Companies Using "Because of COVID" As An Excuse For Poor Service

[Bantamzen]

Has this thread morphed into some RailForums alternative to TripAdvisor?

Given the very nature of these forums, people discussing travel arrangements isn't really that surprising?

 

[duncanp]

I meant something slightly different actually.

For example, if your hotel has 4 floors, you could have the odd numbered floors as "late", with something like check out at 12.30 and check in from 5, and the even numbered ones as "early", with check out at 9.39 and check in from 2. When you book you could be asked if you want a late room or an early room.

Maybe they should have something like the Aerotel at Heathrow, where you specify your arrival and departure times, and are charged accordingly.

Or rather than restricting the type of room to a particular floor, you could just say whether you want an early or a late room, according to your definition.

I am travelling to London this Sunday, and I definitely appreciate the fact that I can check in any time after 12 (at the Travelodge Euston), having paid £10 extra to do this.

I do think in the future hotels are going to have to be a bit more flexible with check in and check out times, as there are different travellers who have different requirements.

 

[kristiang85]

I was on a Stagecoach bus this weekend; I've run out of mobile data this month so I was delighted when I saw I was on a Wifi-enabled bus. I connected, only to see this message:

"We are temporarily turning off wi-fi on this bus. We're working hard to continue to connect you with the people and places that matter most and making sure our services are safe and clean. We will review the wifi decision at a future date".

What on earth does keeping a bus clean have to do with wifi provision? Surely it's just switching on a button? (though do correct me if I'm wrong!)

 

[duncanp]

I was on a Stagecoach bus this weekend; I've run out of mobile data this month so I was delighted when I saw I was on a Wifi-enabled bus. I connected, only to see this message:

"We are temporarily turning off wi-fi on this bus. We're working hard to continue to connect you with the people and places that matter most and making sure our services are safe and clean. We will review the wifi decision at a future date".

What on earth does keeping a bus clean have to do with wifi provision? Surely it's just switching on a button? (though do correct me if I'm wrong!)

The decision to turn off the Wi-fi has probably been made on cost grounds, although the company will never admit it.

They are trying to pretend use COVID as an excuse, but as you say the provision of Wi-fi has nothing to do with keeping the bus clean.

 

[Cdd89]

Well if that doesn’t convince you that Covid is augmented by 5G, I don’t know what will

 

[island]

On my recent Aer Lingus flights, lounge access, on-board food, fast-track security and priority boarding which I paid for as part of a premium fare were not provided "due to COVID" (although they were happy to priority-board a family with young children).

I have written a letter claiming price reductions totalling £132.16 under section 56 (5) of the Consumer Rights Act and we shall see where it goes.

 

[RT4038]

I was on a Stagecoach bus this weekend; I've run out of mobile data this month so I was delighted when I saw I was on a Wifi-enabled bus. I connected, only to see this message:

"We are temporarily turning off wi-fi on this bus. We're working hard to continue to connect you with the people and places that matter most and making sure our services are safe and clean. We will review the wifi decision at a future date".

What on earth does keeping a bus clean have to do with wifi provision? Surely it's just switching on a button? (though do correct me if I'm wrong!)

The second sentence of the message is a statement in general which is not justifying the first, merely a piece of information.

 

[Watershed]

The second sentence of the message is a statement in general which is not justifying the first, merely a piece of information.

They're rather obliquely alluding to the fact that they've done this to cut costs.

Quite why they feel it's better to pretend that it's about something else... I don't get.

 

[RT4038]

They're rather obliquely alluding to the fact that they've done this to cut costs.

Quite why they feel it's better to pretend that it's about something else... I don't get.

The implication being that keeping the services safe and clean is being paid for by not supplying wifi?

 

[Watershed]

The implication being that keeping the services safe and clean is being paid for by not supplying wifi?

Indeed. I'm surprised they ever introduced WiFi if it was as expensive as they're making out.

Instead I rather suspect the availability of WiFi isn't a dealbreaker for most passengers, and so it's been removed as part of a cost-cutting review.

But again, Covid really is being used as an excuse here.

 

[plugwash]

I suspect the thinking goes that in a pandemic few people are going to use public transport if they have the option of driving, so there is little point in spending money on gimmiks to attract people out of their cars and onto public transport.

 

[35B]

I suspect the thinking goes that in a pandemic few people are going to use public transport if they have the option of driving, so there is little point in spending money on gimmiks to attract people out of their cars and onto public transport.

As much to the point, fewer people are travelling so discretionary costs are being cut.

 

[Furryanimal]

I was on a Stagecoach bus this weekend; I've run out of mobile data this month so I was delighted when I saw I was on a Wifi-enabled bus. I connected, only to see this message:

"We are temporarily turning off wi-fi on this bus. We're working hard to continue to connect you with the people and places that matter most and making sure our services are safe and clean. We will review the wifi decision at a future date".

