Complaints call to Welsh BT line

James_N

I have a serious complaint re a BT line and am unable to make the overseas call centre staff understand. I am also fed up with the re-direction and delay as they shunt me around because they have no idea what I am talking about. I can't really speak enough Welsh to make a full-blown complaints call, but do you think they'll handle a call that's initiated in Welsh, and which then continues in English? At least I will get a native speaker who may understand the problem - and whom I can understand.

brewerdave

I'm confused! Why would you want to speak Welsh to BT Customer services?? They are generally based somewhere far to the East of Dover!

victor2

brewerdave wrote: »

I'm confused! Why would you want to speak Welsh to BT Customer services?? They are generally based somewhere far to the East of Dover!

Puzzled me too!

antrobus

See:
http://www.btplc.com/Thegroup/BTUKandWorldwide/BTRegions/Wales/WelshLanguagePolicy/WelshLanguagePolicy.htm

The number is 0800 800 288. What's odd about BT providing a Welsh language service?

James_N wrote: »

.. I can't really speak enough Welsh to make a full-blown complaints call, but do you think they'll handle a call that's initiated in Welsh, and which then continues in English?....

You can but try.

victor2

antrobus wrote: »

See:
http://www.btplc.com/Thegroup/BTUKandWorldwide/BTRegions/Wales/WelshLanguagePolicy/WelshLanguagePolicy.htm

The number is 0800 800 288. What's odd about BT providing a Welsh language service?



You can but try.

Hence the recruiting drive in Mumbai for customer service staff with Welsh as a second language, boyo.

macman

The OP is English (well he certainly can write in English, so presumably can speak it too), but thinks he is always speaking to a BT Welsh call centre...
Indian accents can sometime sound Welsh if you are not used to them.
Or is this a wind-up?

brewerdave

antrobus wrote: »

See:
http://www.btplc.com/Thegroup/BTUKandWorldwide/BTRegions/Wales/WelshLanguagePolicy/WelshLanguagePolicy.htm

The number is 0800 800 288. What's odd about BT providing a Welsh language service?



You can but try.

.....I wasn't suggesting that a Welsh language service was odd...but as others have said why phone that line if you are an English speaker???:)

James_N

Maybe it's me not being able to explain myself fully. ..
I am English, live in Wales, and speak enough Welsh to "get by" in everyday predictable situations, but not more than that.
I have a serious complaint about BT and their failure to honour a contract. It's involved and goes back a while.
I have tried to complain. I get a call centre in “wherever”, where, after 15 minutes waiting (courted by a SCOTS English recorded message) I get a series of overseas call handlers, who shunt me around. They , frankly, are not equipped to handle complaints “out of the box”, and their English competence is questionable. Eventually, I get redirected to a number that rings and rings and ... this is clearly their way of deflecting a caller they cannot deal with.
BT has a Welsh Language policy. Part of that is to provide services in Welsh – brochures, information and ... a complaints line for Welsh speakers. If I ring that up I am BOUND to get a UK based British person, who may or may not be a first language English speaker, but I know loads of Welsh speakers and only a tiny tiny number of those are not fluent in English too. So, I end up talking to a British person who surely I can get to understand the issues.
The question is: I negotiate the call options in Welsh, and start the conversation with the real person in Welsh OK, and then say “Actually I am English (if you couldn’t already hear that), and I can’t do all this in Welsh, but it’s a tricky problem and I wanted to speak to a British call-handler”.
Do you think that at this point, I will get refused, or is this a neat way to ensure I get a UK response?

macman

If you have a 'serious complaint' about BT then you need to put it writing and send it by RD-don't email, don't message them, don't phone them. The latter methods will get you absolutely nowhere.
Head your letter 'complaint'.

victor2

It might work, and so long as you can get through the menu system in Welsh, then you might just get a native Brit.
I wouldn't even start the conversation in Welsh, just ask if they mind speaking in English. If they refuse, you've lost nothing. If they continue in English, you might still get nowhere, but at least it will be with someone more "local".

But what macman says above about complaining is very true.

BT_company_representative

Hi James_N,

I can help you with you complaint. Please can you send me in your details using the link found in my profile?

Thanks

Paddy