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CaKe
13-01-2004, 13:22
Having been messed around with ntl this month, been badly treated by my doctor, and not had my referral put through by the dentist, it got me wondering. Is customer service worse now than, say, 20 years ago, or are we just more impatient & intolerant now?

I know the NHS is underfunded, and so that places certain restrictions on the treatment it can pass on to its customers, but my mum's neighbour wouldn't dare call up and chase an appointment, or check that someone's sent a letter, nor did she find the way my GP treated me nasty - she believes that a doctor is "higher in authority" than us, and prefers them to "act superior" as she put it.

My mum and husband on the other hand both demanded to know what the complaints procedure was like, and that's not the first time. Complaints have been made to ntl before now. On a trip to France, we were messed around from start to finish - involved in a car accident where the coach driver failed to stop, crappy coaches, wrong method of transport (told we were going back by ferry, ended up restricted on the eurotunnel) - and we complained.

My sister on the other hand, who's just about to turn 18, told me "they're all ****s" and said to forget about it. (Of course, when it's her involved, there's a lot of moaning going on :rolleyes:)

But did all this happen 20+ years ago, and were we more inclined to shrug it off then? If so, it would make it look like customer services were worse now, because we know how to complain and aren't afraid to do it anymore.

Just wondered what everyone else's views were :)

Bifta
13-01-2004, 13:29
I think the general ethos of customer service has got a lot better, the trouble is, the actual practice of introducing a load of technology into the equation and more undereducated people (not pointing my finger at any CS staff here, but in general people are leaving school less educated, i.e slightly more educated than having the ability to use a calculator than 10 or 20 years ago) has taken a lot of the personal experience out of it.

Anyway, how's your gob?

CaKe
13-01-2004, 13:36
Pain's pretty much under wraps at the moment, but a call to the dentist 30 minutes ago informed me that my referral hadn't been written, let alone sent ;) Thanks for asking ;)

Bifta
13-01-2004, 13:40
That's the trouble with toothaches, as soon as an inevitable visit to get it sorted out looms, the pain stops!