VM Employees - what's it like?
 

Just wondering as I live near one of the big VM offices and lost my job recently. I've thought about VM many times as I want to work for a big company again with all the thrills and benefits etc. and like the idea of big TVs etc in the offices that I've heard about...

Can anyone comment on working at VM? What's their current position on employment, are they just taking on through agencies etc.?

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

There are selective amounts of people on this forum who will not disclose their status with VM -- for whatever reasons they may be. That you cannot debate.

I suggest you pursue it further (if you're interested in VM).

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

As far as I know (and I don't work for VM, just have talked to a lot of staff members), working for VM is like working for any large company. Whether it is good, or not, depends on your line manager.

---------- Post added at 14:37 ---------- Previous post was at 14:33 ----------

In fairness, I do not think the poster was asking that anyone reveal they work form VM unless they wish to. People have done this before, and usually ended up politely being asked not to by one of the mod team.

I know that this site is liked by some VM management, and disliked by some others. In fact one ex-mod (he left long before I was a mod) was told by his manager that unless he stopped posting in Cableforum, things would be difficult at work.

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

Thanks Stuart C, that's true. I didn't want anyone to say they worked for vm, i wouldn't have minded if people gave the views of someone they knew who do or did or people that have at some stage. I used to work for a big blue chip energy company for 5 years then a much smaller company for just under a year. I had a lot more variety in the smaller company workwise but they firmly believed i was better off in a big company with better structured training and development. I knew a couple of people who worked for VM and heard different views about them.

---------- Post added at 15:08 ---------- Previous post was at 14:59 ----------

the line manager thing is so so true. I left the energy company because of a new line manager who changed my job role and wanted me work on several projects but wouldn't pay me any more money

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

You asked for people to answer the Q: "what's it like"?

You only know the answer to that, if you work VM (in all fairness).

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

You are acting as if he is forcing people to reveal they work for VM. I made the point that he is not, and that we (as a team) frown upon people forcing people to admit they work for VM on this forum.

We do not require that everyone who posts here tells us where they work, and nor do we have the right to.

If, however, they wish to state where they work, we will not stop them. There are people on this forum who work for VM, and there are people who work for VM and are happy to talk about it. We have not coerced them in any way to do this, that is their choice.

It's also worth noting that if people don't want to, they do not have to reply to this thread.

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

As i think has said before, it really depends which area you decide to go work in, some parts of VM are very nice to work for, as long as your not a contractor (aka kellys) or work in customer support (phone lines) then you'd probably enjoy working for them.

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

Certainly networks, not field ops but central networks, is good to work for, and I'd imagine the same goes for most office based positions.

No idea about the more field based stuff, and I'd imagine working in the contact centres is much of muchness.

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

Afraid not Stuart.

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

afraid so eth01

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

fine by me to continue this? :)

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

Am I the only one who totally doesn't understand the last 3 posts? :confused:

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

NO

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

It depends what kind of job you are after, the centres in the Birmingham and Dudley areas are more to do with the Customer services side of the business AFAIK.

If you are a good talker and like to sell or help people out then it could be the job for you. If you are on the phones you will use a headset.

Plus you get benefits of the type you would expect from a telecommunications company after 3 months.;)

Depending on the centre it will either be Virgin staffed or Agency staffed.

If they are advertising at present then give it a go, you have nothing to lose.

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

imagine its the world cup final ,your the goal keeper and its all come down to penalties, and some one keeps mooving the goal posts , welcome to my world;)

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

If its in a office environment, then run........run away as fast as you can. IMO it won't be long before most if not all office based jobs will be based offshore.

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

I'll disagree with r00t there. If it's tech support then perhaps, however people working in networks and professional grades will be ok. These are far harder to outsource.

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

We'll have to agree to disagree on this one then buddy.
Given the right price they would outsource everything.

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

Take a look here http://careers.virginmedia.com/

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

Been phone based aint that bad but I have a great team so I like working there

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

There are UK based outsourced centres, I like where I work, but the pay sucks.

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

the pay aint bad for what we do to be fair nice wedge this month woooo hooooo

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

What do you mean "Afraid not"? I stated my opinion of what you said as opinion, and what we do as fact.

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

I used to worm for VM in Manchester, i worked in Customer Concern... so dealt with complaints, replying to peoples letters and calling them up to offer a way of reconciling differences and generally smoothing thing over.

