Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

I decided to report two problems that have been outstanding for a while (only minor problems to me).

1. The interactive on my main box did not work (M044 error)

2. I didn't know the pin code to use interactive on my other boxes.

So, at 9:15am I ring 150, listen to the options and choose CS. The call was answered in 3 minutes. For the fault they advised me to ring 'faults' on 151(fair enough). For the pin code they told me what the default was, and to try that. If it failed, ring back and they would try and reset it (it was my choice not to try it there and then, if you are wondering).

Okay, phase 1 complete, it's now 9:25 and I ring 151 (which seems to be the same as 150 ..) and choose faults. This time my wait is a little longer - it takes 10 minutes to get through. I explain the problem and that i have rebooted the box (twice) so the guy moves on to testing the box. He gives me the commands to bring up the status, and when we reach the correct page - the status is 3. He immediately says I need an engineer for this. okay I say, expecting it to be tomorrow at least - but no, I am booked for 12pm to 6pm this afternoon. I ask for a call from him before he arrives.

So, then I wait - and sure enough at 1:30pm (ish) I get a call from the engineer saying he will be about 5 mins, and sure enough he turns up about 5 mins later. A few quick tests and he pronouces my box as duff (no return path). Off to the van and back with a new box. All fitted 10 mins later.

So from report, to brand new box - four and a bit hours. WELL DONE ntl is my view. :D

(oh, and the default pin failed, so I will have to sort that when I get back home from London).

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

I started with Sky and had it for a few months before cable became available in my area. Back then NTL were called Diamond Cable. My household has the following;
2xPhone lines.
Main set top box.
second set top box.
Family pack and movie channels.
600k Broadband.

I've generally been happy with NTL apart from several problems, which have always been a nightmare to fix. But the problems seem to be increasing over time.
I have constant problems with both set top boxes. Menu system doesn't work and/or intermittently freezes on one. Channel changes on its own on the other box for 5 or so seconds and then goes back and it has to be rebooted every 5-7 days as the menu stops functioning.

Internet connection problems appear to be on the increase with DNS servers not working, computer not being given an ip etc (one member of the support staff told me to re-format another told me I had defective hardware when it was actually their fault).

More recently I've been considering dumping it all as it is quite a hefty expense and I don't think the problems are acceptable considering the amount I pay every month.

Having said all that I think the Support staff have been generally okay. There are a few people answering phones who shouldn't even be employed though :Yikes:

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

:thumbup: Id say 45% of the customers I deal with daily have similar to report, unfortunately not all areas have lead times quite as good due to all manner of factors, I am being made redundant on the 29th but I will keep my NTL service and would still recommend them to people there is good and bad in all walks of life and business.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

well have has NTL Telly and Phoneline with broadband.

We have terminated there Tv and Phoneline but not the bb.

The telly was removed and the telephone line as again and again NTL charged for things we have not ordered.

Sometimes the bill was totally off they would say its okay then again the following month it would be wrong.

We currently have there full services again, but am warely to check and double check there bills.

Where as me in the bb area have been wicked not a single issue I have had, apart from odd dns server going down a reliable service.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

My main gripe with NTL is their take it or leave it attitude. I pay them £75 a month for tv phones and broadband. Technical support is hit and miss and I get really p***** off when I ring them and then get told postcodes so and so are having connection problems. They could say that at the begining. I also don't want loads and loads of crap tv channels. Pity they don't alter it to any 5 regular channels for £x or any 10 for £x. Sadly there is little competion out there. I am having severe mail problems but thats for another thread.:Yikes:

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Aw geez where to start!!

I've had cancelled appointments, non existent engineers that don't arrive, no t.v for 7 weeks just before Xmas and numerous breakdowns since ntl 'fixed' the problem in December. With gems of good advice such as ' stick a hanger in the back of it', I'm in awe of ntl.

In the year 2005 I'm still confined to viewing terestrial t.v only when ntl permits.

What totally gets to me is the lack of any competition that allows ntl to get away with this poor service.

I thought to be a manger you had to be capable of actually managing something. Does any of the managers at ntl know their elbow from rear. (I'm being polite now so don't get me started).

Unfortunately, due to 'deal' struck with ntl, our housing management won't allow us to install satellite. Wonder who benefits from this deal!!! Just askin'.
Effectively we are held to ransom by ntl.

Finally fed up of being treated like a second class citizen, I was forced into a compromise and booked an appointment for 22nd December for a reconnection. Direct debit instruction set up and appointment confirmed. At 11.30 that day having taken the day off work, I telephoned CS and was told I didn't have an appointment:Yikes: .

But I did have a 'site' visit scheduled for the 11th January:confused: .

What did I do, told them to stuff the whole thing, again. And low and behold, I received the only telephone call from ntl, wanting to know why I had cancelled. And here's the answer, because I don't eat tripe and I won't pay for it.

ntl = famous in West London as No Time Left, Never Trust Liars.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

OK, so let me get this straight - ntl are holding you to ransome because your HOUSING MANAGEMENT won't let you install Sky....HOW????? :confused: :rolleyes:

If you have bad service at ntl and cannot get decent resolution, then get rid of it. But blaming ntl for what appears to be to your Landlords benefit is not really on....

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

O.k Here's the deal. ntl have the monopoly, we can't go anywhere else because the deal struck with ntl and our housing management won't allow it.

