Terrible customer service....They just don't care

“Terrible customer service....They just don't care”

Written on: 11/07/2012

As a small online business we rely heavily on couriers to get our items safely to customers. As interparcel has numerous couriers they deal with, if an item arrived broken we would then try one of their others. It never mattered. There were so many damaged items, failed deliveries, failed collections but always loopholes in their terms and conditions too which made it near impossible to get any compensation.

We decided not to use them any further but to be honest all the couriers have been pretty much the same (except for the furniture delivery services which are much more careful and professional) so after a good year or so of not dealing with interparcel we took a chance and booked a very important last minute delivery through them for a magazine photo shoot.

We sent 2 parcels to the same address. It was a next working day by 12:00 guaranteed delivery with TNT. The items were collected but only one was delivered.

I called them and they told me to scan in the collection receipt and send it to them which I did.I asked for someone to please call me ASAP to let me know what was going on. I sent the scan and also asked in my email for them to let me know right away that they received the info they needed. I was worried about the people at the magazine shoot waiting for the items to arrive and hoped to hurry it along.

No one called even though I was assured someone would.

I heard nothing back from Interparcel by email either so about an hour and half later I emailed them to ask that they received the scan ok and the cust. service rep. eventually replied saying she needed me to send it as an attachment because she couldnt see it (?) as it was and she also needed more info then she could send it off to TNT.

SO, here we were..... ages after I first contacted her, telling her how important it was that this was sorted out ASAP and how people were waiting for the package and she had not even sent the info off to TNT!

I sent it again, as an attachment and received the same email again, asking for it to be sent as an attachment and with the info requested! I sent it again and told her I had already sent it and finally I got a reply that said she had now sent it to TNT to investigate. By now it was about 3:00 or so and I had no doubt that the items would not be able to be used in the shoot now. We had lost an untold amount of publicity and sales not to mention gained a rep as being unreliable.

I tried to contact Interparcels customer relations dept and was put on hold. After a few minutes holding I was abruptly told that I would have to send in an email If I was going to complain because the team leader was on the phone. I asked to be called back and after reminding her of what it says in their terms and conditions, she agreed.

Of course, no one did call.

Now let me just add that not one person was sympathetic or kind or even pretended to be understanding. Not one person apologised. Not one person acted in a professional manner. In fact, the whole time I was made to feel that I was the one who should apologising.

The following morning I hoped for a phone call from them but nothing until I emailed them threatening them with legal action and reminding them that I was keeping a close account of every email/phone call etc as proof of their terrible service. Shortly after I received an email saying that the package was found and would be out for delivery some time that day?

There was no mention of compensation for this appalling service and no mention of the fact that I paid for a guaranteed service.

I replied telling them I want a refund for the "delivery" and was eventually sent an email saying the cost would be refunded. I have checked the bank and seen that it still has not shown up so am giving it a day more and then will have to contact them again....