Lucie from SW16
26-04-2007, 02:11
Never in my life have I been so incensed to join a forum to complain about I the way I have been treated by Virgin Media. Not only have they wasted lots of my time in email mails and numerous phone calls (back and forth from their customer centre in Manchester), but they have caused me considerable stress over numerous broken promises. Some 3 months later and the problem has yet to be resolved, despite visits from three Engineers and the matter being escalated to a Manager named Mr Ward, and then to another more senior manager named Colin. Sorry to name you Mr Ward because you are a nice guy and say all the right things about how disappointed and let down you are with the workforce, but you simply cannot galvanise the company to carry out the simplest of tasks. Sorry that you need a few minutes to read this, but have been horribly mucked around and needed to let off steam.
As you can see from the picture I have attached, Virgin Media’s engineers first need a lesson in aesthetics; this is the cable they attached to the building I live in and manage on behalf of the other owners. One morning late January, I looked out of my window to see it running across my window, but the working BT line was cut in order to fit the cable through the window (the BT cable was then left to dangle across the top part of my window). This is when I contacted Virgin Media who for starters had no record of the installation, (though they could trace another flat in our building). This is when I was given the number of their fraud department since they suspected the cable had been illegally put up. Anyway, three weeks later after numerous phone calls was finally put through to customer care. Between us, we eventually uncovered that a new tenant in the flat did have an account with Virgin Media, but in order for the installation to go ahead with no authorisation from Owner/Landloard, had given the address as a house not a flat. However, Virgin on their form do have a box that should be ticked for proper authorisation, this of course was not done. What is the point of having it if proceedures are not followed?
Things did start to move once they decided they had a customer. Joanne in customer care (who has always tried to keep me informed of events either by email or phone call) arranged for the first engineer to come round on the 9th March. She informed me by email that Jason was and inspect the property, possibly to remove the cable if they could not confirm all the account details were in order. All I wanted was the cable to be fixed in a sympathetic manner along the same route as the defunct BT cable, and for the BT cable to be removed.
10th March had another email from Joanne and she asked if everything had been sorted. No I said, so she arranged for Kelvin to come round within the next two hours on the Saturday. My first question when he came was “why was the cable put up so badly?â€ÂÂ. His reply was “well we couldn’t go indoors because we are not allowed to fix cables to skirtings.†Fine I said, but why was the cable for the large part left dangling in a hazardous way. “Well engineers do not operate with ladders, so we fixed only what we could reach from the ground with a step ladderâ€ÂÂ. I said that was odd for a telecommunication company not to expect to routinely use ladders. Anyway we agreed verbally that the BT cable should be removed and the new cable fixed along that route. He said would come back Monday (12th March) with a ladder. I decided to work at home that day so I could make sure things would be sorted out properly. Alas he never came that day, and I had to go the next day to work. However, the Engineer came the next day (how convenient as I wasn’t in) did re-route the cable away from my window, but now left it dangling over the tiles and did not remove the BT cable. This was an improvement, but not what was agreed, and now it created a different problem; the tiles need to be fixed, but the cable would now get in our way. Another email back to Joanne to say was not at all happy with the situation. This is when the problem was escalated to the Team Manager, Mr Ward, who actually phoned me at home to see what should be done. I discussed I wanted the BT cable to be removed; after all it was Virgin Media who had dissconnected, and that their cable to be put in the agreed place. He said that was perfectly reasonable and he would speak to Kelvin. In the meantime, Kelvin came round again to the house and we had another conversation. I asked “why was the cable not dealt with as agreed?†He replied I sent another man round and he must have misunderstood my instructionsâ€ÂÂ. I also asked why he did not come round when he had promised. He said that he was going to, but that he had so many jobs to do and the company makes him switch around a lot. I thought by now I might be some sort of priority. Anyway, another promise was made to sort out within two days. Left it a few more days before I contacted Mr Ward again. After another two conversations (I am losing count of them) I was assured that the matter would be resolved. Another few days past and I phoned again on the 23rd March to Mr Ward, and said that I was running out of patience, but was going on holiday for two weeks and could he assure me it would be sorted out. He gave me the strongest possible assurance.
