Are Aria.co.uk always this bad?

[mr-tom]

I can't argue with any of that, more's the pity.

The only mitigating factor I can think of is some statistic I heard a few years ago and can't fully remember, but it went something to the effect that the vast majority of businesses could not cope financially with a cessation of new orders lasting for more than a week or so - they'd have a cash crisis.

If that applies to Aria, then I understand (no matter how little I like) their current stance. It's a dangerous game, though as they're sacrificing long term opinion.

The other thing which I don't get is why they're not sending orders out. I can see my order, I can fire up a pdf of it. If I can do that, so can aria. Why not get in some temps, get them printing the pdf orders, checking the customer has not called to cancel and then passing them down to the people who do the order picking. They then have three piles of paper - "picking not yet begun", "picking and packing in progress" and "dispatched". When systems have failed, I've done similar things myself.

[KowShak]

Hi guys,

My name is Lucy Adams and I wanted to respond to your posts and comments regarding the current situation here at Aria. Please take a moment to view an Important Update which we posted on the website yesterday…

We are working to fully resolve the situation and anticipate normal service will resume very soon. In the meantime, please accept our sincere apologies.

Thank you for your patience,

Lucy Adams
On Behalf of Aria Technology

My issue happened before the current debacle with the IT systems, a couple of weeks back as it happens.

I was lied to by a customer support representitive. I was also charged for next day delivery which subsequently took over a week, it the first call to a rep at Aria had actually been dealt with rather than being ignored, it would have taken just a week, thats because the e-mails and messages I sent via the website were ignored, I still have had no response to these.

Frankly, I don't care what improvements are being made to Aria's IT systems or whether there are teething troubles, my problem is and was something unrelated to that and something much more significant. Aria simply didn't care about the level of customer service given to this ex-customer.

The fact that they delete or remove negative comments from their forum shows that they don't care about their customers. They're simply not interested in improving customer support, even though that would stop the negative feedback, they're more interested in covering up problems than fixing them.

[Mike Fishcake]

Strange - we use them a hell of a lot, and they have seriously improved over the past few years (mind you, saying that, shedloads of people on here praise Scan's customer service, and, well, *cough*). The people I speak to there are always quick to get back to me, and any returns we've had to make (not very often), they've all been sorted out quickly.

Just goes to show that no matter what company people use, there are always going to be some customers that are unhappy with their service.

[mr-tom]

My issue happened before the current debacle with the IT systems, a couple of weeks back as it happens.

I was lied to by a customer support representitive. I was also charged for next day delivery which subsequently took over a week, it the first call to a rep at Aria had actually been dealt with rather than being ignored, it would have taken just a week, thats because the e-mails and messages I sent via the website were ignored, I still have had no response to these.

Frankly, I don't care what improvements are being made to Aria's IT systems or whether there are teething troubles, my problem is and was something unrelated to that and something much more significant. Aria simply didn't care about the level of customer service given to this ex-customer.

The fact that they delete or remove negative comments from their forum shows that they don't care about their customers. They're simply not interested in improving customer support, even though that would stop the negative feedback, they're more interested in covering up problems than fixing them.

KowShak,

I know how frustrating it is when things go wrong.

My best suggestion would be to register on their user forum, then PM Lucy directly. In fairness to her, she's not just a pleasant mouthpiece - she really does sort out users' problems.

Hope this helps.

Tom.

[KowShak]

KowShak,

I know how frustrating it is when things go wrong.

My best suggestion would be to register on their user forum, then PM Lucy directly. In fairness to her, she's not just a pleasant mouthpiece - she really does sort out users' problems.

Hope this helps.

Tom.

mr-tom, to date the only thread you have posted in since you joined this forum on the 8th Feb (6 posts) is this thread. You have said yourself that you are a fan of Aria, but are you enough of a fan to join a forum for the apparent sole purpose of singing the praises of a company that you like to buy your computer hardware from? If I was a cynical person, I would say that that is very suspicious Mr-Tom.

