Virgin Media Tech Supprt in Manilla
 

Virgin Media are now training Broadband Technical Support agents in Manilla which in case you are unsure is in the Philippines, so Virgin Media are keeping to their promise of not getting rid of offshore any time soon all they are doing is moving them even further from the UK.

So what are your thoughts on this little nugget.

I know this to be true as one of my more gullible ex colleagues who decided to go down to Swansea to work leaving his family in Liverpool has just returned from a training trip to Manilla and posted it on Facebook.

Re: Virgin Media Tech Supprt in Manilla
 

Disgusting. Just because they will work for a bowl of rice 3 meals a day, doesn't mean that service will be better than having it based in UK. I struggle to understand Indian call centre staff, so Christ knows how bad it will be in Philippines. Virgin Media sucks for outsourcing these jobs.

Re: Virgin Media Tech Supprt in Manilla
 

They have an americanised english accent so sound rather different but they tend to have very strange names which makes you rather wary such as a male may call themselves Princess Anne and other odd nicknames so making "Mike" from Pune sound more realistic.

Re: Virgin Media Tech Supprt in Manilla
 

Awesome. Fake American accents with silly nicknames instead of 'Trevor' and his mates saying "Thank you please". I'm sure VM's aim is to reduce calls to tech support by making the service so bad that people will do anything but call them up.

Re: Virgin Media Tech Supprt in Manilla
 

Have you ever spoken to Virgin Mobile Sales or Billing as that is based in Manilla, the accent sounds very strange and you do ask them to repeat the name as you believe you must have misheard it first time round.

Re: Virgin Media Tech Supprt in Manilla
 

I only ever spoke to them once when my mother was thinking of getting a mobile contract with them. The accent put me off completely but what sealed it for me was when I asked for the agent's name which she claimed was 'Baby Ruby'.

There's no way anyone in my family is going to sign a legal contract if the person offering the deal is going to use a silly nickname.

Re: Virgin Media Tech Supprt in Manilla
 

I have absolutely nothing against outsourced support providing they can do the job.

It is possible, my time with BE proved that.

So what's up with VM's outsourced support for it to be the worst I have experienced by far.

I can only assume that the personnel are the scrapings from the bottom of the local labour exchange and the training provided is not fit for purpose.

It seems VM are not content with saving a bucketfull of cash by dumping as many UK staff as they can but continue to maximise their savings by purposefully degrading the pitifully inadequate offshored support.

What a disgusting state of affairs, VM's customer facing support is on a par with their not fit for purpose Superhub.

It seems that VM have not yet realised they are no longer the "only game in town" when it comes to fast broadband, or maybe they have, realised they can't compete and are resigned to being on the slippery slope to oblivion. :shrug:

Re: Virgin Media Tech Supprt in Manilla
 

You may find this enlightening http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programme...nt/9435751.stm.
As for the accent - they speak with the accent of the people who teach them, as do we all.

Re: Virgin Media Tech Supprt in Manilla
 

I have everything against it, especially from support based in Asian countries. I've never spoken to anyone from callcentres there who felt like they truly understood my issues. We have different ways of expressing things and they use words differently too.

When I've had to call them in the past and explained whatever the problem is they usually say "I'll surely look at that for you". Now that in itself isn't a major thing but they're getting the words 'surely' and 'certainly' mixed up but what they say doesn't really make sense, and they take offence when you try to correct them.

Again I stress that getting words like that mixed up isn't a huge thing but it doesn't inspire any confidence in me that they will understand why I'm calling.

Also they seem to stumble over themselves trying to be helpful. Again that's not a bad thing in itself but they seem to try too hard, so hard in fact that it becomes distracting. Everything is "I apologise for the inconvenience". Once when I pointed out to one Indian tech support agent that 'thank you please' didn't make sense, his reply was "I apologise for the inconvenience". I really didn't have the will to inform him that 'thank you please' was not inconveniencing me in any way.

They have this mentality of 'serving their colonial masters' so they are overly-loyal to their employer. This means regardless of the caller's situation, they rigidly stick to the rules and simply will not consider using common sense or discretion where people in UK callcentres often will if it means sorting a customer's problem. They believe they are doing right by serving their employer when in actual fact they should be serving the customer.

I love it when VM claim they are spending 'millions' on training their Asian staff to understand us better when they could be saving 'millions' by just using people that understand us here in the UK.

---------- Post added at 12:59 ---------- Previous post was at 12:57 ----------

That makes my blood boil - I have no issues with them using whatever nuances works for them in their own country but when they serve us they are to use our ways.

Again, they should adapt to that of the country they are serving.

