Why are British firms so poor at communication?

[japancool]

Many of you will be familiar with this.

You're in an airport, or a train station. Your flight or train has been delayed. But there's no gate crew, or station staff there to give you any information on what's happening, or how long you can expect to be delayed. Or when there is, they just shrug and tell you they don't know, because they haven't been told what's going on either.

It's not just trains and planes either. Ever had a parcel not turn up and had to call Royal Mail for assistance? They'll just tell you they'll "investigate" and get back to you in 72 hours, and you're left waiting. And when you do get news, it's just what you already knew from tracking your parcel in the first place.

If you've been in hospital, you'll also have experienced waiting for hours, not knowing what's going to happen next, when you'll see a doctor, or when you'll get assistance. Maybe you'll grab someone as they walk past and ask them what's going on. They'll tell you they'll find out and then disappear.

I've been to many places where, if a delay happens, you're kept informed. Even if it's just "the police are still gathering evidence before they can remove the dead body from the train track, it'll be at least an hour". And then an update every 20 minutes to tell you how many bits of the body have been removed (ok, I'm exaggerating, but you get the idea).

In fairness, if you're actually on a plane, pilots tend to be reasonably good at this. If there's a delay, they'll usually make a PA announcement to tell you they're holding to wait until the plane in front takes off, or whatever. At least, foreign full-service airlines do this. I have no idea about British Airways or budget airlines. Last time I flew BA, the cabin crew were so rude it put me off flying with them (even Air France are better, and that's saying something).

So why are British firms so poor at communicating with their customers? Is it because there's a culture of not wanting to take responsibility, I wonder? What do you think? Or do you feel my whole premise is wrong?

 

[Fagin2021]

Many of you will be familiar with this.

You're in an airport, or a train station. Your flight or train has been delayed. But there's no gate crew, or station staff there to give you any information on what's happening, or how long you can expect to be delayed. Or when there is, they just shrug and tell you they don't know, because they haven't been told what's going on either.

It's not just trains and planes either. Ever had a parcel not turn up and had to call Royal Mail for assistance? They'll just tell you they'll "investigate" and get back to you in 72 hours, and you're left waiting. And when you do get news, it's just what you already knew from tracking your parcel in the first place.

If you've been in hospital, you'll also have experienced waiting for hours, not knowing what's going to happen next, when you'll see a doctor, or when you'll get assistance. Maybe you'll grab someone as they walk past and ask them what's going on. They'll tell you they'll find out and then disappear.

I've been to many places where, if a delay happens, you're kept informed. Even if it's just "the police are still gathering evidence before they can remove the dead body from the train track, it'll be at least an hour". And then an update every 20 minutes to tell you how many bits of the body have been removed (ok, I'm exaggerating, but you get the idea).

In fairness, if you're actually on a plane, pilots tend to be reasonably good at this. If there's a delay, they'll usually make a PA announcement to tell you they're holding to wait until the plane in front takes off, or whatever. At least, foreign full-service airlines do this. I have no idea about British Airways or budget airlines. Last time I flew BA, the cabin crew were so rude it put me off flying with them (even Air France are better, and that's saying something).

So why are British firms so poor at communicating with their customers? Is it because there's a culture of not wanting to take responsibility, I wonder? What do you think? Or do you feel my whole premise is wrong?

Quite agree. Time and again you see people interviewed and their complaint is not about the delay but the lack of information. Even worse is being told the delay will be 20 minutes, then 30 minutes later being told it will be another 20 minutes, then.... etc etc etc . I'm looking at you Lufthansa.

 

[Fagin2021]

As an addendum, things can be far worse in some Asian countries where the culture dictates telling you what you want to hear rather than what you need to hear.

Then they get upset when you throw your toys out the pram.

 

[japancool]

Quite agree. Time and again you see people interviewed and their complaint is not about the delay but the lack of information. Even worse is being told the delay will be 20 minutes, then 30 minutes later being told it will be another 20 minutes, then.... etc etc etc . I'm looking at you Lufthansa.

Which airport was that btw? I find it's worse at a British airport (regardless of what airline you're flying), I suspect because the airport isn't passing information to the airlines to pass on to their employees.

Manchester Airport is particularly bad.

As an addendum, things can be far worse in some Asian countries where the culture dictates telling you what you want to hear rather than what you need to hear.

Then they get upset when you throw your toys out the pram.

