www.iva.co.uk

After numerous unreturned phone calls & e-mails not being responded to, I am, tomorrow, going to try & speak directly to our IP. What rights do I have to do this? I could do with knowing what I can & can't say to the Customer Services Dept should they refuse to let me speak to him. I know it's ifs & buts, but I really need to know that what I am 'quoting' to them is correct!

My humble opinion yes you can talk to your IP and you do have a right, will they let you? well that depends as some companies do some don't.

Tinks 81,

In the first instance email your IP direct stating your concerns and also that you are not getting any reply from phone calls, emails etc.

I did this following almost 2 weeks of alternate day emails to both the Customer Services Department and the Closures Team to ensure that our case would not be put on hold again (especially as we had agreed to them claiming PPI with the MVM meeting).

In less than 48 hours I had received a phone call and 2 emails to say that our file had finally been closed.

Good Luck!

You have an absolute right to speak with your IP if you need to. If the firm's policy is that they do not let clients speak with their IPs, then I think the regulatory bodies would take a pretty dim view of that - notwithstanding the fact that often complaints can be dealt with by more junior members of staff quite adequately if the need arises to complain.

There are so many things being reported on here that the regulatory bodies would or should be taking a dim view of -- yet, year on year it gets worse.

Is it that the complainants are simply not taking matters to the regulators or are the regulators dis-interested?

Assuming the forum to be a representative cross section the numbers suffering the same problems must be significant.

Many firms actively bar clients from the IPs -- it is too common an occurrence in too many firms to be rogue / over protective admin staff.

Tinks81
Apologies that you have had difficulty contacting Customer Service or received a call back.
Can you please email me at "ivacustomerservices@uk.gt.com" with only IVA Forum in the subject line and I will ensure all your enquires are addressed?
I look forward to hearing from you,
Kind Regards
Karol

Karol

I have e-mailed using that as the subject on numerous occassions & got nowhere!! I have today spoken to someone in customer services who refused to give me Mark Allen's e-mail address and it is only because I came on here looking to find out how I find his address that I've come across your reply. I will e-mail you too & hopefully I will get a replt to my question.

Mark Allen has an almost god like quality. Many of us believe he exists but none of us have ever seen him or spoken to him. [:)]

It is a shame that some IPs do not speak to clients. I am unsure this is down to the IP themselves though, it may just be the staff not wanting to forward queries on. I know here we have 2 IPs that own and run the business and are glad to speak to clients

9 times out of 10 a query can be dealt with by the admin, or whoever answers the phone -- it is that 10th time that REALLY requires the IPs input ... it is not as though they are expected to answer every call!

I'm not a patient person and totally know where the frustration lies here and not sure how I would cope...come on you big companies a little more client care and we'd have lots of happy posters instead of disgruntled ones.

Tinks81

Thank you for the update - I am kean to resolve any issues however do not seem to have received your email, I would be grateful if you can re-send?
Many Thanks
Karol

Hi

I believe there is just two IPs dealing with many thousands of IVA cases at GT, happy to be corrected on this, so I think you have more chance of speaking to Woody Allen than you do Mark Allen

Regards

titter!

Karol

Believe it or not I have been at work & was on my lunch break when I replied earlier. I am in the process of finishing off my e-mail to you now. It is a long e-mail but I need to get everything down correctly.

Andy - either Woody or Dave would be easier I feel [;)]