Have service industries learned nothing over the last ten years? Is customer loyalty worth nothing? Do large service providers think we’re stupid?
These are the questions I’ve been asking myself over the past few weeks. I’ve been a customer of TalkTalk for over ten years, before it was even called TalkTalk. The customer service has never been good but I stuck with them because they were cheap. As my Broadband fibre, phone anytime, and international contract came to an end I expected TalkTalk to contact me and say here’s a better deal for you and switch me onto the new deal but Oh No! My contract goes from £39 pcm to £52 pcm. So I decide to switch, select Plusnet and I’m now paying £31 pcm. When TalkTalk find out I’m switching they send me two letters and eventually phone me. I go through my usual rant about customer loyalty and how it isn’t valued so the agent offers me a new deal for £28. She’s amazed when I refuse but I’m explain my principle that if you cannot offer me the best deal from day one then I’m not interested. TalkTalk loses another customer and I learn that nothing has changed.
Having moved my landline telecoms to Plusnet I decided to take a look at my mobile account with Tesco who I’ve been with for many years. I’ve been paying £10 pcm for 1Mb data, 750 minutes and 5,000 texts. I’ve switched to Plusnet Mobile paying £8 pcm for 6Mb data, unlimited minutes, unlimited texts. So I’m paying £2 less and getting so much more. Within days of asking for my PAC code Tesco contacted me to ask if I’d like to discuss a better deal. Hey guys, why aren’t you giving this loyal customer the best deal already? The answer is because you don’t value my loyalty.
Of course the transition hasn’t completed yet so if you don’t hear from me for a few days or you cannot contact me then you’ll know why. Watch this space and wish me luck…
Went all the way into town today to ask the EE store about a deal for a data-only SIM I’d seen on their website. I wanted to know how easy it would be to swap to a different tariff if I wanted as the information was impossible to find on the website – and who wants to call customer services these days (see above)
Not heard of it….checked…..web only offer so they knew nothing and could not help me.
And we wonder why the High Street is dying….
Steve – yes it is similar here in Oz.
The shameful telcos rely upon your trust.
Insurances are much worse. Both car insurance and house insurance ramp up the annual cost, so we review the market and often start a new insurance, often with the same company but hundreds of dollars cheaper.
Hi Ian – why does it have to be like this? My guess that companies make oodles of money out of those people who cannot be bothered to change their service provider. Good to hear from you. Steve x
Having locked horns with Comcast abd AT&T in the past I feel your pain.
A recommendation.
The Argentinian movie Wild Tales has a series of unlinked vignettes one of which is the ultimate bureaucratic / customer service nightmare starring our favorite Latin actor Ricardo Darin who gets his own back in spectacular fashion.
Horrified by what’s going on over there right now.
Hi Marjorie – I’m also battling NPower. I’m not a customer of theirs but they insist on sending bills to my address that are for someone else. I’ve been returning all the letters for 18 months and nothing has changed. I’ve now contacted the Information Commissioner’s Office to see if they can do something about this level of incompetence.
I doubt Wild Tales will hit cinemas in this part of the UK – Lincolnshire being a cultural desert but I’ll put it on my watchlist.
As to the political state here – a Guy Fawkes is needed.