Companies Using "Because of COVID" As An Excuse For Poor Service

[duncanp]

Saw this article on the Telegraph website and thought it rings true.

Many companies are using COVID-19 as an excuse for poor customer service, or an excuse to do things that they would otherwise find difficult to get away with. Examples I can think of are banks accelerating branch closures, companies refusing to take cash and GP surgeries making everyone go through "telephone triage" before a doctor will be willing to see them.

The article makes the point that "because of COVID" may have been a valid excuse back in April, but all organisations have had time to adjust since then.

Anyone else care to add examples of their own?

I'm fed up with being fobbed off with the 'because of Covid' excuse for shoddy customer service

My patience is wearing particularly thin for large organisations with pots of money and customers who need them more now than ever

www.telegraph.co.uk

If two is a coincidence and three is a trend, the number of reports of companies unjustifiably blaming poor customer service on the pandemic must be something akin to a law of nature.

Our inboxes have been full of letters from readers who have been stalled, ignored or flat-out rejected in their pursuit of customer support by companies that blame coronavirus for their own shortcomings. Last week we reported that complaints about the DVLA had increased sevenfold after it removed the customer service email address from its website during the pandemic.

The problem has also come up repeatedly in the cases investigated by Katie Morley, our consumer champion, with one bathroom company going as far as to say an incorrect claim that it was a Which? Trusted Trader was down to a “coronavirus-related admin error”.

I’ve noticed it closer to home, too. When my parents’ Wi-Fi stopped working, my mum followed instructions from her internet provider to go through various online questionnaires, only to reach a dead end that asked her to phone a certain number. Once she got through to this number, it asked her to hang up unless she was vulnerable and try the online system, because of coronavirus.

She finally broke free of this frustrating cycle by phoning the company’s number for customers who wish to upgrade to a more expensive package. Needless to say, they picked up pretty quickly.

My husband had a similarly vexing experience when he tried to contact his mortgage lender – unfathomably long wait times, apparently because of the virus – and my brother has not yet received his refund from a cancelled skiing holiday, also because of coronavirus.

I have a large family, so I’ll spare you the rest of the anecdotes. Ultimately, though, they – and many of you – have all been let down by firms that cite Covid for poor performance with no good reason.

If we were two weeks into the first lockdown, I’d have more sympathy. In fact, in April I urged readers who were able to accept vouchers instead of cash refunds, for example, to do so and cut overwhelmed businesses some slack.

But more than seven months have passed since then. Companies have had plenty of time to adjust to their staff working from home or taking on fresh business in light of the pandemic. They should have no reason to remove contact information, limit call centre hours, force customers to endure long queues on the phone or deny help outright.

My patience is wearing particularly thin for large organisations with pots of money, plenty of resources and customers who need them more now than ever given that fraud is rising, the weather is worsening and money troubles show no sign of abating. I’m looking at you, banks, supermarkets, internet providers and energy firms.

Business is booming and none of your employees should be on furlough. If a shortage of staff is the problem, there are plenty of people out there looking for a job – 1.62 million, to be precise.

I doubt companies would take too kindly to their customers ignoring bills or refusing communication. They must stop using the pandemic as a get out of jail free card for shameful, sloppy service and step up to the plate at their customers’ time of need.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

It is the same in the USA. It makes me want to scream when I get fobbed off with “ well it’s because of COVID “.

 

[Mag_seven]

What gets me are companies that state they cannot provide a full service because their staff are "working from home". If that's the case then they shouldn't really be working from home should they?

 

[ScottGallagher]

I had a bizarre refusal in Dominos the other day, I was handed my order which is obviously in cardboard packaging. However when i asked for a receipt I was told absolutely not because of Covid as it's paper. After a bit of discussion I was told just this once...

Is this what we have now become...

 

[NSEFAN]

I saw this on twitter earlier this year. Eurostar claiming that they couldn't offer WiFi in all classes due to COVID. Perhaps the virus has transferred from people to machines!?

 

[bramling]

What gets me are companies that state they cannot provide a full service because their staff are "working from home". If that's the case then they shouldn't really be working from home should they?

That’s a favourite one, yet we hear how people are allegedly so productive when at home.

My place has the same with those shielding. No reason at all why they couldn’t have been given a laptop and phone to do at least a proportion of their workload from home, yet instead the decision was taken to furlough them. I’m not sure that’s what the furlough scheme was intended for.

I’m open to correction if I’ve missed something, however was there any point in time where the advice was ever more than work from home *if you can*? Even during the height of the first lockdown I think that was the case?

 

[Bantamzen]

I saw this on twitter earlier this year. Eurostar claiming that they couldn't offer WiFi in all classes due to COVID. Perhaps the virus has transferred from people to humans!?

This wins both the thread and the internet for the "Best Worst Excuse 'Because Covid'".

