Comments on: A Brickbat And A Bouquet!

By: Keith

Keith — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:25:58 +0000

Watch Yellow. We received a bill for an ad they rolled over without getting authorisation. When asked for proof of our order we were given a credit. Were they trying it on or is there a hole in their process? The jury is out.

By: Robyn Pearce

Robyn Pearce — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:10:49 +0000

Thanks Prue Bridger for sending us this hilarious link from YouTube!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WM0NAA_MYA

By: Anne-Marie Raleigh

Anne-Marie Raleigh — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 03:03:14 +0000

I too found my latest 018 exoerience with call centre staff not located in New Zealand and with no local knowledge extremely frustrating and time consuming. I requested a number for a company located on Queen’s Wharf in Wellington – despite citing the physical address the operator proceeded to give me seven other numbers not in the location I had specified. No amount of my reiterating the address seemed to help.

By: Sheryl Nalder

Sheryl Nalder — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 09:33:35 +0000

Hello,
I also had a very frustrating experience recently. The telecom operator couldn’t give the the phone number for the local Member of Parliament. She did get her supervisor who was able to help. Oh the time wasting.
I also do not want to dwell on the negative but this is about customer service.

regards
Sheryl Nalder
Golden Bay

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 08:59:09 +0000

Totally agree.

When you can’t make yourself understood and have to spell everything 3 times and still they fail to understand.

Who has 10mins to spare trying to find a #.

It would be quicker, easier and a whole lot less frustrating just to drive there and ask the question direct.

If it is worth doing, do it properly or don’t bother !

By: Heidy

Heidy — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 05:52:30 +0000

Hi Robyn, so nice to hear from you again, having started my first proper job with Telecom, later to become Telstra I have every sympathy for the reluctant customer, I think people have to really desperate to actually call directories yellow or white as their poor service and attitude makes people frustrated at the operators lack of English and awareness of where places are. In support of the operators we were under pressure to answer as many calls as possible and spend as little time as possible on each call, maybe things have changed now but I doubt it. They have stats done on them every few mnutes in order to counsel their staff in ways to cut corners and answer more calls.

By: Matthew Davidson

Matthew Davidson — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 05:06:51 +0000

The 018 service ceased in my mind a couple of years ago. About the same time it went to $1 per request. (No refund if they give you the wrong number.)

If I need a number I call my office and get someone to look online. Cheaper and more efficient.

They have tried to kill the service and have succeeded as far as I am concerned.

My time is better used elsewhere than trying to demand service from Telecom.

By: Catherine Palin-Brinkworth

Catherine Palin-Brinkworth — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 04:57:19 +0000

You go Robyn!!!
I’ve seen and heard Bruce Cotterill speak at a conference, and he’s too smart to let this happen. I hope you forward this on to him!! Peter’s right, this is a training issue – tell Bruce that Progress runs fabulously effective programs for call centres. This seems another situation where effectiveness has been sacrificed to ‘efficiency’.
Let’s all blog on what we want from our providers.
Catherine

By: Alastair

Alastair — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 04:01:33 +0000

Hi Robyn

I have just read your brickbat to Yellow Pages – it is right on the mark! Yesterday I rang 018 to get the number for the Telecom Store in the Johnsonville Mall here in Wellington and it became clear that the person did not understand what a ‘Telecom Store’ was nor where Johnsonville was!!!

By: Linda

Linda — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 03:22:09 +0000

I have had so many bad experiences, that I now automatically ask to speak to someone in Auckland. I usually get transferred straight away. The service is atrocious!