Recently I’ve been suffering from frustrations with the fantastic “customer service” here in Spain. Sometimes things get done efficiently. Sometimes. And it’s not that the “agents” aren’t always friendly or trying to be helpful, it’s just seems that the different parts of the company don’t communicate with each other. What happens typically is this: agent A claims to understand my problem, and is dealing with it (sounds promising, right?). Then I phone back a week later and explain the still-unresolved situation to agent B. They then say that this is “very unusual” and don’t know what could have possibly happened (on a good day — normally there is no apology or acceptance of “error”). Agent B then assures me they are dealing with it (sounds promising, right?). And on it goes. Agent C. Another week later, D. I’ve been trying to open a new (”online”) bank account now for almost a month, and still haven’t received the initial forms to sign. I simply need to keep phoning every few days and try again… Foolishly, I remain optimistic — “Phew, this time it really sounds like they’ve sorted it out!”

Anyhow, I’ve recently had similar problems dealing (from afar) with customer service folks at a Canadian “online” company, so it must be universal. A symptom of our glorious digital age?

How about this one…? We have a painter “here” this week, painting our flat… He came Monday morning for a few hours of good work. Said he’d return in the late afternoon. He never showed. Didn’t show (nor call, nor could we get in touch with him by cell, email, etc.) on Tuesday. Or Wednesday. We were worried he’d been killed in a traffic accident or something! Finally, my Dulcinea got in touch with him at home (I hadn’t known she had his home number) on Wednesday evening. Oh yes — turns out he’d badly injured his hand on Monday afternoon, and couldn’t paint right now. Well, we don’t blame him for being injured, but we certainly do for not having the courtesy to inform us of the situation, so one of us (that would be me) wouldn’t have to stay locked at home, on the off-chance he shows up.

Anyhow, on Wednesday evening he promises to come Thursday morning at 9am. Dulcinea is certain he won’t, but I am brimming with optimism. After all, he said he would, right? I stay home. Thursday (surprise, surprise!) he doesn’t show. Is never accessible on his phone (I can’t leave a message, because MoviStar informs me that he is perpetually offline or out of range). Thursday night Dulci calls him back at home. What happened? No apology or anything…simply says he’ll be there Friday morning. Well, let’s hope so…but we both doubt it, this time.

Even worse, he was recommended to us — the relative of a good friend (el enchufe, right?). You’d think he’d try to make the best possible impression, no? We both really can’t believe it, even Dulcinea who is more used to “the way things are done” here. There is no notion of apologizing, if you make a complaint there is no “sorry,” just a statement of what he plans to do next (which he subsequently doesn’t). Aaaaargh… Meanwhile we are living out of “cardboard boxes”, since the whole house’s contents is stacked in the living room. Not an ideal situation for one week, let alone (it now looks like) two. Two? Now that’s being optimistic.

Epilogue (maybe more of a “mid-logue”):

Murphy’s Law? No. A watched kettle never boils? Something like that. Or the reverse. Because of course, just moments after I write this irritated post, the buzzer buzzes and it is the painter. He at least paints the spot behind the radiator, so we can connect it back in place and turn the hot water back on (showers again, yay!).

And then, just after he leaves (he promises to return tomorrow, even though it’s Saturday), the buzzer goes again. The documents I’ve been waiting to sign, for a little less than a month now, arrive by courier from the online bank. Après la pluie, le soleil? (knock on wood) Thank you, agent E!

This entry was posted on Friday, August 7th, 2009 at 4h57 and is filed under Just...life!, Spain. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.