 

[bramling]

This wins both the thread and the internet for the "Best Worst Excuse 'Because Covid'".

Covid is now the standard excuse for anything that a company can’t, won’t or doesn’t want to do.

My local bank branch is still running severely reduced opening hours, for which I’ve yet to receive a convincing explanation.

 

[Bantamzen]

Covid is now the standard excuse for anything that a company can’t, won’t or doesn’t want to do.

My local bank branch is still running severely reduced opening hours, for which I’ve yet to receive a convincing explanation.

I tried it a bit back on a work's kit.

"Why isn't that code ready yet?"
"Because Covid!"
"<unrepeatable phrases>"

 

[Horizon22]

Covid is now the standard excuse for anything that a company can’t, won’t or doesn’t want to do.

My local bank branch is still running severely reduced opening hours, for which I’ve yet to receive a convincing explanation.

The only explanations I can think of are a shortage of staff due to shielding or sickness, but even this seems flimsy. For instance, I noticed at my local Natwest they went pretty much overnight from a 9-5 operation to 10-3.

 

[greyman42]

Yesterday i visited the branch of RBS bank in York to deposit a significant amount of cash. They were not even letting customers through the door so what was the point of it even being open?
PS; the cash point outside does not accept deposits.

 

[duncanp]

Yesterday i visited the branch of RBS bank in York to deposit a significant amount of cash. They were not even letting customers through the door so what was the point of it even being open?
PS; the cash point outside does not accept deposits.

That is no way to treat customers.

I would think about changing my bank if were you (I also bank with RBS) but on the other hand it seems that all banks treat their customers like something they have just trodden in.

 

[Spamcan81]

Covid is now the standard excuse for anything that a company can’t, won’t or doesn’t want to do.

My local bank branch is still running severely reduced opening hours, for which I’ve yet to receive a convincing explanation.

I bank at locally at both HSBC and Barclays. Both have declared themselves Covid compliant yet HSBC is pretty much normal service whereas Barclays is much reduced (because of Covid).

 

[DB]

Banks will be loving this - for years they've been trying to cajole people into using online services so they can close physical branches, and this has given them a golden opportunity to up the pressure: by reducing the opening hours to times which are useless for many people, and having queueing systems which mean a visit to the bank will take ages, they are clearly hoping to push more people into online banking.

There's logically no reason why a bank should be any more problematic than any type of shop. Less, in fact, as they don't tend to have so many people in at once, and in many cases there are already screens between staff and customers. They are just using it as an excuse.

 

[bramling]

I bank at locally at both HSBC and Barclays. Both have declared themselves Covid compliant yet HSBC is pretty much normal service whereas Barclays is much reduced (because of Covid).

Mine is HSBC. My branch is still on heavily restricted hours and a pretty unpleasant experience.

Having said that, when I was down there a couple of weeks ago to withdraw a sum of cash, (after the Covid lecture) I went straight in and had the place to myself, which is practically unheard of there. If their strategy is to annoy customers to the point of deterrence then perhaps it’s working.

 

[317666]

Since March, my local sorting office has only been open two hours a day most days of the week. Apparently making everyone who has a parcel to collect turn up at once is 'keeping us safe'.

 

[DB]

Since March, my local sorting office has only been open two hours a day most days of the week. Apparently making everyone who has a parcel to collect turn up at once is 'keeping us safe'.

Same with the one here (plus one evening, but one day it's not open at all).

 

[Bikeman78]

Yesterday i visited the branch of RBS bank in York to deposit a significant amount of cash. They were not even letting customers through the door so what was the point of it even being open?
PS; the cash point outside does not accept deposits.

Back In April I went to pay in a cheque (remember those?) from British Gas. It's funny how they can take exactly the right amount from my account automatically every month but when they have to pay me, the only option is a cheque. Anyway, the bank wouldn't let anyone in and was asking people "do you really need the money?" Bearing in mind there was no clue at that time about the lifting of restrictions, this wasn't very helpful. Eventually I was presented with an envelope and a paying in slip and asked to post it through the letterbox.

 

[sheff1]

A local bank would not let me in to an empty branch to use the cash machine "because of covid". A strongly worded complaint resulted in a £50 payment for "the inconvenience".

After the refusal at the first bank I went to another 100 yards away. The person at the door welcomed me in and asked if I needed any assistance with using the machine.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Restricted use of cash for purchases - cash is "dirty".; cash carries the virus

But then how many retail outlets actually sanitise their card machines? Not all cards are contactless

I visited a shop the other day and the woman worker suddenly rushed to the door in absolute terror, waving her arms and whimpering "you can't come in...you can't enter the shop". As I turned and walked out, she winced "but you can order online". I continued walking

 

[LAX54]

What gets me are companies that state they cannot provide a full service because their staff are "working from home". If that's the case then they shouldn't really be working from home should they?

