What are your reasons for returning to the UK?

[Jo&Rich]

hey jo maybe me n rich could get our own pool team ? and have it on tuesday nights just like home :biglaugh:

 

It would have to be in a stinky old mans pub though, if you could find one:yes:

Jo x

[Guest Hello Kitty]

There have been 18 knife murders of teenagers in London so far this year. I am not saying these crimes don't exist in Australia because they do just like anywhere else but no where near the extend of the problems that are in England at the moment.

 

People will say that knife murders are not reported in Australia to the same extent at the U.K. but that is simply not true. These incidents are always reported in the media here as well.

 

If you google crime stats you will see that the violent crime rates are far higher in the u.k. than in Australia.

[Guest Zagg]

There have been 18 knife murders of teenagers in London so far this year. I am not saying these crimes don't exist in Australia because they do just like anywhere else but no where near the extend of the problems that are in England at the moment.

 

People will say that knife murders are not reported in Australia to the same extent at the U.K. but that is simply not true. These incidents are always reported in the media here as well.

 

If you google crime stats you will see that the violent crime rates are far higher in the u.k. than in Australia.

I'd guess that there are bad areas of most countries, but there are good areas as well. I lived in Manchester for over 3 years as a student, but quickly learnt 'where not to go', and as a result didn't experience any crime in my time there - I can't think of any of my friends who were victims of crime during my time there either...

getting away from the U.K. because it's full of violent crime or because it's 'broken' was never a factor in my decision to emigrate, as I don't believe that to be true.

[Guest moonraker1961]

Of course they are going to be higher,how many people are in the UK?

[Guest Hello Kitty]

Of course they are going to be higher,how many people are in the UK?

 

 

On a per capita basis.

[Bod]

I do think there is more crime in the Uk on a whole, larger population or not.

[Mongrel]

I do think there is more crime in the Uk on a whole, larger population or not.

 

Hi Jon

 

I worked at a sheet metal place in Perth you know metal roofing flashings etc. We got a job for 120 metres of guttreing sheets about 600mm wide Copper blokes looked at me when I said if you put that up in the uk it would be gone by mornin. :biglaugh:They have a scrap bin for copper stainless It was full for weeks, can`t be any unscrupulous scrap dealers in Perth. I think its down to you have to have an ABN number to weigh it in. My mate is a scrap dealer in UK ABN number yeah :biglaugh:

 

malx

[Guest coventryBillynowMelbourne]

i know what you mean, fantastic letter, you cant replace your family, friends back home, and the way they used to make you laugh, feeling like you belong, not having to prove urself everyday, getting proper customer service, taking disrespect off ozzies in the form of ignorance, and going quiet when you open your mouth to disclose where you from, some not all but you know the ones who are like that, i am just gonna bleed them dry and keep throwing my trash out the car window

ok mate take care

[Que Sera Sera]

"getting proper customer service" :biglaugh: I am just back from a training course in Birmingham, Went to the Bullring to get the family a few pressies ( you know the guilt of leaving then all to defend themselves!) went into Top Shop and was served by a girl who didnt even look at me! she did not acknowledge my presence just carried on chatting to the girl next door! Then went into Top Man and bought the other half some flip flops (thongs I think to all you Ozzies) took them to the till and there was no price on them so the assistant went to find some more, did and when I got home to South Glos gave them to him when he took them out the bag he found he had two left feet (flip flops I mean not his actual feet! :biglaugh:) Customer service my a**e!

[Que Sera Sera]

You never get over homesickness, you learn to live with it and adapt to the new surroundings!

I still have bouts of homesickness and I have been here 3 and a half years!

 

So true!

I have not left the England yet unfortuanatly but I am homesick for the way this country used to be. When we look back we always do it with rose tinted glasses don't we?

I remember the "good old days" must be getting old!:twitcy:

[Jo&Rich]

No better here unfortunately. Took something back to Target, stood at the desk whilst the two women ignored me, carried on with their chat. One came over to where I was, I said "I'd like to return this please". Ignored me, (turned out she was collecting something from under the desk), walked off, then came back a couple of minutes later, and asked in a surly tone "Can I help you?"! She seemed surprised at my incredulous expression, especially as I had three screaming kids with me; I was hardly invisible!

I think, unfortunately, poor customer service is found in most countries, and is not restricted to the UK or Australia.

Jo x

[ezzie]

I love my England, but I do think the customer service is much better here. I remember wandering around shops in the UK and leaving again after not being able to find any staff whatsoever to help. I know staff can be a bit spartan here, but they do make an effort to be pleasant and courteous at the tills. Mind you, I have had the odd staff member in the UK who makes up for all the others with some gobsmackingly wonderful kindness.

