Aviva and British Gas - Avoid


bobsleigh

Goalkeeper
Why are big companies customer services so bad?

Trying to get hold of an actual human being at either one of these companies is beyond the realm of reason apparently.

Aviva Car Insurance for example, they state to use the 'Live Chat' - well this actually means finding the Bot Chat to begin with (not particularly easy to start with) and then through hours of trawling on Google, the only way you can then actually talk to a human agent on the 'Live Chat' is by typing 'connect to a human', this is obviously not advertised anywhere on Aviva's site and this code sentence was only found due to the beforementioned Google research. Once connected to a human agent on Live Chat, you then have to be passed onto the 'Claims' department which then never happens as 'we're extremely busy right now - why don't you try our FAQ's which solve 999% of our most common problems'.

Just an absolute shambles of a customer services experience - British Gas a similar experience. Avoid both like the plague if you can help it.

On the opposite side, I have had good customer experiences with Octopus Energy and Central 1st Car Insurance in the interest of balance.
 
Had to chat with holiday extras today , no idea if it was a human or a bot ,was very good didn't get sorted like....system was down 🙄
 
British gas been shocking for years. Never had to deal with Aviva so can't comment. Aren't they on Doxy international or am I thinking if somebody else
 
Aviva fucked me over back when they were Norwich Union. Were taking my life insurance out twice. "We would have paid out twice had you died." Aye, sure you would.
 
Why are big companies customer services so bad?

Trying to get hold of an actual human being at either one of these companies is beyond the realm of reason apparently.

Aviva Car Insurance for example, they state to use the 'Live Chat' - well this actually means finding the Bot Chat to begin with (not particularly easy to start with) and then through hours of trawling on Google, the only way you can then actually talk to a human agent on the 'Live Chat' is by typing 'connect to a human', this is obviously not advertised anywhere on Aviva's site and this code sentence was only found due to the beforementioned Google research. Once connected to a human agent on Live Chat, you then have to be passed onto the 'Claims' department which then never happens as 'we're extremely busy right now - why don't you try our FAQ's which solve 999% of our most common problems'.

Just an absolute shambles of a customer services experience - British Gas a similar experience. Avoid both like the plague if you can help it.

On the opposite side, I have had good customer experiences with Octopus Energy and Central 1st Car Insurance in the interest of balance.

Octopus are losing money hand over fist so expect a service level reduction in due course comrade
 
Why are big companies customer services so bad?

Trying to get hold of an actual human being at either one of these companies is beyond the realm of reason apparently.

Aviva Car Insurance for example, they state to use the 'Live Chat' - well this actually means finding the Bot Chat to begin with (not particularly easy to start with) and then through hours of trawling on Google, the only way you can then actually talk to a human agent on the 'Live Chat' is by typing 'connect to a human', this is obviously not advertised anywhere on Aviva's site and this code sentence was only found due to the beforementioned Google research. Once connected to a human agent on Live Chat, you then have to be passed onto the 'Claims' department which then never happens as 'we're extremely busy right now - why don't you try our FAQ's which solve 999% of our most common problems'.

Just an absolute shambles of a customer services experience - British Gas a similar experience. Avoid both like the plague if you can help it.

On the opposite side, I have had good customer experiences with Octopus Energy and Central 1st Car Insurance in the interest of balance.
Had the misfortune to deal with BG on my recent house move. They've cocked it up at every stage, didn't do the necessary when I emailed them with closing and opening accounts. Moved me from a fixed tariff to variable 16 months early - on contacting them via live chat they promised - twice - that they would put it right. Still waiting. Avoid BG would be my recommendation.
 
Last had a British Gas account over 25 years ago, they would send bills based on estimates despite me phoning them with readings and when i left the property they pursued me for 70 odd quid when they probably owed me money.
Complaints were met with indifference.
 
Why are big companies customer services so bad?

Trying to get hold of an actual human being at either one of these companies is beyond the realm of reason apparently.
I've never understood why companies treat customer service as an afterthought.

I had to go through THIRTEEN different key and voice commands, and listen to a different recorded message between each, to get through to customer service at Barclays.

When i finally got through, i asked them whether there was an easier way to contact them. There wasn't.
Let me just hoy Talk Talk into the mix too, absolute 💩
Truly appalling.

It's as if they don't actually want you to contact them about anything, ever.
 
Last edited:
I've never understood why companies treat customer service as an afterthought.

I had to go through THIRTEEN different key and voice commands, and listen to a different recorded message between each, to get through to customer service at Barclays.

When i finally got through, i asked them whether there was an easier way to contact them. There wasn't.

Truly appalling.

It's as if they don't actually want you to contact them about anything, ever.
Took me 13 days back in Sep to actually talk to a human being, then another 2 weeks for a router to arrive! They actually wanted £79.99 off me 🤣
 
I've never understood why companies treat customer service as an afterthought.

I had to go through THIRTEEN different key and voice commands, and listen to a different recorded message between each, to get through to customer service at Barclays.

When i finally got through, i asked them whether there was an easier way to contact them. There wasn't.

Truly appalling.

It's as if they don't actually want you to contact them about anything, ever.

That's why I will only bank with first direct, they actually get customer service.

Barclays are scum.

We should be able to bill these companies for lost time when it is their fault. See if this still don't care about minimum service levels then.
 
Fell out with British Gas in the late 90s, and refuse to use them ever again. The perennial stories about engineers conning old folk into boiler replacements they don't need, and now them ripping out the meters of vulnerable people just reinforce that.
 
Mentioned on another yhread ive been trying to speak to someone at BA for 3 weeks. Puts you on hold an hour then cuts off.

Shocking!
That's why I will only bank with first direct, they actually get customer service.

Barclays are scum.

We should be able to bill these companies for lost time when it is their fault. See if this still don't care about minimum service levels then.

Lost 15 hours easy. Granted i was working same time but not the fecking point.
 
Last edited:
TUI are the same takes an age to get through then they try and fob you off and claim it was all put through a 3rd party. So you try and speak to the 3rd party and it turns out you can't answer the security questions because you didn't book with them and they need the email address of the TUI person who booked it.
 

Back
Top