HALFORDS RANT!

[L' Hobo]

I needed two tyres & tubes for my old bike so I rang the local Halfords (to where I'm presently stopping) this morning on the local number on their website. A South African voice said, "how can I help you?" I said "is that Sudbury?" "YES" the voice said, "Do you have two 26" x 1 3/8" tyres, said I, "YES" the voice said.
"I'll be with you in half an hour" said I.

So, off I cycle, uphill for about a mile (not easy when your old) and when I get to the store I'm told "NO we do not have any tyres that size and I cannot find ANY on the Computer"
When I asked to speak to the S/ African speaker who had told me they had some, half an hour before, I was told, "That is our South African call centre!"

WHY LIE TOO ME???????

They have lost a very good customer!

 

[daveclare]

I would willingly pay more on every item I'd buy, to be able to speak to someone from a UK based call centre. Opening call centres in other countries (India, South Africa etc) has given those countries the technology and fully trained staff to open scam calling, thieving centres. Who call vulnerable people and steal millions of pounds from them.

I'm sick of having a problem every time I call either 3, EDF, Virgin or the other companies who've abandoned the UK and left thousands out of work.

Whilst I accept it's also possible to do this from the UK. At least the law here can then be used against them.

 

[MisterB]

I would willingly pay more on every item I'd buy, to be able to speak to someone from a UK based call centre. Opening call centres in other countries (India, South Africa etc) has given those countries the technology and fully trained staff to open scam calling, thieving centres. Who call vulnerable people and steal millions of pounds from them.

I'm sick of having a problem every time I call either 3, EDF, Virgin or the other companies who've abandoned the UK and left thousands out of work.

Whilst I accept it's also possible to do this from the UK. At least the law here can then be used against them.

I often make a small donation to the You Tubers who intercept the calls and wipe out the files of the scammers, they're mainly American but still target a lot if centres in India !! Nice to see some scammers cry when they realise all their files have been deleted.

 

[David and Sally]

I often make a small donation to the You Tubers who intercept the calls and wipe out the files of the scammers, they're mainly American but still target a lot if centres in India !! Nice to see some scammers cry when they realise all their files have been deleted.

Can you please post a link to such YouTubers? I like what you suggest they do.

 

[Guigsy]

You are assuming you'd get better service from a UK based zero-hours contract worker on minimum wage? Probably have to go through 5 layers of automated system, past the flunky that only knows how to read a script before you got to someone that couldn't be arse to actually look and guessed.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[daveclare]

Yes. I'm well aware of the contact centre process of script readers and levels of call handlers. Worked with 'script' (they call them knowledge based articles, or used to) writers and saw recruitment and the additional problems this brings.

However, in the UK, I can mostly understand them. Likewise they can understand me and if there is an issue, you can ask to talk to their Team Leader/Supervisor to try and resolve it. Absolutely no chance with an overseas based centre.

 

[L' Hobo]

You are assuming you'd get better service from a UK based zero-hours contract worker on minimum wage? Probably have to go through 5 layers of automated system, past the flunky that only knows how to read a script before you got to someone that couldn't be arse to actually look and guessed.

I'd settle for just someone behind a counter who knew what they were talking about, someone like a ships storeman!

 

[daveclare]

I'd settle for just someone behind a counter who knew what they were talking about, someone like a ships storeman!

Got to have the 'chitty' otherwise you'd not get past any storeman.

 

[Durham's dad]

If you still want tyres and tubes, try Tredz, online. Quick delivery and reasonable price. Based in Wales but no call centre contact required. Boyo.

 

[L' Hobo]

Got to have the 'chitty' otherwise you'd not get past any storeman.

I'm old school and at least those chits, at the end of the day, told him what had gone and needed replenishment, from what bin.

I remember, when I had my Grand Espace, going to a main Renault dealer stores and asking for an oil filter.
What's the chassis number said the young man. don't know, said I but the reg number is.....,, it's a 2.2ltr diesel etc, etc,
"can't do anything without the chassis number,said he.

I pointed out to him that German & Swedish only ever asked if it was spin-on or paper and that was were I was then off too and I would never darken their doorstep again!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[TizzyOnTour]

BT were notorious for outsourcing their call centre to India. They had so many complaints, then when Libby (can't remember her Surname) took over as Customer Services Director, she moved it all back to the UK. Still not perfect, but a massive improvement.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

I'm old school and at least those chits, at the end of the day, told him what had gone and needed replenishment, from what bin.

