Got my Memory seat fixed today (Controller borrowed from showroom Superb!)

In conversation at my dealers I learnt something that may interest and possibly (not)surprise you!

Customer Services and Parts are not Skoda UK! They are provided on a contract basis by a company called 'Ventura' ( http://www.ventura-uk.com/ ) based in Leeds, which is an outsourcing company - so no wonder we can't get answers to what seem to us relativly simple queries! This obviously saves Skoda and other VAG brands the overheads and other HR responsibilities of employing staff direct.

Got a problem? Sack the contractor - a lot easier that going thorough all the disciplinary hoops! No sick leave, maternity pensions issues either!

Got my Memory seat fixed today (Controller borrowed from showroom Superb!)

In conversation at my dealers I learnt something that may interest and possibly (not)surprise you!

Customer Services and Parts are not Skoda UK! They are provided on a contract basis by a company called 'Ventura' ( http://www.ventura-uk.com/ ) based in Leeds, which is an outsourcing company - so no wonder we can't get answers to what seem to us relativly simple queries! This obviously saves Skoda and other VAG brands the overheads and other HR responsibilities of employing staff direct.

Got a problem? Sack the contractor - a lot easier that going thorough all the disciplinary hoops! No sick leave, maternity pensions issues either!

That makes interesting reading especially their client list!

Fred

Certainly wasn't aware of that....but, to be honest, didn't know that Ventura apparently manage the Customer Services of O2, Sky, Google, British Gas and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). RSPCA, BMI, Orange etc etc....

It's strange that Ventura say on their website that, apart from their Indian call centre location (Pune), their UK locations are in Leeds, S. Yorkshire, Cardiff and Milton Keynes, and yet when I had occasion to call Sky Customer Services a year or two back, they were all situated in Scotland.

It would be interesting if VAG do use Ventura (and I can't see anywhere on the net to confirm that they do) and decided to use their Indian call centre to handle our enquiries. Calls to Skoda Customer Service would become even more interesting than they are at present.

Have seen a Sheffield business box postal address for customer services recently on an e-mail :wonder:

TP

Just spotted this tucked away in Ventura's website.....

"Volkswagen Group UK Ltd have achieved considerable efficiencies by selecting Ventura as its business process outsourcing partner".

Someone more familiar with business speak will know what that means in practice, but it doesn't, to my eyes, look like it means their Customer Service operation.

Seems to be the way things are going for customer services worldwide..

I think the words Customer Service count for little...You are so important to us but

please stay on hold on the phone for xx hours before we can be bothered to get to you!!!!

My contact with Skoda Customer Services and experience......Where did you get that information from? (me)

and their response "I googled it" seems to confirm to me the 'real' level of service you can expect from Skoda.

Most information I received was either wrong or contradictory to other Skoda sources (dealer/brochure).

Just spotted this tucked away in Ventura's website.....

"Volkswagen Group UK Ltd have achieved considerable efficiencies by selecting Ventura as its business process outsourcing partner".

Someone more familiar with business speak will know what that means in practice, but it doesn't, to my eyes, look like it means their Customer Service operation.

It basically means that they've saved a lot of money and hassle whilst believing their customer service is just as good as it was pre-outsourcing... :S

It basically means that they've saved a lot of money and hassle whilst believing their customer service is just as good as it was pre-outsourcing... :S

Very accurate and if anything, too polite. Companies do this to save money, not to improve service. Anyone who has rung an outsourced call centre is aware of this. It amazes me that companies do this, clearly not if an accountant runs the business as they only see the obvious cost saving, as long term it does untold damage to a company and its brand. These are a contact point between the customer and the company and yet the people on the end of the phone have no obvious link or loyalty to the brand itself and have minimum knowledge of the product either through choice or design. I can only believe that the bosses in their ivory towers only ever tour these sites and never actually ring them. Depressing.

"Volkswagen Group UK Ltd have achieved considerable efficiencies by selecting Ventura as its business process outsourcing partner".

Someone more familiar with business speak will know what that means in practice

It means that some of the 'stuff' that has to happen within the business (aka "business processes") has been contracted out to another organisation.

it doesn't, to my eyes, look like it means their Customer Service operation.

On the contrary, it could very easily mean Customer Service, just as it could mean accounts received, payroll, buying stationery, or cleaning the toilets.

EJS, if you'd ever had the misfortune to contact 'Customer Services' at SUK, you'd be in no doubt :p

So, what brave soul is going to contact the gaffer at SUK and ask, outright, 'is your Customer Service operation outsourced to Ventura?' The last time I entered in to dialogue with him he answered, politely enough, initially, but when I persisted with my enquiries he deleted my emails without reading them, according to the messages received back. I resolved, at the time, not to waste my time on him after that. He even agreed with me that he was personally irritated when he contacted Customer Service organisations who read from scripts and lacked customer empathy.......

Have no particular axe to grind, and am sure I'll enjoy the Yeti when it comes (was told week 14 build) but found the C/S, on the whole, dismal. Will Fisher seemed to be doing his best at the time we corresponded, but, generally, my confidence was dented during pre purchase enquiries I made to them. If they do look in on this forum they certainly keep quiet about it. Other companies openly provide a representative to correspond with members on forums. Pity they don't.

This does not surprise me in the least....... I've mainted all along that the CS people at SUK have no idea about cars. Now we know. They also answer calls on mobile phones, SKY TV, BMI flight times and what not. :wonder: No wonder.