[Guest earlswood]

I love my England, but I do think the customer service is much better here. I remember wandering around shops in the UK and leaving again after not being able to find any staff whatsoever to help. I know staff can be a bit spartan here, but they do make an effort to be pleasant and courteous at the tills. Mind you, I have had the odd staff member in the UK who makes up for all the others with some gobsmackingly wonderful kindness.

 

 

:twitcy: are you kidding.....I have told this before.....I took a bottle of wine back to a bottle store in Perth as it had corked....expecting an exchange of the wine of course....the big hairy-arsed bloke behind the counter took the bottle ...took one swig of it....handed it back to me and said........."nothing wrong with that wine mate, now bugger off" I left the wine store just smiling to myself.

[ezzie]

Look there are exceptions to this of course, but crikey.....that's a response that you'll remember forever. I think my jaw would have clanked to the floor if I'd been in your situation. At least you saw the funny side Earlswood!

[Guest kdal]

I laugh Earlswood everytime you tell the story abt that bottle of wine, can picture the scene!

 

I had to discipline someone at work the other day, as a customer went up to the counter and ordered a portion of chips and she said 'sorry too busy to cook chips', she didnt look at him just turned her back on him while she told him this and then the customer heard her say to another work colleague 'you sort him out I cant be bothered' !!! Unbelievable, when questioned abt her actions she didnt deny them, when asked if she could see what she done wrong she just said yes! No sorry no nothing

 

Yep people with bad attitude are everwhere but it has to be addressed as you cant let people behave in this way.

[Guest Jaynie]

I work in Customer Service and can I say that if I serve you, you will be very pleased that you got me! I listen, empathise, look at you not the computer in front of me, I am pleasant and happy and at the end of the day WORTH MORE MONEY!!!

 

But I agree, recently went over to UK, some of them don't even look at you, some of them are really lovely, when all said and done..........if you are happy in your work it will shine through, not happy and you get the consequences of their actions.

 

Then again on another note.....some members of the public are shocking and nobody has to put up with the treatment they give out. Be nice and you will get nice service!:wubclub:

[ezzie]

Reminds me of flying BA quite a number of years ago from Harare on to London - hell of a flight. Ended-up with a faulty engine stuck in Nairobi (VERY long story). Sitting on broken plane for lunch, found a used hypodermic needle sitting on top of my lasagne. The crew member I told yelled "it's not 'in' your lunch, it's 'on' your lunch!" at me. So that's OK then! That flight certainly went down in memory.

[Guest kdal]

I

But I agree, recently went over to UK, some of them don't even look at you, some of them are really lovely, when all said and done..........if you are happy in your work it will shine through, not happy and you get the consequences of their actions.

 

!:wubclub:

..

 

Know what your saying Jaynie, but I am afraid there is no excuse for bad behaviour and if they are not happy in their work then it is time for them to move on. Why should you pay someone to give you shuddy work or shuddy behaviour. No you are quite right and no-one should be expected to have to put up with bad customers in a very polite manner you should pass them to the Manager thats their job to sort out.

Ile always stick up for my staff if they are right and will never have them spoken to like they are slaves but I do expect them to have common courtesy.

 

Sorry but I detest bad customer services it really makes me mad

 

OMG I think we may be going of topic on this thread :wubclub:

[Que Sera Sera]

I work in Customer Service and can I say that if I serve you, you will be very pleased that you got me! I listen, empathise, look at you not the computer in front of me, I am pleasant and happy and at the end of the day WORTH MORE MONEY!!!

 

But I agree, recently went over to UK, some of them don't even look at you, some of them are really lovely, when all said and done..........if you are happy in your work it will shine through, not happy and you get the consequences of their actions.

 

Then again on another note.....some members of the public are shocking and nobody has to put up with the treatment they give out. Be nice and you will get nice service!:wubclub:

 

I agree whole heartedly I worked in various shops when I left school then 18 years on Reception and Switchboard and now on the phone with "customers" all day giving advice. I do beleive if you are nice they are nice back which is why I am so shocked when I get treated badly. I appreciate working on minimum wages isnt fun but I did when I left school and was not like that. I am more shocked that somewhere along the line the assistant that ignored me passed an interview and was taken on. Its a big company and the must have a HR department. Lets be truthful there are many that would do her job if given half the chance.:wacko:

[Guest Jaynie]

..

 

Know what your saying Jaynie, but I am afraid there is no excuse for bad behaviour and if they are not happy in their work then it is time for them to move on. Why should you pay someone to give you shuddy work or shuddy behaviour. No you are quite right and no-one should be expected to have to put up with bad customers in a very polite manner you should pass them to the Manager thats their job to sort out.

