Rant ... Poor service from Teamwork

Wail

Wail

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Wail
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Sadly, as much as I prefer not to post negative views this is something that has been bugging me and I felt the need to get it off my chest.

A short while ago I ordered, online, a few Heliopan circular polarisers from Teamwork. Not a cheap order, for the four filters, one of which is the slim 82mm.

Order arrived in good time (Saturday morning), only the 82mm wasn't the slim version, rather the "normal" one, which is more than 1/2 the price.

I thought that's a mistake, and surely a call would sort this out; but as it was Saturday, and they don't open Saturday, I thought that I'd send them an email and expect to get a reply from them Monday :shrug:

So, email off to them, and I went off on a weekend trip :)

Come Monday, no reply from them. Not even a courtesy automated reply.

I call them Tuesday, and explained what had happened. The guy on the phone apologised and told me they would send the correct one out.

I asked him to reply to my email, so that I could have a record of what had been agreed-upon.

Few days go by and nothing shows-up. No email reply, and no slim 82mm Heliopan.

I email them back again, telling them how disappointed I am that such a "professional" centre couldn't be bothered to reply to an email or even supply the right product, even though they've charged for the more expensive one. Meanwhile, I also informed them that I had mailed-back to them the wrong filter.

Needless to say, no reply to 2nd email and still no Heliopan shows up. So, another call to them and this time I am told that they don't have these in stock and that I could either wait for them to come in, or get a refund.

Not the most professional business practice, at all!

So, I asked to have it shipped to me once it is back in stock, as they expected new stock within a week. Sure enough a few days later I get my slim 82mm C.P.

Thankfully matter was resolved, and I got my correct order .. but the the whole idea of sending out a mistaken product, then failing to reply and communicate with professional courtesy was beyond me.

I have it as a rule, that any place I go into, if I don't like the service .. I just walk out and never give them my business. As such, I will not be dealing with them again.


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I too have just given my custom elsewhere because a company couldn't be bothered. Last week I emailed a place with an enquiry about a gps unit they were selling and the usefullness of a map cd they were also selling. After 3 days still no reply. As I'm up against a deadline I emailed them again, just a gentle prod, but as it's the weekend I'm not expecting anything. You'd think that with businesses being in the dire straits that they are in now, they would jump at the chance to be making a sale to the tune of around £300.

Meanwhile I'm perusing various web sites and come across the very same company with an Amazon store. I have a look at their feedback and start reading the negs. Whilst a small number of the negs were customer-induced and unwarranted, what struck me was the quality of the grammar and spelling used in the replies given by the company. Like this one:

"WARNING: Rubbish service! I paid a hefty premium for Express Delivery (1-2days) but goods were merely sent by Recorded Delivery (not Special Delivery) which doesn't guarantee a 1-2 day delivery time. The goods never arrived and Pentagon have subsequently washed their hands of it. Pentagon happy to pocket the premium for delivery, but don't give the service. Avoid."
Date: 2009/2/19 Rated by Buyer: david_archer
Seller Response: "David no's full well this was an unfortunate royal mail delivery problem making the delivery l;ate despite our best efforts to help him this was refused we can haelp people who can not help themselves David !!" Date: 2009/2/20


Now I know a good number of you will think so what, it's the quality of the service that counts. But I have always maintained that if a company is willing to present such a bad image of themselves in public, then they are less likely to be concerned about customer service. One of the feedback comments from a customer said that Amazon had taken up the case themselves due to their concern about having their name tarnished. Anyway, I've had the chance to find a better supplier now.
 
I know what you mean. To me service is paramount.

Another company I stopped dealing with, for putting me in a jam, is Waterstone. Pity, as I used to love buying from them. It doesn't take much to tick-me off, but I tend to be take the matter of service very critically.

After all, the market is full of alternatives to choose from :shrug:
 
Exactly, customer service should be top priority for businesses. I have a rant about BT and their customer service, and tech support, but that can wait until I've calmed down a lot more!
 
i sent an email about a component (suspension forks) on my mountainbike not being up to scratch (partly as a feedback to the company making the bikes) and also as an 'ive got pictures id like to send you of the component and its problems, because i wasnt best pleased that the forks should be in such poor state after only a few rides.

that was a month ago and ive not had so much as a reply from them!


needless to say the forks now reside in my wheeliebin outside!




ive also had serious issues with the staff at HSBC call centres recently, customer service on the phone is dreadful, but you go into the branch and the service is excellent!
 
whitewash said:
ive also had serious issues with the staff at HSBC call centres recently, customer service on the phone is dreadful, but you go into the branch and the service is excellent!
Click to expand...

Where'd you think they send the applicants who don't pass the charm and/or intelligence test?
 
The ultimate weapon you have as a consumer is to move your custom somewhere else, and to let as many people as possible know why. And that's pretty easy to do on the net!

I'll usually give anyone a second chance, but never a third.
 
I think I gave Teamwork more than 3 chances.

1) They got the wrong filter sent
2) 1st email
3) 1st phone call
4) 2nd email

As was said, in such trying times, business have to try really hard to hold-on to business that they have. This is the sad nature of things right now .. and these people seem to care less about my dissatisfaction!

Of course I will take my business else where; and if I can't get the same product else where then I can find a suitably different brand / product.
 
I totally agree. There's always someone else out there who will give you decent service.
 
You'd be amazed how many emails companies get, because their address is out there on their website and on every document they send out the get spammed to death.

I was in the office of a small company a few days ago when a guy opened his inbox, 400 emails overnight and his email isn't their main one

it's easy to miss one or two if you've got 100s to look through, if I have a complaint I never email, always phone, no excuse for them not ringing you back but at least they did sort it out.
 
True, any good on-going business is bound to get a lot of emails and phone calls; but as you've said that's no excuse for not paying attention to them, especially when one of them (in this case two) were a complaint of wrong order / delivery.

There simply is no excuse.

As for them finally getting right .. well, I am not too sure if that was due to their due care or was it because of my continued follow-up.
 
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