Yes indeed, that's very true. Although I had a good result once by throwing my toys out of the pram. I was in Japan, and my flight had been cancelled due to a hurricane. I got very upset at the check-in agent, as did another family of travellers next to me. Eventually, she came and took me to one side (out of earshot of the family) and told me "You are supeshuru (special) so we've got you a flight on another airline (flying a different route)". I like to be supeshuru, although I imagine it was because I was flying business class and the family was flying economy...

 

[The Byre]

Good communication - or bad communication - is a matter of policy. Policy relies on discipline and systems. How long does it take you to answer the phone? What do you say when answering the phone? Do you test your company by calling them up and asking questions and if B2C, making test purchases? The answers to these questions should be laid out in a document.

Some companies (and not just in the UK I must hasten to add!) do not have such a document and have no set policy on how to communicate with clients.

But there is one attribute that is very common to UK companies - muddling through. One only has to see the posts right here on this very forum for start-ups to see the Great British tradition of muddling through instead of preparing. "I've rented a shop already and I've got £5,000, but I don't know where to buy stock."

Again and again, I supported UK companies at German trade fairs, only to discover that they rocked up without any goods, without a fair stand, without promotional material - just their smiling faces! One company (United Newspapers) did that EVERY TIME they attended a trade fair.

This complete lack of preparation permeates UK society. HMRC is making a dog's breakfast of MTD. The government has already made a dog's breakfast of Brexit. SMEs make a dog's breakfast of their bookkeeping and tax planning. Almost every major UK white goods retail outlet gives its guarantee work to local handymen (some of whom actually know what they are doing!) and the incoming calls go to a call centre that keeps customers on hold for minutes on end. Everyone is happy to just muddle through somehow.

I've seen German companies muddle through. I've seen US companies muddle through. But in Britain, I get the impression that almost everyone is muddling through.

And the muddle shows up most in communications with customers.

 

[japancool]

@The Byre - interesting perspective. I think you're on to something here.

Japan Rail has a protocol in place when a train suicide happens (because they are, unfortunately, common in Japan). And I believe the police do as well - they'll have the body off the rails within an hour, and the company keeps customers informed, both on the train and at stations.

If there's a delay on a train, signs on the train and at the station will tell you WHY there's a delay as well.

British companies seem to struggle to learn the lesson that keeping your customers informed prevents lines of angry customers later.

Or perhaps we simply don't have the systems in place to handle this. Then again, if not, why not?

Mind you, I did see a video of a certain Nigerian airline keeping the customers informed by telling them "Right now, we're trying to get fuel for the plane". It didn't help.

 

[Bob Morgan]

I do remember a delayed train at Reading Station, some years ago. The Station Announcer apologised for the delay, adding . . . "This is due to British Rail Incomptence" - Full marks for honesty!

 

[IanSuth]

I do remember a delayed train at Reading Station, some years ago. The Station Announcer apologised for the delay, adding . . . "This is due to British Rail Incomptence" - Full marks for honesty!

But they have now taken that to a new level - any issue on a Waterloo line train into Reading they will delight in telling you it is due to SWT incompetence but they are FGW staff so can't do anything

I have a small stock of travel warrants from the last train not stopping at the small station I live near and thus meaning an expensive taxi back from Rdg that the station staff will not authorise themselves "we would if it was a FGW issue sir but...."

Also I now know it is a known issue that certain carriages have an issue when fitted to certain power units such that their doors don't unlock when the driver/guard clicks unlock and thus again you can't alight at your correct station - obviously costs less to give me a travel warrant than actually sort the issue and that only covers the cost of the ticket which is less than the taxi costs me


Grrrrrrr pet peeve over

 

[japancool]

But they have now taken that to a new level - any issue on a Waterloo line train into Reading they will delight in telling you it is due to SWT incompetence but they are FGW staff so can't do anything

I have a small stock of travel warrants from the last train not stopping at the small station I live near and thus meaning an expensive taxi back from Rdg that the station staff will not authorise themselves "we would if it was a FGW issue sir but...."

Also I now know it is a known issue that certain carriages have an issue when fitted to certain power units such that their doors don't unlock when the driver/guard clicks unlock and thus again you can't alight at your correct station - obviously costs less to give me a travel warrant than actually sort the issue and that only covers the cost of the ticket which is less than the taxi costs me


Grrrrrrr pet peeve over

This is what I meant by not wanting to take responsibility. It's someone else's fault, not my issue to sort out.