Needless to say came back 6th April still nothing sorted out. Not only that, but there was yet another new cable installation, yes you guessed it, another job where the engineer had no clue about aesthetics – we now had a large junction box fixed at a random point on our skirting board- by a new tenant who, you have guessed, did not get permission from the owners. I thought after my last complaints that they would have learnt the lesson that we live in flats and need owner permission. Now I was really angry that my problem just got bigger and the holiday feeling had gone rather quickly.
After the Easter break, I phoned a couple of times and eventually got hold of Mr Ward again, he was becoming rather elusive by now! He said it was time to get a more senior manager involved and passed the matter over to Colin. A week later was phoned by Virgin Media to say that the area manger would come by and sort out the problem once and for all. I arranged to be in on 21st April. Yes Jason the complaints man came (or was he one of the originals guys) and surveyed the problems. He could understand why I was upset and said that he was sure he could sort everything out that day. He started with the inside job, removed the large junction box and tidied the cables best he could. The damage had already been done, and while I would have rather removed them, I also wanted to minimise the further damage to the decoration. Then he said that he would have to get a ladder to sort out the other job (they ought to have come prepared). Unfortunately could not get hold of a ladder that day, but promised to be back Tuesday 7.30 in the morning to finish the problem. Left me his mobile number and said I could contact him re-the unfinished job. You’ve guessed it, no show on Tuesday, but Jason’s mobile has a full mail box so cannot leave a message. Back on the phone to Mr Ward, who he shocked by the turn of events. I stayed on the phone line till he spoke to Jason to find out why no show. The reason given was that it was not that sinple to get a ladder - Virgin media have strict health and safety rules and the Engineers have to get permission to go up them. He had only got that today and would be round tomorrow. Wish they had rules about how cables go up without permission! Again Mr Ward give me absolute assurance that everything would be sorted out Wednesday (25th April) and he would discuss some form of compensation. I said that I would never touch Virgin Media with a barge pole, but did want some recompense for all the phone calls and stress.
Still nothing, but do not know where to go from here. I wanted people to at least here about the traumas of a company who call themselves professionals. Perhaps will shame them into action who knows. Do not know what this country has come to, the customer always comes last and the ethics of this long saga stink. Any suggestions of the way forward?
Thanks for listening,
Lucie
As you can see from the picture I have attached, Virgin Media’s engineers first need a lesson in aesthetics; this is the cable they attached to the building I live in and manage on behalf of the other owners. One morning late January, I looked out of my window to see it running across my window, but the working BT line was cut in order to fit the cable through the window (the BT cable was then left to dangle across the top part of my window). This is when I contacted Virgin Media who for starters had no record of the installation, (though they could trace another flat in our building). This is when I was given the number of their fraud department since they suspected the cable had been illegally put up. Anyway, three weeks later after numerous phone calls was finally put through to customer care. Between us, we eventually uncovered that a new tenant in the flat did have an account with Virgin Media, but in order for the installation to go ahead with no authorisation from Owner/Landloard, had given the address as a house not a flat. However, Virgin on their form do have a box that should be ticked for proper authorisation, this of course was not done. What is the point of having it if proceedures are not followed?
Things did start to move once they decided they had a customer. Joanne in customer care (who has always tried to keep me informed of events either by email or phone call) arranged for the first engineer to come round on the 9th March. She informed me by email that Jason was and inspect the property, possibly to remove the cable if they could not confirm all the account details were in order. All I wanted was the cable to be fixed in a sympathetic manner along the same route as the defunct BT cable, and for the BT cable to be removed.