What on earth does keeping a bus clean have to do with wifi provision? Surely it's just switching on a button? (though do correct me if I'm wrong!)

Here in Wales( not sure where you are) this continues too-I believe reading newspapers on buses was illegal here -although services run by Newport bus and Cardiff bus have WiFi.Not sure if they ever turned it off.But Stagecoach must be putting out some sort of signal in order to relay that message.
And not restoring WiFi when those with mobile phones can access the Internet anyway just doesn’t make sense.
i had to use the town WiFi( via my iPad) in Cwmbran on Monday to find out why Stagecoach buses to Newport which are supposed run every twelve minutes disappeared for 45 minutes.The local buses in the bus station were pumping out the no wifi message!

 

[Spamcan81]

My local GP practice. Getting an appointment is very difficult as they are limiting face to face consultations "because of Covid," yet I can see my dentist for treatment with no problem and that's about as face to face as it gets.

 

[KeithMcC]

My local GP practice. Getting an appointment is very difficult as they are limiting face to face consultations "because of Covid," yet I can see my dentist for treatment with no problem and that's about as face to face as it gets.

But your GP gets paid regardless. Dentists get paid for the treatment they actually provide, so not seeing people hits them in the pocket. It would also be quite hard to do a filling by video!

 

[jupiter]

I don’t think history will look back very kindly on general practice during COVID, it seems to me they have over-protected themselves and under-protected the people they are paid to look after.

 

[adc82140]

The AA. I wanted to buy European breakdown cover. Phoned the number in the middle of the afternoon. "we cannot currently take your call due to reduced staffing to stay Covid safe in our call centres. Please try later"

Bought cover from Green Flag instead.

 

[Bikeman78]

Because of Covid is still being used as an excuse to avoid face to face GP appointments. Seeing a GP was an ordeal long before Covid. The actual consultations were fine in my experience but trying to get through on the phone at 08:00 to make an appointment was a nightmare. Can they not put in a queue system rather than make people redial dozens of times?

Prof Marshall doesn't seem to have a basic grasp of maths. He claims that the majority of people find virtual appointments more convenient even though 57% are still face to face. How does that work?

Top GP says returning to face-to-face appointments is 'undeliverable'

Top doctors today fought back against calls for face-to-face GP appointments to become the default again, claiming that it was 'undeliverable'.


The Royal College of General Practitioners, which represents more than 50,000 GPs, said practices were battling staffing issues and increased demand due to delayed diagnoses during the pandemic.

Martin Marshall, chair of the RCGP, also warned there was still too much Covid in the community for practices to return to having packed waiting rooms.

Boris Johnson last night piled pressure on GPs to offer more in-person consultations, with his spokesman claiming every patient had the right if they wanted one.

But Professor Marshall told MPs on the Health and Social Care Committee today: 'There's no point in having a right if it's undeliverable at the moment because of the workload pressures.'

He defended the widespread move to virtual GP appointments, claiming it was a 'positive' and more convenient for the majority of patients.

 

[35B]

Because of Covid is still being used as an excuse to avoid face to face GP appointments. Seeing a GP was an ordeal long before Covid. The actual consultations were fine in my experience but trying to get through on the phone at 08:00 to make an appointment was a nightmare. Can they not put in a queue system rather than make people redial dozens of times?

Prof Marshall doesn't seem to have a basic grasp of maths. He claims that the majority of people find virtual appointments more convenient even though 57% are still face to face. How does that work?

Top GP says returning to face-to-face appointments is 'undeliverable'

On virtual appointment maths, perhaps because some of those 57% would have preferred their face to face appointment to have been virtual?

As for call queueing systems, I'd agree - but that has been an issue for as long as I can remember ever needing to get a GP appointment.

 

[DelayRepay]

Prof Marshall doesn't seem to have a basic grasp of maths. He claims that the majority of people find virtual appointments more convenient even though 57% are still face to face. How does that work?

I don't think you can say one is better than the other. Virtual appointments are very convenient, and for some things they're perfectly fine. If they mean people don't have to take time off work I'm all for them.

But they are not suitable for every situation. There are times you need to see the doctor in person.

So I guess I could say virtual appointments are more convenient, but I would still be in the 57% of people wanting a (less convenient, but more useful) face to face appointment.

 

[Watershed]

I don't think you can say one is better than the other. Virtual appointments are very convenient, and for some things they're perfectly fine. If they mean people don't have to take time off work I'm all for them.

But they are not suitable for every situation. There are times you need to see the doctor in person.

So I guess I could say virtual appointments are more convenient, but I would still be in the 57% of people wanting a (less convenient, but more useful) face to face appointment.

As with working from home, both extremes are wrong.

