Re: What I've got against VM's Indian callcentre
 

That's your conjecture. My conjecture is people are happy to pay a little bit more for something if they can be assured it will work better, whether it's a network or the level of support provided.

The impression I'm getting from you is if someone's service performance is good, good to the point that they very rarely need to call for support and the price they pay is pretty competitive then complaining about their awful (or 'quaint') outsourced tech support is pointless/unwarranted. Am I in the right area with that?

Re: What I've got against VM's Indian callcentre
 

If the selection of suitable candidates and training standards were lowered in the UK we could end up with script readers not to dissimilar from the Offshore Call Centres and that would be a major mistake for any company to make, be thankful that we have at present 3 UK based call centres with suitable training and support and a proper criteria for the selection of suitable staff who already have a understanding of the product.

Re: What I've got against VM's Indian callcentre
 

I agree its conjecture. It would be interesting to find out the preference of VM's millions of customers. I'm still pretty sure what the reaction would be if VM's next newsletter said "we've been listening and we're going to charge you more". Stand well back after lighting the blue touchpaper.

Don't forget that the views of forum contributors are usually negative so the vibe here is possibly not representative of the majority.

ps sorry Russ just spotted your edit. You're slightly off there - I don't accept the premise that their outsourced tech is 'awful'; from my point of view, the service possibly represents excellent value for money.

Re: What I've got against VM's Indian callcentre
 

The majority of customers do not even know such things as computer forums exist or even what a computer is actually capable of, they are more interested in getting on Facebook or MSN or such like.

Re: What I've got against VM's Indian callcentre
 

Perhaps. But if that's what they want to do and VM's service allows them to do it when they want, then all's good eh?

Re: What I've got against VM's Indian callcentre
 

Off course it is because they pay my wages:D

Re: What I've got against VM's Indian callcentre
 

That is completely irrelevant to the point being made.

More than enough people have complaints about VM's Indian callcentre. It's put to you, you either call it 'quaint' (IMO perhaps one of the most patronising ways to describe someone but that's just my own view of course) or bring up an extreme example ("a gold-standard, UK-based, oxford-English-speaking, super-skilled, supertech on tap") which is a scenario nobody has asked for or expects.

You have to face facts straight in the eye here. You being satisfied with VM's Indian support puts you in the minority on this forum.

The way other companies who use UK-only callcentres advertise the fact gives good grounds to believe the strength of feeling goes well beyond Cable Forum.

Re: What I've got against VM's Indian callcentre
 

My advice is to buy tomorrows Daily Mail, I'm sure there will be a wide choice of Brits from all over the country being blamed for our ills, and you can always rely on them bringing out their favourite whipping boy...Muslims.:)

Re: What I've got against VM's Indian callcentre
 

Retrovertigo?

And did I say the service was 'that bad'?

Yes my experiences with India have all been 'that bad' though, and there've been a few in 6 months.

Trust me, if I could pay more for a higher quality and faster service I would, sadly Zen are hamstrung by BT Wholesale products and Virgin Media go for customer numbers with no real interest in quality.

It's the obsession with costs that certainly some customers have that is the reason STM exists, outsourced and poor support, and that my 20Mbit service is doing this:

Date 04/03/09 21:20:37
Speed Down 11907.39 Kbps ( 11.6 Mbps )
Speed Up 701.49 Kbps ( 0.7 Mbps )

As it does every evening, and why it has 0.7Mbps up instead of 2Mbit+ which is roughly status quo for 20Mbit cable.

EDIT: Incidentally did you vote on http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/63...d-you-buy.html ? ;)

Re: What I've got against VM's Indian callcentre
 

You seem to be really smarting over a misunderstanding of the use of the word 'quaint' in an earlier post. I was simply saying that when you were called 'Mr Russ' it was quaint terminology because the person helping you was trying to be respectful and polite and had no idea it was a malapropism that was actually annoying you.

So what? But in any case I think you mean 'in this thread'. I may also be representative of the majority of VM's millions of customers.

Re: What I've got against VM's Indian callcentre
 

If they are serving us then it's their responsibility to learn our customs and the ways we speak.

No, I said (and meant) 'on this forum'. I'm almost inclined to start a poll. And I highly doubt your view of their Indian support is in any way representative of their customers.

