Answer your phone

[Blaby Loyal]

I've been instructed in a complex legal costs matter which requires specialist input from a legal costs assessor.

The costs are close to the £200,000 mark and I estimate the fee will eventually be £10,000.

My two usual assessors are conflicted out so I have had to go to the market. The first four I called (and these are large firms with impressive websites) failed to answer the phone. The fifth put me through to someone but then just left the line ringing.

It wasn't until the sixth call that I got through to a firm that

(a) - answered the phone; and
(b) - then put me through to a human with a brain.

Yet another sign of 'broken Britain'?

 

[alan1302]

Yet another sign of 'broken Britain'?

No

 

[Mr D]

Perhaps a sign of companies who need to improve internal processes regarding calls.
They may even be unaware of the problem.

 

[Pish_Pash]

Yet another sign of 'broken Britain'?

Probably more a case of "we've got more work than we can handle Britain"

 

[Gingerbreadmen]

I was in Currys yesterday and there was a long counter with around 10 people behind it the guy at the end had his elbow on the counter propping his head up, yawning away. The phone rang and everyone ignored it. It stopped and started immediately after. I was at the counter for about 10 minutes and the phone rang the whole time. In the end I said do you want me to get that no one else seems bothered. She laughed and walked off.

Don't think its broken Britain its broken business. Some firms get so big they think they can ignore the customers. Loyalty in business means nothing now. I think people see it easier getting new customers rather than maintaining a relationship with the ones they have.

 

[Mark T Jones]

I'd agree with most of the above. In this context it is probably a case of a sector that doesn't need to try to generate business

 

[Gordon - Commercial Finance]

I was in Currys yesterday and there was a long counter with around 10 people behind it the guy at the end had his elbow on the counter propping his head up, yawning away. The phone rang and everyone ignored it. It stopped and started immediately after. I was at the counter for about 10 minutes and the phone rang the whole time. In the end I said do you want me to get that no one else seems bothered. She laughed and walked off.

Curry's is probably a bad example, because their sales people tend to care way less than average. I think they're the next retailer to fail - you heard it here first! Expensive staff costs, and staff do nothing, big expensive physical shop units. Its only a matter of time.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Curry's is probably a bad example, because their sales people tend to care way less than average. I think they're the next retailer to fail - you heard it here first! Expensive staff costs, and staff do nothing, big expensive physical shop units. Its only a matter of time.

The chairman of DSG (owner of Currys) once publicly stated 'if our salespeople would look at the customer, they would certainly sell more'.

I'm not sure how 'at risk' they are though as most people head there by default rather than desire

 

[The Byre]

Yet another sign of 'broken Britain'?

No, just sloppy and lazy management. A fish rots from the head - if management fails to instil telephone discipline on the staff, it is a clear sign that they will fail to attend to other details.

The first five companies did you a favour! They told you in no uncertain terms "We are too sloppy and lazy to even check that reception actually picks up the phone and deals with all enquiries promptly and intelligently, so don't expect us to bother to do a good job in the unlikely event of being able to get through!"

 

[Mr D]

Curry's is probably a bad example, because their sales people tend to care way less than average. I think they're the next retailer to fail - you heard it here first! Expensive staff costs, and staff do nothing, big expensive physical shop units. Its only a matter of time.

Quite possibly.
A couple of times have been in there and needed help, asked a member of staff and got them trying to do what they wanted.
One time the guy was trying to take contact details, OK I gave him basic then he wanted a lot more - queried why and he was doing a credit agreement for a new TV.
Which was something of a surprise as I was looking at a replacement laptop. That I was paying cash for.

And the insistence on selling extended warranty. I tried purchasing a big item a couple of years back, came with a year's warranty as standard - they tried to insist I get extended warranty. I asked if item was likely to fail in that warranty and was told it may.
So left the shop, not wanting to buy something that may fail within a few years.

Merely the same brand item as I've been using for 23 years without a problem. Purchased it from AO rather than Currys, they were fine with not having extended warranty.

I'd not bother with Currys again, wife likes looking around them.
If she likes something I'll get it on amazon, not there.

 

[Mr D]

No, just sloppy and lazy management. A fish rots from the head - if management fails to instil telephone discipline on the staff, it is a clear sign that they will fail to attend to other details.

The first five companies did you a favour! They told you in no uncertain terms "We are too sloppy and lazy to even check that reception actually picks up the phone and deals with all enquiries promptly and intelligently, so don't expect us to bother to do a good job in the unlikely event of being able to get through!"

Or could be simple too much work at that point in time.

Ever been sat at a desk on the phone to a customer and another phone nearby you is ringing?
Do you put the customer you are dealing with on hold to deal with an incoming call that you may well have to put on hold too?

 

[Gordon - Commercial Finance]

A couple of times have been in there and needed help, asked a member of staff and got them trying to do what they wanted.
One time the guy was trying to take contact details, OK I gave him basic then he wanted a lot more - queried why and he was doing a credit agreement for a new TV.
Which was something of a surprise as I was looking at a replacement laptop. That I was paying cash for.

I went in once after a new laptop. I had a list of a handful of features that I wanted, and I was just hunting around trying to compare different laptops with those features to find the best value.

Sales guy showed up asking if I needed help, and so I told him the things I was looking for. He proceeded to take over in the reading of the labels to figure out which items had those features...

I asked him to go away (politely), as I am perfectly capable of reading labels - there was a time when sales people in retail had expert product knowledge. Now they just don't care.

 

[14Steve14]

I went into PC World one day after doing online research to buy a new tower unit. They had an Acer tower in a sale with £50 off. Before I drove the 1/2 hour to the store they had 6 in stock. When I eventually found a sales person willing to talk to me and who could actually sell me a computer, they said they had none available. So after a bit of ranting and raving I decided to not bother and walked outside. Stood in their exit I went back online, bought the item and arranged click and collect from the store I was stood outside of. I went and had a burger and a cup of coffee, visited a few other stores, and then went back to the store and collected the item I wanted. It was the same salesman that I had talked to earlier, who had told me they were out of stock. The look on his face was priceless.

 

[Gordon - Commercial Finance]

I might actually have to take back what I said about Currys/PC World.
Just been to the branch in Perth (used to go to Hamilton), and straight away as soon as I looked lost by the ink cartridges a very helpful chap came and helped me find what I needed...

 

[Mark T Jones]

I might actually have to take back what I said about Currys/PC World.
Just been to the branch in Perth (used to go to Hamilton), and straight away as soon as I looked lost by the ink cartridges a very helpful chap came and helped me find what I needed...

You do get the odd one that cares - that's a character trait, not training.

To add to the stories, A couple of years back I went into but TV and associated kit. Loose budget of £600 but very happy to be upsold. Came out having spent £400 and with less kit than I wanted because I lost the will to live with the 'salesperson'. Oddly, they offered me 10% discount as long as I took out a warranty - with his only spark of animation, said 'salesperson' cheerfully advised me that the warranty was cancellable, so I should take it and cancel as son as I got home. Which I did.

 

[alan1302]

A Currys assistant tried to convince me to take out the warranty and then after 11 months could get a new replacement item as I could break the item!