Re: Virgin Media Tech Supprt in Manilla
 

The guy who was sent to Manilla was sent via Business Class with all the extras so his trip probably cost more than a years wages for a Filipino agent, and they probably sent more than one agent.

Re: Virgin Media Tech Supprt in Manilla
 

I have to wear hearing aids which makes my life so much harder when talking to overseas call centres, the sound quality is far reduced because they use voip lines

---------- Post added at 18:00 ---------- Previous post was at 17:58 ----------

They are a waste of time for those of use with hearing issues if they use crappy voip lines to save even more money.


I had to talk to manilla the other day to arrange roaming for my phone for whilst i am in Tunisia, i gave up after 5 minutes because i could not make out what the woman was trying to tell me on the phone, all she was interested in was trying to up sell me a better contract. :mad:

The outcome is i will buy a local sim when i get over in Tunisia.

---------- Post added at 18:06 ---------- Previous post was at 18:00 ----------

Was it via Virgin airlines ?

Re: Virgin Media Tech Supprt in Manilla
 

More likely British Airways as he posted a picture of the Executive Lounge on his way out.:)

The agents are atrocious i remember upgrading a few years back and because I misheard they sent me a free pink Virgin Mobile branded handset for which I only paid postage unaware until it arrived that i had even ordered one, it was never used until we needed an emergency spare earlier this year

Re: Virgin Media Tech Support in Manilla
 

After the call i googled and found i can get a Tourist sim at the airport for £10.00 with enough credit to last me, If i had chosen to activate roaming it was going to cost me £1.75 a minute to make calls and £1.30 to receive plus i would have been billed for reciving a voice mail. Data would have been £5,00 per meg which is shocking :shocking:

Thankfully because i ended the call as it was so bad i did not end up on roaming

Re: Virgin Media Tech Supprt in Manilla
 

I am sorry to hear that. :(

I have normal hearing and struggle to understand them so I can empathise with you totally.

Re: Virgin Media Tech Supprt in Manilla
 

I imagine it can be just as bad for those on the other end of the phone when i keep saying " say that again please"

Re: Virgin Media Tech Supprt in Manilla
 

I believe offshore agents grow to expect that as normal.;)

Re: Virgin Media Tech Supprt in Manilla
 

Here's another example.

I just rang Vodaphone about something and I got through to someone in India.

She started off asking for my mobile number which was fair enough then said "Please can you help me with your first name and last name?".

First of all, could I "help" her with it. "Help" her?! I felt like saying "Why, don't you know what it is? Can you not pronounce it?". UK callcentres would ask something like "Could you confirm it?".

Secondly, she wanted me to help(?) her with my "First name and last name". Why not just....my full name? Did she think that perhaps I had 5 middle names and would hold the call up and I recited them all?

Once we gone past all that fun, she then asked "I need to ask you some security questions, is that ok?".

Just for a laugh I said no, it was not ok.

Obviously their script does not have allowances for what to do if people say that. She started stuttering and saying I had to answer the questions etc to which I replied that if I had to answer them then why was she asking me if it was ok?

It's the annoying things like this that puts me off Asian callcentres because I've never encountered anything like it from agents based in the UK.

Re: Virgin Media Tech Supprt in Manilla
 

Vodafone UK call centres close at 8pm so you will get either India or sometimes even Egypt, they do have a small UK out of hours team but in the main it will be offshore.

You would probably be better off using the Vodafone twitter team or Eforum team as they are available much later and are UK based.

It's not a fake American accent.

After the war America had a massive dominance in the Philippines.. All their lessons are taught in English, not their native language... So they are taught in school English with an American accent.

So it's all they know. They don't deliberately put on the accent to try and fake it.

Also their wages are about £270 per month.. Which is 18,000 pesos and that is a higher end wage, some only earn 12000 pesos which is only £180!

But to earn that they pretty much work 12 hour days 7 days a week.

I don't agree with overseas call centres either.. But having been to the Philippines 3 times in 2 years... I'm quite happy to at least try to put up with it. Because my problem is with vm for having overseas call centres, my problem isn't with the agent who is trying their hardest to communicate with me.. And yes they are trying their best because it's in a Filipino nature.. Despite them not being able to communicate easily or understand.

They can't be expected to be able to speak fluent British English when they are taught English in American, their American accent teaching alone is enough to throw them off.. Because Americans pronounce words different.

But when you know they are working 12 hour days for a minimum of £180 a month to feed their family.. How can somebody be angry with the agent?

It's not their fault that vm chose to send their call centres there.. They are working for what people here earn within a few days and that is their entire month.

