One benefit of the recession - better staff!

[XmisterIS]

I've noticed over the last six months or so that the intelligence, care and service provided by helpline and in-store staff seems to have increased. I've just spoken to someone in a call centre who seems to actually care about what they do, sounded intelligent, I needed to tell her only once what I required and she sorted it out perfectly. This seems to be becoming more common and I reckon its the result of jobs being harder to come by, so companies now have the luxury of employing a better standard of applicant. It certainly makes a change from the "computer says no" response that we've become used to!

 

[swee'pea99]

I had to pay an expired MOT fine over the phone yesterday, and the woman who took my details couldn't have been nicer or more efficient. She all but apologised!

 

[Archie_tect]

Fine? How far over time was the MOT? ... just asking, no particular reason...

 

[swee'pea99]

10 days. My wife had it done early last year, which we've done before, and they add the 'left over' from the old MOT to the new one. Except - and we didn't know this - if you have it done *more than* one month early, in which case, no leftovers - it runs from the new MOT date for 12 months.

 

[Archie_tect]

How much was the fine- and how did they know to issue it to you?

Seems a bit harsh!

 

[swee'pea99]

£60. We weren't thrilled.

It was actually quite funny - with an edge, of course.

We were on holiday, with friends, heading down to the beach in convoy, us in front. I noticed the cop car in the layby as we went by, but thought nothing of it. A couple of minutes later I registered the blues 'n twos, and, seeing a convenient layby (it was a narrow road) pulled in to let them pass. Our friends pulled in behind us, and the cop car in between our cars. Which was when I realised it was them who'd been stopped.

According to my friend driving the other car, the cop came up to the window and said "I've stopped you because you are apparently driving with no valid MOT. Funnily enough, there was another car from London with an expired MOT just ahead of you. Oh, there it is!"

We thought it was a bit harsh too - we explained the situation, and it's not like we were deliberately evading the law. A warning would have worked as well as a ticket. But they say ignorance is no defence, which in law is true. We'll know next time.

Oh - and how did they know? Computers, I guess. And cops in rural districts with time to kill.

 

[ColinJ]

I've noticed over the last six months or so that the intelligence, care and service provided by helpline and in-store staff seems to have increased.

Hmm, not in my family's experience ...!

My mum died at the end of last year and my sister was handling her estate. She phoned up an organisation:

"Hello, I am the daughter of the late Mrs. J. She died recently and I need to close her account."

"Sorry, you need to put your mother on the phone. Data protection - I can't discuss her account with you!"

"I just told you - she is dead!"

"Get your mother to phone us herself!"

"She is dead!"

"It's the law, we can't ..."

"SHE IS DEAD - SHE CAN'T SPEAK TO ANYBODY!"

"I'm sorry, but you need to get her to talk to us ..."

 

[GrumpyGregry]

[quote name='swee'pea99' timestamp='1309867502' post='1735461']Oh - and how did they know? Computers, I guess. And cops in rural districts with time to kill.

[/quote]


Numberplate recognition cameras linked via the cars computer to a central database. I'd have them on every traffic light in the country. The correlation between no MoT and no insurance policy being held is huge.

And you know that your insurers could have washed their hands of you if you had an accident whilst not having a valid MoT?

He let you off lightly. He could have siezed the car.

 

[davefb]

Hmm, not in my family's experience ...!

My mum died at the end of last year and my sister was handling her estate. She phoned up an organisation:

"Hello, I am the daughter of the late Mrs. J. She died recently and I need to close her account."

"Sorry, you need to put your mother on the phone. Data protection - I can't discuss her account with you!"

"I just told you - she is dead!"

"Get your mother to phone us herself!"

"She is dead!"

"It's the law, we can't ..."

"SHE IS DEAD - SHE CAN'T SPEAK TO ANYBODY!"