We receive terestrial t.v via ntl, we have no other external aeriel. ntl service is extremely bad and they know it. At least the engineers do. They constantly tell us about the poor cabling etc but ntl won't do anything about it

a) because most of us who had contracts with them withdrew from them due to poor service,
b) because they know we can't go elsewhere as our management won't allow it so there's no incentive for them to carry out repairs on time
c) they know we can't have satellite again as our management won't allow it.

What else would you call it? I can't get rid of ntl altogether as they 'maintain' our aeriel?:dozey:

Over the last 3 months I've been told time and again by ntl that if I had a contract with them, they could do something. So I attempted to get a contract, only once again the poor service at ntl kicked this into touch.

What are my options? Either I have ntl, no contract and get poor service or ntl contract and still poor service. I'm spoilt for choice.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Surely the housing management are partly to blame here as they are the ones to strike the deal in the first place?

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

If NTL are giving bad service, that is bad. No two ways about it. However, they do have to get the permission of the building owner before they can do anything in a building. If the cabling is bad, and runs all over the building (which it probably does), they will have to get the permission of the building owners (or at least the management company running it) to do that work.

Maybe you could complain to your management? If enough residents complain, they should listen.

If you can get the management to complain to NTL, maybe NTL will be a bit more helpful?

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

I totally agree and believe me we have not let the management off the hook. One of the other problems is that they both provide equally bad service.

Apparently the 'reason' we had no service for 7 weeks was because : ntl said the contract for maintaining the aeriel ended in November, management said it ends in April 05, ntl then said it was because of illegal use of equipment:confused: , management said they couldn't find their copy of the contract but ntl were liable, ntl said they weren't but they would fix new cabling, the new cabling was fixed and then there was a problem with the signal box. As of today, it's a problem with the cabling. My cabling is now 'spliced' off my neighbours so we both know when the other has no t.v and can nip round for a cuppa whilst we wait for the engineer.

I'm sure you get the idea by now. Between them, ntl and TMO couldn't organise a ****** in the proverbial brewery.

Over Xmas I visited residents who are housebound and found them watching 'snowy' pictures on their t.v

This has been going on for years and it's not in the least bit funny.:Yikes:

On the bright side, management clearly know the problems and will be installing a 'communal' satellite for residents to feed off.:erm: It will only take another 18-24 months.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Frankly that's tosh. NTL's customer service is notoriously poor. I speak not just from my own experience but press reports on CS in which NTL feature with depressing regularity. I do not blame individuals within CS particularly for this but **** poor management which, judging by the service, does not look to invest in decent training and systems and does not understand the value to the business of customer or staff retention. I was advised by one CS adviser that NTL training teaches them "to speak to the customer as they speak to you". So if you get a customer phoning the complaint department, quite possibly having been kept on hold for a fair while, and having navigated the annoying automated menu, and you should sound as irate as them! That's gonna help.

In contrast tech support generally seems vastly superior, by and large offering prompt, helpful and unfailingly courteous advice.

NTL could do worse than look at HP/Compaq's after sales service systems - online, organised, very swift and, in my experience, very, very impressive.

Anf if anyone out there wants to say this is just typical NTL bashing well I'm sorry, NTL needs, on more occasions than most, to be bashed. It did not get its poor reputation by being the Mother Teresa of the cablecomms world.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

I don't think it is fair to say that all call centres are equally good or equally bad. I have had a very frustrating time on the phone with British Gas, Scottish Hydroelectric and Sky. I have had a superb experience on the phone with Virgin Home Energy, Scottish Hydroelectric and Sky. Some are universally awful, few are universally brilliant. Some mainly get it right, some mainly get it wrong. The fact is, some are better than others, and if NTL is poor, it is a very shoddy defence indeed if all that can be said is 'well x is just as bad!'. We should be demanding excellence, not equal mediocrity.

All of those options were available in the poll at the top of this thread so we could try to get an overall view of where on the line from abysmal to heavenly NTL truly is. I notice that it has closed (no surprise there, I started it an aeon ago), so I am opening it again for our newer members to add their votes.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

A quikie -

I was helping a friend to tweak his machine when we encountered a problem with his email account as is had started asking for his password. For the life of him he couldn't find anything that would work. We ring NTL; it goes like this -

Good evening NTL please could you tell me .... blah blah etc
What seems to be the problem

I can't get my email password to be recognised or I've got the wrong one.

Sorry Sir I can't help you!

Sorry, why not?

Data Protection Act

But it's my account

I don't know that

Well ask me the security question

Can't do that

Why not?

Data Protection Act

But it's MY information

Sorry Sir can't help you

(ME as an aside...He's just taking the p!ss)

Put me on to your Supervisor

I'll give you the number of someone who may help.

Well thanks a lot.


Dials number ....'This number is no longer in use'

We ring back and ask for a supervisor.

How can I help?

WE tell him what happened... needless to say he's incredulous and thinks we're having him on. He checks the account access on his computer. Guess what? NOTHING. He says will attempt to check the 'footprint' and will get back to us. In the meantime he sorts the email problem out with no fuss and proper courtesy.

I would imagine there is one lazy, bone idle, self-satisfied, smug plonker somewhere in NTL who's very pleased with himself at such a jolly jape.
Either that or as I suggested; he was proabably due to leave NTL at the end of the week!

