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| 'Predatory' sex clinic under fire (Advanced Medical Institute) |
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Wednesday, August 26, 2009 |
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FROM:Sydney Morning Herald
REPORTER: Kelly Burke Consumer Affairs Reporter
August 26, 2009
PERNICIOUS, nasty, coercive and deplorable. The company notorious for its relentless ''longer lasting sex'' advertisements has faced a barrage of accusations from sexual health experts.
Yesterday an injunction taken out by the Advanced Medical Institute in June was partially varied by the Supreme Court to enable the Herald to report on a House of Representatives public hearing that took place on Friday.
AMI's chief executive and founder, the Ukrainian-born medical entrepreneur Jack Vaisman, sat in silence during the five-hour hearing as the standing committee on health and ageing heard a litany of allegations over predatory tactics and unethical medical practices in his erectile dysfunction clinics, known widely for their nasal spray treatments.
Chris McMahon, the director of the Australian Centre for Sexual Health, told the hearing that AMI was ''concerned with its balance sheet rather than patient need'' and that the practice of prescribing medicines over the telephone was a ''casual, cavalier, careless and expedient'' approach that should be deplored.
David Handelsman, the head of andrology at Concord Hospital's ANZAC Research Institute, said AMI's advertising was pernicious and destructive, and its claims of efficacy for its erectile dysfunction treatments were a carefully constructed legal fiction.
Professor Handelsman told the hearing he had first come across Mr Vaisman more than a decade ago, when he was sitting on a Health Care Complaints Commission inquiry called by the NSW Government into an earlier Vaisman company, On Clinic.
''I've got to say, one of the most scarifying experiences as a medical practitioner I've had [was] seeing just how low quality this sort of medical care can be,'' he said. ''It really shouldn't occur in Australia in the 21st century … It goes back to a pre-thalidomide type of regulatory standards.''
David Malouf, the vice-president of the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand, said he believed AMI displayed serious inappropriate clinical practice. Dr Malouf said he had treated former AMI patients who had suffered painful priapisms (prolonged erections), including one 17-year-old who had been prescribed penile injections.
Doug Lording, from Melbourne's Andrology Centre, described AMI's practice of locking patients into long-term contracts costing thousands of dollars as pernicious, nasty and unethical.
Almost all of the medical experts expressed concern that AMI did not inform patients of clinically proved alternatives such as Viagra, or warn them about possible side effects.
While Mr Vaisman did not speak during the hearing other than to state his name, his legal representative, who is also an AMI shareholder, Richard Doyle, strongly defended the company and denied the allegations.
He said a survey the company had conducted of 30 non-AMI doctors found most, including Dr McMahon, did not conduct a physical examination, while one-third did not give any advice on side effects for the drugs they were prescribing, nor give advice on alternative treatments.
He said the medications AMI used had been the subject of overseas clinical trials.
''If there were major adverse health outcomes … then there would have been an outcry some time ago.''
More than 75 per cent of complaints AMI received from patients related to contractual, not medical, issues and of those, the complaints were largely about minor irritations.
Mr Doyle said the fact that one-third of patients who contacted AMI were refused prescriptions because of underlying medical conditions was proof the company put the welfare of its patients before profits.
But when asked why patients were tied to costly long-term contracts, he said: ''We are a commercial enterprise and we are entitled to do whatever we wish to as long as we comply with the law.''
The committee has called for submissions to the inquiry to be filed within two weeks.
WEBMASTER NOTE: We recommend you to file a submission to the House of Representatives committee in NSW - especially if you have posted a complaint on the nocustomerservice.com website. |
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| NEED HELP MANAGING CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS? |
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Wednesday, June 03, 2009 |
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Are you a company representative who wants to be better at handling customer complaints?
Do you need assistance and advice on how to skilfully manage customer complaints so that their loyalty to you increases?
Do you want to know how to manage complaints in such a way, that is least cost to your business in the long term; and, which turns your complainant customers into your best-word-of-mouth advertisers?
Contact Mercer Management Consulting Services: your specialists in customer focus - and especially handling complaints.
Jillian Mercer is the lead consultant for Mercer Management Consulting Services which is a general management consultancy specialising in:
• Customer Focus (including auditing businesses, surveying customers, conducting focus sessions, customer complaints management, training and the © Nine Rules of Good Customer Service).
• Facilitation of Groups (achieving accelerated consensus in decision-making).
• Independent Review (efficiency and effectiveness of processes, programs; evaluation of your complaints processew against the International standard on complaints-handling [ISO10002:2004], customer focus).
Contact her on +61 8 92278055
or email: jmercer@mercermanagement.com.au
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| BAD SERVICE AWARDS |
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Tuesday, June 02, 2009 |
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The Bad Service Award shop is now working!
You can visit the page on the site and buy a customised Bad Service Award to send to that company that treated you so badly.