I remember, when I had my Grand Espace, going to a main Renault dealer stores and asking for an oil filter.
What's the chassis number said the young man. don't know, said I but the reg number is.....,, it's a 2.2ltr diesel etc, etc,
"can't do anything without the chassis number,said he.

I pointed out to him that German & Swedish only ever asked if it was spin-on or paper and that was were I was then off too and I would never darken their doorstep again!

If it is Sudbury, Suffolk, why don't you try these people https://www.torquebikes.co.uk

Broken Link Removed: 70 Cross St, Sudbury CO10 2DJ



Broken Link Removed:
Closed ⋅ Opens 9AM Tue

Broken Link Removed: Broken Link Removed

 

[Davb]

Chain reaction or Wiggle are worth a try.

 

[The Old Man]

If you still want tyres and tubes, try Tredz, online. Quick delivery and reasonable price. Based in Wales but no call centre contact required. Boyo.

Also great in store service, all knowledgeable people.

Their Cardiff store is close to me.

But we get what we deserve/ask for?

I still miss Maplins.

When I needed some unknown electrical component the little service hatch at the back of the store was the font of all knowledge electrical.

Being a Goody Two Shoes and the impatient type, I would buy it or order it there and then, whateve the price.

But that was unlike many/most of Maplins customers would then go home and Google it anf get it a few pounds cheaper.

Now Maplins has gone and the source of infomation.

Progress?

 

[busbuddy]

If you still want tyres and tubes, try Tredz, online. Quick delivery and reasonable price. Based in Wales but no call centre contact required. Boyo.

Didn't halfords buy tredz many years ago

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[MisterB]

Can you please post a link to such YouTubers? I like what you suggest they do.

Just search on YouTube for scammers scammed or scammer payback etc lots of videos, often quite lengthy

 

[Jonny1953]

I find it really difficult to understand what some of these people in call centres are saying, last week I got through to one in Newcastle,,,,,

 

[RandallC]

Got to have the 'chitty' otherwise you'd not get past any storeman.

Back in CEGB days a colleague wanted to look at a stores shelf to check if he had the right store commodity code and if there were any other spares adjacent that he hadn't managed to identify from the catalogue.

Response to the request was NO, need a stores chitty for what you want!

So back to the foreman and returns to the stores with a hand full of requisitions and stores return notes.

So the process started can I have... requisition note, storeman goes away and comes back with an item, colleague says no that's not it here is a return to store note, please put it back. Few mins later storeman is back and has another req chit in his hand, off he goes picks up the requested item, colleague says no that's not it here is a returns note.

After a few of these the storeman says come in and have a look Colleague says we could have done that when I asked 45mins ago, NO THANKS here is the next requisition!!!

Can advise stores access to check stock wasn't much of an issue after.

 

[TDub49]

Oh the irony. Shop's a mile away but you 'phone the customer services line, presumably to avoid a wasted journey, only to be given the wrong info and make the wasted journey anyway. Personally I would have ordered them on click'n'collect which should have told you whether they were in stock in that shop or not.

 

[Bustup15]

I find it really difficult to understand what some of these people in call centres are saying, last week I got through to one in Newcastle,,,,,

Careful Marra

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Two on Tour]

Personally I would have ordered them on click'n'collect which should have told you whether they were in stock in that shop or not.

That's no guarantee, as three or four years ago I went to B&Q to get a length of wooden molding shown online as in stock only to find there were none when I got there, a round trip of 14 miles wasted.
A few months later, B&Q was the only outlet showing stock of a particular colour of spray paint I needed. Having been caught out the previous time, I rang the local B&Q that was showing six cans in stock, and asked them to physically check the amount stated online was in fact there having explained my previous wasted journey. A few minutes later the phone is picked up and the voice says yes six cans that colour on the rack.
Did a Click and Collect for the two cans I wanted and an hour or so later off I toddle to B&Q only to find my order not ready because none of the six cans of paint were on the rack as physically check, yeah right.
Off to customer service and a session of teddy throwing and demanding to have the store manager in front of me for a dressing down, and he got one. Another round trip of 14 miles wasted.
Guess where I will not be going or ordering from ever again.