Communicating with Indian call centre Customer Services

[tristar]

Im really having big problems with Ideal Worlds call centre. Both for orders and for customer services. The call centre operators have very heavy accents and little English. Ordering is difficult, having to repeat order numbers, delivery address etc. Customer Services is worst, as when you come across a problem, you need someone who has good English and can understand you. I try to speak clearly and simply but still have problems.

Ideal need to look at this because it is making me very nervous ordering. Fair enough, I can order online but when you have a problems and need customer services it is very frustrating.

 

[Nora]

Im really having big problems with Ideal Worlds call centre. Both for orders and for customer services. The call centre operators have very heavy accents and little English. Ordering is difficult, having to repeat order numbers, delivery address etc. Customer Services is worst, as when you come across a problem, you need someone who has good English and can understand you. I try to speak clearly and simply but still have problems.

Ideal need to look at this because it is making me very nervous ordering. Fair enough, I can order online but when you have a problems and need customer services it is very frustrating.

That's what puts me off having anything else too Tristar.

 

[Blue star]

I agree with you i myself tried ordering over the phone the man on the other end of the phones english was worse than very poor with a mega heavy accent i have a very easy to spell name but had to spell everything out including my address i wasnt sure, nor confident that i would recieve what i had ordered . But thank goddness the item arrived ,im just glad i never had to ring them back to deal with any problems surely they must be making enough proffit to have there call centre in the uk and provide jobs in this country come on ideal world your call centre needs bringing back to the uk or you need to better train your overseas staff !!!!

 

[Diamond Diva]

I've had similar problems, they do their best to help but with English not being their first language it makes it very difficult (having said that they speak better English than I could ever speak theirs) but what I find even more frustrating is that they work from a set script and if your question or problem isn't on their list they are unable to assist and when you're dealing complaints etc that covers most of the callers! In the past I've asked to speak to a supervisor but funnily enough there's never one there and no one ever rings you back!

Most companies just don't get how important the quality of their CS is, if one of your customers has a problem it needs to be sorted quickly and to their satisfaction, if you've had good service you may tell a few people but more importantly if you've had bad you're likely to tell an awful lot more!

 

[medic]

They are cheap to employ thats why we get such a great deal on the Karcher window Vac:angel:

 

[sheepdog]

Better training for CS staff regardless if its abroad or in the UK. There are as many bad UK operatives as abroad...not so much as paying the staff in the UK, its the NI and now the pension auto-enrollment which are the killers to having jobs in the UK. Not to mention staff requirements that need maintaining which adds more to employing a person. I could go on but until we stop wanting things on the cheap and cheaper, bringing jobs back to the UK isn't going to happen in the near term.

 

[Diamond Diva]

They are cheap to employ thats why we get such a great deal on the Karcher window Vac:angel:

I got mine from Amazon much cheaper than IW !

 

[MIKE040249]

According to the "Say No To 0870" website, if you dial 01733 860534, you get through to their UK based Customer Services.

I had a problem with the Indian based crowd once and ended up having it resolved by Peterborough, and very well too.

Good luck.

 

[Nutsville]

According to the "Say No To 0870" website, if you dial 01733 860534, you get through to their UK based Customer Services.

I had a problem with the Indian based crowd once and ended up having it resolved by Peterborough, and very well too.

Good luck.

I checked on "Say No" and got this number. I did have a problem and used this number and had my problem sorted easily and quickly. So put the number in your phone book it really works. x

 

[pdsalford]

Agreed, I've just used the 01733 number and they were helpful.

 

[Jazzydrury]

I was always thought there Call Centre was in same building, the way i have heard some presenters especially a Mr Griffiths say, we have moved some staff from warehouse to the phones, or we have moved some Love Pets Call Centre staff, and moved them to the Karcher Call Centre staff or whatever.

 

[pumpkinpie]

You are so right I have NEVER in years come across such an inept company as Ideal World.

I placed an order on Saturday as I got e-mails from them saying they had extended flexi pay all weekend, I purchased by card via their web site. I e-mailed immediately after to clarify that this order was on flexi pay, I did not get any response so I further e-mailed twice over the weekend to say if the order was not on flexi pay I wanted to cancel BEFORE it was dispatched.