BTW can anyone tell me why NTL's email servers are so unreliable that I have to resort to ugh Hotmail for a reliable service.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Well I only have phones and broadband. So far never had a problem with the phone and broadband access tends to be OK with a few rare outages. Been a customer for 10 years.;)

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Actually, can't remember if I posted this (if I did, I can't find it), but I had an interesting situation with my email password.

Basically, I forgot the password that I used for my email account. I phoned NTL to ask for it. They confirmed I was the account holder. Then the customer services person said something interesting. They can only email my NTL email account password to my NTL account..

The second time I phoned, I was told I should use the web to create a new one..

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Buggered up the bills every month for the first several months and also this month where I'd scrapped the TV and phone services. Other than that they've actually been great. Even fixed, within a day, the exterior cable where I'd dropped a rock on it whilst digging up the patio! Phone is answered relatively quickly too.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

I am a newbie to NTL and have had cause to ring CS on a few occasions to date and have found that they are helpful and friendly. I have not adopted a confrontational approach and have been clear from the outset what I want to achieve during my discussion. Thus far, I have had a minor signal problem with the STB which was reset remotely without fuss and a minor issue with the outgoing e-mail server which was resolved in a short period (maybe by luck rather than judgement). I changed my mind during the install to have a SACM rather than the STB modem and this was also dealt with without fuss or drama. Everything seems to work as promised and the installation engineer was professional and extremely helpful. I hope that my obvious good fortune continues

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

If you've had a peaceful time with ntl, then heartest congratulations !

It's all fine and dandy up until something goes wrong. When it does, then big time trouble !!!
Will someone in the management structure give those poor individuals a break, and actually teach them the workings of the computer system they're sitting in front of, before they're set loose on the public. I spoke to so many of them, who were adament that I couldn't get copy telephone bills, or that they had been sent out and lost in the post. Actually more than one person was kind enough to intimate that i was a liar !! Far from good relations there. The only reason I wanted copies, to excersise my right of looking at the telephone bill, was because apparently a nil bill is never sent out to customers. It wasn't as if it was a true nil bill either. Messing up the Broadband invoicing led to numerous credits.
:confused: :confused: :( :( :confused: :confused:
I did find one member of staff in the end who sent me copies of these elusive bills through the post. She couldn't understand what the problem had been.

NEITHER DID I.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Called NTL customer services this morning to enquire about upgrading my BB connection. I was told that I'd have to have a new STB (I knew that, thats the reason for the call in the first place). Within 2 minutes, a very helpful lady had booked an engineer visit for next week, and given me a time window. Excellent service, friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and informative.

If of course the engineer fails to show, the internet vanishes without trace, or my tv fades to black and white next week, you'll be the first to know

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Been with NTL for 3-4 years during which I had no problems with my TV/PHONE and BROADBAND servicies except rebooting thr STB when the TV froozen up:mad:

last year I downgraded my BB no problem but with not watching the TV no more I decicided to ditch the TV and hearing about all the new BB speeds through ADSL BT-Lines only I pondered about ditching all of my servicies and starting again with phone (BT) and optional BB ISP :rolleyes: NTL have since offered phone (free-rental) and BB from my 300 Too 1m for £10.00 a month but I,m unsure if this will be capped and whether this deal has a catch when all speeds jump up does anyone know if I would be wise too take up this offer (6 month deal) or do you presume its a catch for ship jumpers :confused:

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Having read some of the CS horror stories on here, I decided to give the 'Broadband Medic' interactive support a try. After waiting about 40 minutes for a response, the 'enquiry' was kindly closed by a support rep. I have a screen dump as evidence. The call was allocated to a support rep (the log gives his name). Two seconds later, the log shows him requesting my post code, etc. Two seconds later, the log shows him closing the call because I HAD NOT RESPONDED WITHIN 5 MINUTES! As far as I am concerned, this is equivalent to someone hanging up the phone on me, and is unacceptable.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

It's clear that NTL place a lot of misguided faith in the BB Medic, which in the end is useless and a poor substitute for real support. Clearly, rudeness from those responsible is unacceptable.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

I have no problem with the PRINCIPLE. I'd rather leave a window open on my PC until some-one responds, than be hanging on the phone. I've used interactive support from other companies to good effect. However, NTL need to get their act together wrt 'rogue' staff who just cut you off. One advantage of BB Medic is that it logs the name of the person responsible - no hiding behind false names.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

For my two pennys worth , never had a problem with there net connection that wasnt dealt with promptly, even being passed from the overseas call centre to the welsh version(is that classed as an oversea call centre?) Anyway biggest problem is with the poor TV service now that is terrible, allways have to restart the STB as it locks out or losses the connection with the guide or interactive. Some times even loss of all pictures. But its easier to unplug and reset than wait on the phone for 40 mins!

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Been with NTL 6 years. about 8 set top boxes later, made the mistake of signing up to 750k Broadband in December as someone told me the broadband was more reliable than TV. I upgraded to BB Plus but have never been able to activate it.
When I enter my postcode it takes me to NTL Freedom, which is NTL throgh a BT line.
I've had my house from new 6 years ago and have never used BT only NTL ????
Really tempted to return all my NTL gear and give up on them completely.

I must say that I have never received a satisfactory level of service on any of my problems nor have I ever been offered any compensation from them.