For me it was the second best office job i've ever had, (and i HATE working in offices!!) But i wouldn't go running to apply just yet! if i remember correctly the office in Brum is at a place called the Letterbox? and they do collections... if its still open! and customer services is an absolut nightmare with TL on your case all the time over the AHT etc... we had it relatively easy in Concern, there were targets to hit each day on how many complaints to resolve, but apart from that it was dependant on your manager, some were lenient, and others were slavedrivers!

i was lucky i suppose, my TL was really cool, they would just let you get on with your work and give you pretty much free reign on how to deal with the complaints, when i started i was eager to please and keep my job (was agency to start with) and so would always be asking "is this the right thisng to do??" or "am i giving too much credit for a messed up installation/ repeated loss of service??" and the reply would generally be "use your own judgement"

Now i know this sounds idyllic! but realistically i worked in a good office with great people always ready to help with difficult technical issues, in a dept which didn't have many targets, and was small (when i left only about 90 peeps!) so you can no way describe this as a typical Virgin experience!!

They do a lot of recruitment through agencies... so if you want to try it and are not too sure then an agency would be a good start:)

enjoy:)

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

The one nearest me is at the Waterfront. I phoned them and made a few enquiries but they say they haven't taken on any new people for a few months.
I do worry about the outsourcing thing. I used to work in IT for a major company who went through outsourcing decisions etc for several years before deciding to keep it in house. In my last place they were laying people off to move roles to China (despite the chairman saying it was bad all his competitors were doing that!)

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

Don't you just love those random google ads at the top of this page?!! :D

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

I enjoy working for VM and have been here for just over 9 years. I work in a nice location close to home in a technical team.

Like all jobs the work varies from dull routine stuff to more exciting, cutting edge tasks.

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

Dudley has Customer Care and Sales as the bulk, No Care in Brum.

Birmingham Small Heath is a mixed bag, lots of business, Fraud, Payments, Direct Sales, Fleet, etc etc.

Mailbox is Credit Control and partners pluas dashings of other people - Me included tomorrow.

Cant be too bad, ive been there 10 years as have a handfull of my people.

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

I love my job and its one of the best companies I've worked for, I'm in Customer Relations and sometimes the customers can get you down. I've never been spoken to as badly in my life as I have been in this role. Thing you've got to remember though is its not personal and normally someones made a right messup along the way for the customer to be like that with the odd excepton where they speak to you like something they've trodden on for no reason. Great sence of satifaction when you get a customer screaming at you at the start of the call and by the end they go away happy and thanking you. Pays very good last year my pay was just short of £23k with bounus and overtime and the benifits are brill.

Put it this way I've worked in just about every major companies call centres like BT, British Gas, O2, Norwich Union etc and the longest I've been able to stick it out has been about 9 months. I've been with VM for just under 3 years now.

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

Another bitter and twisted Network Tech/Access Engineer/Network Technician/Maintenance Tech/Maitenance Engineer.. can you think of anymore job titles this role has been over the years.

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

i'm a fully paid up super soldier these days.. /my mission to fix wots brock ,with a cheery smile .:rolleyes:

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

They sell out their customers?:shocked: :D

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

Are you talking about the call centre on the waterfront, as I can see you live in the midlands, well if so my sister and another friend both worked there and they both hated it for pretty much the same reasons, management treating them like kids bare in mind they are bout mid 20's.

I would work there for some fast cash then leave, if your a student its ideal. Good luck

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

It's good if you can get over the never ending threat of redundancy. Not too sure I would be able to work in a call centre. I can only speak for the Business division when I say I actually enjoy working in a technical department.

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

That is Upper Management not staff, so please attempt to get your facts right:rolleyes:

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

I think he was jesting :)

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

Thats why I put a rollseyes icon after it:p:

Same old jokes:p:

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

Yes i was jesting ;)

Re: VM Employees - what's it like?
 

The reasons why they will not disclose their status etc is because it is written within their contracts not to discuss with the media internal procedures etc.

Media being...
Internet, Newspapers, TV, Etc...

Both customer accounts (Data Protection) and Internal procedures, policies and services (Due to competitors gaining an advantage)

HOwever nothing stops staff telling you what its like to work for them.

