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Why is poor service now the acceptable norm?

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    Why is poor service now the acceptable norm?

    People readily take your money or go to work expecting a wage, but fail to grasp someone may actually expect something in return.

    Everything I try to do seems to quickly become a thorn in my side. I am trying to start over again, write a product and market it.

    I need :

    Peace and quiet
    Shelter
    Electricity
    Internet access
    Chair and desk
    Sound(ish) mental health
    Someone to manage the letting of my 1 rental property.

    So far I spend most of my time either on the phone on hold, or writing emails because people just cannot be bothered.

    Problems thus far attributable to ineptitude and or apathy are :

    On the topic of the co working desk I signed a 6 month lease with Regus for :

    After 6 weeks the Internet access is still unreliable. I have one device connected via ethernet, but the WiFi is important to my needs.
    Their IT accounts system is a joke, and not a funny one. When I first joined they raised a whole bunch of invoices in error, which they immediately credited off. However, I still am getting late reminders and penalty charges for invoices that have credited. Its up to me to sit on hold all day. I don't have time.
    The capricious queen bee that runs the unit has taken a dislike to me daring to raise my head above the parapet and withdrawn any vestiges of good will or customer service.

    On the topic of mental health :

    I have been diagnosed with depression and general anxiety disorder. I was referred to an organisation called Total Wellbeing back in April. They eventually contacted me in July, and I attended 4 weekly hour and a half death by PowerPoint sessions on the fundamentals of cognitive behavioural therapy as their stage 1 offering. At the end of the 4 weeks my depression and anxiety had not greatly improved, and I was told I should progress to stage 3, face 2 face with a counsellor, and I would go on a waiting list, but for 2 weeks max.

    7 weeks later I got a call informing me I have been accepted onto stage 2, weekly 30 minute phone calls. I queried this as 7 weeks prior I was told in no more than 2 weeks I would go straight to stage 3. No, there was a misunderstanding and it was definitely stage 2.

    So a week ago last Tuesday I had my first stage 2 call, scheduled for 30 minutes. 50 minutes into the call the counsellor tells me I am not appropriate for stage 2, and she will be speaking with her team leader to get me referred to stage 3. This will involve going back on the waiting list, for a maximum of 4 months, but it is taken from the date of first referral so you don't lose any time. I couldn't help myself, I had to point out I was referred 5 months ago. I was promised a call a week ago today to confirm my place on this waiting list. Yep, still waiting. I will chase, but I've been a bit busy looking for a new office with working WiFi.

    On the topic of the managed letting

    The letting agent hadn't been carrying out periodic property inspections, as they are contracted to and requested in writing by me to do. It turns out the dotty old pensioners couple that moved in 2 years ago are, in spite of the let being no smoking, party animals the likes of which would shock Keith Moon. The recently vacated property is yellow inside, stinks like someone died in there and all the carpets are destroyed from wine spills, fag burns and smoke. My request is that they accept some responsibility for not conducting the house inspections and contribute to the repairs. So far I am locked in a battle of wits with seemingly junior customer service agents, and sending emails repeating myself and waiting for the complaints procedure to conclude so I can kick it up to the Ombudsmann. So far they have refused to accept any liability, and their good will only extends to £75. They are also keen to hand the deposit back to the ex tenants.

    So what little war chest I have will be depleted spending the time I should be cutting code and being entrapreneurial in dealing with apathetic companies. And any hopes of getting a contract to tide me over seem pretty remote because the contracting sector is folding up in this country thanks to the unfettered ultra vires actions of the seemingly unaccountable HMRC and their cretinous IR35 reforms.

    Depressing, innit.

    Sent from my CLT-L09 using Contractor UK Forum mobile app
    Knock first as I might be balancing my chakras.

    #2
    I hope things get better for you
    Growing old is mandatory
    Growing up is optional

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by suityou01 View Post
      People readily take your money or go to work expecting a wage, but fail to grasp someone may actually expect something in return.

      Everything I try to do seems to quickly become a thorn in my side. I am trying to start over again, write a product and market it.

      I need :

      Peace and quiet
      Shelter
      Electricity
      Internet access
      Chair and desk
      Sound(ish) mental health
      Someone to manage the letting of my 1 rental property.

