Recently I have read a number of complaints about the lack of real people at the end of customer care phone lines. Initially I thought these complaints probably stemmed from the "perpetual complainer" type of person, but I have found in my case that they are indeed very genuine complaints.
Let me explain. For a goodly number of years we have used Virgin Media to supply our broadband, telephone line and TV signals, and all has been more or less satisfactory. Today however, when selecting catch up to watch a TV programme I had missed on the previous day, things were not working according to the usual procedure, which is:-
On the Virgin Media zapper select "Home" followed by "Catch Up" followed by Channel/Day/Programme Title, then press select and play, and by the magic of Virgin Media Catch Up there is your selected programme playing back for you. But not today! After pressing play I got a box up which asked me to put in my 4 digit code, before I could watch the programme. As I have never come across this request (or for that matter a four digit code) I looked for help on the zapper. It gave me various selections, none of which gave me a four digit code. It also gave me a phone number to contact. When I dialled this I went through interminable choose 1 for...2 for... 3 for...etc, and I was finally asked to press the third digit of my password. "What password" I thought to myself - I've never come across a password, so once again I consulted the pre recorded voice to be regaled with press one for... two for... three for... etc etc ad nauseum and a final request for my four digit number (You may remember that this is what I was trying to find originally!)
No matter what I tried I was met by pre recorded voice, In desperation I called 118180 which is the Virgin Media telephone enquiry number and again after meeting a press one for... two for... I eventually got through to a real live person, who gave me three numbers I might like to try. I tried the first one, and guess what? I was back with the original pre recorded message.
Virgin Media Customer Care? Don't give me that Bull..it - its more like customer confusion!!
Monday 27 February 2017
Wednesday 22 February 2017
Holidays and Ferry Bookings All Done
It may seem a long time in advance, but I have just completed booking our Late Summer Holidays. I call them "Late Summer Holidays" because they usually start in September. Being involved in the "wedding trade" - (I am an organist at a local church) I usually wait until the wedding season has come to a close, so as not to disappoint any would be brides! The end of the season is usually around late September - hence our holidays usually starting then.
I found last year that our planned three weeks - a week in Dumfries and Galloway, followed by a week on the Isle of Arran, followed by a week in Northumberland, were difficult to arrange due, in the main, to the fact that we always take our chocolate labrador with us, so we go self catering. This means we have to book places which accept pets. For a goodly number of years we have used the same places, but last year one of them was not available during the week I needed it, however we were lucky to find another self catering establishment in the area which took pets and was available.
It can be a bit of a logistical nightmare as we also have to book a ferry on and off the Isle of Arran, which must fit in with our self catering bookings too. So this year I have booked very early and managed to get all three self catering establishments booked and the ferry booking all fitting in with our holiday plans!
My deputy organist usually takes his holidays after our holidays, but seeing that our holidays have been booked later this year, it may well be that I have to search for a replacement organist to cover for me during my holidays, and as my deputy says, finding a replacement organist is like trying to find hens teeth! So although the accommodation and ferry sailings are booked I may yet be searching for an organist!
I found last year that our planned three weeks - a week in Dumfries and Galloway, followed by a week on the Isle of Arran, followed by a week in Northumberland, were difficult to arrange due, in the main, to the fact that we always take our chocolate labrador with us, so we go self catering. This means we have to book places which accept pets. For a goodly number of years we have used the same places, but last year one of them was not available during the week I needed it, however we were lucky to find another self catering establishment in the area which took pets and was available.
It can be a bit of a logistical nightmare as we also have to book a ferry on and off the Isle of Arran, which must fit in with our self catering bookings too. So this year I have booked very early and managed to get all three self catering establishments booked and the ferry booking all fitting in with our holiday plans!
My deputy organist usually takes his holidays after our holidays, but seeing that our holidays have been booked later this year, it may well be that I have to search for a replacement organist to cover for me during my holidays, and as my deputy says, finding a replacement organist is like trying to find hens teeth! So although the accommodation and ferry sailings are booked I may yet be searching for an organist!