I am now about to call them to find out why I have been billed for channels that I never ordered
Was offerec family pack free for a month and they've billed me..aaaagghh

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Sounds like you've had a right time of it ... there are a number of very helpful NTL staff on this board, and one of them might be able to help sort your situation out. Check back here and see who replies.

And :welcome: to Cable Forum! :)

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

If you PM me the mac address from your modem, then i'll send you back a postcode that you can use which will work :)

As for the billing... i'm a tech monkey not a billing monkey :p:

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

There you go, halfway to a solution already. :) I can confirm that Monkeybreath is who he says he is, by the way, so it's safe to send the MAC address of your cable modem to him in a Private Message (don't post it on the forum though).

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

I agree regarding your statement about NTL's TV service hence my reason to wave goodbye and just view the freeview service but keep NTL 's phone and BB service if you really want TV then sky is second too none. Now I'll be leaving cable BB to ADSL I hope problems do not occur as my cable BB was good no hiccups what so ever so fingers crossed I might even get the new NTL 250 modem depends if I get a shady engineer but I''ll be pestering him if I don't come on NTL compete with BT a little more and give your customers a deal and service too shout about

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

urm... what benefit would there be from having a new 250 modem....?? Also forgive me for being confused, but doesn't your post say that you are moving to ADSL?

It is nothing to do with a "shady" engineer, the 250 modems will be distributed when the current stock of modems is given out.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Surely it cannot be just me who finds the NTL email service so erratic? I've been with them approx 6 weeks now and the service has been so unreliable I've had to reactivate my Tesco.net Anytime dial up account as Pay As You Go to ensure continuity of email service. I've had outages for the last two days of this week and one day last week. When you ring the Server Status line it ususally states that ongoing work is being done from 1am until 5am. Err, so that means that it should have been restored by midday then. I wouldn't mind if they actually kept the status line updated so you knew exactly where you were up to and didn't keep having to ring up to check. On one occassion I rang Tech support they asked me which email client I was using. I told him 'MS Outlook' "Oh that explains it sir, our email service doesn't work with Outlook, only Outlook Express." Now I accept that there must be some good techies at NTL as I've spoken to one or two but just where do they get guys like this. No amount of "but I've been using Outlook for weeks" would convince him at all. I gave up. It came back on line a few hours later and was STILL working with OUTLOOK!

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

ntl e-mail has been pants for the last few days, but seems to be coming back - I have managed to get mail from both my accounts, this evening.

The support tech is only allowed to offer help with Outlook Express - but should really have said that, rather than 'it doesn't work with Outlook', as it obviously does.

I hope someone has already said :welcome: to the forum but no harm to say it again :)

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

I think, addressing the Outlook question, that it might be that Outlook in exchange mode is not supported - because NTL block the ports that exchange uses. That doesn't mean you can't use Outlook for POP/SMTP mail. You just can't get the staff these days :D

I got an email today that I should have got yesterday :erm: It's like the good old days again when NTL was predictably crap :rolleyes:

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

although I use an ntl email through express I tend too use other Email options such as fsmail,msn,lycos and yahoo such better alternatives than outlook anyway !

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

swansea faults are great.
indian accounting people are useless.

I voted never had any trouble because I was refering to swansea people.

btw, I am largely influanced in this decision because I just talked him into replaceing my storage heater (pace stb) with a samsung:)
-Chris

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

I dont use the webmail, but have 1.5Mb SA connection, and talk Unlimmited 24, and I am more than happy with them. I have had a great communication with t hem today over a slight billing error, which was sorted, in my favor very quickly, professionally and politely. Its a pleasure to deal with them.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Hi all in this forum.

I have been with NTL for almost 4 years now and on the high package and talk unlimited 24. Well i use a sacm to connect to the internet which is the NTL home 120 box. Since i got it installed i have never ever had problems with the service no slow downs no connection breaks or fails whatever nothing to be quite honest i am very please with NTL's progress (bet you never thought u'd here someonce say that huh) Well anyways there is 1 down point i might aswell mention it is the xbox live thats the only problem with NTL charging £5 extra to use xbox live when its microsofts creation not theres i think it should be free of charge to be honest, because if there giving the new speed updates away for free! i 1.5mb upgrasding to 3mb why the hell they want to do that when they can make of it. well i said my bit anyways thanks to all who has read my post and contributed into replying to it...

p.s) Wheres the xbox live configuration forum:P

=-chris=- :p:

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

I have not read through all the posts, but I will say one thing:

When it works it is GREAT.. If something is not working: GOD HELP YOU!

it= their services (TV, phone and BB)

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/forumdisplay.php?f=15

:welcome: BTW

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

;)

thank you for replying thanks for link usefull info there

chris

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

:angel:

About the xbox live, i rung NTL they said it would be 5 pound extra a month 2 have it... then he rechecked and now the new price is 2 quid... get a bargain while u still can,, also net works same time as xbox because sacm is a router built in... bye all

chris

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2005/03/9.gif

just a bit relevant if you have ever played TPP with ntl

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

I've never had any problems with CS but I've only needed to use them once and that was getting broadband initally set up, it did take a while to get through but once there everything was sorted out quickly.
My own opinion on this is that there will always be certain people, especially on technical matters that have bought a pc and don't have a clue, sorry but I can't think of any other way of putting it. With broadband and the internet in general having become mass market I think any company will increasingly have to ensure their CS departments are well staffed and well financed and training is given to ensure that they can communicate well with people new to technology, be it internet or tv.
As far the billing problems are concered I guess this is down to technical and training problems and not with CS staff as such.