      So far I spend most of my time either on the phone on hold, or writing emails because people just cannot be bothered.

      Problems thus far attributable to ineptitude and or apathy are :

      On the topic of the co working desk I signed a 6 month lease with Regus for :

      After 6 weeks the Internet access is still unreliable. I have one device connected via ethernet, but the WiFi is important to my needs.
      Their IT accounts system is a joke, and not a funny one. When I first joined they raised a whole bunch of invoices in error, which they immediately credited off. However, I still am getting late reminders and penalty charges for invoices that have credited. Its up to me to sit on hold all day. I don't have time.
      The capricious queen bee that runs the unit has taken a dislike to me daring to raise my head above the parapet and withdrawn any vestiges of good will or customer service.

      On the topic of mental health :

      I have been diagnosed with depression and general anxiety disorder. I was referred to an organisation called Total Wellbeing back in April. They eventually contacted me in July, and I attended 4 weekly hour and a half death by PowerPoint sessions on the fundamentals of cognitive behavioural therapy as their stage 1 offering. At the end of the 4 weeks my depression and anxiety had not greatly improved, and I was told I should progress to stage 3, face 2 face with a counsellor, and I would go on a waiting list, but for 2 weeks max.

      7 weeks later I got a call informing me I have been accepted onto stage 2, weekly 30 minute phone calls. I queried this as 7 weeks prior I was told in no more than 2 weeks I would go straight to stage 3. No, there was a misunderstanding and it was definitely stage 2.

      So a week ago last Tuesday I had my first stage 2 call, scheduled for 30 minutes. 50 minutes into the call the counsellor tells me I am not appropriate for stage 2, and she will be speaking with her team leader to get me referred to stage 3. This will involve going back on the waiting list, for a maximum of 4 months, but it is taken from the date of first referral so you don't lose any time. I couldn't help myself, I had to point out I was referred 5 months ago. I was promised a call a week ago today to confirm my place on this waiting list. Yep, still waiting. I will chase, but I've been a bit busy looking for a new office with working WiFi.

      On the topic of the managed letting

      The letting agent hadn't been carrying out periodic property inspections, as they are contracted to and requested in writing by me to do. It turns out the dotty old pensioners couple that moved in 2 years ago are, in spite of the let being no smoking, party animals the likes of which would shock Keith Moon. The recently vacated property is yellow inside, stinks like someone died in there and all the carpets are destroyed from wine spills, fag burns and smoke. My request is that they accept some responsibility for not conducting the house inspections and contribute to the repairs. So far I am locked in a battle of wits with seemingly junior customer service agents, and sending emails repeating myself and waiting for the complaints procedure to conclude so I can kick it up to the Ombudsmann. So far they have refused to accept any liability, and their good will only extends to £75. They are also keen to hand the deposit back to the ex tenants.

      So what little war chest I have will be depleted spending the time I should be cutting code and being entrapreneurial in dealing with apathetic companies. And any hopes of getting a contract to tide me over seem pretty remote because the contracting sector is folding up in this country thanks to the unfettered ultra vires actions of the seemingly unaccountable HMRC and their cretinous IR35 reforms.

      Depressing, innit.

      Sent from my CLT-L09 using Contractor UK Forum mobile app
      It's only when you move abroad that you realise what a 2nd rate country the UK has become.
      I think its because the latest generation of Brits have had an appalling education.
      Hard Brexit now!
      #prayfornodeal

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by sasguru View Post
        It's only when you move abroad that you realise what a 2nd rate country the UK has become.
        I think its because the latest generation of Brits have had an appalling education.
        Knock first as I might be balancing my chakras.

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by suityou01 View Post
          Sent from my CLT-L09 using Contractor UK Forum mobile app
          Mate, you typed that on your phone? Have a word...
          ---

          Former member of IPSE.


          ---
          Many a mickle makes a muckle.

          ---

          Comment


            #6
            Yeh, whole country going tits up, everything crap is on the rise, violent crime (London news, stab, stab, shoot, stab), mental health problems, self harm, domestic abuse, traffic jams, time to sell a property, destruction of countryside, waiting times for doctors or to get any sort of help, pointless form filling...

