Is good service and good value now impossible to find?
Discussion
Hey,
I've just been away for the weekend and was severely fed up with constantly paying quite a lot of money for sub-par and at times, just unacceptable service or products.
Examples:
Hotel room in budget hotel at £225 (insane prices due to local event). Air conditioning broken. I called reception who sent maintainance man who said immediately "oh yea, this is one of the broken ones - they're due to be replaced soon". Great, so we've paid for a room which is not fully servicable. We couldn't move as the hotel was full.,
Went to Pizza Express - drinks ordered which never turned up. They were taken off the bill. We did remind staff but at that stage were just sick of waiting and trying to get their attention - cost £65
Went to another restaurant where table was broken. Moved to another where the table was dirty, food then took an age to come and then was cold on its arrival. Cost £58
Ordered fish and chips when I got home. Done online and for collection. At the point of payment I see they've added on 75p "service charge". Cost £27
..
The examples can go on but frankly I'm just sick of paying quite a lot of money (with inflation and cost of living issues) and getting short changed on the product and service. These companies are all satisfied to increase costs, or to reduce quantities but then don't provide anywhere near the level expected.
I can't be the only one sick of this?
I've just been away for the weekend and was severely fed up with constantly paying quite a lot of money for sub-par and at times, just unacceptable service or products.
Examples:
Hotel room in budget hotel at £225 (insane prices due to local event). Air conditioning broken. I called reception who sent maintainance man who said immediately "oh yea, this is one of the broken ones - they're due to be replaced soon". Great, so we've paid for a room which is not fully servicable. We couldn't move as the hotel was full.,
Went to Pizza Express - drinks ordered which never turned up. They were taken off the bill. We did remind staff but at that stage were just sick of waiting and trying to get their attention - cost £65
Went to another restaurant where table was broken. Moved to another where the table was dirty, food then took an age to come and then was cold on its arrival. Cost £58
Ordered fish and chips when I got home. Done online and for collection. At the point of payment I see they've added on 75p "service charge". Cost £27
..
The examples can go on but frankly I'm just sick of paying quite a lot of money (with inflation and cost of living issues) and getting short changed on the product and service. These companies are all satisfied to increase costs, or to reduce quantities but then don't provide anywhere near the level expected.
I can't be the only one sick of this?
Yep.
It appears to me that stuff in general is “breaking down”; there seems to be no competence, will or knowledge. It’s worrying.
I’ve had a few job interviews recently and I’ve noticed a worrying trend which I think is part of the same thing - I work in automated QA of IT systems (specifically APIs). In every instance the interviewers have been seemingly uninterested in the actual technical aspects or how I would actually do the job, but in procedural/ admin tasks or in one case my knowledge of agile. Didn’t give a crap about being able to actually do the actual job. Utterly bizarre.
It appears to me that stuff in general is “breaking down”; there seems to be no competence, will or knowledge. It’s worrying.
I’ve had a few job interviews recently and I’ve noticed a worrying trend which I think is part of the same thing - I work in automated QA of IT systems (specifically APIs). In every instance the interviewers have been seemingly uninterested in the actual technical aspects or how I would actually do the job, but in procedural/ admin tasks or in one case my knowledge of agile. Didn’t give a crap about being able to actually do the actual job. Utterly bizarre.
Ordered a Chinese for delivery Friday evening and told it would be an hour. O/H walked to local shop for a bottle of wine thinking she'd easily be back in time.
Chinese arrived in 35 minutes, no sign of O/H.
To whom should I complain?
More seriously, we had a gardener do some work for us and she was efficient, tidy and the cost was reasonable so we asked her to plan and landscape our tiny back garden. That was April.
Since then we've agreed the plan and cost and asked her to start in early May. We're still waiting.
Chinese arrived in 35 minutes, no sign of O/H.
To whom should I complain?
More seriously, we had a gardener do some work for us and she was efficient, tidy and the cost was reasonable so we asked her to plan and landscape our tiny back garden. That was April.
Since then we've agreed the plan and cost and asked her to start in early May. We're still waiting.
I think the issue is that prices have risen making you more aware of the sub standard service you are now paying 'premium money' for. For instance we take the kids out to Zizzi, it used to be around £65 which for what you got was acceptable, now its £100 so you start to question the quality and service way more than you did previously.
In contrast to that, we went to the Ivy, spent a few hundred, the service and food was top notch, but it was expensive, however you always knew it would be.
In contrast to that, we went to the Ivy, spent a few hundred, the service and food was top notch, but it was expensive, however you always knew it would be.
It’s a race to the bottom now, and years of doing it are catching up
Whenever I take my car for a service at main dealer, it’s never right, they don’t do everything, it’s never ready, always oil left splashed about etc etc. take it back the following week and they don’t have any record of why you are back, need to book it in again and again until you give up and f
k off
I worked for a small company, we would spend 5 days preparing for a job, 5 days on the job, couple of days a few weeks later sorting teething issues. 2 weeks of work give or take - job done, happy customer
Got bought out by a large multinational
No prep before job (you find out a day before about it now)
One day on the job, nothing is ready as no one knew you were coming because salesman
Then spend months and months firing emails back and forth to a pissed off customer
Customer isn’t happy, we are not happy, salesman doesn’t care as he has had his cut and has washed his hands
Gone from being a world leader to less than great in very short time.