You should be able to state what kind of appointment you'd like - whilst obviously for some kinds of issues, remote appointments aren't suitable anyway (like WFH).

 

[kez19]

As with working from home, both extremes are wrong.

You should be able to state what kind of appointment you'd like - whilst obviously for some kinds of issues, remote appointments aren't suitable anyway (like WFH).

It was like me last year I had a cyst on my back that was growing I asked to get a face to face appointment, I had to explain to receptionist what was going on then had to wait on phone call, after phone call I had to take pics to an email address then I got the appointment (for something that could be dealt with easily was like jumping through hoops) (NHS Scotland), appointment was later that afternoon (phoned morning).

 

[Iskra]

A lot of hotels are using it as an excuse to not clean rooms daily and to not provide fresh towels daily unless you ask for them. Must be quite a cost saving in laundry for them.

 

[Bikeman78]

A lot of hotels are using it as an excuse to not clean rooms daily and to not provide fresh towels daily unless you ask for them. Must be quite a cost saving in laundry for them.

To be fair, that doesn't bother me. I'm happy to use the same towel for a few days. Occasionally I ask for the coffee supply to be topped up but I don't use it much because I'm not a fan of UHT milk.

 

[Iskra]

To be fair, that doesn't bother me. I'm happy to use the same towel for a few days. Occasionally I ask for the coffee supply to be topped up but I don't use it much because I'm not a fan of UHT milk.

I’m not massively bothered by it, it’s just that they pick and choose where Covid is an issue, and funnily when they can save money it’s an issue but when it would cost them money it’s not; ie in their restaurants, bars etc. If they took a consistent approach to the ‘dangers of Covid,’ I’d have no issues at all.

 

[kez19]

A lot of hotels are using it as an excuse to not clean rooms daily and to not provide fresh towels daily unless you ask for them. Must be quite a cost saving in laundry for them.

The hotel I used recently seemed to have gone back to their previous routine of tidying up the room everyday (I asked as one of the cleaners knocked on my door and asked if I needed anything).

 

[richw]

Morrisons.
Absolute chaos the other Sunday, there were queues up every aisle so couldn’t shop properly. The duty manager was visible on the shop floor so I had asked him what was going on, and why it was so bad. He happily told me that head office had used covid social distancing requirements as an excuse to cut his Staffing budget. He said he had budget for a total of 12 staff on duty, to cover checkouts, cigarette counter, stocking shelves, the cafe and a security guard. And just for good measure head office had put on a half price breakfast deal that weekend adding more unwanted pressure to the cafe. He also told me the entire management team bar him had recently quit that store and he was serving his notice.

 

[DelayRepay]

The hotel I used recently seemed to have gone back to their previous routine of tidying up the room everyday (I asked as one of the cleaners knocked on my door and asked if I needed anything).

Same here. I wasn't expecting the room to be cleaned daily (and I'm not really bothered, so long as there's a way of disposing of rubbish). But it was cleaned daily, towels replaced etc. The only 'Covid' measures in the hotel were perspex screens at the reception desk, bottles of hand sanitiser dotted around and a notice (which may have been out of date) asking that only two people used the lift at a time.

Morrisons.
Absolute chaos the other Sunday, there were queues up every aisle so couldn’t shop properly. The duty manager was visible on the shop floor so I had asked him what was going on, and why it was so bad. He happily told me that head office had used covid social distancing requirements as an excuse to cut his Staffing budget. He said he had budget for a total of 12 staff on duty, to cover checkouts, cigarette counter, stocking shelves, the cafe and a security guard. And just for good measure head office had put on a half price breakfast deal that weekend adding more unwanted pressure to the cafe. He also told me the entire management team bar him had recently quit that store and he was serving his notice.

12 staff? That's crazy. When I worked in Sainsburys we'd have 20 - 30 staff just on checkouts on a Saturday. Admittedly we didn't have self-service in those days, but there's no way you can run a supermarket with a team of 12.

 

[35B]

12 staff? That's crazy. When I worked in Sainsburys we'd have 20 - 30 staff just on checkouts on a Saturday. Admittedly we didn't have self-service in those days, but there's no way you can run a supermarket with a team of 12.

And Morrisons are being sold to a private equity firm... Covid is a convenient figleaf for a completely different corporate decision.

 

[duncanp]

And Morrisons are being sold to a private equity firm... Covid is a convenient figleaf for a completely different corporate decision.

Oh dear, that will mean it will go completely down the toilet.

This is what happens when an organisation is run by bean counters in remote offices are not affected by the adverse consequences of the decisions that they make.

The people who have cut the staffing budget will probably get the credit (and possibly a bonus) for saving the company some money, but they won't have to deal with the flak from customers who are ****** off at all the congestion or having to queue for so long.