I have to say tho' that with CS also coming from India now I will take a packed lunch and a flask should I ever need to call them :).

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

When I first signed up for NTL broadband last year, they had spelled my name wrong on the database yet it was spelled correctly on the registration letter, which left me without internet for 2 days on the phone to CS while they tried to figure out the problem

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Generally very hit and miss. This week they have successfully taken out the SO22 post code area during their 'upgrade' and CS staff don't really have any info or give a damn about the inconvenience they are causing people who are trying to work.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

ive just joined the forums hi everyone! anyways my experience with NTL so far(touch wood) has been good always been efficent in fixing problems that i have had was very quick at installin my 2nd STB(samsung) part from that i'll put up with the slow interactive and no red button which doesent bother me as long as i can sit down n watch a good film after a hard days work or surf the internet im not bothered!

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

:welcome:

Mine've been okay I guess apart from the time where I kept being given number after number (that rediected to same place) before finally being given the right one...

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

i spent 2 hrs on to cs yesterday i tried twice as i was having trouble with e mails the first time i was told the password & my mac address was not the one for me yet i was reading it from modem in the end i got the call center to get hold hold of them and i got it sorted
but both times the tech call centers i got through to was in india and the help i was given was negligable i could have got more help from kids in local school
in the end a chap from bells hill cs got my problem sorted

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

i think its bloody crap.
was having problems with loss of connection on a friends pc and everytime I called ntl i was on hold for over 1hr.
I work in a call centre for ADT and people complain when they are waiting for 3mins.
but the real kick in the teeth is when you get your phone bill and see you have been charged for being on hold.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

ok my turn. A friend phoned cs and he asked them when his connection would be upgraded. The person on the otherside said he would activate it now, all my friend had to do was turn modem off, wait for a bit and turn back on. And like a surprise....no change. I phoned up to find out more info and i was disgusted to find out that the call centre was in another country. They guy said use as normal and we will contact you to let you know. I HUNG UP.

I'm not impressed. I had to wait until the guy could receive my response. I was talking to myself sometimes cos the delay. If i wanted to talk to someone then i would phone my mum who could have made more sense.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

:td: Whilst it is bad that your friend was blagged off and myself do not agree with calls being outsourced to India in fairness if you rang up on your friends behalf then you were lucky he talked to you at all if you were not the account holder.

:angel:

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

I reported a fault with my SACM yesterday, the technical support guy did a few tests and concluded that there were problems with the modem. Appointment arranged for engineer to call today, did more tests on site and concluded that box in street was problem. Did a few adjustments , problem sorted. No fuss, no problem, did exactly what was expected. Overall, a professional service, expertly delivered. Well done!!;) :D

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

My call had nothing to do with his call. He phoned and got through again but this time to a scottish lady who in under a minute upgraded his connection. I get some guy in india who hasn't a clue what the hell i'm on about nor does he know what to do. ALL ANGER DIRECTED TO NTL AT THIS MOMENT!

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

happy customer here , rang 150 , spent 5 mins trawling through the menus to get to t.s. and got connected instantly , and i do mean instantly :tu: , and i got a resolution to boot from a very polite and useful gentleman , i missed his name otherwise i would have let ntl know how good and useful he was :tu: :)

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Did you ring CS or Tech support? This

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...&postcount=874

seems to be the correct number to get upgraded.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Almost 10 days ago NTL disconnected our phone, I had to borrow a mobile to contact them and was told that although it was a mistake by NTL they could not re-connect us for 10 working days. My husband has a condition which means that he can pass out at any time, and its a 10 minute walk to the nearest phone box, to call for help, by which time he could be dead, did this make any difference NO!!! Last Tuesday I phoned again, and got a very nice Chap called Charles who spoke to his supervisor and told me the phone would be re-connected within 48 hours, in fact the engineer from NTL turmed up the next day connected the phone and went away. Chalres phoned me on Wednesday night and I confirmed the phone was ok. Thursday morning, it was dead. AGAIN a further phone call, Monday at the earliest.... by this time I was incandescent with rage. I pay my bill by direct debit and have done ever since we signed with NTL, I also have broadband through them, I do not owe them a penny and they treat me like dirt, they have sdmitted that it was their fault we were cut off, but cannot do anything to help us, we just have to sit and wait, At the earliest opportunity I will be switching to BT!!!! thats after I have wrung some form of compensation from them.

There has been a discussion om another board which recives approx 3 million hits a week, the response from them has been that NTL are a shower, even their own engineers have trouble getting through to them.......

I am powerless to do anything about this until NTL condecend to re-connect me, but I will be reporting the matter to oftel and if neecessary the ombudsman as well.

I have written to NTL Customer Services, but as expected have not recieved the courtesy of a reply, why did I think I would get one......they obviously do not care about their customers, just the cash they rake in from their services.
http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/im...ser_online.gif http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/im...reputation.gif

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Please don't cross post, you have already created a thread on this here: http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...ad.php?t=27015

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Ive called NTL CS twice, and on both occasions ive been dealt with quickly and professionally.

CS are very polite and helpful.

Am I in the minority, a satisified customer?

I think not.

Keep up good work folks!!