"I'm sorry, but you need to get her to talk to us ..."

a--holes... my mum remarried a widower,, he'd not dealt with a lot of stuff like this (due partly to clowns like that)... it beggers belief how many people would give my mum the same stupid comments.. ( though not all, some actually knew what you do). Still goes on as well something like 20yrs later....

tbh, i'd be 'MANAGER NOW'.... clueless insensitive cretins....

 

[coffeejo]

Hmm, not in my family's experience ...!

My mum died at the end of last year and my sister was handling her estate. She phoned up an organisation:

"Hello, I am the daughter of the late Mrs. J. She died recently and I need to close her account."

"Sorry, you need to put your mother on the phone. Data protection - I can't discuss her account with you!"

"I just told you - she is dead!"

"Get your mother to phone us herself!"

"She is dead!"

"It's the law, we can't ..."

"SHE IS DEAD - SHE CAN'T SPEAK TO ANYBODY!"

"I'm sorry, but you need to get her to talk to us ..."

Hope your sister put in a strongly worded complaint.

 

[MacB]

Hmm, not in my family's experience ...!

My mum died at the end of last year and my sister was handling her estate. She phoned up an organisation:

"Hello, I am the daughter of the late Mrs. J. She died recently and I need to close her account."

"Sorry, you need to put your mother on the phone. Data protection - I can't discuss her account with you!"

"I just told you - she is dead!"

"Get your mother to phone us herself!"

"She is dead!"

"It's the law, we can't ..."

"SHE IS DEAD - SHE CAN'T SPEAK TO ANYBODY!"

"I'm sorry, but you need to get her to talk to us ..."

That is classic Col, I dealt with most things after my brothers death and the majority couldn't have been more helpful, but for a few their security scripts obviously didn't cover that eventuality, but we got there....I now think myself lucky that I didn't have anyone quite as bad as that...think I'd have lost it big time

 

[Archie_tect]

Colin- Hope you got a suitable apology.

 

[ColinJ]

That is classic Col, I dealt with most things after my brothers death and the majority couldn't have been more helpful, but for a few their security scripts obviously didn't cover that eventuality, but we got there....I now think myself lucky that I didn't have anyone quite as bad as that...think I'd have lost it big time

She's been a star during a difficult time, but that conversation almost finished her off!

Obviously, even the thickest thicko must know that a dead person can't come to the phone. There are only three remaining explanations:

1. Mental health issues!
2. It was a sadistic wind-up.
3. The person was so bored with her job and so completely engrossed in texting her pal/reading Hello magazine/filing her nails/(whatever) that the meaning of the conversation was completely lost on her!

Then there was the case of the official at one office who couldn't deal with some legal paperwork for many weeks so my sister asked him to transfer the case to their Birmingham office, which could deal with it immediately.

(Sharp intake of breath) No, no, it couldn't be done without a specific request from the Birmingham office.

She phones the Birmingham office. No, no, that's tosh, they just send it to us and we will take over.

Phones the other office again and tells the man what the man in Birmingham said. No, no, can't be done ...

Phones Birmingham again, Brummy man says give me a minute ... he phones the man in the other office and tells him that he is an idiot and that he doesn't know the correct procedure - just get on with it!

She phones the original office again to make sure that progress is being made. No, no, I can't discuss the case any further - the Birmingham office had made an official request to take over so the paperwork has been sent to them!

 

[Norm]

He let you off lightly. He could have siezed the car.

+1 to this end the test of Greg's post. Aside from the potential safety issues, driving without an MOT invalidates your insurance. Although it is very easily done.

 

[ColinJ]

Colin - Hope you got a suitable apology.

TBH - there have been so many crap things happening since our mum died, that we got a bit swamped by them! I think that particular idiot got lost in the crowd.

I'd better not comment on some of the other situations, because we are having to take legal action over them!

Suffice to say that we have experienced the best and the worst in people. The behaviour of some people has been pretty shocking. The nice people have been lovely.

All this has made me realise that I need to get my affairs in order. You never know when one of my hilly forum rides might feature one 25% climb too many for my old heart!