2 hours and 4 minutes on hold with BT

iwanttosave_2

2 hours and 4 minutes on hold with BT

In my experiance, I have to say, is that all?

Over 3 days I spent 19 hours on hold trying to get them to answer.

mrcow

Badger_Lady wrote: »

That's an interesting question - I've just done a search on the Orange website, and according to their information 0800 numbers are 10p a minute. Total phonecall was 131 minutes = £13.10

Send them an invoice along with your letter.

Badger_Lady

iwanttosave wrote: »

In my experiance, I have to say, is that all?

Over 3 days I spent 19 hours on hold trying to get them to answer.

Does that make it right?

iwanttosave_2

Badger_Lady wrote: »

Does that make it right?

No I'm just saying BTs service is so poor I'm suprised you wern't waiting longer.

RibAd

Badger_Lady wrote: »

Thanks - I did switch the speaker on, but it just wasn't loud enough... I was paranoid that it might be answered without me realising and they'd just hang up on me!

That does happen.... several times I've had customers ring in and they leave it on speakerphone while doing chores around the house... all you hear is people walking around the house and background noise and all I'm doing is shouting "Hello? Hello? Hello?" unfortunately we're not allowed release calls easily and I'm usually nice enough to wait a bit (especially if it sounds like there's someone fairly nearby) and just give a speal "it appears to be nobody at the other end, so I'll be forced to terminate this call" (as calls are monitored) and sometimes that gives me someone at the other end, sometimes not.

Doesn't bother me to disconnect the call as it has happened in the past that it was dialled by a child by accident who just left it!

the stories I've heard of BT are shocking... even one of my friends who used to work for BT (referred by him as the most evil lot) said it was ridiculous...

.... I have to say though waiting any more than 5 mins on hold to speak to someone is more fool on you than anyone. (the greatest battle I have everyday is the angry tone I get when I tell a customer they're through to the wrong dept - especially when THEY dialled the [wrong] phone number themselves) I certainly wouldn't wait 2 hours to give someone my hard earned cash. Pick another provider. There's loads out there.

Badger_Lady

RibAd wrote: »

.... I have to say though waiting any more than 5 mins on hold to speak to someone is more fool on you than anyone. (the greatest battle I have everyday is the angry tone I get when I tell a customer they're through to the wrong dept - especially when THEY dialled the [wrong] phone number themselves) I certainly wouldn't wait 2 hours to give someone my hard earned cash. Pick another provider. There's loads out there.

Thanks, but I already had (even before making this phonecall). I was phoning BT to cancel my order with them, so really didn't have a choice about how long to stay on hold. But, if you meant that comment as a warning to others, hear-hear! :T

paperdoll_2

Silly question, but does anyone know if there is a number for a UK BT helpline? (Is there still a BT call centre in the UK or have they all been outsourced?) My daughter spent nearly every evening last week ringing them, spoke to three or four different people who each gave her a different story and put her on hold while they spoke to someone else - on a couple of occasions even cutting her off.
On Friday she spoke to someone who appeared to sort things out (but as yet hasn't). He couldn't understand her address even when she spelt it out (we're talking Sheffield here, not some obscure village!) and she eventually had to resort to using the international phonetic alphabet i.e. sierra hotel echo foxtrot foxtrot etc before he was able to understand her! Laughable if it wasn't such a disgrace.
So, is there by any chance a number which will take you directly to an English call centre? If they want to outsource that's fine, but they should make sure the employees can speak and understand English first. (Incidentally when I had a problem with Marks & Sparks call centre and ended up writing a letter, I had a phone call and the lady advised me to "ask for the UK call centre" if I had to ring again!)

Also, in my experience it does pay to write one or maybe two letters to customer service and then go straight to the top with copies, so the email address for the CEO as mentioned above would be much appreciated.

Badger_Lady

According to www.saynoto0870.com there is a geographical number 0207 5550037. Don't know if it takes you to a different call centre (to be fair, everyone I spoke to on Saturday was English).

They usually have overseas departments to deal with things like "technical problems", or helping existing customers... check the website above, there are several different entries for BT and some of them don't have UK numbers!

paperdoll_2

Thanks, will try that number later today. I rang on her behalf this morning, was given another number to phone - 0800 022 3089 - that was busy and I was promised a callback within the hour. 50 mins so far I think, so will give them a little longer and then have a go at the number you've suggested.

paperdoll_2

Hmm, well tried that, spoke to someone who said "you want the lines dept" and transferred me where I was kept on hold and got the message repeatedly that they were very busy. Then I tried the number that I rang earlier who were supposed to be calling me back and got the same message so I suspect it was the same number she put me through to. What an absolute shambles!