Aaaaaaargh (Again and again)

Any of you that are regular readers of this Blog will have noticed that I have had trouble with the Utility Companies,  serving my deceased Uncle's property.

Just when I thought it was all cut and dried I find lying on his doormat, this:

I really despair. This time it was TalkTalk. Just getting through to them was bad enough. The customer services number on their web site has four options. Guess what? Option 4, which I needed, didn't work.

The next number I found produced a very unhelpful lady from abroad who tried to make out it was all my fault in someway. I hadn't followed out their procedure. I tried to explain in simple words that as I wasn't their customer, how could I possibly know their mores and customs? (Oh and needless to say, her Supervisor was conveniently out.)

Found another number The Cones cancellation hotline, and after eventually fighting my way remorselessly up the queue, and being told every step of the way "that my custom was important to them", I finally reached someone who could actually do something.

Even then after explaining to the young Scottish Lassie that it really was their ineptitude that had caused all this in the first place, she had the cheek to suggest that I do all the leg work in setting it straight. I "politely"* declined.

The worst thing about it is they never apologise.

* Only slightly sweary language used. No "C"words were harmed in the making.

Some things change for the better

I have been a customer with Orange for a number of years, almost since Mobile phones begun.

Up till recently, to get through to customer services entailed spending ages listening to crap music, and "we value your custom" messages every minute or so.

At the end of January I was pleasantly surprised to be contacted by a very respectful customer services rep and advised that I was overdue for a replacement phone. What really staggered me is he also advised that I was paying too much and would I like to change to a less expensive tarriff? Well you could blow me down with a feather, my gast was most definitely flabbered.

Was this a one off? No. this evening when opening my phone, (It's a slide phone), bummer, the display was corrupted. Anyway I phoned customer services not expecting stirling service again, only to find that within less than five minutes it had been arranged to send me a new phone by courier, to arrive by tommorrow morning.

I think it shows that with the recession, companies are having to value their customers at long last.
Well done Orange.