10 Apr 2017, 8:55 am
#219
(09 Apr 2017, 11:17 pm)Ambassador So why do GNE struggle so much? It has to be down to leadership and direction, perhaps at a lower level.
They have the branding, pretty colours, some decent drivers, modern brand vibe about them but their whole interaction on Facebook and indeed via phone is aggressive, dismissive, patronising and fails to take any ownership. I think the most annoying thing is the empathy. They try it but they are so bloody awful at it it comes across patronising.
I wonder if it comes down the culture or attitudes within the firm, or at the very least the department.
Members are often very vocal when it comes to dissatisfaction, particularly when it is about one of the smaller operators. GCT comes to mind. Yet, the apparent experiences of the Customer Service Department within GNE provokes a lot of discussion.
Over the last 10 years, I have not submitted more than one complaint to an organisation, apart from a couple.
The name of the organisation that has had more complaints than any other? GNE. That’s despite giving up over significant period of time and not complaining at all.
Surprisingly (or not), I have yet to be satisfied with the way the complaint was dealt with. Issues have been ignored, I have been fobbed off, I have been given in-accurate information and I have had to spend my own time, chasing up complaints. All whilst dealing with the attitudes you mention, from a department where I imagine considerable staff turnover has happened in those intervening 10 years.
It is not as if they're what I would consider frivolous complaints either. If they were, I would be typing an email about the attitude of the driver who gave me change that was incorrect, just yesterday.
Maybe, the attitude shown by the driver, goes back to my first paragraph.
As with drivers, there will be some members of the Customer Service team who excel in certain situations and others, who don’t. Maybe it isn't fair that drivers get labelled or tarred, because of the behaviour of certain ones.
There will be passengers who complain on a regular basis and there will be some who complain, and do so with a certain attitude. Isn't it up to the team, to remain professional in all situations? Defusing issues or passenger attitudes?
I would argue, the overall department do anything but.
No matter how many good eggs there may be hidden away, until some of the good practice I mentioned yesterday is shown, my opinion of the department as a whole, will not change - regardless of what the root cause may be.
'Illegitimis non carborundum'
