Maaria T.
1/5
Avoid TLS in Manchester – Unprofessional and Bureaucratic Nightmare
You need the patience of a monk to deal with these people. I’ve now had to visit this place four times and every single time has been a disaster.
Absolutely terrible service and unnecessarily bureaucratic. The staff here are unbelievably rude and make the entire process feel hostile and unwelcoming. Every visit felt like I was checking into a prison rather than simply applying for a visa.
On my first visit, I was turned away. I was late due to traffic and parking issues, and instead of being met with any understanding, I was spoken to in a condescending and unhelpful manner. I was told I “should have come earlier” or “taken the train”—completely dismissing the fact that I had traveled nearly two hours and faced unexpected delays. Instead of offering solutions, the staff seemed more interested in making the situation worse. At one point, I could have sworn the man at the desk laughed/scoffed at me when I asked what I should do next, but I was already so stressed that I doubted myself. I had no choice but to rebook, even though I needed my visa urgently for work.
When I finally managed to attend my next appointment, the experience remained just as unpleasant. The atmosphere was unnecessarily tense, and most staff seemed to go out of their way to be unhelpful. Their attitude made the process feel overwhelming and put me on edge.
The worst part was when I had to collect my passport. I traveled again, on company’s time, only to be turned away because collections don’t open until 1 PM. This was never communicated to me—not in person, not in an email. When I explained this, I was dismissed without any concern. I was told last time I visited that I could “just turn up” and collect my passport, yet this turned out to be incorrect. The staff’s attitude was once again rude and unprofessional, and I even witnessed one of them arguing with a couple in front of me in the queue. Clearly, I wasn’t the only one having a bad experience that day.
To make things even more absurd, when I finally received my passport in a yellow envelope, I tried to open it right there to check that my passport was inside. Immediately, a staff member told me off and said I wasn’t allowed to open it until I had gone downstairs. No valid reason was given—just another example of their pointless and frustrating bureaucracy. It’s MY passport, and I had every right to check it on the spot to ensure everything was correct. This sums up the entire experience, unnecessary rules that serve no purpose other than to make an already stressful process even worse. Yet again, the staff were rude, and one of the security staff was literally sleeping on the job. Make it make sense.
——
I appreciate the reply despite the fact it’s a copy/paste job. But hey that’s okay its a Friday! I don’t need to waste any more time complaining to “care” support. I’ve decided to let it go. I do feel bad for these people because i’d absolutely hate my life if I worked here but Alhamdullilah I’ve got a decent job. So I do forgive and forget.
But here is something I hope people working at this TLS realise:
Though it may seem obvious, never treat anyone badly, as the impact of causing someone emotional distress will inevitably come back to you. I pray you all find happiness in your work because there is a sadness in these people and I felt it each time I had to walk through those automatic doors 🤣. Everyone coming into your building is in need of your service and is coming to you for help. That’s a privilege, you’re customer-facing and you see the direct positive impact you have on people. Without customers needing visas you wouldn’t be operating so be thankful. I urge you to hire better security, especially the man who was SLEEPING near the security scanner and laughed at me when I was distressed for being late. He clearly dislikes his job. Your security is unprofessional and not intimidating in a respectable way.
Also apologies for sticking my middle finger at your building as I left yesterday. No hate just shade. 🫶