Also are you aware if you make one formal complaint about the agent they have no workers rights and they get the sack instantly... So who's going to feed their family then? Are you willing to send money to make up for their lost money?

Also there once you hit 30 nobody will employ you.. They even have employment job signs there where they specify age ranges and height.. No such thing there as discrimination.

So don't blame the agent, blame vm! And the companies who go there in the first place.

The agent is only trying to make a living and they don't earn a lot for it either.. Would you work for £180 a month? 12 hours a day, 7 days a week?

Because I know I sure as heck wouldn't.

But in regards to the accent, there's people in this country who can't even understand some accents in this country.. And it's the same country!

So if we can't understand some English people with a different accent.. How is a foreign person going to understand us when they went through school being taught American English with an American accent.

Like I said I don't agree with international call centres on principle, it's cheap labour and taking advantage of people trying to make a living for their family.

But despite gripping my fists sometimes when on the phone to an Indian call centre who wants me to spell out my name letter by letter using the phonetic alphabet.. I refuse to take out that frustration on them.

Because it really is not their fault at all.

If you are willing to take your frustration out on the agent trying to help their family survive.. And by family I don't mean like here.. Husband, wife and children.. I mean Parents and their own family, because often than not there what the children bring home each month feeds their family, brothers, sisters, parents. Because the older members of the family can't get a job any more.. Over 30 discrimination.. So people there do what's necessary to survive.

And if you are willing to slag that off you need to go there for a serious reality check because your vision of what life is like in some of these countries like India and the Philippines is warped and you are too spoilt with life here.

Try going there.. And experiencing life there outside of a hotel.

No automatic washing machines.. Too expensive...People there still scrub clothes with bowls, stones and wash boards with bars of soap.

Shower? Forget it.. Wash with no hot water, and a bucket.

Health and safety? Discrimination? Forget it.. If you get picked up by the police.. Guilty or not if you can't pay the bail they will pin a crime on you.
Control of the police can be brought for bough dollars. On banged up abroad a police chief was offering to assassinate somebody for money.

Government is corrupt.

Children on the street begging.. I witnessed something sickening when I was there last year,

A bucket of food.. They put scraps and leftover food in it for the pigs.. Flies swarming it because of the heat and it's just rotting outside in a bucket... And I witnessed 2 homeless children take a cup and scoop food put of it.. Draining off the water and picking bits out of it.

It sickened me. They was only 10 maybe..

Then there was another occasion where a child walked into a fast food place.. Stole the scraps of chicken off somebody's plate and muttering jackpot.

So next time anybody chooses to criticise the agents.. Rather than filling in a complaints form to vm complaining about it.. I suggest you go there and witness life there first and have a reality check.

Take your anger out on the companies not the workers.

---------- Post added 09-07-2012 at 12:14 AM ---------- Previous post was 09-06-2012 at 11:30 PM ----------

Btw need to edit the title it's Manila

One L only

Re: Virgin Media Tech Supprt in Manilla
 

Do you speak Indian? Learn all of the following fluently . Until you do you have no right to complain about said person

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languag...e_Constitution

Re: Virgin Media Tech Supprt in Manilla
 

I take it that you have not really read this thread.
Which makes them very highly paid do not try and compare with the UK economy as to be paid at a UK rate would make them seem like millionaires compared to everyone else, get real with your comparisons.

No formal complaint ever gets back to offshore and I should know as I worked for the company for over 4 years and it does not happen, so before posting incorrect information find out first.

---------- Post added at 06:46 ---------- Previous post was at 06:38 ----------

Get real as us speaking their language has nothing whatsoever to do with this or any other thread talking about offshore agents, we should not have to put up with an agent whose main language is not the same as the country they are supporting as only a native speaker will ever truly understand another native speaker.

All UK facing call centres only provide first line support in English so any argument over us not being able to speak the offshore agents language falls flat on its face.

Why do you think many companies such as Santander have brought back their call centres to the UK it is because the customers demanded it.

If I have an issue then I want to be able to speak to a person who understands me first time without the need to repeat myself on multiple occasions just to explain something that a UK agent would understand instantly, this shortens the call and prevents the customer from becoming angry and possibly wanting to move provider.

Re: Virgin Media Tech Supprt in Manilla
 

None of which is my problem. I pay for a service of a certain standard and have never had it when it is 'provided' by people from over there.

If they are serving a particular country it is their own responsibility to ensure they are getting it right.

And we don't edit thread titles unless the OP requests it.

Did you know that's an impossible question to answer seeing as there isn't singular 'Indian' language?

And if I'm paying for a service from someone who is failing to grasp my language then I have every right right to complain. If it involves my own money how can I have any confidence that it's being understood?