Frankly, I would like to see what Lucy@Aria can do to fix the fact that one of her colleagues lied to me, or the fact that my e-mails are unanswered after several weeks. The week I waited for my parcel to be delivered has gone and the lies told can't be untold, I don't see it as my job to chase the company for an apology.

[mr-tom]

My goodness.

I certainly don't want to start a flame war.

Aria's recent problems were certainly the cause of my sign up, (I tried to discuss them on their forum but my posts were deleted, as I've already said) but far from praising them, I've actually been quite critical.

At the same time, I've tried to be honest and even-handed.

There really is nothing suspicious about me being here.

I appreciate there's nothing Lucy can do about things that have already been said, but I would hope that she could perhaps make things good - you mentioned you were mischarged for your shipping - perhaps she could help there.

Rest assured, this week I am really hacked off with aria, but regardless of whether they were intentional or incompetent, these things happen in all businesses. What sets firms apart is how they respond when they realise that something's gone wrong.

I know you emailed their customer service dalek and got nowhere, but I really believe that if you contact Lucy, you may have more luck.

Hope so any way. Otherwise I'll look a total plank.

[Richh]

In fairness to Mr Tom, KowShak, he doesn't look or sound like a plant. If you've looked at Aria's forum in any depth you'll see they do have their own resident fanboy, but if he did venture over here, he'd stick out like the proverbial sore thumb.

And yes, you have to wonder why they're not shipping stuff out. If we can look at the online order pdf's, even if their picking admin system is buggered, you'd think they could just print off the invoices and hand them to the warehouse staff, at least that'd get things moving.

As far as my own issue is concerned, despite regarding my order as cancelled as of yesterday afternoon, one of their bods phoned me at lunchtime. Unfortunately I was out and he hasn't rung back yet. Nothing further from Lucy subsequent to my pm last night either.

My order is still listed as "processing", although the online invoice now lists all three lines as a "shipping charge" or something like. Makes you wonder whether their "processor" is an 8088 or something of that vintage.

[mr-tom]

OK. Now the gloves come off.

I called on Monday. I was promised a call back. None materialised.

I called Tuesday, got me nowhere.

On both occasions, I spent ages (probably 3-4 hours but will know for sure when I get my phone bill) on a national rate phone line.

Wednesday, the same happened again, but this time I was told that even if all else failed, a manager would call me by the end of Thursday. I asked how sure they were, given their current performance and was told it would definately happen.

I was also told that my order would be upgraded to Saturday delivery for free to make sure I got my kit this week.

Guess what... More lies.

Thursday came and went. No progress.

All discussion of the problems on Aria's forums was removed.

You can still place orders on Aria's site without being warned that they'll take your money but send you nothing.

Whilst I'm sure she did her best, Lucy has been unable to change things at all.

Other people placed orders mid-week and already have their stuff.

All my stuff is in stock and has been since day one.

I tried aria again today. Spent over an hour on hold and found out that now I won't be getting my stuff this week, partly because of their problems and partly because I've not got Saturday delivery. Two more broken promises.

This is utterly, utterly shambolic.

They can see my order.

They can write down what I've ordered (and paid for!!!)

They can take it off of a shelf and post it to me.

But they won't - they say it isn't that simple.

Really?

Why isn't it that simple?

Don't they have pens and paper to write down my order details, or printers to print them?

Are staff somehow unable to move from room to room?

Can items not be lifted from shelves and given to a courier?

This is disgraceful. Bear in mind that the current problems are entirely of their own making because they implemented a system which didn't work. They clearly didn't test well enough, they had no fall back if it failed and it didn't run alongside the old systems. Pure incompetence.

But the best bit - they've made extra revenue from me because of this - my many hours on hold were to an 0870 number, as with many other customers. Aria's phone line revenues will have shot through the roof this week.