Thursday 2 February 2017
Sir Ken Morrison - A True Yorkshirman
The news broke yesterday that Sir Ken Morrison the head of the Wm. Morrison Supermarket group had died aged 85.
I have a very slight personal interest in Sir Ken, as my wife nursed one of his relatives, and we got to know some of the family as a result. Like Sir Ken, they were unassuming, gentle and kindly people.
Sir Ken began working for his father, at the age of nine, on the family run eggs and butter market stall they had in Bradford market. One of his jobs was checking the eggs against a light. From these humble beginnings he grew the company into the 4th largest supermarket in the UK. He returned from National Service in 1952 to run the family business, which he didn't want to see sold.
His success was due, in the main, to his honest, sincere and humble approach to both his staff and his customers. The floor cleaner was treated by him in exactly the same way as the managers and office staff. He always kept his "feet on the ground" and was known to visit his stores as a "customer". He was known to have turned off lights that had been left on, check waste bins to see if any unnecessary food had been thrown out and also help stock the shelves! He had even been seen tidying up the shelves in rival supermarkets!
He had what some would call old fashioned views on many things. When asked if he would consider the appointment of management consultants, his reply was typical (and forthright) - "If you don't know how to run your own business it's time to give up isn't it?"
Ken was an outspoken Yorkshireman. After the 2010 appointment of Dalton Phillips as the CEO, at which Ken was not happy, he kept a careful eye on the company goings on, and forecast that things were not looking good for the company under Dalton Phillips direction. His predictions were correct and the company began loosing market share and for the first time forecast negative results.
At the AGM in 2014, Ken showed his mettle when he squared up to Dalton Phillips with this comment....
"When I left work, and started working as a hobby, I chose to raise cattle. I have something like 1,000 bullocks, and having listened to your presentation, Dalton, you have a lot more bulls**t than me!"
The following year David Potts was appointed as CEO and the company has been successfully turned around and in 2017 announced the best festive results in seven years.
I am sure Sir Ken would have been delighted at those results.
I have a very slight personal interest in Sir Ken, as my wife nursed one of his relatives, and we got to know some of the family as a result. Like Sir Ken, they were unassuming, gentle and kindly people.
Sir Ken began working for his father, at the age of nine, on the family run eggs and butter market stall they had in Bradford market. One of his jobs was checking the eggs against a light. From these humble beginnings he grew the company into the 4th largest supermarket in the UK. He returned from National Service in 1952 to run the family business, which he didn't want to see sold.
His success was due, in the main, to his honest, sincere and humble approach to both his staff and his customers. The floor cleaner was treated by him in exactly the same way as the managers and office staff. He always kept his "feet on the ground" and was known to visit his stores as a "customer". He was known to have turned off lights that had been left on, check waste bins to see if any unnecessary food had been thrown out and also help stock the shelves! He had even been seen tidying up the shelves in rival supermarkets!
He had what some would call old fashioned views on many things. When asked if he would consider the appointment of management consultants, his reply was typical (and forthright) - "If you don't know how to run your own business it's time to give up isn't it?"
Ken was an outspoken Yorkshireman. After the 2010 appointment of Dalton Phillips as the CEO, at which Ken was not happy, he kept a careful eye on the company goings on, and forecast that things were not looking good for the company under Dalton Phillips direction. His predictions were correct and the company began loosing market share and for the first time forecast negative results.
At the AGM in 2014, Ken showed his mettle when he squared up to Dalton Phillips with this comment....
"When I left work, and started working as a hobby, I chose to raise cattle. I have something like 1,000 bullocks, and having listened to your presentation, Dalton, you have a lot more bulls**t than me!"
The following year David Potts was appointed as CEO and the company has been successfully turned around and in 2017 announced the best festive results in seven years.
I am sure Sir Ken would have been delighted at those results.
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