Ile always stick up for my staff if they are right and will never have them spoken to like they are slaves but I do expect them to have common courtesy.

 

Sorry but I detest bad customer services it really makes me mad

 

OMG I think we may be going of topic on this thread :wubclub:

 

I agree totally with you Kdal, I have worked in CS since I was 14yrs old and now I'm 21yrs old with a 25yr old daughter!!lol I love my job and enjoy making people feel welcome after all they pay your wages at the end of the day, you are right, why should you pay somebody to be rude, right behind you on that score.

 

Some of the public though will treat you like scum, I have had it done to me, but with maturity I can handle them in a polite way of course, no complaints from my bosses thankfully.

 

I find now that if I don't get the service I expect I let them know in no uncertain terms, if I can do it so should they or they should move on to another vocation in life.

 

But I still say the general public should go into a shop or wherever in a nice polite way, then if you aren't happy you have the right to complain, some people come in on the bounce from the get go and that's not the way to do it. Just my opinion anyway.:wubclub:

[Guest kdal]

Jaynie, There should be more people like us in Customer Services as yes there are lots of people in the wrong job, I suppose they just want A job !

 

MattCath, It is very difficult when interviewing to know the person totally !! I can tell you I have interviewed some people and taken them on and within weeks you have a different character, it takes time for some people to show their true colours. If I were you I would complain to the company about the way you were treated, if they company do not know then they cannot deal with the person concerned. Also once someone has been with a company for a period of time it is not that easy to get rid of them, therefore the more letters they get complaining abt this person helps them build their case. Oh and I really laughed once as I took on this young lad, really polite at his interview and the day he started he walked in with this bounce think the staff called it 'bowling' , I laughed my head of when I see this walk as he defiantely did not walk into his interview like that:biglaugh:

[Guest Susanne]

Hello Joetracy!

 

You are soooooo right!!!! And I can understand every word and all your feelings!!!

Makes me feel happy to know that other people move back for the same reasons!!!

 

We have been living in Australia since December 2006 (one year in Brisbane and now in Melbourne). We are moving back to the UK in January 2009 and are looking forward to it - and for exactly the same reasons you metioned!!!

 

Aussie just live behind the time...........!!! :no:

 

Good luck for you and your family and have a wonderful cold and snowy Christmas back home with your family!!! You deserve it after all.........!

(We will have it next year for our two sons 10 month and 2,5 years old :cute:

[Guest cobblers]

Just intrested like.

 

'cos it's proper DULL!!!!!!!!!!!!!:wacko:

[Que Sera Sera]

Jaynie, There should be more people like us in Customer Services as yes there are lots of people in the wrong job, I suppose they just want A job !

 

MattCath, It is very difficult when interviewing to know the person totally !! I can tell you I have interviewed some people and taken them on and within weeks you have a different character, it takes time for some people to show their true colours. If I were you I would complain to the company about the way you were treated, if they company do not know then they cannot deal with the person concerned. Also once someone has been with a company for a period of time it is not that easy to get rid of them, therefore the more letters they get complaining abt this person helps them build their case. Oh and I really laughed once as I took on this young lad, really polite at his interview and the day he started he walked in with this bounce think the staff called it 'bowling' , I laughed my head of when I see this walk as he defiantely did not walk into his interview like that:biglaugh:

 

You are very right. I do have an update though. I took those dreaded two left feet flip flops back to River Island in Bristol and told them I had bought them in the Bullring in Birmingham and they could not have been nicer. They replaced them straight away and the manageress got straight on the phone in front of me to make a complaint about the member of staff (apparently it had her name on the receipt!) Now I actually feel quite bad because despite my ranting I would not want her to lose her job but a spot of retraining I think would be in order.

As for people changiing I know what you mean. We take on a lot of university graduates at work in the admin department as casuals just to give them some work experience and it is so funny, they pass the interview because they are uber brainy but when they actually start work they have not got a clue! thick as s**t springs to mind, no life skills. Ah well us "University of Life":biglaugh: people soon put them straight.

[sykestykes]

Many years ago, Mr Tyke and I went up to the Yorkshire Dales for the day. We found a little cafe in the middle of nowhere and Mr Tyke went to the counter and asked for a couple of teas and a sticky bun.

 

A Stern Waitress :realmad:behind the counter said "You can't order here, this counter's closed. You'll have to go to the other counter to get served." (gesturing over her shoulder).

 

He duly walked to the other side of the counter, which was right behind the Stern Waitress. She turned around to face Mr Tyke and as if she had never seen him before, smiled brightly and said "Good afternoon, Sir, what can I get you?"

 

Priceless...:biglaugh:

 

Mrs Tyke xx