Very VERY annoying ! more and more are trotting out this 'excuse', citing that they are obeying guidlines by telling staff to work from home, but more likely it's cheaper for them to have staff at home (and no doubt, not insured !)
If you cannot give the service that is expected by being 'at home', then go to bloody work !

Covid is now the standard excuse for anything that a company can’t, won’t or doesn’t want to do.

My local bank branch is still running severely reduced opening hours, for which I’ve yet to receive a convincing explanation.

One of our local P.O's has reduced it;s hours due to COVID from Mon - Sat 0900 to 1800 (same as the shop) to Mon 0900 to 1700 and rest of the week 1000 to 1400
The Bank in the local Town has also vastly reduced hours, opening later, closing earlier, with a long line of people everyday waiting to get in due to 'reduced capacity due to Covid'

 

[GRALISTAIR]

A local bank would not let me in to an empty branch to use the cash machine "because of covid". A strongly worded complaint resulted in a £50 payment for "the inconvenience".

After the refusal at the first bank I went to another 100 yards away. The person at the door welcomed me in and asked if I needed any assistance with using the machine.

Lordy Lordy - disgusting

 

[LAX54]

Restricted use of cash for purchases - cash is "dirty".; cash carries the virus

But then how many retail outlets actually sanitise their card machines? Not all cards are contactless

I visited a shop the other day and the woman worker suddenly rushed to the door in absolute terror, waving her arms and whimpering "you can't come in...you can't enter the shop". As I turned and walked out, she winced "but you can order online". I continued walking

If you go into WILKO they have self scan, but you have to use the hand held scanner, yet nowhere in sight is anyone cleaning them, or even thinking of cleaning them !

 

[Crossover]

I'll call it a company because they are privately run, I believe, but our local tip aren't accepting a variety of things "cos of Covid" (or at least weren't the last time I tried!)

 

[Bikeman78]

Restricted use of cash for purchases - cash is "dirty".; cash carries the virus

The cash thing is loopy. Imagine a customer going round a supermarket. They touch every item they put in their trolley. They touch every item a second time when they get to the checkout. The cashier then handles every item before the customer touches them for the third time whilst putting them into bags. Yet somehow handing over a load of coins and notes is the dangerous part.

 

[Kite159]

Restricted use of cash for purchases - cash is "dirty".; cash carries the virus

But then how many retail outlets actually sanitise their card machines? Not all cards are contactless

I visited a shop the other day and the woman worker suddenly rushed to the door in absolute terror, waving her arms and whimpering "you can't come in...you can't enter the shop". As I turned and walked out, she winced "but you can order online". I continued walking

Although that might be down to lockdown in England (assuming you are in England) where some "Non-Essential" shops can only open for click & collect orders only. Still an overreaction.

 

[Skimpot flyer]

Covid is now the standard excuse for anything that a company can’t, won’t or doesn’t want to do.

My local bank branch is still running severely reduced opening hours, for which I’ve yet to receive a convincing explanation.

Perhaps they will use the ‘low passenger numbers’ ruse so beloved of Dr Beeching.
They’ll soon put up a sign saying

‘We are sorry to announce that due to the much-reduced usage of our banking services at this location, we have taken the decision to close your local AnyBank. You may still, however, access your favourite banking service at our branch in Kidyamister, only 40 miles from here’

 

[duncanp]

This happened at my local branch of TSB.

They put up a sign saying that the branch was closed "due to COVID", but they were going to close it anyway.(permanently)

All signage has now been removed, and the cashpoint machines closed.

 

[jtuk]

Funny how people are going on about banks, specifically about branches - do people (individuals) really still use them often enough that they are a viable service? I moved to first direct several years ago and haven't needed to use a branch since, and their support is second to none - across all sectors, not just banks.

By contrast, 3's service was so terrible that they lost a customer and then lost three month's worth of revenue in compensation after my complaint won at ombudsman level, then again I have no base level to compare it with - although I guess it was much better pre Covid

 

[Skimpot flyer]

Virgin Mobile’s internet portal was inaccessible for several days this week, stating they were doing routine maintenance, and advised calling them via 789 on your existing mobile handset.
When I got through, there was a long wait forecast, as ‘due to social distancing, we have fewer people in the office’. So they advised using their texting service, for a faster response.
Ok, thinks me, I’ll give that a try.
First message back from it confirmed my enquiry had been logged, but it could be up to 24 hours before an ‘agent’ contacted me.
Furious, I advised that if I wasn’t getting the phone service I pay for, my direct debit would be cancelled by me in one hour (I keep an old PAYG mobile in reserve for emergencies, so not a bluff on my part)
Received a response in under 15 minutes, and got the issue resolved