Do VM Customer Services ever reply to emails?
 

Almost 2 weeks ago I emailed VM Customer Services from the VM site asking how I could get Customer Line Identification for my landline phone. After nearly a week with no acknowledgement, never mind a reply, I emailed them again last Sunday asking them for a reply.

Well, I did receive an acknowledgement on Monday promising that they would be in touch soon. Unfortunately the Virgin definition of "soon" obviously includes the phrase "how long is a piece of string" because I'm still waiting. Is there any way of putting a rocket up their backsides or must I sadly conclude that Virgin Customer Service is the same as ntl's, namely atrocious?

Re: Do VM Customer Services ever reply to emails?
 

i called CS about the same thing today, basically they are very far behind...calling is quicker.

Re: Do VM Customer Services ever reply to emails?
 

I've 2 reasons for emailing.

Firstly, this isn't a matter of extreme urgency so I'm willing to use email, and wait what would be a perfectly acceptable couple of days, rather than paying for a phone call, not to mention all the attendant hassle.

Secondly, having followed, off and on, the threads in this forum about CLI and ntl, I felt that something in writing that could be quoted back at them might be advisable.

Re: Do VM Customer Services ever reply to emails?
 

Calls to customer service are free on 150/151

Re: Do VM Customer Services ever reply to emails?
 

Trust me, its quicker on the phone.

Re: Do VM Customer Services ever reply to emails?
 

I'll second that - and they are really helpful too.
They even made a point of giving me first and last names.

Re: Do VM Customer Services ever reply to emails?
 

OK, I might give the phone a go. Re the free customer service numbers. Are they 150 and 151? I thought that these were something to do with reporting faults.

Re: Do VM Customer Services ever reply to emails?
 

150 is customer service, 151 is faults, as far as I know, Theo, I must try, one day, when I have a problem ;)

Re: Do VM Customer Services ever reply to emails?
 

Submitted a change request through the VM website a week ago just to add redirection to my phone account - no acknowledgment, no reply, no call redirect. And why did I try to do it online instead of on the phone? Because I'd already been on hold for about 20 minutes trying to get through to a human being. I had hoped that the influence of Telewest and Virgin might dredge NTL's customer service up from the eighth level of Hell but apparently not.

Re: Do VM Customer Services ever reply to emails?
 

I would recomend customer services also by phone than online

Can I ask why you didnt check out the phone packages?

http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html...efeatures.html

£1.75 a month - Setting up is simple just dial 150

Which beats waiting on hold and waiting for an email

Re: Do VM Customer Services ever reply to emails?
 

CLID isn't available in my area....

Re: Do VM Customer Services ever reply to emails?
 

Which is the phone number fomr a virgin phone to call Customer Service and sit on hold

Re: Do VM Customer Services ever reply to emails?
 

The trouble with emails in most companies I've dealt with, is that the customer perception is wrong.

The customer perception is that there is a whole team of dedicated staff waiting to respond to emails.

The reality is, emails tend to be dealt with by normal customer service staff who take calls, and they are only permitted to do so if no calls are coming in. Which is somewhat rare.

Dealing with emails is almost *always* the responsibility of someone who has too many other things to do.

It shouldn't be like that, but it is.

Re: Do VM Customer Services ever reply to emails?
 

I have had a go at finding it on the Virgin site but unfortunately, like a lot of sites, the Virgin search engine is pre-Google, not to say prehistoric! Searching on CLI and CLID gave zero hits. "Customer Line Identity", IIRC, gave 3 hits but none of them seemed immediately relevant.

Anyway thanks for the link. I can now consider any reply from Virgin as an interesting exercise in the standard of their email support. :)

Re: Do VM Customer Services ever reply to emails?
 

Just as a little update.

VM have still not replied 2 weeks on. I did get a second worthless promise last Friday, following a second email, promising to get in touch soon. I realise that they may be busy but this is setting a new record in appalling service - 2 weeks and still no reply to a simple question.

And, yes, I know that I could phone them but VM are now seriously annoying me with this display of complete and total disdain for their customers. Is there anyone I can email to complain about their refusal to reply; it's obviously no use emailing Customer Support again and I simply don't believe that phoning and complaining will have the slightest effect.

Re: Do VM Customer Services ever reply to emails?
 

I've been waiting 3 weeks to change to the VIP package but still waiting and only one "rubbish" responce since then.

Phoning and holding on for more than 10 minutes isn't an option for me so it has to be via e-mails.

I'm now thinking about e-mailing RB directly and seeing what happens. :D

Re: Do VM Customer Services ever reply to emails?
 

Believe me a free phone call on 150 is far quicker...

you'd be just as quick dropping a letter in the post as emailing. My guess is that they answer emails when they've dealt with the calls.

Re: Do VM Customer Services ever reply to emails?
 

Purely by coincidence I've just been on the phone to them and I'm afraid to say that nothing has really changed since ntl days. Time promised to wait before reaching someone - 5 minutes; actual time of waiting 16 minutes. I've raised an official complaint about no-one replying to my email after nearly 2 weeks. We shall see.

Re: Do VM Customer Services ever reply to emails?
 

Thanks AndyCambs.

It probably would be quicker calling but looking after someone with dementia means i can't hold on for more than 10 minutes at a time.

For some reason she gets aggitated when i'm on the phone for any length of time, and have to hang up.

Anyway, i've put the cat among the pidgeons and e-mailed RB directly.

Used to work for NewsCorp and Virgin Group a while back so might use that to push things along. :D

Re: Do VM Customer Services ever reply to emails?
 

Well - I've just called someone in Customer Service, queried my bill, and was sorted within 10mins - not only that but she reduced my bill by £15 per month.

You'll probably find it just as long, or the reply will be call Customer Service which is what most people manage to do.

Re: Do VM Customer Services ever reply to emails?
 

I think i'll try and call in the morning and see if i can get through without having to hold on for to long.

What time are they open from ?

Re: Do VM Customer Services ever reply to emails?
 

I think they're open from 8am - but personally I would have thought you might find it quicker to call sometime between 10am and 4pm - after people have gone to work and before they get home.

Perhaps some VM employee might advise the time when the lowest number of calls might be expected?

Re: Do VM Customer Services ever reply to emails?
 

Thanks AndyCambs.

It's all been sorted. :)

Just received a phone call from one of the Customer Service Managers who's apologised for the delay and also given me a discount on the VIP package.