Now it's the BT phone line!

Carl.

After many, many problems with BT Broadband it was somewhat of a relief to have them resolved to my complete and utter satisfaction after a couple of months of back and forth.

Happy as Larry I managed to have a grand total of ONE stress-free week.

I received a call on my landline from someone I have NEVER given the number to and someone who nobody who does have the number knows.

Nothing strange there you might think, only it turns out that they were calling the number after it had shown up on their caller display DESPITE me having automatic ID block on the line.

Immediately called BT, and got through to the Indian Call Center where I spoke to a lady who had absolutely no idea why I would be so aggitated at BT's disregard towards my privacy and who somehow seemed to believe that what I was saying was that I wanted to order a new BT phoneline for my home.

Sighing heavily I asked to be transferred through to a manager and when he came on the phone his accent was so thick and so fast that I couldn't understand a single word that he said.

Sighing heavily once again I asked to be transferred through to the Customer Options team and then finally I got someone who was able to understand the problem and speak in clear English, except the CO team are 100% in the UK and this person was in Bangalore.

Anyway, the number change was ordered with automatic number withhold and I was informed that I would get a letter on Monday confirming that new number for my CPS provider to update their records and reactivate my service with them.

I was also told that the CPS provision would stop when the number changed on Monday morning and from then on the calls would be routed through BT.

Satisfied I thanked the person on the end of the phone and hung up, little did I know the nightmare which was to follow.

1) BT cancelled, without my permission or informing me my CPS account activation at 1am resulting in several £'s worth of charges to my BT account that should have been free on CPS.

2) No confirmation letter arrived on Monday resulting in delay reprovisioning CPS.

3) Badgered BT into sending an email confirming my new number and forwarded it to CPS who then told me that BT had cancelled my CPS order on my line and that it would have to be re-provisioned taking upto 14 days.

4) Phoned BT and knowing that the only people who could transfer me through to CO I asked to speak to a manager. The Indian I spoke to REFUSED to connect me to a manager 4 times at which point I asked her for her name so that I could include it in an email to Ben Verwaayen so he knows how his staff are treating his customers. She promptly cut me off.

5) This morning I finally received confirmation of the new number, a letter welcoming me back to BT (completely unauthourised) and that they had added Choose To Refuse to my bill without my permission or request at cost to myself.

I am currently waiting on a call back from a senior manager within the BT Newcastle Call Center as it has had to go back to Bangalore to get the manager over there, (probably the same one who connected me to India when I asked to speak to CO), to review the tape of the conversation.

That call back is due sometime between 2 and 3pm.

In the meantime I have been forced to use a combination of BT Broadband Voice, Voip and Mobile to make calls at a current total of £14.67 in credit and charges that I would not have otherwise incurred on my CPS provider and face the prospect of having to do so for the remainder of the 14days changing period.

It is really galling though however how they keep repeatedly LYING to (at worst) and MISINFORMING me (at best) about almost every aspect of the BT service, together with the utter contempt that the Indian's show customers.

At this point I am seriously considering emailing Ben Verwaayen to request release from any and all contractual obligations with BT so that I can switch everything to Talk Talk because despite the poor reviews that have been received by TT, I find it increasingly difficult to believe that ANYBODY can be worse than BT.

I will update this thread after the afore-mentioned call-back to inform if BT are actually willing to resolve the issue.

Cardew

Carl. wrote:

together with the utter contempt that the Indian's show customers.

QUOTE]

I have to deal with a lot of Indian call centres - for banks and other firms as well as BT.

Like you I sometimes have huge problems with the 'thick' accents and often it is quite clear that they haven't understood the issue under discussion.

However I would take issue with you about the "utter contempt" attitude. In all my many dealings with them I find them unfailingly polite and well mannered. Even when I am at my most exasperated they remain calm and appear to be genuinely trying to help; albeit often with little success.

The problem is that they appear to be working within very strict protocols and clearly are loath to get someone in authority or with more expertise to help; presumably it is a ‘black mark’ against them if they can’t solve the problem.

I had a long standing problem with my BT Broadband Browser. After trying several measures the girl informed me that it was a corruption in Widows XP and I needed to reformat my hard disk and reload Windows! This despite the problem being identical on 3 separate PCs. Eventually a ‘proper’ technician in UK was involved and it was a known software conflict problem; which he solved in minutes.

On your problem. Are not all calls recorded?

ahrimaniac

Some calls aren't recorded - those that are made to the customers options team on 0800 800 030 or 829 are recorded on a programme called Airtel.

I'm in complete agreement with the original poster. I spent thirty minutes speaking to the billing department today - she told me she couldn't let me pay my LANDLINE bill because I have broadband on it. Complete and utter BS. She put me on hold for ten minutes, came back, said she'd put a note on the account to say I can't pay my bill (!) and then, when I asked to speak to a manager, she laughed and put the phone down.

Wouldn't care, I was trying to pay a bloody bill!

Carl.

Cardew while I appreciate in the main that they are polite, all too often when you ask to speak to a manager you get disconnected, they rarely, if ever give and spell their name so you can make them accountable by reporting them, they hang up on you when you ask to be transferred to a manager AND they constantly lie to you.

Every single time that I have asked to be transferred to England after wasting two hours going through the system trying to find an Indian who understands and can take ownership of a problem I am continually told that they cannot transfer the call to the UK despite the fact that I know it is possible and have been told by BT high level management that it is possible.

