Am I being unreasonable expecting BT to apologise?

medders2604

Right I need to have a vent about BT and their lack of customer service. Apologies for the length of post if you don't want the full saga skip to last paragraph for my main question.

I had a BT line installed back in April (no choice as no existing line) first call to arrange everything was brilliant. All seemed fine arranged for both phone and internet bills to be by DD on 20th each month very helpful rep etc etc etc.

First problem day of fitting arrives along with hub phone through the post but no hub, had to wait another 3 days for that as not ordered but hey ho these things happen and it wasn't a big issue.

Then the billing problems started. Phone bill no problem right through but internet a different story. Starts with me receiving a bill as internet not set up on DD so I called paid by card and was assured the DD had now been set up monthly on the correct date. Then a couple of months later still no DD appeared on account so called to chase and was told again that it was sorted. End of August still no DD for internet and I get another bill so call yet again and am told that it is def sorted and direct debit is set up. Surprise surprise I check my online account yesterday they have finally set up a direct debit but for whole of bill on a quarterly basis. Tried calling yet again but after queing for ages quit and sent an email via their complaints button asking what was happening and why the direct debit although it has been set up was wrong yet again. Also wanted a bit of an explanation or reasoning as to why it has taken so many calls to try and get it sorted.

So this morning I missed a call (working) and its BT regarding my complaint. Not one word of apology just alady with a very bad and hardly understandable accent saying that direct debit has been changed to monthly on 1st of each month (what happened to 20th as requested every time I called) and that they now consider the complaint dealt with. It still hasn't updated on my online account.

Now Am I being unreasonable expecting them to at least say sorry for the problems I have had? I really don't want to call again and spend ages trying to negotiate through their stupid automated service to get to speak to a person that invariably cannot understand what I am saying or understand what I want. I have got to sort out the direct debit date but is there any number that I can use to call them that is more likely to get me through to someone in the UK that will hopefully be reasonably competant at English and will be able to fix what should be such a simple thing? I am even happy to email rather than speak to someone if it gets it sorted but don't want to keep using complaint button as they always seem to be handled in India of whereever the call centre is now.

If you made it to the end Thank - you

dmg24

I can see why you would like an apology, but is it really going to change anything if you get one? Anybody in the call centre can say 'sorry', and probably not mean it, will it make you feel any better?

I think it will be more stressful to try to get through to someone to get that apology, than it would be just to put it down to experience and move on.

geordie_joe

medders2604 wrote: »

Now Am I being unreasonable expecting them to at least say sorry for the problems I have had?

No, but they won't do it. If you get through to a call centre the person will say sorry, but the won't really know why they are saying, not will they be sorry or even care.

If you write you may get to someone higher up, but they will just pay lip service too.

As has already been said, easier and less stressful to put it behind you.

They once charged me £160 odd when I moved house, even though I moved into a house with an existing (and working) BT line. It took months of calls and letters to get them to admit they made a mistake.

But the best I got was "there is no way we are refunding your money, we'll deduct it from your bills until you have it all back. And the apology I had asked for was along the lines of "We are sorry you think our service, on this occasion, was not up to our usual high standard".

I just would not bother if I were you.

Rab19

You're lucky you even got someone to call you back . . . I'm still waiting on a response to a complaint from December 2006! I agree with you - it would be lovely to get an apology & maybe a small token for the inconvenience, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

We don't bother with BT now, I won Sky+HD for a year, so we switched the phone line to them too . . . VIP service means a lot less messing & a lovely Scottish person to look after me all the time now!

Good luck


Rab x x

medders2604

Ok I have calmed down a bit now. BT surely must be aware that their incompetance and lack of quality staff is costing them customers. I am looking forward to receiving the usual follow up email survey to see how the problem was handled I get to spend a few minutes with my thesaurus finding new ways of say useless and apalling! Not that they ever do anything but venting at them in the politest manner possible always gives me a sense of satisfaction.

I only wish I could swap to another provider but as I did not have a BT line at all connected and sky refused to fit one I have had to go with BT for 12 months. I can't wait until those 12 months are up and I can move elsewhere in fact think I am going to get myself an advent calendar and mark the days off! I'm not even bothered about a small token for the inconvenience I just want them to get it right!

Congratulation on the win Rab and thank-you all for your replies

Kenna

hi there
I have been in disagreement with BT some time ago- in circumstances quite similar to yours. I've been also waiting impatiently for my contract to expire. What happened was- I moved houses 2 months before the end of contract- lovely BT extended the contract without telling me for another 12 months plus charged me installation fee for the second time (after logging a complaint I got some lame explanation about necessity of opening an entirely new account, bla di blah and yes, deduction from the next bill). I've decided to wait another 12 months...contract expired in May this year- imagine my surprise upon seeing BT charge on my bank statement for June. Turned out that even when your contract expires they just carry on providing the service until told to stop- and then they'll charge a cancellation fee. BT will not get my custom in any foreseeable future, believe me...So- a word of advice- please make sure to inform them that you do not want to carry on after contract expires.

medders2604

Kenna, I have already got it written in red ink on next years calendar, haven't even put birthdays on yet but the BT cancellation is there! I will call them, email them and write to them (recorded delivery) to make sure they get the message!

Lip_Stick

I had a similar problem with Kingston Communications and their internet service (Karoo), a good few years ago now, before I did internet banking. I'd been a customer for a while but they'd messed up my account payments. They wanted 3 months money right away (despite me calling and checking that my account was ok). If I didn't pay immediately I'd be cut off and forced to pay their huge reconnection fee. No apology from them either, and my hands were tied. I'd have left if I could have had another service provider, shame this area is a monopoly. Grrr

hollydays

Once they once were allowing my ex directory number to be given out, (found ou when I checked with directory enquiries)and i got a measly sum of money for that,which counted as some form of apology,but no apology,so don't hold your breath.