrating: "I'm sorry, sir, but those are the rules."

City #2: Chisinau (Moldova)

A couple of years ago, I arrived in Chisinau a day late due to fog. This meant that my travel agent had to change my flight arrangements home. They informed me that I would have to pay a change fee of $500 at the airport.

My flight was due to leave at 9am, and I arrived at the airport at around 7am. The lady at the counter asked for $500, and I gave her my credit card. "I'm sorry, sir, but we don't take credit cards. You must pay in cash." I asked where the nearest cash machine was. "It opens in the city at 9am."

What happened next was extraordinary. The lady behind the counter called her next door neighbor who worked for the bank. She called the bank manager who in turn called an employee who lived near the airport. (All three of these people, incidentally, had been asleep at the time the calls were made.) The employee drove to the airport and unlocked a small office in which there was a Visa machine. She ran my card through the system and gave me $500.

The airline lady grabbed my hand and ran with me down the stairs (it was now about 8:45am). She wrote out the ticket and receipt by hand and took the cash. She grabbed my hand again and ran with me to the security checkpoint. She waved away the imposing guards screaming "let him through, let him through." She did the same as we ran past the long line at the lone immigration counter. Amazingly, I made my flight.

Moral of these stories

The customer experience counts for everything, and a frustrated customer represents a business opportunity.

Would anyone like to open a business center at Heathrow Airport?

[MinuWeb]

I have always found the people of the former soviet states to be very helpful, (I am now living full time in Estonia) Quite often when I was touring Russia a few years ago I would end up staying in strangers houses who would feed me and supply me with vodka and expect nothing more than a thank you for their efforts, the people were always willing to go that little bit further to help out a stranger, something we could all learn a lot from.

[fastfences]

Very interesting!

Just to amplify the 'customer experience' angle; this morning I phoned an insurance company to notify my cange of address and convert from Direct Debit to paying in advance.

AFTER, giving my new address details I was told that there is a £15.75 'admin fee' for that. Incidentally, the fee is levied by a major insurance company, not the broker I use. I subsequently found that the fee is 'not negotiable.'

I promptly cancelled said insurance policy, thereby avoiding the scurilous fee, and re-insured with another company. Whilst my action may be a little 'over the top' I am a firm believer in 'voting with your feet.'

Next subject: queues in banks and post offices!
Cheers, Nigel

[Jayne]

Yes, the UK are Job's worth people. It's like ringing the electric board for help with a problem, it's never their dept' and takes you an hour to go through the other dept's, only to find you did want the first one after all :D

Jayne

[Richard Conyard]

The best one I like about companies over here electricity / mobile phone and the such like is their billing departments and procedures.

I think the cheek of it when they overcharge, forget an offer etc. and start sending threatening letters. You speak to them and they come out with, oh just pay it and when we sort it out we'll re-emburse you.

[dagr]

It's a lot easier in France...














... just remember that it's always your fault.


I realised all resistance is futile when, about 10 years ago, they modified the state-run Electricity utility's way of billing so that now you actually pay 19.6% VAT on the taxes due to the local authorities that are part of the electricity bill. Seriously. What a brilliant stroke of genius! Imagine paying VAT on your income tax bill. That could be next.

[MSOMedia]

Hi, I'm Mark, I'm new here...!

There's an American comedian called Brian Regan (http://www.brianregan.com/index.shtml) who did a "bit" about calling a phone company so he could get his service turned on at his new apartment.

Brian: "Hi, can you turn my phone on?"
Operator: "That's gonna be a problem."
Brian: "I figured. Do I need to wait for a couple days for you to come over?"
Operator: "No we can just flip a switch from here."
Brian: "Oh great ...... Can you flip it?"
Operator: "We're gonna flip it next Thursday."

[fastfences]

Comedy?

I reckon you've just changed the details so you can cover for BT.

The moderators insulate us from Libel on this forum! :lol: :lol: :lol:
Cheers, Nigel

[MSOMedia]

Whats "libel"? An Australian label? ;)

[fastfences]

No, New Zealand!

[Hayles]

We deliver business buffets to several businesses in our town centre in our sign-written cars. Takes no longer than 5-10 mins to lay them up, if that.

We're now banned from parking/unloading in the loading bays in our town centre by the lovely traffic wardens as our vehicles aren't classified as 'goods vehicles'. How we're now supposed to carry 6/8 large trays of food through town is clearly something I need ask them about!

(Last year we got a parking ticket and appealed against it, showing a photo of the sign written car we were delivering in and won the appeal. Apparently the traffic warden didn't notice the sign writing as it had been snowing and our cars are white...!)

[Cornish Steve]

We're now banned from parking/unloading in the loading bays in our town centre by the lovely traffic wardens as our vehicles aren't classified as 'goods vehicles'.

What is so frustrating about this is that some people just enjoy enforcing rules for the sake of enforcing rules. A little 'give and take' would hurt no one and earn a lot of good will.

