Staying in Business
Posted: Mon 13 October, 2008 Filed under: Charm School, Customer Services, Cynicism, Sweary 1 Comment »Sometimes I wonder how some companies stay in business at all. I’ve recently had two perfect examples of this.
1. Three months ago, I ordered something from a bunch of shysters called Urban Junkie. When it hadn’t turned up after a month, I chased them up, and on the third chase-up, finally got a response.
“I have checked your order, unfortunately the item has gone out of stock and is not due back in for a few more weeks. No payment has ben taken and we fully understand if you wish to cancel due to the delay.
Sorry for the inconvenience.”
And that’s been it. Two more months and no word at all.
So I’ve cancelled the order.
2. Back when I was using the bunch of shyster twunts known as Parasol IT (I’ve now had £1800 of tax refunds for two consecutive tax years because of Parasol’s inefficiency – that’s £150 per month for two years that they were fucking up) I also got a stakeholder pension through one of their related companies.
Since leaving Parasol, I’ve told Parasol Financials on no less than four occasions that I’ve left Parasol, and need the details of the pension so I can keep on paying in to it. Last week they called, denied having ever heard from me about leaving Parasol (although that soon changed once I forwarded them copies of the emails, and replies to them) and getting quite snotty.
The snottiness changed when I then asked them to send me details, and asked what address they held for me. And (again despite repeated updates from me to them) the address was still the one in fucking Bracknell. From two years ago. Useless twats.
So yes, needless to say, I think I’ll be pulling the pension out from Parasol Financial’s control ASAP.
Really, you just have to wonder how organisations like these stay in business, don’t you?
Given the choice of working through an umbrella and setting up my own, I’ve gone for the latter. I might have to do all my paperwork and pay for an accountant, but – good grief – it’s cheaper and loss bother.