It's a really inexpensive way to get back at the company and let them know how you feel about that way they treated you when things went wrong.
It's also a lot of fun and a healthy way to get back at 'em!
Can't you just imagine the faces of the proprietor/Director/Manager/staff member when they open the Award??
Go on. Buy one and send it to them... .
Go the Bad Service Award!!
:-))
Just click onthe bad service awards button on the left hand side of this page...
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| APOLOGIES FROM NOCUSTOMERSERVICE.COM |
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Sunday, May 31, 2009 |
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Dear customers,
Please accept our apologies if this affects you (and it most probably does):
We have been working on the site since about July 2008 to strengthen it and update various technical and back office functions.
Much to our dismay, we have discovered that when you fill in the questionnnaire, you may NOT have received your analysis report!!
Although we are not sure, we fear that this problem may have been in place since then. If you missed on getting a report,you can re-submit the story of your complaint, and answer the questionnnaire, and finally get a report. If anything happens that the report does not arrive please do let us know so that we can fix any problems.
Thank you for your patience and once again, please accept our unreserved apologies if this problem affected you.
Jillian Mercer
Director
ncs |
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| PENETRATING TIGER AIRLINES' ARMOUR! |
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Tuesday, May 12, 2009 |
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*XXX WEBMASTER NOTE: This posting has been altered by removal of details of contact as originally posted. This is because the information is no longer current.
One of our fantastic customers on nocustomerservice.com website has news for you all. He has worked out how to penetrate the WALL that one has to to get in contact with Tiger when something goes wrong for you; or, if you need to make a variatinon on your booking (which is a fairly common event when travelling customers are mere humans and not boxes of cargo, as I understand).
Here's his message:
The best way to contact Tiger with a complaint is
a) on the "secret" Melbourne administration and executive office number
03 9330 3188 then type an extension number from 101 to 117. I recommend extension 113 which is the Managing Director (Shelly Roberts or her PA Lee Palmeri).
b) by faxing your complaint to the "secret" Melbourne fax number 03 9330 3288
c) by calling head of Corporate Affairs Matt Hobbs. Matt is now in Singapore but has a Melbourne number 03 86237250 on permanent diversion. You can also try matthobbs@tigerairways.com or matt@tigerairways.com
d) * by contacting Tiger Airways Australia Pty Limited XXXX XX Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxx. The lawyer who handles the Tiger account is Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx refer http:xxx.xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxxxxxx or Phone XX XXXX XXXX, Facsimile XXXX XXX XXX or XXXX
Remember it usually only minimal administration fee to start a "small claim" with your state tribunal (VCAT in victoria)
Good luck and make your voice heard !
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| WEDDING DRESS COMPLAINT ( AKA: WEDDING DISASTERS) |
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Tuesday, April 28, 2009 |
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A complaint story posted on nocustomerservice.com was about a wedding dress purchase disaster.
A failed attempt to have the complaint dealt with by the NSW tribunal, meant that the story was removed from our site because the tribunal determined that the complainat was unable to provide evidence that the proprietors failed their part of the agreement.
THE GOOD NEWS
In the meantime, the complainant pursued her grievance and Channel 7 Today Tonight programme followed some leads on her behalf (22nd April). You can follow up on this story at this link: http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=248153&cl=13115553&ch=&src=y7news
(Just copy and paste it into your address line in the browser to view.) |
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| AAA RATING _ COMPANIES BEWARE: A NEW WAY TO COMPLAIN ( YOU TUBE) |
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Friday, July 11, 2008 |
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Disgruntled airline customers use their time in a three day wait, to make a video!!
Have a look at this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOo-tG9q2h0
This is the response from the airline:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r_PIg7EAUw&feature=related
If you have similar stories to tell, or know of similar customer actions, send us the link to: info@nocustomerservice.com
Enjoy!!
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| APOLOGIES: SITE PROBLEM |
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Sunday, June 15, 2008 |
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This is an alert to let all our loyal readers know that we've had a Real Glitch which is the first in 7 years!
For some inexplicable reason we have lost the back room data on some 900 visits (we think)to nocustomerservice over the period 1st through to and including 9th June. And also (we think) approximately 9 posted complaints have been "lost". If you are aware that your complaints story has "dissappeared" from the site will you please accept our apologies; and please re-post the story.
We only edit strong language or abusive messages that do not tell a story of a complaints with adequate details to be analysed.
We do not summarily remove stories for no reason - so this is a real error.
We hope to get to the bottom of this problem and sort it out.
Thank you all for your patience and forebearance.
Jillian Mercer
DIRECTOR
nocustomerservice.com |
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| CityMove Moves to Redress. |
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Sunday, August 12, 2007 |
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nocustomerservice.com (ncs)has had email contact from the MD of Citymove saying that he is very concerned and would like to redress the problems as listed in the various complaints on this site.
ncs will never give out a complaint story owner's contact details.
