Talk Talk needed a quick maths lesson

artybee

I had an interesting chat with TalkTalk's customer loyalty department in India today.

I asked them what they were going to charge me for phone and broadband as a renewing customer, as my 12 month contract ended in a few weeks.

They said they currently charge me £22.30 per month, and they could give me an all-day call package for an extra £4/month.

I explained that I was phoning them to save money: not spend more. I gave them the bottom line that I could get the same service elsewhere for £16.25/month, and asked if they could match it?

Mrs TalkTalk said she could bring the cost down to £17.05/month.

I pointed out that £17.05 was more expensive than £16.25.

Mrs TalkTalk then said she could offer me £13.80 for the first 6 months but that the second six months would be normal price because they were already giving me the first 6 months cheaper. The second 6 month, Mrs TalkTalk said would be £20.30.

There was a small interlude whilst I pressed a few buttons on a calculator and announced to her that on average over the year, it worked out at the same £17.05/month.

"Yes", said Mrs TalkTalk, excitedly, "but we are saving you £39 over the first six months."

I sighed, and explained once again that over the year, it was no different.

She insisted that it was a saving of £39 and that she was giving me this saving because I was a loyal customer.

Sigh.


Richard Bates
Wolverhampton.

bod1467

Ring them back, get a different operator and you'll probably get a better deal. For a renewed 12 month contract you can probably (at a push) get 3 months free line rental, 3 months free call plan and 3 months half-price call plan. Assuming Essentials this works out to ...

Line rental = 3 x £0 + 9 x £13.80 = £124.20
Essentials = 3 x £0 + 3 x £3.25 + 6 x £6.50 = £48.75

Total = £124.20 + £48.75 = 172.95.

Per month equivalent = £14.40 (ish)

If the £17.05 equivalent is for Plus then you'll need to be sure you're comparing apples with apples for the £16.25 offered elsewhere.

wdyw

Phoned to ditch my contract with them last December. Got put through to the UK retentions team -

Total cost per month: £20.30 (Inclusive of VAT)
(£7.10 for broadband & unlimited calls & £13.20 for line rental)…but I will add a 5 pounds credit for 12 months making it £15.30

- Line Rental Included
- Unlimited downloads
- Broadband up to 24mg (your exchange can take )
- Free N-Series wireless router
- Free Unlimited / Anytime calls to local and national numbers + international numbers to 36 countries in Europe
- Free Unlimited / Anytime calls to 0845/0870 numbers
- Free access to call our customer support and technical support helpline (084 44995555)
- Free voicemail, Free with-hold your number & Free last caller display
- 12 month contract applies
i will also give you 2 months free

£15.30 for all that happy days! Took a few months for them to get the next 2 bills correct but gave me an extra £60 account credit.

artybee

Thanks for your replies,

Sounds like it is worth another phone call.

How did you find UK office?

wdyw

artybee wrote: »

Thanks for your replies,

Sounds like it is worth another phone call.

How did you find UK office?

Got put through once I asked to terminate my contract and they were
great to deal with once I got through to them.

artybee

Ah, saynoto0870 came up with this number for "Retentions"

01925 556467

Will give it a try.

TalkTalk

Hi Artybee,

There are various options aviaable in terms of renewal packages, these often depend on how long you ahve been with TT already, your average monthly spend and how long a contract term you are looking to renew for.

As such it may be advisable to contact the retentions team again to check what offers are avialable to you in full.

Cheers

Mark
TalkTalk Online Community Department

artybee

TalkTalk_Company_Representative wrote: »

Hi Artybee,

There are various options aviaable in terms of renewal packages, these often depend on how long you ahve been with TT already, your average monthly spend and how long a contract term you are looking to renew for.

As such it may be advisable to contact the retentions team again to check what offers are avialable to you in full.

Cheers

Mark
TalkTalk Online Community Department

Hello Mark,

Do you have any comments on the initial post, whereby the customer adviser was trying to convince me that I was saving £39, when clearly, over the year I wasn't.

I felt that this was an attempt to pull the wool over my eyes, and a rather underhand tactic.

On a positive note, I have now negotiated a satisfactory deal with TalkTalk, and they will have my custom for a further 12 months.

TalkTalk

Hi artybee,

Without checking the call itself I would not be in a position to comment.

However it appears from your description that the agent was focussing soley on the period the discount was applicable for, not the entire term fo the contract renewal. As such this would obviously change when accounting for the price over the full contract term, taking into account the non discounted period aswell as the discounted one.


I dont think its a case of pulling the wool over your eyes but rather a continuation fo both yourself and the agent considering the diiscount in different terms (i.e yourself over the 12 months contract renewal period, the agent over only the 6 month discounted period). From your description the renewal offered is not a real time saving, as such you had no obligation to take up the offer if you feel your already getting a better deal.

However, where renewals are concerned there is often multiple options as to what discounts can be applied. As such it does not cofirm to us if there were other discounts that can be applied which DO give a real time saving over the entire contracted period, in order ot find this out we would need to look into your account in more depth.

Cheers

Mark
TalkTalk Online Community Department

Tippytoes

TT the worst company on the planet. If you want to speak to UK based customer services, hang up when you get an overseas agent and keep redialling. Eventually, you will get through to a UK centre.

Best advice not to do business with TT in the first place!!!