Lousy service from sea-screw

I agree, the 'marine industry' is renowned for its shocking standards of service; incompetence and arrogance are rife. I am frequently tempted to establish my own brokerage/chandlery/marina, but I have turned a hobby into a profession once before, and am disinclined to do so again.
 
I think OP was a bit harsh - after all he did have next day delivery, just not on everything /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif and I am assuming he would not be charged for the later 2nd delivery.

Again, giving the benefit of the doubt to the retailer /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I assume his systems did not tell him he was talking to a customer who had spent £5/6k in recent years. A lesson their /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif........given all that I too would have better things to do than discuss a postage refund.


But my pet hate with retailers / suppliers is the expectation that I will fit into their systems / requirements that are designed to make their life easier / more efficient / profitable and not mine - whilst I do understand that folk are in business to make a profit not to provide a social service - as a customer I do have my limits in patience and willingness to inconveniance myself - especially when front desk point of contact is a numpty.
 
Interpretation on any set of events as a third party is a hard call.
In this case the cutomer required all his goods, as he was taking them outside the country.
Jfm's call on events will be well heeded, as he is a repected member on this forum.

For any successful marine retailer in the a competitive environment, customer service/satisfaction is a huge part of the business.
When things get tight, buying trinkets for your luxury items are the first things to suffer.
At best you could say the guy was having a bad day, but when you have to shout over your clients opinions, time to take a good long look at yourself.
Its about careful negotiation, compromise and communication.
 
I would not care if they got round to doing a bad job. Mostly they dont get around to doing a job at all. The mechanic went through all the things he did not bother with., thats the last I heard of him since giving him the job. One asked conformation that I did not require anodes on the props after i'd asked ten times that anodes were on the props, then said the boat would be in the water Monday. LuckilyI rang the marina. To be told it was stuck behind 9 boats and no chance..
I asked one to make sure it was plugged in, to protect it from frost. The second said he was not qualified to plug lectric in. The third., dunno but had a hell of a job starting engines, the batteries were flat.
 
That would irritate me too.

Once happened with some wine - got the debit off the card next day and delv. (short) following week .

Said this is like paying the restaurant bill before the starter arrives. Not even a very sorry.

Voted with my feet like you have.


Silly silly.
 
I think you are being a little harsh. OK they made a mistake and should have phoned you with an explination before the goods were sent out which you would possibly have accepted. His atitude sucks on the phone. It sounds to me like the actions of someone very stressed out. I once had bad service from a company and aired it in this forum. All was sorted out amicabily and I felt a bit sick at the thought of the damage I could have done.
 
That's funny, I had exactly the same type of conversation with Lloyds tsb manager yesterday over a dispute, so as I was in Halfords I put him on loudspeaker. If only he could hear himself /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
When I was an estate agent, and therefore "piggy in the middle" between two battling parties, I would sometimes tell a seller/buyer who was arguing with me, or complaining about something, that:

"None of this is my fault! I am trying very hard to help you, but if you dont stop shouting at me, I'll put the phone down, and then nobody will be helping you"

I was careful when I used the tactic, and it usually stopped them in their tracks, calmed the situation and helped them to realise that we were doing our best for them.

Not really applicable to the original post, but something that is occasionally necessary.

(waiting for floodgates /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif )
 
I ordered a £500 part from a UK distributor, part made in Denmark, had to be got in from Denmark. Later in the day I remembered I also wanted a £4 part. Asked the agent to add it to the earlier order. "Sorry, no can do, will have to be another order, minimum order cost £30. But I have the part here in my hand, I don't have to get it in from Denmark, I can send it straight away".

Now if that was my company, I think I'd have just thrown in the £4 part for free considering a customer had just spent £500.

Strange business.
 
As explained to me by a hotel manager of a Welsh hotel that I recently stayed in when I complained about his high prices, lousy rooms and rotten service "...the Welsh don't do service"
 
Just had a bad experience this morning in a Chichester Chadlers (no, not the one on the Marina)

Served by a total waste of space who was complaining about his hangover.

He could not find any record of the item my husband had ordered two weeks ago and was muttering about how he hated working there

When asked if he had the two lifejackets that I also required he answered that if his Manager was not so crap then they would have them.

We spent almost £1,000 there last week on a new liferaft, flares and lifejackets. We were served by the same guy who could not have cared less if we purchased there or not. I will not be back.

When I got back to the boat I was biting my own bum in anger. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

How do these people hang onto their jobs?

May
xx
 
Putting aside the telephone conversation does the event amount to terrible service?

Amazon do the same every day except they have a tickbox for "dispatch my items as they become available". Perhaps the retailer thought he was doing you a favour by expressing the part order.

As to internet stock levels, even Amazon do not quote off guaranteed stock levels so expecting a small time operator to maintain live stock levels is an unreasonable expectation.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
"When I got back to the boat I was biting my own bum"

[/ QUOTE ] I wish I could do that.

....But I don't suppose May would let me.

Boom! Ker-tish; Ithenkyow! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

You are most welcome - just pop your teeth out first /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

May
xx
 
[ QUOTE ]
Just had a bad experience this morning in a Chichester Chadlers (no, not the one on the Marina)

Served by a total waste of space who was complaining about his hangover.

He could not find any record of the item my husband had ordered two weeks ago and was muttering about how he hated working there

When asked if he had the two lifejackets that I also required he answered that if his Manager was not so crap then they would have them.

We spent almost £1,000 there last week on a new liferaft, flares and lifejackets. We were served by the same guy who could not have cared less if we purchased there or not. I will not be back.

When I got back to the boat I was biting my own bum in anger. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

How do these people hang onto their jobs?

May
xx

[/ QUOTE ]

If this is the one a little way north of the marina I had a similar problem collecting a signal flag for a 'government organisation'. Cost was around £10.00 - we had also spent a lot of money in there over the past few months - let alone in previous years.

It would have been quicker and easier to make one myself! Despite the fact it had been paid for, a copy of the invoice faxed from the office wasn't sufficient proof that I was who I said I was (despite the uniform) not that we did not owe any money for it. In the end the only way out was for me to buy it and claim fro it in expenses!

W.
 
I'm having a similar time trying to get my outdrives serviced........ Please let Richard Branson open a marine service centre, or any other bugger that actually gives a toss!
 
Sneds,

You are obviously not a subscriber to Mr Branson's 'media' company (email and internet).

I am, to my continuous disappointment.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top