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

i also have had very little to complain about and the speed of getting through to them lately has been very good :tu:

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Hi just been back from the cold...... and usualy I am not a post freek but I must say in the last year I have had very bad experience with some individuals (call center operator type!!!) but in general the technical department is efficent.
And they should be with us: we pay for the full package -phone-broad band- 2 STB (one for the boss and the other for the animals)

So is this clear?

see ya
Oine

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

I am no longer with NTL, I have votred with my feet. Having been told someone would be with us Monday morning, when they did not turn up I phoned to be told that the call had been booked for Wednesday.

I contacted BT and my phone was connected as they said at 7am yesterday morning. I have purchased a mobile phone ' just in case'.

I am appalled that NTL can leave someone without a phone for 3 weeks, apart from one person the call centre operators have been singularly unhlepful and downright rude.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Thought this joke might lighten the mood.........

A LESSON FOR ALL EMPLOYEES WHO WORK WITH RUDE CUSTOMERS!!!


Indeed, an award should go to the Virgin Airlines gate attendant in Sydney some months ago for being customer focused, while making her point, when confronted with a passenger who probably deserved to fly as cargo.





A crowded Virgin flight was cancelled after Virgin's 767s had been withdrawn from service. A single attendant was re-booking a Long line of inconvenienced travellers. Suddenly an angry passenger pushed his way to the desk. He slapped his ticket down on the counter and said, I HAVE to be on this flight and it HAS to be NOW". The attendant replied, "I'm sorry sir. I'll be happy to try to help you, but I've got to help these people first, and I'm sure we'll be able to work something out." The passenger was unimpressed. He asked loudly, so that the passengers behind him could hear, "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO I AM?" Without hesitating, the attendant smiled and grabbed her public address microphone:


May I have your attention please, may I have your attention please," she began - her voice heard clearly throughout the terminal. We have a passenger here at Gate14 WHO DOES NOT KNOW WHO HE IS. If anyone can help him find his identity, please come to Gate 14."

With the folks behind him in line laughing hysterically, the man glared at the Virgin attendant, gritted his teeth and said, "F... You!"
Without flinching, she smiled and said, "I'm sorry, sir, but you'll have to get in line for that too."

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Once again I had a brilliant experience with ntl customer services, although they were unable to answer one of my questions.

Every time I call I am answered by a polite - friendly person who trys to help.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Im not going to vote on this because Im no longer a customer and I dont think the poll is very just as theres several dept's of customer services, but heres the basis of my story with cable.

I started with switching from BT to my local cable provider Comtel. The install went very well and during the time Comtel was in control before NTL took over I never had to call CS any dept.
My first stint with NTL CS was concerning the free dial up when it was introduced, I had to speak to a supervisor but I got what was requested and that was untill my ntlworld dial up cd dropped through my door I would recieve complete rebate of isp calling. Result of course satisfactory.

My next Stint was with the new cable modem service which I recieved a faulty Surfboard modem that took over 6 weeks to replace. While my calls to CS were in themselves satisfactory it took this long to get a remedey because the left didnt know the right and no one knew the correct procedure to get a replacement modem.

Another stint of a major CM outage took about 4 weeks to repair and it ended up being a bad component somewhere in the green street box.

Having suffered many other minor outages NTL CM tech support were general very responsive helpful and polite despite some long wait times to get through.

Billing support is where they really fall down, the staff in that dept, are downright rude and offensive, well they were the times I had to call them. However this doesnt surprise me as NTL took so long to update accounts at that time that the staff must have been very infuriated. There were 2 main occasions I had reason to call this dept. Once for a disconection with no grounds and it took a good hour of battling with the operator for him to admit that actually my account was completely up to date and the disconnection was wrong.
Then in the last 8-9 months NTL changed their billing procedure even further imo very much for the worse. As I allready had the forsight that NTL would soon be enforcing a ridiculous cap on the CM service this billing incident and the way they treated me in regards to it was the straw that broke the camels back.

Since then for the last 8-9 months iv been on BT phone with telefonica dsl and I have yet had the need to give any CS a call, which is back to how things were before I moved to Comtel and also during my time with Comtel.
This is how it should be, the need to call a companies CS should be absolutely minimul. In fact NTL is pretty much the only CS iv ever really had to ring with such regularity.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

On the occasions that ive had a problem with my service it has genuinely been resolved within 2/3 days ( if thats an acceptable amount of time ).

I think the most frustrating thing is the differing answers you get from the various CS people and the cut offs/redirections you get when you are trying to get something resolved.

My last fault was that i had no dial tone on my phone, the CS fault line said that there was work being done in my area, fine i thought ill leave it a day or so. 2 days later still no phone so phoned CS who then proceeded to tell me there was no problem in my area.....IT MUST BE MY PHONE. They said they would send an engineer round that day. Engineer never even came into my house, just knocked on the door and told me phone should be working now, which it was.

Good product just indifferent CS operatives.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

That would seem to sum up ntl IMHO.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

No, that's not fair. It's not the CS operatives that are the problem, it's the ill considered targets/process and procedures/lack of authority and training/support they receive from higher management that is the problem.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

It's my opinion, & I say it's fair- ;)

Not all of the time anyway.