I will tell you the pros and cons as being ext staff member (2003-2007)
** Please note processes change, prices etc but the nature of the beast remains the same **

Pros:

Friendly staff, who will give you support and you will learn alot on regulators and channels etc, how virgin media works both your own department and others, their remits etc.

You get free TV and the XL package,
(Not sure if Sky movies and sports been added back to it dont think so but XL is guaranteed)
Free Phone line
Free Broadband (Max speed)
Free Sim for Virgin Mobile
Staff discount card for Virgin Products

Such as Virgin Holidays etc etc...

Staff balls (tho they arent the best parties ever)
Staff Incentives for holidays etc.

You get Institute of Customer Services recognition, Broadband Licence, Advanced Broadband Licence and quartely bonuses

Internet access and email at work


Negative sides... CONS
Complaints, you must be able to be patient

Some calls are very repetative and not to jump to conclusions as sometimes its not the same thing

Friends and Family might start to pester you about their VM problems when there is nothing you can do about it from home.

Salary:
Its underpaid where call centres average out but with the incentives they give you it kinda evens its self out.

IE:

Virgin Media: (in 2007)

Full Time 37.5 hrs a week

£13,500 Basic
£14,500 Broaband Licence
(6 months call quality achieved, targets and passed company knowledge tests) £250.00 quartelly bonus (Must achieve in all areas)

£16.500 Advanced Broadband Licence
(Excellent quality at 100% for 6 months, hit every target, punctual and tests) £500.00 quartelly bonus (must achieve in all areas)

Negative side is you have to take other department calls as well as your own (so more stressful) They used to be subject to the same AHT but they have scrapped that (AHT = Average Handling Time on a call)

Now Homeserve
£13,750 basic, with commision of up to £600.00 a month or £1000.00 on a good month, is achieved in all areas you would get 20% extra on top of your monthly earnings

So at Telewest / Virgin Media you could take home average £900.00 -> £1050.00 on a good month (Excluding quartelly bonus)

At Homeserve I would take home after tax £1250.00 to £1500.00 after tax

Virgin Medias services are only about £60.00 a month (Their incentives they give you for free) so add that to your take home pay of £900.00 its about £960.00 to £1110.00 on a good month compared to Homeserves £1500.00
their virgin tribe card (which gives you 15% discount) I never actually used and was valid for almost 1 yr after I left so you must be a frequent buyed at Virgin branded stuff

Like Virgin Holidays, Virgin Trains, Virgin Wines etc etc

At British Gas the basic salary is £16,000 with bonus and commision scheme on top of that for doing the same sort of calls as Telewest & Homeserve

Natwest pay about the same and Direct Line (Part of RBS Group)
and Rentokil Initial pay £16,000 OTE excluding commision earnt extra depending on department working on

So as a whole pay is low, the ICS (Institute of customer service) certificate is barely recognised anywere else (RBS, Homeserve and centrica had never heard of it) so its not as useful as they make out, plus it expires after 1yr

SCREAMERS!
You get get excalated calls, sometimes managers arent around to take the escalated call and you will be given stress over it.
Unlike any other call centre I have never experianced screamers elsewere, luckly for me whilst at Telewest and my time there I had sufficient knowledge to calm customers down and resolve a lot of the issues for them, including the odd occasion for other departments but never have i had to deal with the same time of calls elsewhere

If you want to know what type of screamers am I talking about look for BT Complaint call on youtube, Not every complaint call is like that but you will get your fair share once in a while

Though this is a Sales Marketing call you will get from time to time this type of call
thought it normally is caused by billing issues or faults and misread or understood billing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i_Xc...eature=related

---------- Post added at 00:13 ---------- Previous post was yesterday at 23:58 ----------


£23K must be with added bonuses as the basic wage for Customer Relations was £15K back in 2007 with being a BBL staff member would have taken you to about £16K then you would have your quartelly bonus scheme and retention targets bit surprised you managed to make £23K (not stating its not possible just that it would be something you would have work hardly for)
Try try get every on on BBL (BroadBand Licence) status within 6 months of working there so by working there 3 yrs I would say you might be ABBL

Its a standard nown thing that call centres have high turn overs though out the Uk

I was with Virgin Media for 3 1/2 yrs before moving on to Homeserve for 1 1/2 yrs and then British Gas and Rentokil Initial