Complain to vm then, not the person who's struggling to feed their family u spoilt brat.

Because yeah if course it's not your problem is it if somebody is starving and struggling in life as long as you are ok.

You was born here by pure luck.

If you was born in a lesser country how would you like it if I came along going its not my problem and laughed at you making I will kick u into the curb while I'm at it.. See how funny it is then.

Complain to vm who moved the call centre there in the first place.

That's who did it,,vm! It's not the fault f the person working there.

Re: Virgin Media Tech Supprt in Manilla
 

If you can't discuss this like grown-ups then perhaps this forum is not for you. If I am spending MY money then I expect good service.

Can you show me where I said I complained to the person who is 'struggling to feed their family' please?

You are slandering the person on the end of the phone because they are struggling to help you.

But you haven't once mentioned trying to phone vm and lodging a complained that the call centre exists there in the first place.

I agree with you in the sense that the call centre being there is not good.. I hate it when I'm put through to them international call centres.

But it's not for me to take it out on the agent who lives in a lesser country.

It's vm I should be complaining to.

I can talk like an adult, my eyes are wide open to the fact there are poorer people in the world who live a lesser life and actually have to work hard for their money, and earn very little of it.

Because I've been to these country's and it's a reality check for any of us.

And as a result im not narrow minded about it.

We may think we have life hard but we don't, we take things like hot water and washing machines for granted because we are all essentially spoilt here even if by our standards we are poor.. In the bigger picture we aren't poor at all.

Re: Virgin Media Tech Supprt in Manilla
 

There is NO excuse for not listening to the customer.

Did it years ago, it makes no difference.

Re: Virgin Media Tech Supprt in Manilla
 

Just remember "Ano po ang pangalan nila?" = What is your name in respectful & polite Tagalog.

In some ways I am glad they have gone to Manila to outsource the call centre. The absolute grinding poverty there is in the Philippines is far far worse than India, so at least some money can be earned. Perhaps my Sister in Law could get a job.

Re: Virgin Media Tech Supprt in Manilla
 

So 'never mind the decline in service, just as long as we're being philanthropists'? I've never understood that way of thinking.

Re: Virgin Media Tech Supprt in Manilla
 

And they are also recruiting heavily in Swansea still as they plan to completely fill the centre, so it's got nothing to do with any 'promise of not getting rid of offshore any time soon'

They will be training TSC in Manilla to cover those hours where UK agents don't want to work.

And? It's a very long trip, as he'll have been expect to work the whole as soon as he gets there, it would have been done to make sure he was as rested as possible.

I went out to India for two weeks as part of work last year and after flying for 9 hours got there at 5am in the morning local time and was in the call centre at 10am local time.

Re: Virgin Media Tech Supprt in Manilla
 

That's about as reassuring as this story can get.

Re: Virgin Media Tech Supprt in Manilla
 

if you knew the agent in question as I did you would wonder how he got that little number as he used to have his Ipad on his desk during calls taking more notice of what was on its screen than what the caller was saying, but if that is the level of competency Virgin Media want in a trainer then I think that the above says it all.

Re: Virgin Media Tech Supprt in Manilla
 

Oh my how you have changed since you left you would never have said that whilst you worked for VM :rolleyes:

Re: Virgin Media Tech Supprt in Manilla
 

As you know that is something you are not allowed to have on your desk during calls for security reasons alone due to the inbuilt camera plus you should not be watching a movie while on a call as that is to say the least unprofessional as you are not giving the customer your full attention.

I thought it was wrong when I worked there but I would not post about it as it is down to the managers to stop such activity in the main callcentre but as I no longer work there I see no reason not to post such information.

It would not be allowed in any other companies callcentres as it would be viewed as gross misconduct.

Re: Virgin Media Tech Supprt in Manilla
 

It is sad how different service can be.

VM, we all know how much of a nightmare calling them is. Even the UK call centres tend to have you jumping through hoops (and lets not forget their insistence on cold calling you and asking for your account details before they will tell you why they are calling. Usually to try and sell you rubbish, too).

O2: I called them to drop my tariff as I was just at the point where I was allowed to. Call them from my mobile, their system picks up all of my details, I get asked a security question, then get through to a real live Brit! Within 2 minutes he's dropped my tariff (after checking my usage and agreeing this was the best deal for me to move to), asks if I need anything else, then says have a good day and the call is over.

Compare that to Three, who I spent nearly an hour on the phone to India trying to cancel a month early ("No Mr. Skie, the LG Viewty is just as good as the iPhone 3G") and then constantly receiving unintelligible sales calls from them each year. VM arent that bad, but they could easily get there.