Agreed.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Thinking about it i agree, but there are occasions, i think we have all suffered it where you get an unhelpful CS rep, now whether they are being unhelpful due to lack of training or they are under pressure to get onto the next caller i dont know.

i.e when i first signed upto NTL BB i was never sent a PIN number, i phoned CS who said they cant help me and i need to speack to sales, phoned sales who said they have to contact the sales rep who sold me the package, he can only give me the PIN details ( yes they said that ). While they transfered me about i got cut off, i phoned back into CS and spoke to a nice lady who gave me my PIN details there and then.....

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Ah-the infamous ntl telephone ping pong/CS-BSâ ¾Ãƒâ€šÃ‚¢. :td:

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

lol yes, it does make you laugh when you think about it, i might try it at work today. If the missus phones me up ill just transfer her to some random person in the company and time how long it takes her to get back to me.

If i worked for NTL im sure she would give up :)

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

The past 4 times I have had to ring CS up have all been a pain. I would have been on hold for at least 45 minutes, and after that my internet would be back up so I would have to hang up. Then usually after about an hour, it would cut off again.

Same thing with their email support, I never got a reply from the email I sent them about why my connection keeps cutting me off certain services (such as IRC, MSN etc). I still have this problem too.

But when you DO get through and talk to someone, they usually get the problem fixed within minutes.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Been with NTL since they took over from COMTEL!? Have moved 3 times all with little or no problems. Last time my telephone number was transferred to the new address the same day. Locally people seem to either have very few problems or loads of problems, usually with billing.

:mad: My big gripe is no customer services on a Sunday:mad:. If things go wrong it is either just after they shut or on a Sunday!

I rang 150 today and got through straight away :shocked: :clap::angel::Yikes:

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

good service as long as you dont have to start calling in, when it turns in to a nightmare.
recently had a box swap to a samsung for bb upgrade, if it wasnt for me being an employee i would have been lost not knowing relevant department to call, but still went around ntlworld.
its not the associates fault its the total lack of training and commitment from ntl.:( :confused:

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

When the service is working ok its fine. As soon as something goes wrong though its horrible. I bet we have all given up waiting for the phone to be answered and then been sent round in circles etc. And don't get me started on the email system.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

I've just joined in on the fun!

Ordered broadband and of course received the phone call back straight away to confirm by bank details and engineer arrived to install. Cable modem doesn't work - it looks like he didn't test it before he left.

Since then, I've been making calls and going round in circles trying to arrange another visit to get it sorted, being passed around different departments. Some of the people I speak to are very helpful, others make me want to slit my wrists:mad: . All in all, not that impressed so far!!!

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

I rang up about a fault with my ntlworld email a/c. CS said there was work in the are but faults could identify a problem and put it right. I redialled and was put through to India. They guy used his system which obviously told him to fill in a form. I asked him what was the problem - a technical problem. What was it - I am not allowed to tell you Sir. All very polite. I asked again why my account was not accessible and he replied - cannot say sir.

This sort of reply does not inspire confidence that the person you are speaking to has any idea what they are doing.

As for people working for ntl giving positives - I suppose it just might be possible but so many people I speak to have had foul ups it makes it appear likely, which is a shame since they all work jolly hard I feel sure.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Well tonight NTL have really annoyed me. Decided to download and install broadband medic to talk to an NTL assistant to get this problem sorted I'm having with my connection, and while I was in the middle of typing what problem I was having, they closed the enquiery. Not a happy person.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

do you mean they cut you off on the phone ???? , or what :erm:

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

No, broadband medic allows you to talk to someone via a typing message chat system, and they cut me off that before I even explained what problem I was having.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

You never know what could of happened though for instance, eg fault or something.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

But it actually said they have closed the help session ;)

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

The same thing happened to me the one and only time I used BB Medic. It seems there is at least one NTL person trying to get the response stats up.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

dont get me started with the problems i have had with ntl CS, there isn`t enough space for me to write lol. its gotten to the point where i`m having to phone them up several times a month....several times a day recently, dont know why i bother really, could do without the stress caused by ntl.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

We 1st rang NTL CS nearly 3 months ago and gave them the details of the new bank account that we wanted to pay our broadband direct debit ....after many phone calls to them the money is still being taken out of the old bank account https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2005/09/21.gif ...We were told that the new bank details had been put into the system https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2005/10/7.gif

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

My general opinion of NTL is: Dreadful.

Like a moth to the flame, I have repeatedly gone with NTL in 4 seperate occasions, due to the seemingly "amazing" deals and every single time I've had trouble.

Problems ranging from incorrect billing, exceptionally bad customer service, to totally non-existant communication between departments (causing no end of grief) and my current dilemma: a phoneline that has been supposedly cut off by request several times from a house I haven't lived in for 5 months, but has now become impossible to cut off until september.

Not only am I never going to use NTL again, I'm telling as many people to stay away as I can.

Appauling.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

:welcome:

on the main forum page you will find a link to ntl's responetek questionnaire... may be worth completing this so your frustrations are made known to ntl :)

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Oh, superb, as if to affirm my previous statement, I've just been on the phone for 35 minutes to NTL to finalise my cutoff.

I've been transferred from 3 different departments, all promising that I'll get sorted (incedentally waiting patiently and being as polite as I can as I used to work in customer service) only to finally be transferred to:

"..welcome to the NTL customer relations department. This department is now closed. Please call back...."

Nice one. Cheers NTL. You just cost me another large phonecall that I'll have to repeat tomorrow.

