Bring back human beings

Lupin, I quite understand how you felt. It wasn't even my money but the loss of over £400 made me feel sick to the stomach. It was made more difficult by the fact that my Mum's partner couldn't remember anything about the disconnection and I had to play detective to find the information.

I have had a problem with a dental insurance claim. Each time I phone I get to speak to a different advisor who tells me different things. I have resorted to emails and have replys out of office hours and at weekends, so I feel that is part of the problem as I assume these people are still working from home.

I much prefer speaking to a human being. I have just changed to Octopus from Ovo and have to say that the difference in attitude to customers is astounding. I'm not on commission for Octopus, but would have to say it's a well run company with well trained staff.

A shout out for Plusnet and Octopus Energy, wonderful Customer Services. I can't believe the rubbish I put up with for years with TalkTalk.

Actually, it depends on the human what is easiest in my opinion.

Since the advent of the e-mail, no-one working in an office seems to read the WHOLE thing you write. They answer your first question and frequently have misunderstood even it. The rest they don't bother about.

If I get the usual automated message when I phone, saying press 1 for this, 2 for that, etc and one of the categories is relevant then it usually saves time. If not, I opt for press 9 which is usually where you find an actual human being.

Once I have apologised for my hearing, which makes it necessary for me to ask anyone who sounds about 10 and threfore is probably in their mid-twenties, to speak up. we usually manage to sort things out.

I had to unpeel myself from Sky. I nearly cried with frustration. In the end I did get to speak to one or two humans by selecting an option where I knew I would find one. That human couldn't help my particular issue but transferred me to one who might be able to. He could but he wouldn't. I told him I felt bullied by a big company and would take things further. The next day a human phoned me and agreed that I had cancelled my Sky account as verified by them in several letters and e-mails, and would refund the money they'd continued to take from my account. I felt limp and in need of a brandy after that. Sorry to go on so, if you are still reading, but it still rankles.

My Mum's partner cancelled VirginMedia (VM) in March. In August I noticed a payment coming out of her bank account for VM so rang them to sort it out. On the first call, I waited for ages, got transferred, got put on hold so waited for ages and then just as the Service Agent came on line, her computer crashed and she said she'd ring me back. Of course she didn't.
So the next day, I started over the whole procedure again. They denied the package had been cancelled despite the fact they had rung us trying to get us to stay with them and had subsequently transferred our phone number to NOWTV. Consequently, I got passed from pillar to post until I ended up with disconnections. They couldn't deal with it either but as my Mum had gone into a home, they took that as a bereavement and put me onto the Bereavement Department. The service was entirely different and they sorted out what they owed Mum in record time. The only problem is they couldn't pay it for up to 12 weeks...just in case she owed them money and they wouldn't want to chase her for it! Honestly, you couldn't make it up.
I did, however, make sure that the Service Agent knew how pleased I was with the Service once I got through to her and how it was the only time ever, I had been able to understand what she was saying, had not been mucked around and she did what she said she would do.
We were with VM for 25 years in their various forms of Cable and Wireless, NTL World and VM. The service got gradually worse and worse until we could stand it no longer, leaving the company and took up with Vodafone...what a difference in price and service!

Went to buy several items in the large Boots in our town very recently. No tills with human beings so started on the serve yourself till which would not then accept my points card. Pressed the button for assistance. Assistant came over, pressed various keys etc and walked away without a word.

So I walked away to the pharmacy queue where I joined folk waiting for prescriptions.... The assistant there was very helpful and I was able to achieve all I needed. Computers are not human beings and the shortage of human beings cannot always be solved by computers

Ovo energy are really bad, they owe me money from my Feed In Tarif, I have sent them electricity all summer. They used to be SSE then changed to Ovo. SSE paid me with a cheque, Ovo don't 'do' cheques so should pay it into my bank account, problem is they don't have my bank account details! and the account number they sent me doesn't work so I can't input my details on their Webpage. I have emailed, no response, telephoned, on hold for hours then get cut off. I did speak to someone who didn't know what to do so promised a telephone call from his supervisor, guess what? no call! Firms these days are dreadful. Never ever go to Ovo for FIT payments or even your energy.