10th March had another email from Joanne and she asked if everything had been sorted. No I said, so she arranged for Kelvin to come round within the next two hours on the Saturday. My first question when he came was “why was the cable put up so badly?â€ÂÂ. His reply was “well we couldn’t go indoors because we are not allowed to fix cables to skirtings.†Fine I said, but why was the cable for the large part left dangling in a hazardous way. “Well engineers do not operate with ladders, so we fixed only what we could reach from the ground with a step ladderâ€ÂÂ. I said that was odd for a telecommunication company not to expect to routinely use ladders. Anyway we agreed verbally that the BT cable should be removed and the new cable fixed along that route. He said would come back Monday (12th March) with a ladder. I decided to work at home that day so I could make sure things would be sorted out properly. Alas he never came that day, and I had to go the next day to work. However, the Engineer came the next day (how convenient as I wasn’t in) did re-route the cable away from my window, but now left it dangling over the tiles and did not remove the BT cable. This was an improvement, but not what was agreed, and now it created a different problem; the tiles need to be fixed, but the cable would now get in our way. Another email back to Joanne to say was not at all happy with the situation. This is when the problem was escalated to the Team Manager, Mr Ward, who actually phoned me at home to see what should be done. I discussed I wanted the BT cable to be removed; after all it was Virgin Media who had dissconnected, and that their cable to be put in the agreed place. He said that was perfectly reasonable and he would speak to Kelvin. In the meantime, Kelvin came round again to the house and we had another conversation. I asked “why was the cable not dealt with as agreed?†He replied I sent another man round and he must have misunderstood my instructionsâ€ÂÂ. I also asked why he did not come round when he had promised. He said that he was going to, but that he had so many jobs to do and the company makes him switch around a lot. I thought by now I might be some sort of priority. Anyway, another promise was made to sort out within two days. Left it a few more days before I contacted Mr Ward again. After another two conversations (I am losing count of them) I was assured that the matter would be resolved. Another few days past and I phoned again on the 23rd March to Mr Ward, and said that I was running out of patience, but was going on holiday for two weeks and could he assure me it would be sorted out. He gave me the strongest possible assurance.
Needless to say came back 6th April still nothing sorted out. Not only that, but there was yet another new cable installation, yes you guessed it, another job where the engineer had no clue about aesthetics – we now had a large junction box fixed at a random point on our skirting board- by a new tenant who, you have guessed, did not get permission from the owners. I thought after my last complaints that they would have learnt the lesson that we live in flats and need owner permission. Now I was really angry that my problem just got bigger and the holiday feeling had gone rather quickly.
After the Easter break, I phoned a couple of times and eventually got hold of Mr Ward again, he was becoming rather elusive by now! He said it was time to get a more senior manager involved and passed the matter over to Colin. A week later was phoned by Virgin Media to say that the area manger would come by and sort out the problem once and for all. I arranged to be in on 21st April. Yes Jason the complaints man came (or was he one of the originals guys) and surveyed the problems. He could understand why I was upset and said that he was sure he could sort everything out that day. He started with the inside job, removed the large junction box and tidied the cables best he could. The damage had already been done, and while I would have rather removed them, I also wanted to minimise the further damage to the decoration. Then he said that he would have to get a ladder to sort out the other job (they ought to have come prepared). Unfortunately could not get hold of a ladder that day, but promised to be back Tuesday 7.30 in the morning to finish the problem. Left me his mobile number and said I could contact him re-the unfinished job. You’ve guessed it, no show on Tuesday, but Jason’s mobile has a full mail box so cannot leave a message. Back on the phone to Mr Ward, who he shocked by the turn of events. I stayed on the phone line till he spoke to Jason to find out why no show. The reason given was that it was not that sinple to get a ladder - Virgin media have strict health and safety rules and the Engineers have to get permission to go up them. He had only got that today and would be round tomorrow. Wish they had rules about how cables go up without permission! Again Mr Ward give me absolute assurance that everything would be sorted out Wednesday (25th April) and he would discuss some form of compensation. I said that I would never touch Virgin Media with a barge pole, but did want some recompense for all the phone calls and stress.
Still nothing, but do not know where to go from here. I wanted people to at least here about the traumas of a company who call themselves professionals. Perhaps will shame them into action who knows. Do not know what this country has come to, the customer always comes last and the ethics of this long saga stink. Any suggestions of the way forward?
Thanks for listening,
Lucie