Hmm resposetek eh? I'll give that a bash.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Yep, do that! And by the way, senior NTL bods do quietly lurk this board and read this thread in particular - so your frustration is getting back to them.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

I wish I'd got his name, but my thanks to the NTL tech who got my broadband back!

First call, maybe an indian callcentre, didn't actually contribute much other than to try it without the router.

Somewhat later, that left me at the provisioning screen (New PC, by this time, you see).
So had to get assistance with PID/Password... friendly chap (100% english and easy to understand), talked me through it, and waited to make sure the problem with broadband (I'd mentioned it) was resolved.

No, it wasn't the router, as I respoofed the new mac address on the router, and switched back to it - A-OK.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

My favourite customer experiance with NTL was in regard to a recent offer: free SKY Sports for a year - for new customers - since I had just signed up I rang through, I felt that I should be entitled to this offer so I called through to customer services who put me in touch with the 'customer retention team' I got through to someone called Jat who:

1. Didnt wnat to tell me his name it took five attempts to get a name from him;

2. Then denied the promotion existed;

3. Then denied that he could do anything about it;

4. When I said "put me through to your supervisor" Jat gave me the old - "we'll call you back" (yeah right) - so said i'd hold - Jat then promised that he could sort it out - but surprise surprise - this package has never materialised..............

NTL - worst customer service in the known universe - I swear they are Al Queada Cable in disguise.

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

have been with ntl for about 4-5 years now, the first few of which we did have a few problems but they would send engineers out within a couple of days and usually fix the problem! i seem to remember very long queues to get through however, and the old STB reboot routine became annoying - surely most ppl try to reboot something if it goes wrong before ringing up!

have moved house, no problems there, was working when we moved in.
the last problem i remember was a fuse or something blowing in the junction box on the street, probably over a year ago now, left us without tv and net for a day, but those things happen! and it was much quicker to get through when i rang for that! the engineers are always top blokes, usually explain exactly what they're doing. :tu:

generally things seem to have improved greatly over the last year, have only had one outage, and that resolved itself, compared to getting outages every month or so a few years ago.

very pleased with the broadband speed upgrade (although i notice its nearly half price for new customers :grind: ) and my email (touch wood) has been fine for ages! (i seem to be lucky though from what i've read of other people!)

i think with any call centre, a lot of it depends on the individual you get at the end of the line, and their capability and experience - if you get a new starter its more likely they will take longer to sort out your problem than someone whos been there for years! I've worked in a call centre (not for ntl, incidentally :p: ) so I've seen it from both sides!

its most pleasing to see ntl talking to the team here and taking on board the feedback AND then actually making changes!

sorry if i've droned on a bit! :dozey:

cheers, james

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

<off topic post removed>

We are not a betting site so please don't use us as such - thanks. (Paul).

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

8 to 1 bar those :D

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

I like the ResponsTek concept, if something positive happens as a result.

Personally I have seen some improvement in ntl's service over the years - but it still falls way way short of acceptable in many cases.

And it's all very having senior managers lurking on this thread/board but in most cases they are the ones that are the root of the problem.

But anything in the name of progress I suppose....

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

Sorry but I donââ‚Âà ‚¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢t think that we as paying customers should accept a 'bit of an improvement' - the so called professional managers at NTL are there to do a job, I donââ‚Âà ‚¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢t think NTL would accept a 'bit' of my bill payment. The fact is I pay for a service and within the terms and conditions of contract I expect that contract to be honored.

I donââ‚Âà ‚¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢t expect to be misled, lied to or shortchanged; customers should not expect something to be 'ok' or 'about right'. NTL have a couple of weeks to honor their side of their contact with me or face the legitimate consequences of their actions

Please Google for the following terms 'NTL are crap' - 'NTL are ****' - NTL are 'incompetent' †“ as customers we should;


1. Make our feeling known direct to NTL, keep a record of all engagements with staff for better or worse.


2. Spread news of the dreadful and the good service we receive from NTL.


3. Hammer them in the press and on the internet if we are dissatisfied


The fight starts here to get for what we are paying for and what we are promised †“ donââ‚Âà ‚¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢t accept excuses. If you donââ‚Âà ‚¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢t like NTL †“ move on and tell them why if there are any of these so called managers †˜lurkingâà ƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬Ã¢â€à …¾Ã‚¢ here †“ pull your fingers out and face me or get another job †“ I love a good healthy †˜discussionà¢ÃƒÆ’¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢ââ‚ ¬Å¾Ã‚¢.
__________________

I am sure you have all complained to NTL so lets move on to stage 2:

Make people aware of NTL's shortcomings and successes - start with the following;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/youandyo..._contact.shtml

http://www.howtocomplain.com/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/watchdog/guides_to/howtocomplain/



Try the feedback links on NTLââ‚Âà ‚¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢s web page, because someone will be getting paid on improved performance metrics - so lets give them a really honest benchmark!


Email Web and print publications - The guardian has an excellent blog that has an understanding of what it means to be an NTL customer, keep it funny but honest, they wont print †˜another moaing NTL customerââ‚à ƒâ€šÃ‚¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢ story

I an experienced in customer rights but new to the world of NTL so please lets all campaign for better NTL - one that delivers on its promises.

Come on folks lets get NTL out in the open!

We want what we have paid for!

Re: NTL Customer Services: Your personal experience
 

[Admin Edit(Mick): Post Removed-Oh dear Sunshine.] :nono: