***** banks

This week’s winner of the ILikeShouting wooden spoon for worst customer service is Lloyds TSB for their brilliant on-line security which protects my money so well I can’t spend it. Great.

For evil to triumph it is only necessary for good men (and women of course) to do nothing.

Sometimes I feel almost hopeful that things will change. Honest people who do good stuff will get a fair crack of the whip.

And then the old vested interests just shift up a gear and take control again.

It’s the rich that gets the treasure; its the poor wot gets the blame

It’s the same the whole world over; ain’t it all a bloomin’ shame

For evil to triumph it is unfortunately only necessary for good men (and women of course) to do nothing.

This week’s top scorers

Top of my moan list this week is runaway champion UK Mail. If you want to listen to the full kit of complacent non-answers from the customer service team rather than have your packages delivered, these are the guys for you. In answer to my request for THEIR mistake to be remedied fully at THEIR cost and not mine, the customer service person said something along the lines, “We couldn’t afford to give all our customers that kind of service, could we?” Which left me wondering just how many screw ups they commit every day….

Close on their heels comes Carlson Wagonlit Travel. They’re only in second place because I spotted the warning signs earlier and took my business elsewhere before I’d wasted too much time and energy on them.

Third place goes to Waterstones, for their inexplicable decision not to stock a book that shows all the promise of a Christmas best seller. It’s a practical little gardening book called Beyond the Potting Shed, by Paul Rix, should you be interested. Or should you be WH Smith.

Fourth, is Royal Mail, for a barmy on-line service that gets you all the way to printing your postage and post label, and then doesn’t display the pdf. But they did refund my £1.32.

Last on my current list is Lloyds TSB. I’m sad to put them on the list, as their business service has been pretty good as banks go. But I’m beginning to realise why they’re No. 1 in the complaints table. Your internal communications really need some attention, guys.