Do You Complain?

[lyra_k]

I now think the competition problem is so intense most companies will go the extra mile to keep your custom.

http://urban75.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=127839

I should maybe have kept this ^ on the same thread, but in fact most big companies, particularly banks and credit card companies but others too, will go to great lengths to keep your business if you're profitable, but won't be bothered at all if you threaten to go elsewhere if you're a low-profit/high hassle customer, as many complainers are.

 

[flimsier]

I now think the competition problem is so intense most companies will go the extra mile to keep your custom. Banks are quite PR minded these days, and most credit card companies will delete and refund charges if you threaten to move (and you don't owe them money).

I once complained to NTL, which resulted in them giving me free cable for a year, infact they ended up owing me money. I installed freeview and threw the box in the recycler when they didn't come round to pick it up.

I had NTL offer me some deal for £25 per month on the phone. On reflection I probably mis-understood, but when it came down to it, they allowed me (it cost £47 really) because I complained to one of the head-honcho people (via an address someone gave me on here) and gave me NASN free for a year.

 

[Phototropic]

I complain every now and again but it depends on fluctuating confidence.

It depends on the situation really.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

in fact most big companies, partic... apologies and compensation out of companies.

 

[beeboo]

Mr beeboo complained to our gym (big chain) recently, because the opening hours they were advertising weren’t correct (saying they were open later than they actually were – which is a pain when they let you go in, get changed and they then turf you straight out).

He wrote an email to complain, and they changed their signs and website overnight. Which would have been great customer service, but then they emailed back denying they had ever been wrong!

What on earth is the point of pretending it hadn't happened - its not like he was just going to go 'oh, must have been mistaken then!

 

[lyra_k]

I'm not at all sure this is true. I have stuff all money but I can usually get apologies and compensation out of companies.

I'm sure it's not true for all companies, but I know for a fact that it's true for some (including the one I used to work for, who were starting to explore such a grading system when I left a few years ago).

Obviously it's not the kind of thing they publicise.

 

[fifibelle]

I don't complain that often, but when I do I always get a result. These have included:
- free holiday for me & hubby (worth almost £3000)
- about £500 of train vouchers
- free meals
- free wine
- free phone rental for six months
- upgraded hotel rooms
- bank charges being cancelled


....come to think of it maybe I complain more than I thought!

 

[hendo]

I don't complain that often, but when I do I always get a result. These have included:
- free holiday for me & hubby (worth almost £3000)
- about £500 of train vouchers
- free meals
- free wine
- upgraded hotel rooms
- bank charges being cancelled


....come to think of it maybe I complain more than I thought!

Whoah this is excellent stuff! Please share your technique.

 

[fifibelle]

Whoah this is excellent stuff! Please share your technique.

For the holiday (it was a dive boat liveaboard trip) we wrote a letter in conjunction with the others on the boat, pointing out the boat and crew's failings. They were quite bad cos they were safety issues. The company were really responsive - offered us all either £400 cash or a free trip, so we took the free trip and booked the most expensive one they offered, which was almost twice the cost of the original holiday!

For the train vouchers, just fill in a form any time your train is delayed, especailly if more than 40 mins. Write that you missed an important meeting, and if you submit a taxi receipt saying that you had to get a taxi instead of the bus at the other end they generally pay for that too.

I have got free wine on a few occasions - either complaining about hotel rooms, so they give it as a sweetener. Another time a waitress in the restaurant messed up and poured wine from a new bottle into our glasses which contained existing wine (different bottle). So we complained to the manager and we got that bottle free plus another one free.

Hotel room upgrades are generally because the room isn't suitable - too noisy, too cold etc. If you complain they will generally always try to move you.

Bank charges you just claim that you were unaware of the circumstances for the charge and they will almost always write them off.

I edited my original post because I remembered another freebie we got. When we had our phone line installed a few years ago, the phone company messed up the booking and couldn't install it. My hubby complained that I was 9 months pregnant and he had to walk really far to use the phone box to call the doctor (this was totally made up - oops ). We got 6 months free line rental as a result.

 

[hendo]

That is excellent stuff. I don't think I've ever been moved in a hotel room, ever.

 

[fifibelle]

Unfortunately I have to live in them a lot for work, so it probably helps that I'm there on business.

 

[fifibelle]

And I can't emphasise enough to ALWAYS, ALWAYS complain about trains being delayed. I had a friend who worked in the industry who told me that Railtrack have to compensate the train companies something ridiculous like £1000 per minute for every minute over 5 minutes that they are delayed because of track problems. But the train companies don't pay out to customers until the delay is about 40 minutes, so they make loads of money...and its all your taxes.

