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Rattlehead
Just Starting
Joined: 06 Feb 2007
Posts: 6
Location: New York, USA
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 Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 12:26 am Post subject: Why does WayToRussia have no phone number? |
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| I like to be able to contact businesses that I deal with by phone and talk to someone, ask them questions verbally if need be. I especially like to have this kind of customer service if I'm dealing with something as important as visas. Why does this site have no contact number for customers? |
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Jasonlee
Frequent Guest
Joined: 10 Aug 2007
Posts: 15
Location: The Gammaquadrant
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| Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 3:10 am Post subject: |
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| Good question, hopefully someone here will find it important enough to answer. |
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Rattlehead
Just Starting
Joined: 06 Feb 2007
Posts: 6
Location: New York, USA
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| Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 3:23 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for showing some intrest dude. Customer service is dead these days. I really resent how companies both large and small have this attitude of "give us your money and get out of our sight!" It's becoming more and more impossible to get a human being on the phone when dealing with businesses. It's a shame because I like the way this site is set up and feel that it offers a great service but I'm not comfortable doing business with someone who avoids all human contact with their clients. They create these complicated customer feedback devices for clients to electronically send them questions through forms, emails and private messages, bb posts and the like. All this to avoid talking to anyone.
There are gigantic multinational conglomerates who have huge sprawling websites without a single phone number on them. It's sad, it really is. |
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jo-jo-7
Just Starting
Joined: 16 Mar 2010
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 3:39 am Post subject: |
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| Rattlehead wrote: | Thanks for showing some intrest dude. Customer service is dead these days. I really resent how companies both large and small have this attitude of "give us your money and get out of our sight!" It's becoming more and more impossible to get a human being on the phone when dealing with businesses. It's a shame because I like the way this site is set up and feel that it offers a great service but I'm not comfortable doing business with someone who avoids all human contact with their clients. They create these complicated customer feedback devices for clients to electronically send them questions through forms, emails and private messages, bb posts and the like. All this to avoid talking to anyone.
There are gigantic multinational conglomerates who have huge sprawling websites without a single phone number on them. It's sad, it really is. |
There is no customer service, period! I went through the same thing today trying to return some software online. No phone number at all. Only a home office street address to contact them. Get this, I bought a security program through symantec and the subkey is invalid ($59 that I am out of) and I cannot get a number or a physical person on the phone. I know what you mean about customer service, it is not what it used to be.
Just my two cents. |
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Rattlehead
Just Starting
Joined: 06 Feb 2007
Posts: 6
Location: New York, USA
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| Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 9:03 am Post subject: |
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| It's funny you mention Symantec Jo Jo 7, my friend recently ordered Symantec's Internet Security program suite and it slowed his computer down so much that he asked for a refund of his money for the download. He didn't call them because they want $10 to grant you the privilege of talking to them on the phone!! He had to do everything through email. I hate modern commerce! |
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waytorussia
Frequent Guest
Joined: 17 Mar 2010
Posts: 14
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| Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 1:56 pm Post subject: |
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Getting back to the original subject of the conversation -- there is a phone number on the website, just go to Our Team -> Business section.
This phone number is only for business development inquiries, we cannot provide any information support by phone. The main reason is that when we used to do that we'd get lots of phonecalls like "Hi, how do I get a Russian visa?". All the information is on the website and it's much easier to read through it rather than taking both your and our time getting it over the phone.
The phone numbers of the providers who advertise their services are provided in the confirmation e-mails once you send a request (with no obligation) about their service. |
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surfguy
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 13 Apr 2006
Posts: 6979
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| Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 3:33 pm Post subject: |
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Last edited by surfguy on Fri Aug 31, 2007 1:12 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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Rattlehead
Just Starting
Joined: 06 Feb 2007
Posts: 6
Location: New York, USA
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| Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2007 11:09 am Post subject: |
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WayToRussia,
Thank you for getting back to me.
I did read the entire visa info section on the site but I still had a couple questions. No business' website or automated phone system has ever answered every possible (and legitimate) question. There is always questions that haven't been thought of or adequately answered or explained. Sadly there will always be customers who ask stupid questions, I know I've dealt with it, but that's just the cost of doing business, I don't think that's any good reason to avoid talking to clients on the phone. All businesses should be accessible to their clients, but especially businesses that are service oriented like yours.
I preferred to ask my questions before I fill out any forms online, but you've structured your process where I can't reach anyone until I do that. Thank you for getting back to me, but I've already filed for my visa with an online travel agency that had a customer service number.
Surfguy,
I'm glad you are satisfied with the level of customer service you recieved. I wasn't looking to ask any questions of the visa support provider that WTR would connect me with, I wanted to ask WTR a question about their own online form. For that it was necessary to talk directly to them. I sent the PM to WayToRussia on Monday and got a response today. In the meantime I found another company. That's why customer service is important for both the consumer and the business.
No hard feelings to WayToRussia the admin, or the site, but I hope that they think about providing some kind of phone support even if it means having to direct people to the website for the most basic questions that are answered on the site. But that phone line should be there for the questions that aren't. I think everyone wins when a company provides better customer service.
--Rat |
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surfguy
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 13 Apr 2006
Posts: 6979
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| Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2007 11:15 am Post subject: |
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| sure...and glad you found the service you need...nothing is 100%. Glad to hear you care enough about WTR to let them know about this. HAve a good trip |
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Rattlehead
Just Starting
Joined: 06 Feb 2007
Posts: 6
Location: New York, USA
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| Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2007 11:26 am Post subject: |
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WTR has a good thing going here with this site, it is very useful and informative. I just hope that they take my criticisms in the constructive spirit in which they were intended. Like you said, nothing is 100%, and there's always room for improvement. Businesses can't know where and how to improve if their customers don't tell them.
--Rat |
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surfguy
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 13 Apr 2006
Posts: 6979
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| Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2007 11:31 am Post subject: |
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Last edited by surfguy on Fri Aug 31, 2007 12:54 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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surfguy
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 13 Apr 2006
Posts: 6979
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| Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2007 11:56 am Post subject: |
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Ok well perhaps phone support would be helpful...but too we don't know what your question is so it's hard to tell how readily an answer should be.
And yes customer service is vital and key to the success of any business |
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MrSpice
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 14 Jul 2003
Posts: 3431
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| Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 1:45 am Post subject: |
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| Rattlehead wrote: | WTR has a good thing going here with this site, it is very useful and informative. I just hope that they take my criticisms in the constructive spirit in which they were intended. Like you said, nothing is 100%, and there's always room for improvement. Businesses can't know where and how to improve if their customers don't tell them.
--Rat |
The reality is that it's a low-margin business. This is not Expedia. You cannot expect a dedicated travel consultant to answer all of your questions for the kind of profits those services are generating. It's not a reasonable expectation, in my view. You can ask all the questions you have about the forms on this forum. You can also use email to send your questions. The reality of this business is that in order to answer your questions by phone, the owner would need to pay the call center and it costs money. If they had a call number, they would probably have to charge more.
I don't know what Jo Jo is talking about. I wonder where did she purchase the software. Symantec does provide phone support. If Jo Jo had a boyfriend, he would help her find the numbers  |
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nikir
Frequent Guest
Joined: 17 Mar 2010
Posts: 54
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| Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 3:39 am Post subject: |
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That's it. Its a liaison between the site and service providers, and also an exchange of information between members. Works well too in my opinion.
If it doesn't suit someones particular need then they should look elsewhere for answers.
I would rather post a question here first though, than be stuck on hold with a call centre. |
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Daria
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 16 May 2005
Posts: 1146
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 4:22 am Post subject: |
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| nikir wrote: |
I would rather post a question here first though, than be stuck on hold with a call centre. |
For English press 1, for Russian- 2.
To find out how to get to Russia press 3
To find out how to get a hell out of Russia, press 4
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