[fastfences]

What is so frustrating about this is that some people just enjoy enforcing rules for the sake of enforcing rules. A little 'give and take' would hurt no one and earn a lot of good will.

Yeah Steve, all very well in principle. However, when one takes on the role of law enforcement (even at parking officer level) they are enforcing a set of rules that apply to everybody. If one is in a park without the appropriate vehicle, or permit, they are not legally entitled to be there. Same with a person parking in a 'disabled bay.' Why should one person be let off as an 'act of discretion' when the next person will be penalised?

It's all very well having 'give & take' but in exercising that it is so open to displaying 'favouritism' and unfairness. Far better to book everyone or let them all off.

Hayles may well feel peed off about getting booked, but if the vehicle is not one permitted in the area, why criticise the officer for doing his job?

Contentious issue, I know. But there is the 'other' side.

cheers, Nigel

[Hayles]

But Nigel, our cars are sign written all over and have been classified as a goods vehicle by the council for the last two years!

In fact when we got a parking ticket last year (the snow episode!), the council told us to put a card in the window saying "delivering buffet, 10 mins", which we have done ever since. Just seems that someone has changed their mind about us and not told us!

H

[Cornish Steve]

...when one takes on the role of law enforcement (even at parking officer level) they are enforcing a set of rules that apply to everybody. If one is in a park without the appropriate vehicle, or permit, they are not legally entitled to be there. Same with a person parking in a 'disabled bay.' Why should one person be let off as an 'act of discretion' when the next person will be penalised?

I agree that there are times when it's difficult to use discretion because it might seem to be offering favours to some and not to others. There are times, however, when offering some latitude hurts no one.

Years ago, I worked at an office building that had many hundreds of parking spaces. All the parking spaces near the entrance were reserved for drivers with a disabled sticker. Late one evening, after 10pm, when the parking area was completely empty, I dropped by to carry some equipment to my office. The equipment was very heavy, and I simply couldn't carry it more than a few yards.

I parked the car right by the entrance, kept the engine running, unlocked the office building, struggled inside with the equipment, and was back outside within minutes. To my frustration, I was greeted by a stern security guard who was writing me a ticket for parking in a reserved space. I asked why he would do this when there was no one else in sight, there were at least 20 other reserved spaces, it was late in the evening, I was carrying heavy equipment, and I was parked for such a short time. He explained that his wife was disabled and that he was irritated by people who parked illegally in disabled spots.

In the end, I recovered the situation by being nice to him. We talked about his wife and family for a while, and he let me off (he tore up the ticket in my presence). Still, if I had taken just one more minute in the building, I would have faced a hefty fine.

In general, I find that so much more can be achieved if only we are nice to people instead of ranting and raving (of which I am woefully guilty sometimes). By becoming obstreperous, we only wind people up the wrong way and make things worse. It's far better to be humble, apologetic, and kind - even in the face of obvious villainy. In return, a little leniency is always appreciated (even if not expected). :wink:

[SillyJokes]

the council told us to put a card in the window saying "delivering buffet, 10 mins"

that's like having 'Doctor on Call' - I can imagine at the scene of an incident the first cry must be ,"Is there a doctor in the house?" and the second has to be ,"Can anyone make sandwiches?"

No doubt you will have some great anecdotes as to how, with just a sliced white loaf, some engine oil and a biro you were able to produce a finger buffet for 30 on a flight from Athens. ;)

[Thais]

Talking about threatening letters....

This is a winge about ntl. When I get the phone bill, I always leave it a while before paying - they make me wait when I have to phone them, so they can wait too :wink: I pay my internet sub by DD, but the phone bill I pay either over the phone (if I can ever get through to them) or by cheque.

This month I sent the cheque on 27 October. Yesterday I got a letter from them dated 31 October informing me of my 'overdue balance' (it's very small as I use my mobile most of the time.) They added at the end of the letter, in a boxed note: Failure to pay your account may affect your credit rating and your ability to to obtain credit in future.

I was furious at this bully boy tactic & have written them a stinking letter! :D

The ironic thing is - they are having a campaign at the moment to get everyone paying everything by DD (it's so much easier for them :roll: ) and I changed my payment mode to DD about 2 weeks ago, so there was no need for this aggro on their part.

Talk about the left hand not knowing what the right hand's doing - do these people never speak to each other??

Rant over :twisted:

[dagr]

There was a good book out a few years ago called something like "How to annoy the administration", where they give you tips on how to get up the nose of large, bureaucratic organisations. I can't remember the exact details, but actions included stapling a cheque in the middle of a sheet of paper which says please find enclosed cheque. There was also an example of someone who lived over 3 miles from the nearest gas line, and who sent a cheque for something like £1.37 to the Gas board, saying he was not sure why he was paying it, but thought he better had. It generated over 50 letters of correspondance.

I don't think these actions help anyone in the long run, but it makes you feel better.