tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post1275193368430858148..comments2024-03-22T23:27:47.349+00:00Comments on EAGLETON NOTES: Waiting For ServiceGraham Edwardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11196744947133121475noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-14440128717080058902023-01-27T19:33:36.440+00:002023-01-27T19:33:36.440+00:00Amy, I agree that when you actually get through to...Amy, I agree that when you actually get through to someone the service can be exceptional in the same way that any customer service in a shop can be. It's the waiting times that are so frustrating. Graham Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11196744947133121475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-65373804134283893762023-01-27T19:26:49.072+00:002023-01-27T19:26:49.072+00:00I don't blame the staff or the customer servic...I don't blame the staff or the customer service, I work in retail and know when we get swamped we are trying our very best, is it possible they are more understaffed than anything? Shame on the wait time though...I know I would find it frustrating.Amyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17076349937962262361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-61043178248687127842023-01-27T19:20:29.451+00:002023-01-27T19:20:29.451+00:00Beatrice I find that the interminable waiting time...Beatrice I find that the interminable waiting times arrogantly assume that we, the consumers, have interminable time to waste. Most of us certainly do not. Graham Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11196744947133121475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-33638116986377318382023-01-27T15:38:05.467+00:002023-01-27T15:38:05.467+00:00Graham, you are so right about customer service go...Graham, you are so right about customer service going down the tubes. Today, it is mainly about the organization/company rather than the customer/user. Of course, this is not meant to be a broad-based statement as there are any outstanding small business and stores which do provide wonderful service and attention to detail. Like others, I also hate the interminable wait times and the awful background music and, if provided, always select the opt-out of music option. What's even more annoying is to in a store/business and next, only to have a phone call interrupt your place in the line.Beatrice P. Boydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08281239556392874979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-14524759641453363062023-01-26T18:00:56.953+00:002023-01-26T18:00:56.953+00:00Marcheline, I'm still okay for climbing ladder...Marcheline, I'm still okay for climbing ladders onto the roof although, in truth, I usually employ someone else to do that these days. I'm not as keen on ladders as I used to be. Fortunately stamps.com are a UPS US only website so far as I can tell. We can get stamps on line for The Post Office/Royal Mail and I've seen no problems with them. Mind you I buty all my stamps at the post office in Stornoway on the basis of "use it or lose it.".Graham Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11196744947133121475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-49273841925876053282023-01-26T17:54:12.382+00:002023-01-26T17:54:12.382+00:00Thanks for your input, Jenny. I think there were a...Thanks for your input, Jenny. I think there were a lot of problems with home delivery websites during lockdown. I think, too, that many private organisations forget that they are providing a service to the public and it from the public that their shareholders' pockets are so well bolstered. I could get started in earnest too ..... but I won't.Graham Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11196744947133121475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-38938414901332173532023-01-26T12:47:43.227+00:002023-01-26T12:47:43.227+00:00After the words "climbing a ladder up onto th...After the words "climbing a ladder up onto the roof" everything else in the post was "wahwahwahwahwah".... CLIMBING A LADDER ONTO THE ROOF?!??! I will never sleep again, GB.<br /><br />PS: Just so you don't feel like the only one, I recently noticed a charge on my credit card that I did not recognize. The reason I noticed this is because I'd paid off that card and the balance was zero. Suddenly there was a suspicious $19.53 sitting there looking at me. I signed into the card website to see where the charge was from, and it said "STAMPS.COM". Interesting. I have not actually bought anything from that website, although a few months ago I had looked them up because I thought I could use the site to print out postage for something I needed to mail, and I was looking for a way to avoid standing in line at the post office. As it turns out, they didn't have what I needed, so I shut down the site. Apparently, because I had put my credit card information INTO THE FORM (never clicked the "order" button) they signed me up for a monthly service (that I did not select) and