Chestnut

Speaking to a human doesn't always work. Some of them give you the wrong information, then later you are told by another agent 'That's not correct, I don't know why they told you that'. I've had that happen many times over the years. ?‍♀️

Oh yes! 3 is famous for that. I asked for a transcript of conversations with two different assistants. Even with the contradictory texts in front of me, and sent to them, they couldn’t clarify which one was correct. The difference for me was over £30. To be fair, in the end they just cancelled the charge but still couldn’t tell me which version was correct. So I could find myself with the same problem next time.

Having worked in customer service the only pro for the bots is they don’t get upset by the abuse and threats agents often receive

I would mention OVO energy, but as I was brought up to be polite I can't share with you what I think about their general total disorganisation.

Speaking to a human doesn't always work. Some of them give you the wrong information, then later you are told by another agent 'That's not correct, I don't know why they told you that'. I've had that happen many times over the years. ?‍♀️

You’re so right - I have spent the past month trying to withdraw the funds that I have earned from the Vinted selling site into my bank account. The withdrawal keeps failing and they have £80 of my money that I can’t get hold of. There is no phone number, the only way to contact them is by email and all I get in return is these generic bot emails that are not personalised, telling me to do things that I have already done, yet not rectifying the problem. To speak to a human being would be wonderful.

Spent three days (on and off) trying to get Virgin to transfer the mobile phone number I had for 20 years to 02, which they had recommended as a cheaper package. Totally incomprehensible lady first time, second time an equally incomprehensible man, both of who spoke too fast with very thick accents, the third time I burst into tears and gave up.Now I have a new mobile number and am dealing with the fallout.

Try cancelling an Amazon account after bereavement. Can't be done unless you are prepared to lose all photos etc. Copies of Death cert, POA, marriage all requested but still a No all down to data protection.

Buyers who purchase online goods can be equally frustrating and often dont want to put in any effort themselves. Americans are particularly lazy in this respect.

Send every buyer a tracking number and where it can be tracked. US postal website. Not too difficult to find if you live in the USA.

"You sent me a fake tracking number"
"Here is your tracking" (paste it in) "Your package is in transit."
"My package hasnt moved for 3 days"
"Its with the customs service. It will not move until they clear it"
"You said that last time. My package still hasnt moved"
"I can only give you what information is publicly available! International transactions do require a little patience."

Opens Paypal dispute despite fact that package clearly in transit.

Package delivered 4 days later.

Paypal dispute closes automatically.

Buyer now blocked and will not be purchasing from me again.

Life would be so less stressful if we could speak with a real human being! The world seems to think we're all computer savvy, I'm not too bad, and feel for those who don't have them or even if they do they struggle!
These companies unfortunately set out to make things as difficult as possible! I listen to my other half often losing the plot with them!!
Things take a better turn after waiting in a telephone queue for hours when a real life person eventually speaks to him, obviously I let him deal with it as I have even less patience !! Feel we're all becoming robots!!

Might be a good idea to shred all those papers
Identity theft can be a real hassle these days

Its the way of the world now, totally frustrating, I always choose to do these phone calls on loudspeaker when I’m doing my ironing, so I’m multi tasking. But even so, ironing doesn’t take 5 hours! Poor you! It makes you want to scream and NO-ONE in any company wants to take responsibly. Saying that, my bank First direct are excellent at answering the phone.

I'm a geordie Lucca and I sometimes am not pleasant ?. There is nothing a satisfying as a good sort out. I need to get off the sofa and start.

Sky and Virgin are both equally terrible for customer service

Virgin media has always been a challenge for me… well nigh impossible to communicate with them as they tend to read from scripts without actually understanding/ listening to the particular problem . Stuck with them for various reasons, but I lose the will to live when I have to contact them

Just to be picky as well as wanting a human being to speak to I’d like it to be a Geordie. They are always pleasant and very efficient!
The saga today has honestly worn me out ! Not to mention interrupting my marvellous clearing out of paperwork of which I am so proud ! Black bin liner half full of unnecessary stuff ..I mean who needs last years insurance documents or ones GCE etc certificates. Gone , gone !

I feel your pain Lucca I had to get rid of Sky once on behalf of my demented mother, it was a trial.
When I finally spoke to someone they insisted it was better that my mother kept her package and transferred everything to the nursing home, eventually I lied and said she had lost her sight?.
I will burn for that I’m sure.