            Good luck with the depression thing. Fortunately it does tend to go away in the end regardless of how crap the help is. Just keep going as normally as possible but without pressuring yourself.

            PS Sounds like my brother lived in your flat.
            bloggoth

            If everything isn't black and white, I say, 'Why the hell not?'
            John Wayne (My guru, not to be confused with my beloved prophet Jeremy Clarkson)

            Comment


              #7
              Regis are a pile of steaming dogs do. I used to use them for ad hoc hot desking, never again. Awful outfit.

              Where are you based? There's a number of other places that are good, will PM you details if I know of one in your area.

              Hope you eventually get what you need to help with your mental health. There simply isn't enough invested in the service for it to truly be of help to people.

              Comment


                #8
                Sounds like the stress is causing you to focus on things that aren't productive to your current goals.


                So, give Regus notice, presuming the lease has a get out clause for sub-standard performance.

                Give your letting agent the shove, presuming your contract with them allows termination if they don't meet the inspection frequency requirements. Find a new agent when ready to re-let the property.

                Go and stay in your property, firstly to do it back up ready for re-letting, which will be a good stress reliever as you paint and clean the place up, secondly as a place to get away from it all and get down to work. Use a 4g mobile broadband wi-fi device to get internet at your property. Only have items at the property that are there either to do the place up ready for re-letting, or that are needed to live, or are needed for the work you want to do on whatever product you are creating.

                Depression is a problem that afflicts the intelligent. You don't see animals depressed or humans that are barely more intelligent than animals depressed, they just get on with life in an instinctive seemingly auto-pilot way. The problems you see with service providers is also due to intelligence. You see they should be doing better. The benefit of intelligence is you can use your mind to solve problems, so think how you can improve your situation whether that be making simple cheap changes or seeking better help elsewhere. There are always options, they just need discovering. The challenge is to find the best option for your situation that generates the least amount of stress and takes the least amount of your time so you can concentrate on longer term goals.

                In the near future most of the service provider problems will be resolved with 'AI' (really artificial artificial intelligence such as machine learning) in the form of service automation bots that will be more efficient, not emotionally engaged to cause conflict or presenting a 'can't be bothered' attitude, and will just do what is needed. Can't come soon enough by the state of some companies. In the meantime don't let them grind you down.
                Maybe tomorrow, I'll want to settle down. Until tomorrow, I'll just keep moving on.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Keep it up man! You are not alone feeling that.
                  I am maybe just a hint depressed but totally agree with the rest:
                  Relocated from Romania some time ago, felt surprised how bad some services could be - this should make a nice chat with a Brexitier.
                  Phone, internet, utilities - they've all figured out that you value your time so they pay someone 2£/h just to hassle and make you give up. Dealing with the "escalators"...
                  Everything is terms and conditions and if they haven't overcharged you yet, it's next.
                  Struggled for half a day once to cancel a BT broadband outside contract, i was just passed around the office like a cheap whore. You would think you'd be able to just send the notice via e-mail... well there isn't one.
                  Trains... poor services and extortionate. Don't rely on it to get to a job, you might get fired.
                  Police ... they just don't give a ****. Never had a car break-in, things stolen from me, heard about so many thefts back in Romania and that was supposed to be a rough country.
                  Job market? Everything is about control, they don't just hire a worker they are going for your soul.
                  Why do i stick around? Don't know, maybe Stockholm syndrome.
                  I am a bit dark also thinking everything is designed to be this way, it's just the leading class asserting control of working force in as many ways as it can.
                  You can't keep the average corporate joe fearful if nothing bad is happening. But you can cut a bit some budgets, put a blind eye on petty crime and than... blame it on the pesky foreigners.
                  And propaganda comes with a TV license, you have to pay to be brain washed that everything is OK. Maybe i am taking it personal,( although i have a resentment towards some of my conationals as well) that show "Romanians are coming" - how could such a thing be on TV ?
                  Looking forward to payed health insurance and less employment rights and that will definitely make a nice show to watch...

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by GigiBronz View Post
                    , i was just passed around the office like a cheap whore.
                    Any gigs going there?

                    Comment

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