were charging my credit card!!! I called them up and gave them what for, of course, and the representative tried to blame it on me, but I wasn't having it. You have a lot more readers than I do, GB, so here's some free advice to anyone considering using STAMPS.COM - DON'T DO IT. They are a bunch of sneaky lying bastards and thieves. Imagine how many people are getting ripped off this way, on a credit card that's not paid off, where the charge gets mixed in and unnoticed for ages! I checked the Better Business Bureau website, the complaints section, and the answer is: A LOT. Caveat Emptor.Marchelinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07697295230446820295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-79708493353915302292023-01-26T00:41:00.793+00:002023-01-26T00:41:00.793+00:00I'm trying to remember when I encountered a qu...I'm trying to remember when I encountered a queue to go on the website. Then I remembered it was Tesco's website at the beginning of lockdown. Nobody could go out shopping in real life, yet it was pretty well impossible to get a slot for home delivery. It wasn't the shops' fault, of course, but I do recall you had to pay an absolute fortune to even get a slot, and phone up at the dot of midnight otherwise the slots would be gone within 10 minutes and you would have to wait to the next day. I hope things are not that desperate with Calmac! But perhaps they are. Regarding public service, the complete loss of the concept is one of the worst things about the last 10 or 15 years. These days public services are like the poor relations, struggling to stay alive in the midst of constant funding cuts and austerity. It's really dreadful considering that it is our money that pays for it. Don't get me started! Jenny Woolfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16881781466502273314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-83618059814901508902023-01-25T18:06:35.691+00:002023-01-25T18:06:35.691+00:00No, you're not! :) I feel the same about a lot...No, you're not! :) I feel the same about a lot of things. Some online services are helpful, but others seem to just make things unnecessarily complicated instead.DawnTreaderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04533307672147117843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-74672973780552503342023-01-25T17:52:53.397+00:002023-01-25T17:52:53.397+00:00Sorry about the anonymity, Lesley, I'm not sur...Sorry about the anonymity, Lesley, I'm not sure what the problem is but it's not consistent. I agree some companies are still giving superb service and I do like to give credit where it's due.Graham Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11196744947133121475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-86686168648544832062023-01-25T17:42:02.955+00:002023-01-25T17:42:02.955+00:00Pauline, even my positivity is being sorely tested...Pauline, even my positivity is being sorely tested these days.Graham Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11196744947133121475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-57424784619152446402023-01-25T12:09:03.440+00:002023-01-25T12:09:03.440+00:00I must add the sevice provided by Dyson 's cus...I must add the sevice provided by Dyson 's customer service. Phone call answered within the 10 mins they said, part organised, paid for, sent and received by Royal Mail two days later. Lesley (Your system insisted on me being Anonymous. AKA Potty)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-59919608885349022932023-01-25T05:57:06.946+00:002023-01-25T05:57:06.946+00:00My bank here (RBS Brighton) simply closed without ...My bank here (RBS Brighton) simply closed without them telling me. I've only had need to see them once since I've been back and I went to 'mother ship' Nat West, which seemed to be OK. They could have said something!!!Cro Magnonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06840670227576695352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-53520229645239351022023-01-25T00:19:35.735+00:002023-01-25T00:19:35.735+00:00I swear the whole world is going mad. And dare no...I swear the whole world is going mad. And dare not ask "What next?" PaulineAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-69157783244982067802023-01-24T20:47:56.132+00:002023-01-24T20:47:56.132+00:00Adrian, your peripatetic approach to life in a cam...Adrian, your peripatetic approach to life in a camper van is completely at odds with mine when it comes to commitments and a bed for the night. Years ago the ferry was rarely full. today it can go for weeks without a spare place in the summer. If I set off from Glasgow to get home I do not want to wait on the whims of weather (usually in winter) or traffic (usually in summer) with the expense of hotels or the disruption to my life. On the mainland you may be able to barter for your oil. That's not an option here and getting everyone round about to have empty tanks at the same time is fanciful to say the least. A wind turbine costs well in excess