I've been patient all week, but this is the end. If they want me to shop with them ever again, they'd bloody better do something to make up for my wasted time, call costs and inconvenience.

[Richh]

Wow, no punches pulled there. He's definitely no plant KowShak!

Doubly stupid of Aria too as you seem to be one of their longer-established customers Mr Tom.

Really makes you wonder what is going on there. As Mr Tom correctly points out, the problems appear to be entirely self-inflicted, and there's no excuse for a new software rollout causing this sort of mayhem. This level of ineptitude is normally reserved for Government IT projects!

[mr-tom]

As I said on their forums, I'm a Business Analyst - Strategy and IT.

Believe me, there is no excuse, and doubly so when the issue is so visible to customers.

Whoever permitted this IT roll out has made a real blunder.

Watch out for IT project managers entering the job market in Manchester!

[KowShak]

Wow, no punches pulled there. He's definitely no plant KowShak!

I'll admit that after that last post, it is a bit doubtful that mr-tom is an aria employee

As I said on their forums, I'm a Business Analyst - Strategy and IT.

Believe me, there is no excuse, and doubly so when the issue is so visible to customers.

Whoever permitted this IT roll out has made a real blunder.

Watch out for IT project managers entering the job market in Manchester!

I'd agree that somebody has not done their job properly, whether it's the software supplier or the engineers who did the install of the software on aria's servers we'll never know. Any internet facing system that you base your whole business process on has to be absolutely reliable and this just isn't. Teething troubles should have been found before they start to take orders that they can't fulfil because the IT wasn't tested.

I think the problem that causes aria's lack of customer support, is that they operate like a budget airline, the customer gets a very basic service and its cheap. I'd expect that the whole business operates on a minimum cost basis, badly paid staff and cheap IT. It seems that the pennies saved on IT are going to cost pounds later on...

[Carlm]

Well I have had the same experience, Made my first aria order on the 01/02 selected the standard next day delivery, everything was in stock. I was a little disappointed it didn't arrive the next day but understood, but when it wasn't here by Tuesday i tried to call. Had to call from work because of the cust support phone line hours but was on hold for 30mins plus so gave up and used the site to send an email.

No reply from that email, so i called everyday after that too, spending up to 30 minutes on hold ( No useful messages on hold like you are no 123123 of 3512531225 in the queue, so god knows how long it would have taken to speak to someone )

Sent another email Thursday ( just in case the sites form didn't send it ( give them the benefit of the doubt )

- as yet no reply to any emails
- Stupid website doesn't allow orders to be canceled

I just signed up to the aria forum so I can PM lucy, lets see if she can sort me out. If not my only choice is to call the CC company and get them to cancel it.

I don't know what else I can do?

I would suggest that everyone stays away until they sort this mess out

[Richh]

I've just been on their forum and according to "Lucy", everything is now sorted.

...which makes me wonder why the order I cancelled last Thursday is still listed as "processing", and the online pdf again shows the full order, whereas last week it listed each line as a "shipping charge".

If it's still there tomorrow I'll post something up on their forum. Either way it doesn't seem to be as sorted as she's suggesting in public. That fecking idiot fanboy they've picked up is not exactly helping things either.

[Carlm]

Well my order was part delivered today apparently( One item went out of stock during the hold up ), I'm not there to check everything is in the box yet tho.

Lucy sorted this out for me after I sent her a message via her forums, which was nice of her.

Not the worst e-tailor experience I've had *cough*E-buyer*cough* I just hope they are getting through everyone else's orders.

[Micky007]

Hi,

Im sorry with all the problems you are having with your orders, as you may have read Aria have had a few technical issues with there systems. Aria have setup a new email for people who have been effected and if you have any questions please email ariacustomercare@googlemail[DOT]com and they reply to you asap.

Regards,
Michael Walmsley

[Richh]

That fecking idiot fanboy they've picked up is not exactly helping things either.

devil. of. speak. the.