I got no response at all apart from automated replies that my query had been received until today Tuesday (from Saturday) they said my order WAS NOT on flexi pay and they would cancel my order. I replied and asked why it was not on flexi pay as per their web site but still waiting for a response probably will arrive in 3 days time. So I called them and after getting through was on hold for 7 minutes. Trying to explain to a non native speaking person is difficult, they told me my order had been sent I told them it had been cancelled as per their message of this morning and I was calling to find out when I would get my refund. So I was put on hold again (TWICE for another few minutes) paying for these calls also.

I am now informed that even though they tried to cancel my order by the time they got the request from their customer services team to cancel the order has been dispatched. I told them I am not happy as I am not prepared to pay for something which a) should have been on flexi pay and b) I cancelled immediately I found out it was not.

So I am now waiting to see if the order arrives I have been promised a refund including postage which I insisted but I don't hold out much hope. I am about to contact my card company to get the money back.

Their customer services (or lack of it) is attrocious and they will NEVER be QVC. I would never purchase from them again and would never recommend them.

Stay clear of IDEAL WORLD, at the end of 2012 it is like trying to communicate back in the 1970's I simply cannot believe they have not got British call centres and even if they are in India the service is simply disgraceful and they don't deserve to be in business, they are a mickey mouse company.

 

[Autumn]

Ideal world claim to me Family, Friendship and Fun yet there call centre is in India is totally ridiculous. It annoys me when they say during a "busy" show that they have called people back from there tea breaks so there are plenty of operators on the phone lines , that's totally rubbish, i bet they have very little contact with the call centre. I suggest if you've had problems with IW make it very clear on this forum as we now no they read it and never order from them again.

 

[jippyroo]

1.1/5 rated by 586 people really says it all! http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews87736.html

 

[tristar]

The call centre is so bad. The Indian operators have such a very little command of English that any communication with them is very difficult and frustrating. I have had all my documents with my name all wrong as clearly the operators could not understand my name and I spelt it out clearly for them. It lets Ideal down badly and puts me off having the confidence to place regular orders. When they mention their call centre on air its ridiculous the way they infer the call centre is in an adjacent building. Howard is the worst offender with this.

 

[radio_dayz]

I feel sorry for anyone who has to get involved with IW's Indian call centre. It took me over 6 months to get a refund for a memory foam mattress. In the end I had to write to my credit card company, and IW with a template letter I got from trading standards, pointing out the relevant clauses from the sale of goods act.

Never again!

 

[tristar]

I dont understand why Ideal cannot see that by basing the call centre in India and using operators with heavy Mumbai accents who cannot understand your order, will not affect customer confidence and future business.

 

[mhed]

1.1/5 rated by 586 people really says it all! http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews87736.html

Thanks for that link, that's truly shocking, IW should be thoroughly ashamed.

It's certainly put me off ever buying from them again.

 

[tristar]

Iv just read some reviews, most people mention the poor broken English spoken by Ideals Indian call centre, also its strange some poeple have said if you have a complaint, they tell you there system is down and to call back later. This has happened numerous times to me and seems an avoidance tactic. Surely Ideal are concerned at the number of comlaints. Is there no hope of transfering the call centre back to the UK. I know I would feel more confident ordering if I knew that should there be a problem, someone can help who speaks my language and can least understand the problem.

 

[pumpkinpie]

Even if the call centre was in England or anywhere UK I can't see it making much difference to their lack of concern as the message I received was from a customer services rep in PETERBOROUGH UK, not a million miles awat from me yet I have had to PAY for calls to India at 10p per minute; they still take 3 days to respond. and when they do it is very curt like they have the hump because you are upset over their lack of communication, it is so not like QVC whom I have to praise, at least they respond with information regarding your actual message not some vague load of rubbish.

I have asked them again why the order I made was not flexi pay (as they advertised all last weekend) which is what started the issue as the products were advertised as flexi pay but my card was charged with the full amount, but they have yet to respond, it is really so bad and like other posts I can't understand why they don't do something about it, they are obviously making enough money with the crap service they have to not worry about reviews, but it will catch up with them.