Re: What I've got against VM's Indian callcentre
 

I did say at the beginning that a poll would be a good idea

Re: What I've got against VM's Indian callcentre
 

Well they don't do so bad. They play better cricket and polo than we do, they have massively successful restaurants all over the UK, they speak English (better than you speak urdu?) and can boast some of the best IT literate people in the World. They're not doing so bad eh Russ?

A poll will confirm my view on call centres is the minority. Is that a surprise on a forum? People come to moan.

Re: What I've got against VM's Indian callcentre
 

What the hell are you on about now??

I couldn't give a brass bollard about cricket, polo, restaurants or urdu (why would I need to speak that??), I expect a level of service which mirrors what I get in the UK and in the few times I've called them (including the 9 attempts I had at sorting out my fault) it's come nowhere near.

Good cop-out. You've already chosen your method of not taking the potential results seriously.

Re: What I've got against VM's Indian callcentre
 

Hrhrhrhr! Calm down Russ (I nearly said Mr Russ there but...:D)

Why is it a cop out? I'm admitting to the probable result on this forum. This forum does not include the views of all of VM's customers. I can't let you have incomplete stats to beat me over the head with :p:

Re: What I've got against VM's Indian callcentre
 

I'm not calmed up - I'd just prefer it if you tried to stay relevant to the thread.

Well you DID question whether I was referring to the thread or forum.

Re: What I've got against VM's Indian callcentre
 

I DID, and you saw an opening. I closed the door.

Re: What I've got against VM's Indian callcentre
 

A poll would probably be a good way to find out how people on this site feel about this subject, I personally would not set up such a poll as my sig shows my conflict of interest regardless of what I post.

Re: What I've got against VM's Indian callcentre
 

With respect, it's not your place to close any door when it will go some way to finding out what more people feel about the subject. It's bad form to try to keep someone quiet if what they are suggesting could possibly weaken your own argument.

Re: What I've got against VM's Indian callcentre
 

But we know how most people feel on the site. Tell you what, have a look at how many posts here are negative then decide if the poll result could show anything other than VM don't provide everything everyone wants.

Re: What I've got against VM's Indian callcentre
 

With respect, it seems that Kursk called technical support once or twice, and got one of the few Indians who cares about what they do, and didn't get fed a pack of lies. One experience qualifies him to make sweeping statements that the Indian call centers are "OK".

Ive called them several times, over account problems, broadband problems, and every time Ive been lied to, fobbed off, or just quite plainly been given the wrong information, on top of finding them extremely hard to understand and communicate with. They have refused to escalate my problems when I request it, telling me theres nothing wrong. If there was nothing wrong, why was I calling? Because I like their accents?

The Indians need to go, or at least be told to xfer it to a UK call center on request, even if that means waiting in line.

I agree with Moldovia, lets have a poll on this issue.

Re: What I've got against VM's Indian callcentre
 

Get the spelling correct Moldova as in the country.:p:

Re: What I've got against VM's Indian callcentre
 

You seem to be of the assumption that either everyone that signs up for CF has bad experiences with VM's Indian tech support or anyone that does sign up, regardless of where their issues lie whether it be billing, a tv connection or phone service matter, will vote against the Indian people.

Sounds like you're scraping the barrel for reasons not to support having a poll.

Re: What I've got against VM's Indian callcentre
 

Russ, you started this thread. You want a poll? Make a poll, simple.

If you do make a poll can you include an option for I don't like VM's Indian Call Centre because I'm fed up having to apologise to customer's they've insulted, hung up on or left on hold for 40 mins.
And an option of I'm fed up cleaning up their mess

Re: What I've got against VM's Indian callcentre
 

A poll seems to be getting the popular vote now

As above my sentiments exactly.

Re: What I've got against VM's Indian callcentre
 

No Russ I simply prefer discussion and a poll on this issue will not inform the discussion imho.

Oh for goodness sake, have a poll if you want one. Geeez:D

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

OK sorry. It just looked very much like you were trying to come up with ready-made reasons for any results you found disagreeable.

There, I think the 5 options cover all relevant responses.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

No problem.

I don't know whether to vote or not though. As Milambar said, I haven't contacted tech too much. What to do, what to do.

Waddya reckon Russ? Am I a 'Generally Yes', an 'Always' or an 'I'm only here for the beer?' Hey, where is that one?!

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

It doesn't take a genius....if in the few times you've contacted them you've come away generally happy then I'd have thought a 'generally yes' option would be an idea...

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

I still think the 'beer' option would have made it fairer :D

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

I dunno, I guess I was asking too much to assume some people would take this a little more seriously.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

With 3,481 views I think its being taken seriously, I'm sure there are lots more posts to be made before this topic dies off Russ.

My speeds are not what they should be, I'll give them a call.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

I'll respond as there's a poll now.

I have never been given what I call a decent service. I very rarely understand them, and they even less understand me. Its usually a battle to get the most basic of queries sorted. I've had my plan rejigged as NTL (back in 2006 it seems) cocked it up and I wanted to make sure I wasn't placed under a contract. Two Indian operatives later, i'm still none the wiser. You just lose the will to live in the end.

I know we have Indian CS people read this site, but i'm sorry, i'm just being honest.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

A major problem with the far eastern service is the fact they cant "elevate" a call. If you ever have a call that needs more than a "reboot that" or "ping this" then you are pretty much hamstrung. However i have found out that they can at 2nd level award up to a £50 credit! Although that would depend if on whether youve enjoyed the horror of HA9...

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

First two calls were terminated by the agent, it would seem mentioning that I had rebooted the modem before calling had thrown them from following their onscreen prompts.
So I played along on the third call.

Note: I am a 20Mbit customer with a SB5100
"Hi I seem to have slow speeds"
He takes my details and continues to give a step by step course of what he's doing and in part why.

"I see your modem is fine"

And he's right.

"Can you reboot your modem"
I do so..

"Can you click start-run-cmd and type ping bbc.co.uk"
I do so..

I'm asked to delete out my cookies, so I do. I'm asked to perform another ping and its no better than the one above.
I'm asked to perform a ipconfig, I don't have a router and gladly read out my public IP address.

I am asked to do a netstnetstat -a, and I do so.
When asked how many established connections I have I'm told I have a virus and would be best to run a full scan and if it finds nothing to reinstall windows as it is a computer issue.
At no point was I asked "xp, vista or a Mac?"

Right then it looks like I'm off to reinstall Windows then.

Think I'll call again tomorrow at 8am, with luck I'll get a Scots or Liverpudlian accent. And I'm willing to bet its SNR or TXLoad.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Yes Kursk, my service is that bad. I have had to speak to Indian call centres many times and they fail to help if you try several things which don't work. They get stuck and can't continue, and it becomes apparent that I know more than they do anyway.

I have to try and try to get through to someone in the U.K. It's only when I have done that, that they confess my area is over subscribed, that they are upgrading the service (yeah right) and that when 50meg kicks in things should smooth out.

That is something the Indian call centres can't help with as they don't have the knowledge - or haven't when I have spoken to them - and so instead try and pick holes in my set up, when in fact that isn't where the problem lies. Hence lot's of wasted phonecalls.

Oh and Kursk, it's all well and good saying let others pay extra but you not pay to help service others. But it's ok for costs to be kept down at the expense of some of us having crappy service while yours works ok? Nice ;)

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

My last experience with India.
Internet down, TV & phone OK.

India: Reboot, wait 30 secs, etc, etc.
Me: Yes, all done. No change.
India: It's your router.
Me: I've connected directly before calling.
India: What lights are on the modem?
Me: I don't have a modem but there's a flashing green light on my STB.
India: You need a modem now.
Me: I'm not really sure that's the problem right now.
India: You need an engineer to fit a modem [arranges appointment].

Next day internet comes back to life so I ring to cancel engineer.
UK lady tells me no engineer is booked.
:D

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Good poll :tu:

I have voted 'never'. I've talked to them via email on occasions (when they were using 0845 phone support, and I objected paying for what I suspected might be a fruitless and frustrating phone call) and the experience of getting script-monkeyed every time I tried to explain the issue was very annoying.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

To the OP, I decided to add my reply once i noticed the poll had been added.

Like yourself, I had similar problems, when contacting via VM's Indian call centres, to have the same responses, and even getting cut off! once they decided it was too difficult to deal with and pass on... and no i was never abusive or heated in my calls, always polite and inunciating anything they could not understand due to my my accent.

Several calls and a lot of expense i may add, as i am on ADSL and get charged for calls. When I get through to the Uk support...BINGO within a few mins i actually get an answer and within 24 hours my problem was corrected.
I have always backed UK tech support personel, as most will get the gist once you pass on all information needed that you have done all tests etc. And as yet not been stonewalled if the problem isn't on a scib sheet.
Always they ask me if i have my power and noise levels at hand, soon as i give that over, a min later i get an answer and hey presto normaly fixed in an hour or so.

In defence of all call centre staff, i do think a home grown or supported support, have the resources and a more clear knowledge of a range of issues and being able to solve them better, than support situated a few thousand miles away.

Since day one of VM swapping over to overseas support, consumers have always been complaining.
These issies should indicate to VM or any company that deals with it's customers this way...you have a problem.....

P.S if you think VM overseas support are bad..... try BT!!!!! they are 10x worse. But their UK side of things is spot on.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Got through to a lovely helpful lady in Scotland this morning, Low SNR which is causing slow speeds.
I didn't need to reboot my modem or PC at any time, the call took a at most 4 mins. Thank you. :tu:

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

I guess a lot of the problems are the script given out in call centres. My vacuum cleaner broke. It was quite clearly a bearing that had gone, but the op insisted that I removed the tube. took off and put back on the dust collecter. You get the idea. A good five minutes later ( and I am paying for the call) I got her to listen to it running . "Sounds like the motor Ill send an engineer" says she. Call centers BLESS THEM. but never never get mad with the person you are talking to it wont help your cause at all ! O` and yes this one was in the UK:(

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

I think we should bring our cc back.... I have just voted for never.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Could you pass that Daily Mail when you're done with it please? I need something to wipe with.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Having only been with vm for 6 months or so, ive not had the need to make too many phone calls to tech support, i,d estimate approx 35 to 40 so far, all i can say is the overseas call centre's although very polite indeed, never managed to leave me feeling releaved that the problem had been sorted.

it was more the extent of the bs i had to go through, and idle promises of return phone calls, waiting days for a responce, which never materialised, and this was before i managed to get the broadband working in the first instance.

1 week later still no broadband, so i made 1 customer complaint, got a responce from a uk chap, who put me through to a top bloke in uk line 2 tech support, who had problem sorted in 1 hour, and even rang me back when he said he would just to see if it was working correctly.

when i came off the phone, all faith had been restored with vm and all was well with the world, and i even managed to make friends with the dog again.

it doesnt take much to keep us happy,,,,,

i dont mind the language barrier
i dont mind the scripted approach
i do mind being lied too and blatently given the run around just to get me off the phone asap.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Yes.

Heehee :). It's about market forces Retrovertigo. Cost is everything as far as I'm concerned.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

But VM are not cheap. Be are almost half the price and there off shore support is immeasurably better that VM's.

Seems to me it's all about VM ripping us off.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Up to now we have over 80% of voters not happy with the Offshore call centres and this is only a very small snapshot of people on this forum as not all members view this section, if this included the television and telephone sections how many more votes would we get in a similar vein.

Re: What I've got against VM's Indian callcentre
 

It's a shame that all you can get is an expensive, barely even fast enough to be called broadband service then. Consider that we pay far more than the European average and that the US has recently decided to define the minimum speed required for a service to be called "broadband" as 5mb down and 1mb up, i.e. by their definition VM's XL service narrowband.

I wasn't being serious about all that training. As they say, you can't polish a turd. The only thing to do is ditch them completely and employ UK staff.

The technology exists to make a computer read a script and respond to what is being said back. Indians are just cheaper, and equally effective after some careful de-humanisation.

Re: What I've got against VM's Indian callcentre
 

Broadband is the big margin maker for Virgin Media.

That said note the other thread I produced which pointed out our services are more expensive than a number of peer services in Europe. Even Sweden famous for cheapy providings has not dissimilar charges and 3 out of 4 cable companies in the Netherlands are kinda expensive, though all 4 offer better upstream.

Likewise the US shows huge price swings, in some cases more expensive than here, in others far cheaper.

Companies charge what they think they can get away with and provide the lowest level of service they think they can get away with.

EDIT: Saying that in France you can get 100M and telephone for 20 euros a month over cable, which is nice, 30 euros at full price, and no screwing around with M / L / XL - pay your 30 euros a month you'll get 100M/5M if you're in the 80% of network that has it, and 30M until you get upgraded if you aren't.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Only time I've had dealings with India they've not managed to sort my problems, apart from 1 where I was helping somebody activate their modem.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Well Ive just spoken to India with regards to my 20meg service being 1 meg from 4pm everynight, My god all I can say this was very hard work! all I wanted to know is if there was any problems at there end or if for some reason I was being traffic managed (really dont see how I could tbh), I ended up coming off the phone none the wiser. But not to worry has he told me "I can still send emails and browse the internet" so dont worry about it?! ..... never again

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

At the risk of repeating myself, I can only go by my own experience. If there is an issue, then I seem to be fortunate enough to have not been affected by it. My bad.

But guys please, the forum is starting to look like it's full of old moaning minnies who either "Don't have enough speed" "Hate the call centres" "Know more about a network that VM ever will" "Pay too much" "Can't get an engineer" or whatever.

Does noone have anything good to say about VM and their staff? I mean, I don't see any of you giving up and going elsewhere. Y'know, the "elsewhere" where broadband is like lightning, costs next to nothing and is better supported than Jordan's bra :D.

Cable forum would not exist without cable (duh) so we should at least be grateful for that eh?

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Couldn't care less about whether cable exists or not, it's the services that matter however they are delivered.

No-one is saying bad things in this thread about VM or their staff, none of the Indian agents are VM staff. The only bad thing said is their use of this appaulingly low quality outsourcer.

Regarding complaints, well yes, people rarely bother to post to say things are all working fine. If there's a huge bump in posts on here that aren't happy it's usually because there are more issues than normal.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

If you can come up with a legal way of getting out of a 12 month contract then feel free to share it, I think lots of people will be interested.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Have you ever sat and thought, I think I'm in the wrong place?

You should not renew, but you do.

Nicely poetic that :cool:

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

So how does that help the people who are in the first few months of their contract?

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Ahem :dozey:.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Nice cop-out. My post is a response to one of your many suggestions as a remedy to peoples' complaints about the Indian callcentre. But if you'd prefer not to respond that's fine by us.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Nice cop out? Geeez Russ play fair - I'm obeying your rule!

Besides, the advice still holds good no matter what stage of your contract you're at. If you're not happy, don't renew. Lots of people profess to be profoundly unhappy but still renew. Masochists I suppose.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Have you got any basis for your view or is it just that - your view?

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

My view. But based on the fact that one reads the same complainers year after year.

Btw, you copped out on acknowledging that in obeying your rule I was not copping out :D.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Does one indeed? Can you cite any examples in your less-than-one-year as a member? Send it via PM if you're that concerned about staying on topic

I'll certainly engage if it helps distract from your weakening argument. The important thing is that you learn from your mistakes.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Yes one does. And one meant on the net not just here. But let me ask you this - will you still be a cable customer in 12 months time?

erm what :confused:?

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

I have no idea, time-travel is beyond my abilities. If other providers can match or equal my expectations of VM then possibly not. If VM bring all tech support back to the UK then maybe so.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Or just maybe, despite "what you've got against the Indian call centres" you'll still be with VM because it's the best way to get the internet.

Pub and Indian Curry time for me :D.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

The thing is that I know the are some good agents in the Off shore call centres but they are overshadowed by the others and they then get classed the same by association.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Now what the hell are you on about? Who I use for the internet in 12 months' time has absolutely no bearing on how bad VM's Indian callcentre is. You seem to be on a crusade to stand up for the 'quaint' staff by any means neccessary, that's up to you but you seem unwilling or incapable of accepting other peoples' frustrations.

As I suspected the poll seems to be heading in a particular direction which puts paid to your suggestion that the strength of feeling isn't limited to this thread - it goes across the forum too. I'm sure you've got a list of excuses ready but that poll says a lot I think. If a statistics organisation took the step of running a nationally-recognised poll I'd put money on it that it would bring up similar results if I was a betting man.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Not had much cause to call support myself,just lucky,?
As a comparrison,I had to call my credit card company this morning,who use UK call centres,got through to some very sofly spoken Irish sounding woman (eventually) and could'nt understand a bloody word she said,frantic arm waving at my daughter to be quiet as I struggled to understand her etc.
Had to end the call,blaming a bad line to be polite. Called back a few minutes later only to be greeted by some other unidentified broad accent,I think I managed to sort my problem out?
My point is,it's become somewhat fashionable for UK cc's to use regional accents,these can be just as hard to understand as the dib dibs (no offence intended) with contant pardons and can you repeat that.If we're going to have UK call centres please speak clear English,not with a thick Geordie,Scots,Irish accent!

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

I have a typical 'South-East' accent. No real Cockney overtone just a boring South-East accent, pretty clear and pretty plain... and some people, especially from areas with thick accents, still can't understand me.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

I`ve been down here in SE London for ten years now and i rarely ever hear a real "Cockney" accent.....probably more chance of hearing a fellow Scottish accent among the hundreds of others.
207(or there abouts) different languages spoken at my youngest`s school.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Think we should have a group of Alvar Liddell soundalikes,all cloned to work in call centres,that should help the language problem!

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

I'm going to have to ask you to explain what you mean by that, and why you think some people might take offence at it ...

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Cub scouts might be a bit peeved......not quite who i think he was meaning though.I think he possibly meant CC staff of Asian origin.

I could be wrong though.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Real Cockney is very rare indeed, 'Mockney' is perhaps better.

Full on Cockney can be tricky to understand, and you sound like you're from Woolwich / Plumstead where I used to reside *laughs*.

Seriously though various accents can be hard to understand, prefer relatively neutral accents problem is those tend to coincide with the most expensive areas to hire labour.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Lol was being pc in case anyone was offended.:erm:
Indian people have the nick name dib dibs round our way due to their sometimes faltering English.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Would be best to refrain from using nicknames for people from 'offshore' countries, it can cause untold offence and the purpose of this thread is not to make things personal or deliberately offensive.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

I'm not on a crusade at all; just bringing balance to what would be an otherwise very one-sided argument. It is clear that many people have had a poor experience with the call centres, but I haven't. All I'm doing is saying so. I absolutely empathise with those who are having difficulties.

The poll confirms what we knew already and that is that on this forum some people aren't happy with the call centre service. Well, would you Adam an' Eve it :)! I was so sure the vote would go the other way *sigh*.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

:Yikes:
And i would walk 500 miles .....back to my place in Edinburgh before i ever lived in Plumstead or Woolwich;)

We were over in Blackheath but recently moved South Eltham way.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

I had a very happy childhood in Plumstead(went to Plumstead Juniors) and lived up on top of Shooters Hill.

Mind some 40 years have since passed...;)

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

It was a bit of a sweeping comment i suppose,sorry.
Shooters Hills ok(especially the Hungry Horse up there:)) but once you get right into Plumstead/Woolwich.....well,i`ll say no more in case i offend someone else;)

Same as anywhere else though eh,good n bad.
Some of the areas i grew up in back home would make Woolwich look like a dream location:)

EDIT...OT...Indian call centers are usually a nightmare and thats without the language issues...lets have it right!!

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

It could be a great episode for The Kumars at No 42. Ummi could call up tech support about her VM connection and get through to the UK-based call centre where she's told: "I dinnae ken what y'mean lassie, your line looks brae bonnie tae me"

:confused:

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

I very much doubt you`ll hear any Scots CC staff using the Scottish vernacular though.Besides...i did say that even without the language(accent) question their still generally more trouble than their worth to call.:confused:
A couple of times i`ve ended up with even more issues to solve than i started out with after speaking to an ICC.

Give me a clear & concise Scottish lass any day of the week thank you very much.She can even fix my BB at the same time.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

To be honest I've had one or two ok communication experiences with Indian call centres and I've had a couple of experiences with UK call centres when conversing with folk with strong Irish and Scottish brogue has made the situation more complex for communication. :erm:

On the whole though I've had better communication with UK centres than the overseas ones.It's got nothing to do with technical expertise just an inability to hear clearly what someone is saying to me in heavy accent British or Indian.

Technically however they have been brilliant.:)

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

I wouldn't argue with that :p:.

Nor that!

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

When ever we've had a problem with our services I've always dreaded phoning up the CS as 9 times out of 10 you get put through to India. I can never understand what they are saying and it drives me mad when your trying to explain whats going on and you've told them you've already tried the rebooting of the box/s and thats not worked, but they still want you to take your card out of your STB for some unknown reason. This is even if you've got a internet problem, they want your details to be confirmed. Plus they are working from a problem tree, which doesn't help.

With the way this country is going, why doesn't Virgin Media help the country and bring the call centre's all back to the UK. This would help out their customers and give people in THIS country much needed jobs.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Unfortunately for us though a couple(?) of Rupees an hour is obviously much cheaper than the few Pounds(?) per hour they get paid over here.

They have to pay Samual & Uma after all and all that money has to come from somewhere.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

VM are running a business not social welfare. It is probable that the greater majority of their millions of customers never need to contact support. Some of their customers who do contact support want to bring that service to the UK where it will cost more. Is it a good business decision to ask the majority to fund the preference of a minority. No, it's not.

Xpod is right, we know where that "somewhere" is that the money will come. Your pocket and my pocket. No thanks.

Besides, you assume that the support here would be better than it is currently.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

I don't think that is true at all about the majority never needing to call. If that were the case would they really go to the trouble of setting up a call centre in India in the first place? It's in India to save money, and if they want to save money via call centre costs, then surely that is because a lot of customers are using them?

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

I don't think that's too unreasonable to assume.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Providing support is part of VM's services to you; it is not specified where that support should be geographically located. I sincerely doubt that the majority of VM's 3.5m customers contact support, so I think my statement is true. It is far more likely that the same 2 or 3 people are contacting support over and over again :D Outsourcing is likely to be saving me money. I like that.


I think you forgot to add my amendment Russ :D

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

As far as i can see, if you call them and you have either no understanding of PC tech or a very limited understanding then they can problably help you (usually since the problem is simple to solve and will appear on their crib sheet).

If you have something that is either vaguely unusual or outside their limited understanding then yhey have to find a supervisor (I assume the one person in the building with any real knowledge).

This happened to me when I ordered the Virgin wireless router from virgin to replace my old belkin. I had a problem using the install disc they provided (the one without any instructions at all).

It turned out that if i didnt want to exclusively use it as a wireless router then I shouldnt have used the disc - DOH. So I dutifully uninstalled it and still couldnt connect. After 40 minutes of numpy offering suggestions such as turn it off and turn it on again he decided to get his supervisor to call me in 2 hours.

I decided that was pointless so i did a direct connect bypassing the router and googled the router, downloaded the instructions for said router and was online with it in about 10 minutes. In future I will just do it myself but i was under the assumption that since it was a piece of equipment specifically under Virgin hence i called them first not wanting to cause further problems.

Lesson learnt.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Yep never mind that the support is, in my experience, pointless. It saves a few pence on the bill.

If your opinion were not so common I'd comment more, but most people would rather pay a bit less and whinge than pay a fraction more and be satisfied.

If I had an option to pay extra to avoid the offshore tech support I would without hesitation take it. They have been utterly pointless without exception in my time as a customer.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

I do not see the point of still trying to defend the off shore call centres when according to the above poll 80% have voted negatively against them, you cannot defend a defeated vote.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

There are some companies who are returning to uk shores from india,a few of the utility companies i think,my bank only uses uk call centres and so does my gas/electricity company,if they can i am not sure why vm cannot! :confused:

Another interesting fact is whenever you place a call to order a product be it with vm or my mobile phone company "3",when you ring up to place the order its always a uk call centre funny that,its only later on you find out if you have any problems its overseas for you. Could it be the companies involved realise they are not popular and if you had to order through overseas call centres you may well give up or is that me just being cynical.;)

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

I think the only reason why people dont like the indian call centre is because its outside the UK and it has nothing to do with the quality of the actual service.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

You say that in the face of all the examples of bad service posted in this thread?

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

I think you thought wrong then.

Re: *Poll added* - VM's Indian callcentre
 

Hava read through this thread and check out the result at the top of the thread over 80% of the people voted against offshore call centres.