BT Engineers think they are a law unto themselves - won't discuss a fault

TurnUpForTheBooks_2

I thought I was going to be making a vent about Talktalk today but actually it is some arrogant insular little working man from BT who sets himself above communicating properly with customers.

On Monday I had ordered a new router from Talktalk because I wanted to experiment with a friend's NAS based VPN (for those who aren't sure about those fairly recent internet world acronyms, don't worry, they are irrelevant to the vent!). My old router was of a type which I discovered did not support VPN protocols.

After a bit of persuasion (because apparently I am "out of commitment" with Talktalk) they agreed to send a more up to date router free of charge.

I did then also ask about and agree to be put through to the sales team regarding possible upgrading to their Youview TV package, but they failed to convince me it was of any benefit so no changes made.

So I carried on with what I'd got and I think I was even on MSE Monday evening. Then Tuesday morning no internet. No phone either. Dead !

So I reported the fault - somewhat eventually after struggling with the computer system generated lady who asks "in a few words can you tell us the problem you are having?" - my first attempt was "Nothing works" and she didn't bite !

Anyway she (the Talktalk automated system) automatically diverted my calls to my mobile (that was useful) and sent me a few texts with rather uninspiring and non-committal "updates" throughout the day yesterday. The last one first thing this morning before I was up and at 'em was that an engineer was dispatched and an update would be provided within 48 hours. My reaction was "Oh great (not!)"

Being a disbelieving type, I switched on my router and pleasantly noted I had an extra green light, then picked up the phone and discovered I had a dialing tone.

Within 5 seconds of putting down the receiver the phone rang and it was a kind of cockney "keep me 'ed down and no-one will bovver me voice" who started off with "Sorry mate, I'm the telephone engineer ... " I am not his mate, but I don't mind him calling me that if he proceeds to act like one.


So I bounced in with "Oh right - I just thought I'd try the line this morning and switched on my router a few minutes ago, saw it seemed to be working and then found I got a dial tone on the line too! Then bingo you called as soon as I put the phone back down!"

"Yes I am calling to say I fixed your line less than half an hour ago."

"Thanks for that. What was the problem?"

"The connection was broken at the exchange"

"How do you mean?"

"The wire was broken"

"Oh that's very odd - I have barely ever had a problem with the line, then I spoke with Talktalk on Monday about a new router for VPN use, they tried to sell me a new contract but I said no, and Tuesday morning I'm cut off proper!"

"I'm nothing to do with Talktalk"

"Oh, you must be BT Openreach or something I guess?"

"Yeah. If you've got issues {always a big word for a little man I think} with Talktalk, you'll have to talk to them."

"Oh right. Before you go I just wanted to ask ..."{I thought he might be a good person to ask how soon he thought our long awaited fibre cabinet (and already installed in the street but not powered up) might be working}

"OK then? Thank you very much."

"But if you just have a mo ..."

"OK. Thank you. Bye."

Quite deliberate - you're just someone's customer - I have to call you to to tell you your line is now working but I don't have to tell you properly what was wrong with it and I don't have to talk to you about anything else. I can pretend I don't realise you want to ask me something else and just talk over you and say goodbye and hang up.

Well sorry Mr BT engineer, you can't and just simply get away with it. Because I am now on the internet voting that your government taxpayer subsidised pension scheme is wound up before you get near retirement because blokes like you don't deserve it.

Sorry and all that, but I know your type ...

OK? Thank you. Goodbye.

Phew, isn't it marvellous the relief one can get down an internet line when it isn't broken? :rotfl:

tomtontom

What a nasty, spiteful thing to do. The engineer got your line working again, so you vote to scrap their pension scheme?

It's not the engineer that has the problem here, it is you.

TurnUpForTheBooks_2

Well you see I am not naive - I know that telephone lines ain't rocket science, and I also know that they don't just "break" unless someone (could even be the same guy) fouls up.

Yes it was indeed an nasty thing to do - to ring a customer who was being perfectly civil and hang up the customer because I was asking questions about the service.

Unless you hadn't noticed, the continuance or otherwise of pension entitlements are often what wakes up peoples' ideas if there is any suggestion they will be withdrawn.

UK jobs are generally about nothing else thesedays than offering service to paying customers. If you hang up on that you aren't doing your job.

tomtontom

Having spent several years in telecoms (not for BT) I can assure you faults can and do occur for no apparent reason - there is no big conspiracy against you.

mjm3346

Yes it was indeed an nasty thing to do - to ring a customer who was being perfectly civil and hang up the customer because I was asking questions about the service

The customer was TalkTalk not you and he should not be having a discussion with you.

forgotmyname

If you think NAS and VPN are fairly recent maybe you need to get checked for demetia?

I have some old tape drives in the loft.. That were a NAS array.

I had my own VPN in the late 90's. Although on dialup speeds you didnt want to do a lot of anything.

cmthephoenix

"Oh right. Before you go I just wanted to ask ..."{I thought he might be a good person to ask how soon he thought our long awaited fibre cabinet (and already installed in the street but not powered up) might be working}


Personally I'd rather he get on and fix the next person's fault to save them waiting rather than gas with you.


Also engineers are not necessarily good at having conversations. He just wants to know that your problem is fixed so if it's not he can do something about it. I'd much prefer this than what a lot of companies would do and get the engineer to fill in a completion form to customer services, customer services let you know, you tell customer services its not fixed by which time the engineer is long moved onto something else.

LilElvis

The title of the thread is inaccurate.

The engineer did tell you what had caused the fault, he just didn't stay on the line to discuss when your cabinet would be enabled.

LilElvis

Seem to remember that you have had 'issues' previously with a telecoms provider - something about charges to your parents for directory assistance calls. It involved lots of pseudo-swearing at the CEO. Perhaps they read your (now deleted) rant and decided to pull the plug on your line as payback.

cajef

So the engineer takes the time to phone you when he didn't need to and lets you know he found a fault at the exchange and your line is now working correctly again and you have a rant about him, what a charming person you are.

Retrogamer

As part of Openreach current guidelines and agreements they have with service providers they should attempt to make contact with a customer where possible to confirm service has been restored.

Having worked with Openreach engineers for the last 7 or so years i dislike them in general, or the way their company operates for many reasons but they're a lot more justified than the OP's