However, if you have made a complaint and would like to test the capacity of Citymove to "put things right" (Rule 8 of Great Customer Service), please contact us at info@nocustomerservice.com.au and we'll give you his contact details.
Afterwards, and using your PIN access, you can update the story on on this site if you wish.
The reading will be very interesting, I'm sure.
At ncs we often get calls from companies insulting customers, and trying to get complaints removed. This is the first time we have had contact from a Senior Exeutive trying to rectify complaints. For this reason, we are making this known - as he/Citymove should be given a chance. As we customers know though, what the executives and the advertising says, does not always match what the customer is experienceing in every service transaction with the frontline staff.
Over to you all.
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| QUALITY SERVICE? I DON'T THINK SO.. |
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Sunday, August 27, 2006 |
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A story to come - Poulter's Installations. They advertise that their service quality is based on the fact that they "listen" to customers Well, in my experience, they did exactly the opposite.
More to come... .
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| BUYING A CAR - WHAT A NIGHTMARE!! |
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Friday, August 25, 2006 |
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I usually don't comment on this site (so that it never becomes my personal whip for industry); however, I am driven to write this week, because I have had the misfortune to be in a position where I have to organise another car to lease for my business.
5 years ago (after spending 4 years selecting the car to replace my beloved 35 year-old classic MG sports car which I had driven for 22 years), I puchased for lease a car from City Motors Holden in Perth Western Australia, a 2000 Vectra CD 6 cylinder.
I really wanted the next model when I came to replace it this year - however, for many reasons, I decided that I may look at a 2nd hand 2005 model.
It is important to remember that I have test-driven about 20 different cars from about 8 manufacturers for this exercise.
Anyway, I decided that, although it didn't really meet my requirements I would have another look at a 2005, 2.2 ltr Vectra.
This is where my trouble began.
I only discovered today that the salesmen have no delegated authority to actually negotiate with customers and everything must go to a senior.
What a nightmare!
Anyone who is familiar with Quality Management principles and operations will realise that as soon as you separate the actual work from the decision-making it causes service inconvenience to customers and also, other expensive problems for a business (though they may be very proud that they have separated functions out and made their salespeople no better than door attendants!!).
Anyway, City Motors in Perth, had a salesman work with a price for me and I told them what I could "live with" and said saleman promised to see what his boss would agree to... .
He came back with a worse offer than that he went away with!!
In the end, I went into High Level Research Mode and found that:
1. they were charging full retail new price car for a second hand one that had 10,ooo kms on the clock;
2. they were offering the lowest possible trade-in for my current car which is low kilometerage (after deductions to fix some cosmetic problems in the form of scratches and dents), and with a full and comprehensive service history;
Other promises made at salesman level were simply not in the return offer (enough money to get new wider garage doors so the new wider /bigger car would fit, and sensors to help me park said new car in said garage)!
Anyway, when the manager USED cars returned with his "offer" of a NEW car sale price, I simply said, I am clearly the wrong customer for Citys and he replied, "OK. Goodbye".
...!
The last car I purchased from them I spent AUD$34K to purchase and then 5 years of full service history expenditure at approximltely $1000.00 per year.
So.
They are quite happy for me to walk away and start my campaign of bad-word-of-mouth advertising.
WHAT WENT WRONG
a. Firstly said salemsman never followed up as promised after each meeting/contact from me.
b. Even when their "customer service follow-up/satisfaction" monitor person rang, and asserted that the policy is that salespeople must contact customers every 3 days, I was never contacted on salesman's initiative.
c. Each time I had to make the contact to find out what was going on.
d. Promises made by the salesperson were not adhered to (instead of asking price of $27,990 for the car, I could have it for $24K with Trade-in of $6K for my current car). This is despite the Red Book Car Price "Bible" prices being $22K for the USED car price; and $10K for trade-in for my make and model vehicle!
e. I counter-offered at $24K price for car and requested that they must raise the trade-in offer.
f. The Salesman promised at least 5 times to ring me back the next day with some firm figures after seeking permission for discounts/deals from his superior.
g. The salesman did NOT return with figures as promised the following day (Thursday).
h. Salesman rang on the Friday and said he had a "rostered day off" on the previous day (shame he didn't think to tel |
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| GREAT CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS/FEEDBACK SITE |
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Thursday, March 25, 2004 |
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At nocustomerservice, we don't usually mention good service stories (plenty of awards schemes to do the feelgood feedback stuff). However, the Rivers site has a great customer feedback page where they print complaints and gripes (as well as the feelgood stuff) and also the company's responses to their customers. It is a great example of how to be transparent in complaints handling. More importantly, it is a great example of how to manage customer complaints with the minimum of fuss for the customer.
Check it out:
http://www.rivers.com.au/Guestbook/guestbook.asp |
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