of £30,000. At nearly 80 that's not an economic reality for me. Graham Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11196744947133121475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-53432919681811133552023-01-24T19:49:58.113+00:002023-01-24T19:49:58.113+00:00 I struggle to understand your problem. Years ago ... I struggle to understand your problem. Years ago I just drove up for a ferry. If it was full I went away and waited. <br />If we want oil of any sort we phone round for the spot price and get it delivered within twenty four hours. Even for domestic oil if you got together with your neighbours and had a truck load between you then I doubt this would be a problem. Come to think. Why do you need oil with all the wind?Adrian Wardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09061432566298145837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-60773771194236583522023-01-24T17:20:01.002+00:002023-01-24T17:20:01.002+00:00Ellen, they may have a lack of staff but I suspect...Ellen, they may have a lack of staff but I suspect that they staff for the quietest period to minimise staff costs and keep everyone busy at all times. Graham Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11196744947133121475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-91840389496585430812023-01-24T17:17:40.285+00:002023-01-24T17:17:40.285+00:00Tigger, I suspect a lot of those are tourists book...Tigger, I suspect a lot of those are tourists booking summer holidays as well as the hundreds of everyday journeys by local residents.Graham Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11196744947133121475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-39299172573133321212023-01-24T15:21:34.220+00:002023-01-24T15:21:34.220+00:00It certainly is a conundrum, Graham. I think they ...It certainly is a conundrum, Graham. I think they have a lack of staff to handle the problems. I am sure it must be frustrating to work there as all of your customers must be unhappy with the service but the staff can be working as hard as they can.Ellen D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03776803182673252265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-11393195508876969312023-01-24T13:53:18.462+00:002023-01-24T13:53:18.462+00:00Seriously?! What happens in the summer time when t...Seriously?! What happens in the summer time when tourists are added to that queue? We prefer the system that says - "press 5 to hold your place in the queue, and hang up. We will call you back."Tigger's Mumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15829665785202495073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-26376455850130592142023-01-24T09:10:19.268+00:002023-01-24T09:10:19.268+00:00Meike it's a complete mystery to me. At first ...Meike it's a complete mystery to me. At first a few of us thought the person who posted it on Facebook was playing a practical joke. Then I tried it. The numbers seem bizarre to me I have to say. Having said that I'm just going into town to meet a friend for coffee and will pop into the Calmac port office to change my booking for the cancelled hospital appointment. Small community life can have it's advantages.Graham Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11196744947133121475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-76387199784714234752023-01-24T09:06:56.985+00:002023-01-24T09:06:56.985+00:00Cro, I agree wholeheartedly. You might be heartene...Cro, I agree wholeheartedly. You might be heartened to learn that I popped into my local Bank of Scotland yesterday to get £20 of 50p pieces (I never use cash so don't have tip money for my coffee or the car parking machines in Stornoway) and knew the two cashiers (both of whom I'd known since they joined the bank as teenagers when Adam was a lad. When I had a problem with my banking app on my phone one of the youngsters in the bank sorted it for me. Just like the "good old days". Graham Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11196744947133121475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-33123420738277801552023-01-24T09:00:54.617+00:002023-01-24T09:00:54.617+00:00I definitely agree with that, Red.I definitely agree with that, Red.Graham Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11196744947133121475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-62141167157368957712023-01-24T09:00:34.286+00:002023-01-24T09:00:34.286+00:00Thanks, Kylie. Indeed they do.Thanks, Kylie. Indeed they do.Graham Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11196744947133121475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6784891745623390957.post-34901029326934288492023-01-24T08:37:19.985+00:002023-01-24T08:37:19.985+00:00Yes, David, you have a good point (but see the add...Yes, David, you have a good point (but see the addendum to my post) and that canned music is always dreadful. And Debbie I couldn't agree more with your ARRRRGH!<br />Graham Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11196744947133121475noreply@blogger.com