discussion Customer service my a**e!

[stona]

Still worth contacting Sky at renewal time Chris, they seem to add things just to keep you happy. Last time I did I got the full sports package and a new Q box upgrade for one pound extra a month.

This is right. Keep track of your contracts and always get in touch (which can be hard, I know) when they come up for renewal. Don't be scared about changing if you don't get what you want. The companies know it's a hassle and are banking on you not following through, but it may be worth it.

At the end of last month my Virgin contract was up for renewal. To cut a long story short I ended up with faster broadband, a better phone package (which we hardly use so pretty irrelevant), all my sports packages which are a substantial contributor to the total bill, and a 40% reduction in the bill from the previous contract.

As others have said, these large companies just hope that you will allow contracts to roll over and simply suck up the extra charges. They all do it, but in my experience it is the media providers (Virgin, Sky, etc.) and insurance companies* that are the worst. Don't let the b*stards get away with it.

*Name and shame! Admiral once almost quadrupled our car insurance premium. Same two cars, same address, same employment(s), same use etc., just a year older. When I got in touch to ask what they thought they were doing I was offered a minimal reduction as a 'valued customer'. Clearly not that valued as I got the same cover elsewhere for a comparable price to what I had been paying Admiral, who now got exactly nothing. Of course, it took an hour or two of my time to find the new insurer, but it was time well spent.

 

[Gern]

When I got my new (15 years old) Merc last year I was told my premium would go up to about £650 from £400 'cos I'd upgraded from a C class to an E class. Took me about an hour to get it down to less than £250!

 

[minitnkr]

When I was involved in developing SW for customer service operators (initial response) in the late 90s they were evaluated on a expected average of 35 seconds per call.

 

[Waspie]

Ive been battling with British Gas the last few weeks. I'm still at a loss at how the hell we as customers are supposed to communicate with them. Their crazy Bot, (aka 'chat') facility is just useless. They have migrated to a new system and for three weeks no-one has been able to access their billing or contract details!!! 'We are having technical problems - please try later'.
HAven't got to the point of losing the will to live but my patience has worn away!!!!

 

[The Smythe Meister]

Ive been battling with British Gas the last few weeks. I'm still at a loss at how the hell we as customers are supposed to communicate with them. Their crazy Bot, (aka 'chat') facility is just useless. They have migrated to a new system and for three weeks no-one has been able to access their billing or contract details!!! 'We are having technical problems - please try later'.
HAven't got to the point of losing the will to live but my patience has worn away!!!!

That's the way everything's going mate.... basically they don't give a toss about anyone...
... and what's worse,in my opinion,there are NO governing bodies that have any teeth,or the will,to do anything about it !!
It's just one massive gravy train .

 

[Tim Marlow]

If you want a humorous one that shows a total lack of joined up thinking, read on…..
We have had a spurious limited company using our address as their head office. They registered the company with companies house (CH) without our knowledge or agreement. The first we knew about this was when CH sent them a request for their annual accounts. Of course, it came to our address. I then contacted CH letting them know this was a fake company that had no right to use this address. I had to jump through several hoops to proof my case, but eventually received a letter from CH stating they would contact the company and request proof that they could use this address. It further said that if they didn’t receive this info they would modify the information they hold and freeze the company. All well and good I thought……then three days later we received a letter for this company yet again…….it was from CH, and requested said proof……how on earth did they think were going to get that proof? I’d just spent a lot of time and effort telling them that the company didn’t trade from here LOL…..

 

[Waspie]

If you want a humorous one that shows a total lack of joined up thinking, read on…..
We have had a spurious limited company using our address as their head office. They registered the company with companies house (CH) without our knowledge or agreement. The first we knew about this was when CH sent them a request for their annual accounts. Of course, it came to our address. I then contacted CH letting them know this was a fake company that had no right to use this address. I had to jump through several hoops to proof my case, but eventually received a letter from CH stating they would contact the company and request proof that they could use this address. It further said that if they didn’t receive this info they would modify the information they hold and freeze the company. All well and good I thought……then three days later we received a letter for this company yet again…….it was from CH, and requested said proof……how on earth did they think were going to get that proof? I’d just spent a lot of time and effort telling them that the company didn’t trade from here LOL…..

