Computer problems!

[TPeers]

I have tried to avoid this thread but I hate BT with such a vengeance I have to join in. When Brian died they cut my/our phone off immediately. No explanation, no recourse. They insisted that I had to go through the "credit assessment" route to get it reconnected which could take up to five weeks.

I'm sorry, but widowhood is ultra devastating. Not being able to talk to your relatives/friends/support group through one of the most devastating episodes in your life is insensitivity in the extreme. 17 hrs of begging and pleading lead to them not answering any calls from my, and my son's numbers.

Brian was the team-leader for BT's first number change. He told them at the time that within four years they would need to change the numbers again. He was right but the numbers were dictated by government not industry.

He was asked to do the next number change and he told them to go forth and multiply.

Anyhoo, all this meant that I had the ear of the powers that be when he died. So when I couldn't get my phone reconnected, I emailed the CEO of BT and it was back on the next day.

So, what happens to the little old lady down the road, or the bloke next door. I personally don't think there is anything to choose between any of the telecoms companies. I don't think the company I am now with will treat me any differently BUT I'm not talking to a call centre in India that doesn't understand the question and sends back the nearest answer that doesn't answer the question.

BT are now sending me letters pleading with me to return to them quoting the monetary benefits I will get. I couldn't care a monkeys arse about the money, I want to know that I have a connection and REAL customer service. It's worth all the world.

Little toads! Poor you!! I can well understand the anger.

I can't put want I want - it's too rude!

[Sirius]

JanieB - I feel for you so much, can't even pretend to begin to understand how you were feeling being so cut off from everyone at a time when you most needed it. I know it shouldn't really surprise me that the likes of BT, and others I'm sure, are so damned insensitive to everything other than making money, but sometimes I really am lost for words at their behaviour.

I've been with Virgin (aka Telewest) for about 10 years and have never had any trouble with them. When my bank bounced all my direct debits because they processed my payments BEFORE processing my wages which arrived on the same day, Virgin called me to say that they would need to be paid by suchandsuch a date or I'd be cut off. As the bank had charged me for every single bounced direct debit, I wasn't left with enough money to pay the bill until they refunded it back (something they said would take up to 14 days, rip off, don't get me started). I called Virgin to explain the situation and basically said, take a look at my payment record, you can see this is a blip blah blah. The customer services woman I spoke to had a word with her supervisor and agreed on record that I wouldn't have to pay them for 2 months (!) to allow me to get the bank back in line, and that I certainly wouldn't be cut off (telephone, broadband & tv). It was such an absolute pleasure to talk to someone who was sensible and had the right approach.

[Snadger]

To get the free wireless router and the internet phone I had to sign up for an 18 month contract.

I initially went on the BT 0800 helpline where a very nice Bangladeshi gentleman who I couldn't make head nor tale of, eventually informed me I would have to pay £38 for the new modem. I politely told him to stuff his modem where the monkey stuffs his nuts and hung up!

I am probably going to be accused of being racist here but I had to get him to repeat everthing at least once and up to four times in certain instances.

If you are going to employ someone on a helpline serving English speaking people, I would have thought a basic understanding of the English language was a pre-requisite? I know it wasn't the guys fault and he was probably working for buttons, but I would have thought a big firm like BT with massive profits could afford to employ switch board staff who could actually speak the language
Anyway, gripe over, thanks for all your comments good, bad and indifferent and as I said earlier I'll just have to 'speak as I find'!

[Hans Mum]

To get the free wireless router and the internet phone I had to sign up for an 18 month contract.

I initially went on the BT 0800 helpline where a very nice Bangladeshi gentleman who I couldn't make head nor tale of, eventually informed me I would have to pay £38 for the new modem. I politely told him to stuff his modem where the monkey stuffs his nuts and hung up!

I am probably going to be accused of being racist here but I had to get him to repeat everthing at least once and up to four times in certain instances.

If you are going to employ someone on a helpline serving English speaking people, I would have thought a basic understanding of the English language was a pre-requisite? I know it wasn't the guys fault and he was probably working for buttons, but I would have thought a big firm like BT with massive profits could afford to employ switch board staff who could actually speak the language
Anyway, gripe over, thanks for all your comments good, bad and indifferent and as I said earlier I'll just have to 'speak as I find'!

not racist at all snadger its soo frustrating not being able to understand the person on the other end but so many companies have gone down this route which is not an improvement on customer service

[valmarg]

No definitely not racist Hans Mum, it is just so bloody frustrating trying to get some sort of customer service from somewhere halfway up the hindu kush.

OH has high blood pressure, but these rubbish call centres do nothing to reduce it. We are with Tiscali, he makes a call to the indian call cenre, chats away for a while, asks a question that the basic is unable to answer, "just a moment please". Bit of music, and the next thing he knows is the line has gone dead.

We are in an area where BT has not upgraded the local exchange so we cannot get the benefit of 'high speed' broadband.

I just find the outsourcing of call centres to the indian sub-continent so offensive. Their grasp of the English language is so low. And if you as a question they are unable to answer, they pull the plug.

valmarg

[TPeers]

And this is supposed to offer us, the consumer, a 'better service'!

I think they need a dictionary!

Thrown at them for preferance!

[Two_Sheds]

What a timely thread!
I had to phone India on Saturday - we were waiting for an important email to come in when the Internet died. It had been fine just up until the moment we really needed it. I phoned India while OH pegged it up the road to the public library to use their coal-fired pootahs.
After 3 hours of "try this" 'I HAVE ALREADY', repeating everything in triplicate, and unplugging and replugging everything, the lady said there was a fault on the line. No, there wasn't. Or was there? I really couldn't tell. I think she was hedging her bets. We hung up by mutual agreement.
When OH got back from the library, the internet turned on first time. Ruddy typical.