That to me is treating the customer with contempt.

I appreciate they are under constraints and I accept they are set strict limits to what they can actually do. However, what I refuse to accept is having to repeat my telephone number numerous times, having to spell out my name using a variety of methods numerous times, speaking to someone who is poorly trained in the product (BT's fault not India's) and who acts in the ways detailed in an earlier paragraph.

The final straw with India came when a lady informed me she needed to test the line I was using to call me on and then told me I was wrong when I told her she couldn't do it while I was on the call, only to come back 15 minutes later and inform me that I was actually correct. At that time it was obvious that she did not have a clue, so I asked to speak to a manager, explained why I asked to speak to him and then he did exactly the same.

It is coming to something when someone who has never worked in telecoms and who knows only the basics as he has never been trained in them, knows more than a MANAGER in the technical support department of a major telecoms company don't you think?

I'm sorry if this is coming across as aggressive, it is not meant to be in anyway, I wish I had received the service that you have, I really do, but my experience of BT's Indian Call Center(s) is almost entirely the opposite to yours.

The fault doesn't lie with the Indians, I accept that, it lies with the poor training they receive, it lies with BT employing people who speak way too rapidly in their thick accents and it lies in BT not allowing them to take ownership of an issue in the same way that UK staff can, it is also BT's fault that they use some of the poorest quality lines I've ever experienced.

That does not mean that I have to put up with the complete wastage of several hours of my time everytime I call them and again, the afore-mentioned behaviour.

One more thing, there has been, at this time, no call back from the afore-mentioned manager, the call back is now 40minutes late.

Cardew

Carl,
I accept all the points you make - I wouldn't have used the term "contempt" to describe the situation - but that is just a semantic point.

I don't think my post indicated I was happy with the Service from BT's Indian Call Centres(apart from the politeness) - and I have just re-read my post. In fact I have registered a a couple of complaints, including the instruction to reformat my hard drive.

They clearly only have a veneer of technical knowledge and anything other than a routine problem is 'above their pay grade'. If we all formally raised our problems with BT Head Office in UK it might get noticed - I am pretty certain an complaint email or phone call that ends up in India will not get forwarded as there are jobs to protect.

I suspect however the only way to make a serious point is to leave BT and that would jump from frying pan into fire, from what I have read about tech support on other ISP(and often at 50p+ a min)

Carl.

Indeed.

After attempting since the original post in this thread to speak to a UK manager I have given up and emailed Ben Verwaayen, in the interim, I have discovered that it is not just the Indian Call Center(s) who cut you off when you request a manager but also the Leicester one.

I called back to get the guys ID number to include in the email but somehow he miraculously managed to get the existing case number after entering my account without it being recorded on their system I was informed so I have included that also.

I think from now on I shall just email Mr Verwaayen whenever there is an issue, extreme, maybe, annoying, definately, but as a customer I feel that I have run out of options.

hammy_the_hammer

Carl I have to say I have got knowledge of telecoms but I can't fathom out what your problems were and quite what you wanted anyone to do with your line.
Am I right to assume that after whatever this bit is
" I received a call on my landline from someone I have NEVER given the number to and someone who nobody who does have the number knows.

Nothing strange there you might think, only it turns out that they were calling the number after it had shown up on their caller display DESPITE me having automatic ID block on the line."

that you asked for a telephone number change ?

gt94sss2

Apologies but there are a couple of things I don't quite understand.

Carl. wrote:

I received a call on my landline from someone I have NEVER given the number to and someone who nobody who does have the number knows.

Nothing strange there you might think, only it turns out that they were calling the number after it had shown up on their caller display DESPITE me having automatic ID block on the line.

Why did this lead you to request BT to change your telephone number?

In the meantime I have been forced to use a combination of BT Broadband Voice, Voip and Mobile to make calls at a current total of £14.67 in credit and charges that I would not have otherwise incurred on my CPS provider and face the prospect of having to do so for the remainder of the 14days changing period.

Hmm - why can't you use your BT landline for these calls? (i.e. why are you using a mobile to make these calls?) At least that way the charges will appear on a (single) BT bill and they can simly credit you the amount (assuming they agree they are at fault)

Regards
Sunil

ginger_nuts

Carl you didnt like someone having your phone number AFTER you phoned them .What sort off calls are you making that you had to change your number when ONE person got your number .You made a call to them they returned your call ,wot have you to hide .

1jim

surely it doesnt really matter what calls he was making...... if he asked for his id to be withheld and it wasnt then he has the right to complain and get a new number surely?
We are ex-directory and only give out our number to peole we wish to have it, we are registered with telephone preference people etc. I phone people all of the time (business and personal calls) who I would not wish to have my phone number, if they called me because of an error on BTs part then I would complain too and expect BT to correct this straight away

1jim

Carl. wrote:

I have given up and emailed Ben Verwaayen.

is he the cheif exec of bt?

would you mind pm'ing me his email address as I am having a nightmare with my broadband connection, bt wholesale wond talk to me as they only talk to my isp but my isp say they cant chase up bt to find out when boradband will be fixed (in the last 6 weeks i have been able to use broadband for less than 7 days in total):mad: and am getting absolutly nowhere when i call the isp or bt


thanks