Also costs the customer a lot more now
Whenever I take my car for a service at main dealer, it’s never right, they don’t do everything, it’s never ready, always oil left splashed about etc etc. take it back the following week and they don’t have any record of why you are back, need to book it in again and again until you give up and f
k offI worked for a small company, we would spend 5 days preparing for a job, 5 days on the job, couple of days a few weeks later sorting teething issues. 2 weeks of work give or take - job done, happy customer
Got bought out by a large multinational
No prep before job (you find out a day before about it now)
One day on the job, nothing is ready as no one knew you were coming because salesman
Then spend months and months firing emails back and forth to a pissed off customer
Customer isn’t happy, we are not happy, salesman doesn’t care as he has had his cut and has washed his hands
Gone from being a world leader to less than great in very short time.
Also costs the customer a lot more now
Send thousands of young, motivated and competent foreigners home so that we can have jobs for "our own", because the foreigners, who were working mainly service industry jobs like the ones the OP is moaning about, have been artificially holding wages down. Wasn't that the argument for a certain political decision?
Not having a pop at the OP, I've no idea if, or how, he voted, nor why, if he did indeed vote, but these are the consequences of our political actions. If we really believed foreigners were artificially holding down pay, and we wanted pay for low earners to increase, well we've got what we voted for. Which is higher prices, and worse service.
Not having a pop at the OP, I've no idea if, or how, he voted, nor why, if he did indeed vote, but these are the consequences of our political actions. If we really believed foreigners were artificially holding down pay, and we wanted pay for low earners to increase, well we've got what we voted for. Which is higher prices, and worse service.
Many workers do not care if they give poor service and because vacancies in service jobs like those mentioned are hard to fill people are allowed to get away with it knowing they can easily get another job anyway.
It seems everyone wants to be well paid but not have to put in any effort.
It seems everyone wants to be well paid but not have to put in any effort.
I'd agree with all of the eating out comments, which is why we hardly ever do.
I have been lucky in finding a first rate very local mechanic who can turn his hand to just about anything & is reasonably priced.
He also works hard for long hours if needed to to sort out his customer's cars.
It's a sign of the times that I don't expect any of that in plenty of other places.
As for the local council `value` & `services` don't get me started!
I have been lucky in finding a first rate very local mechanic who can turn his hand to just about anything & is reasonably priced.
He also works hard for long hours if needed to to sort out his customer's cars.
It's a sign of the times that I don't expect any of that in plenty of other places.
As for the local council `value` & `services` don't get me started!
julianm said:
I'd agree with all of the eating out comments, which is why we hardly ever do.
We are now edging that way now. Few instances:
1) Boxing day - we always used to go out for boxing day. It's only the two of us and it's nice to get out of the house or you go mad inside watching home alone all day. In years past it was always great. I know it's probably restaurant dependent but the one we've gone to is seriously poor now. Last time there was about 10 fecking dogs in there which put me off. Anyway, portions are small, measley even and they're clearly trying to make ingredients stretch further. Coffee never came afterwards, the whole experience was rubbish and it was about £110 for us both (in total)
2) Roast dinner on a sunday - looked forward to this for a week as we had planned a bit walk. It was terrible. The restaurant had great reviews historically, but the whole thing was just poor. Massive yorkshire pudding which covered most of the plate and therefore minimised the portion sizes. Two bits of meat, the "caramelised vegetables" were two boiled carrots. There was also 6 non-alchoholic drinks on the menu and only Heinekan 0% available.
So now we are just avoiding it too much and would prefer to eat in than feel short changed
Good service...I was buying a car for my wife, Almost had a very good deal, but a slight hiccup occurred, and we ended not getting the car she wanted. The sales guy gave us an even better deal on a black car (my wife wanted a white one) Too good of a deal to turn down.
Next day I got a survey e mail. I related what happened.
Ten minutes later I got a telephone call. Let's see if we can get your wife a white car. I can't promise, I'll set my guys on it.
They drove a new white one down overnight from Boston to Southern New Jersey. No extra charge.
Next day I got a survey e mail. I related what happened.
Ten minutes later I got a telephone call. Let's see if we can get your wife a white car. I can't promise, I'll set my guys on it.
They drove a new white one down overnight from Boston to Southern New Jersey. No extra charge.
I am actually getting a bit fed up of being constantly told that companies are short staffed as an excuse for bad service.
We have just been awarded compensation by the Financial Ombudsman due to the company we were dealing with causing unnecessary delay and poor communication.
You would think this would mean the company in question would be a bit more proactive, but no. Still emails go unanswered. The people we are dealing with appear to be WFH and just don't care.
We have just been awarded compensation by the Financial Ombudsman due to the company we were dealing with causing unnecessary delay and poor communication.
You would think this would mean the company in question would be a bit more proactive, but no. Still emails go unanswered. The people we are dealing with appear to be WFH and just don't care.
ChocolateFrog said:
Speaking of McDonald's. Yes it's 0430 but I just want a coffee before work.
When you've ordered via the app and after 5 mins it's blatantly obvious that they haven't started making it and seem to have no inclination to start.
I hate having to ask.
When you've ordered via the app and after 5 mins it's blatantly obvious that they haven't started making it and seem to have no inclination to start.
I hate having to ask.
Hang on , you ordered coffee via an app ? What's so hard in rocking up to MDs parking then walking inside to order a coffee ? Which at 0430 probably takes 2 mins start to finish , maybe 30 secs in the drive thru .
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