Absolute classic!!
Makes you wonder who and why they employ some people!

 

[davecov]

My partner bought a house (one of two in a cul-de-sac) twelve years ago. The previous owner had run a business from the house and had Virgin broadband. She had BT at her previous house and so transferred it to the new house. Things were fine until three years ago when she decided to switch from BT to Virgin. She phoned Virgin only to be told that she couldn't have domestic broadband as the address was a business. She explained that it was an ordinary house without a business but Virgin refused to listen. After many weeks of badgering them, they finally said that she could have broadband but a connection would have to made from the main road into the cul-de-sac for which she would be liable to pay. She pointed out that there was already a connection in the cul-de-sac to the house but they refused to believe her! Exasperated, she stayed with BT having renegotiated her deal. Fast forward to last year and she received a letter from Virgin saying that they have to come out to repair the connection in the cul-de-sac - a supposedly non-existent connection that she didn't use anyway! :upside:

Dave

 

[Waspie]

Ah well, Brit Gas contacted me via email asking if I wanted to make a formal complaint!!
Damn Right I Do.
Their customer portal or whatever they wish to call it is still showing Technical Fault!! 3 weeks now!!!!
Frustrated - Oh yes!!!

 

[simontie]

Well heres a bute, on holiday in turkey our flights were cancelled due to depart at 01.55 but 03.00 were told to check our emails or phones for the latest up date, i don't travel with my phone but i do carry my iPad however theres no wifi available so how do you get the information? To get an access code for the wifi you have to exit the departure lounge and find a kiosk but you cant exit the departure lounge as you have already been through security really great id having this on an app!!! Some time later
we had to return duty frees and then reenter Turkey back through passport control Collect our cases find the bus, anyway long story short we were shipped to a hotel for the night arriving just before 06.00 and told to watch out for up dates and text messages, following evening we finally took off 22.30, after doing all the security and passport stuff again, nightmare more so when your traveling with kids (we had our 6 yr old granddaughter With us)
reason for all this upheaval some muppet got drunk and started a fight on the inbound flight, police had to interview the air line staff after he was arrested and the crew didn't have enough hours left to get us home,
great start to your holiday waking up hung over in a Turkish jail enjoy your stay!!!
simon

 

[dave]

From the other side of the desk working for an internet based retailer of electrical goods, I took a call from a customer complaining their heater had not been delivered yesterday as promised. So I called up the order to check the details and it had been out for delivery. Then noticed the address, an isolated village in the Highlands in January, so asked what is the snow like where you are? Terrible he replied we haven’t been able to get out of the village for a week. He did accept the snow may be the reason his delivery did not occur.

 

[Guest]

I had a renewal this year double to last years. Rang and asked why, said I would leave and was offered the same rate as last year.
Seems to me unless you haggle they attempt to screw everyone.
Car insurance is fixed for 3 years, so hopefully there won't be a song and a dance on the renewal. Pay £140 fully comp for me and the son in law from SAGA so very happy.

 

[Waspie]

I had a renewal this year double to last years. Rang and asked why, said I would leave and was offered the same rate as last year.
Seems to me unless you haggle they attempt to screw everyone.
Car insurance is fixed for 3 years, so hopefully there won't be a song and a dance on the renewal. Pay £140 fully comp for me and the son in law from SAGA so very happy.

Yeah, I'm with SAGA and must admit they do actually 'drop' their annual fee's too. Was locked in to their 3 year fixed rate and when I received my quote after the 3 year mark the price of my annual fee had dropped.
Took SWIMBO ages to find the smelling salts to revive me. First time I haven't had to haggle to get a fair price.
LV in my experience are the worst for upping annual renewals!!

 

[Waspie]

Aggghhhhhhhhh. British Gas are doing my head in. Still no account info!! It's ben nearly a month now. Yet they still want payment for the gas even though they don't send out bills and you can't access the info online because of technical issues with their website.

My son builds IT systems for FinTech and he's amazed BG's techies can't resolve the problem. He tells me he'd be looking for a new job if he can't get his system working that day!!!!

Methinks OfGen may be my next winge-o-gram!!!!