 

[Poi E]

I had to stop complaining so much in the UK otherwise I'd never get through a transaction. Generally average/poor service. There's also a particuar method than I have to use to complain to someone from the UK. You have to pitch the complaint as a problem where the customer service person has all the power and they, and only they, can help. Buttering up the ego. A straight out complaint that could be made in the US will result in a UK based customer service person just shutting down, IME. Also amazed how few UK business operate proper ticketing systems for email/web based complaints.

 

[Callie]

I don't complain unless I really feel it necessary.

Today I might do some complaining our gas got cut off last week, without notification. A transco guy came round saturday to find out what had happened and arranged for another transco guy to come round today at 8/9am to fix the problem. 10am arrives - no transco man. I call them they say 'hell be round 12-2'. 3pm comes round - no transco man I call them - 'well the job has been dispatched, they'll arrive at some point, cant say when' Its not nearly 5.30pm and we've heard nothing.


Cunting bastards! I want some hot water

 

[Callie]

I prefer moaning to complaining

 

[JWH]

lol

British Airways can be good to complain to, which is just as well, seeing as they're fucking shit.

Virgin Trains - got about £100 in vouchers out of them I was delayed goign to Bham and back from London (helped that we were on business tickets).

I've complained to condom and bus ticket vending machines not working too, and they sent quid coins through the post!

Poi E - good tip.

My neighbour does the whole thing of writing to the MD, his/her sec'y, the regional manager, the chairman, the regulator, etc etc. It works for him but it takes him a long time.

 

[tendril]

I once complained that the pasta was the wrong shape (as my mate delights in recounting at every opportunity).

I was in a little italian (small i) restaurant somewhere in bloomsbury and ordered fetuccine (this was to me thin strands of pasta) but what I considered to be tagliatelle arrived. I complained that I had ordered fetuccine and was told that I had a plate and that tagliatelle was the same as fetuccine (I know now!)

My mate just bowed his head in shame and ribs me about it to this day.

"this pasta is the wrong shape" he tells everyone in his best Newcastle accent.

 

[Profhufflepuff]

Have to share this ...

Re Abbey. Will try and cut it short. Was told by a shopkeeper that my debit card was looking scruffy and would not be "taken" for much longer. Went online with Abbey and ordered a new card. Then two days later went for a long weekend in Amsterdam. First day, card worked in the ATM. Second day, no joy - refused. After much trawling around in Amsterdam banks and speaking to Abbey in the UK, they admitted that my card had been cancelled coz I'd ordered a new one! Ehh? At no point did the website tell me when I ordered the new card that my current card would become defunct (before the new one arrived). Had to use a company credit card to get out cash whilst in Amsterdam - incurred charges etc etc.
Back home, having been promised new card would be on the mat - no card. Tesco's turn up with delivery - can't pay them coz card won't work. Chaos with Abbey and Tesco talking to each other via mobile phones at my front door.

All in all huge inconvenience. After many long and arduous phone calls with customer complaints got through to a woman and demanded compensation. She basically said to me "well what amount do you think will compensate?" Aim high I thought (should maybe have aimed higher though) w/e cost me £250 - so I said "£250". OK she said, it will be in your account tomorrow. Result. Not sure if they have updated their website card ordering service yet

 

[oryx]

I would like to complain very stongly having read this thread that I have complained vociferously to British Gas, the Co-op Bank & NTL but unlike marty, flimsier & hendo I got.........

........nothing. Rien. Zilch. Nada. Not a bean.

<has violet elizabeth oryx style hissy fit>

 

[Cloo]

I believe in complaining - it hasn't been necessary often, though. The British are very reticent about it, although less so than recent years - in part because it's got easier

In the bad old days,a complaining in this country meant a meeting with... 'The Manager' who would probably dispute your honesty and try to wriggle out of it. Now, with the US style 'customer is always right' approach, they're much more apologetic and junior staff are entitled to deal with things as well. For example, I took a cheese and apple sandwich back to Sainsbury's one lunchtime, as one half didn't have any apple in it; the girl at the till immediately let me take another whole sandwich. Probably would have been a bit of a saga 10 years ago!

 

[butterfly child]

A group of us went to TGI's once, and waited an hour for food before they admitted the waiter hadn't put our order in.

We got our starters, desserts and coffee's for free.

Result!