Cut off though direct debit activated
 

Switched package and now get separate broadband account. Direct debit details were supplied. Got final demand letter threatening cut-off if I didn't pay. Rang up and was told direct debit was fine and I would not be cut off.

Got an email saying money would be taken on 5 October.

Was cut-off this week because computer thinks I'm in arrears. Stupid!

Re: Cut off though direct debit activated
 

You must remember that computers don't think anything, it is rubbish staff not entering what they are supposed to.

Re: Cut off though direct debit activated
 

Hi Ron, :welcome:

If you would like to send me some details via private message, such as a name and contact number - I'll forward this to our contact to look at on Monday.

Re: Cut off though direct debit activated
 

i dont think its the staff not entering what their supposed to, ive had a few accounts like this recently, basically what happens is you set up the accounnt and give your DD details, they then get sent to the bank to be verified.

what has been happening a lot recently is that the bill is printed before confirmation has been recieved so the bill isnt collected even though the DD becomes active a few days later.

the next bill is then produced and is due to be collected but as said above computers dont think so it see's there is a balance over 40 days and restricts the service

Re: Cut off though direct debit activated
 

That's it exactly. When customer services told me this (and also said that they had seen this a few times recently), I asked why they couldn't change the computer program.

They replied that this would be a "Head Office issue" and therefore outside their control...

Re: Cut off though direct debit activated
 

No, its staff not being trained correctly that a dd takes approximately 14 days to activate, and if any bills are produced in this time it will not be taken by dd.

This is now the second occasion in the last few days that I'm aware of that you have taken a swipe at ntl staff members. Please don't drop the conversation to that level, its unfair and there's simply no need for it. You need to be looking to blame the higher levels of management for the p*ss poor underinvestment in training and development resources in the past. I know nearly all there is to know from a customer services and a faults point of view, and thats all because I'm self taught (and because of previous experience from other jobs) - I'd know more than most of the trainers, team leaders, etc. If all my experience was based soley on the training I had recieved then I'd know jack cack.

I think you need to be a little more careful with your choice of words.

---------- Post added at 09:38 ---------- Previous post was at 09:32 ----------

They are changing over to a new billing system over the next 13-14 months, but it still wouldn't make any difference to the problem in question. This dd situation would crop up with any billing system with any company. If a bill is due to be printing within a few days and you set up a direct debit, (whether this be NTL, BT, O2, Orange, Morgage company, etc) there is no way in a zillion years that dd will be set up in time. If your not advised of this then it means a skipped payment. This is where you should be advised instead to make a manual payment.

Re: Cut off though direct debit activated
 

Maybe your not in that catagory, but the staff are the front line and the ones the customer speaks to, so I can only refer to them. The lack of training internally has nothing to do with the customer, the staff are the representatives of NTL and to a customer are NTL.
Are they not allowed to use common sense and make a note in the customers record of what they have just told or offered them?
If they did this then reading through all the problems encountered in these forums where customers have to go over and over the same thing with every op they speak to would be massively reduced, and customer would not be put in the position of being made to feel they have just made it up.
If a member of staff hasn't the answer, he should put the customer on hold while he finds out the answer.

Re: Cut off though direct debit activated
 

Believe it or not, while much of my work these days in generally back office, I still do some front line work myself, taking customer service calls.

What I'm saying is though, blame the higher management from the ntl side of the business rather than the staff. Some staff really don't care, but most think they're right but they're not, because they've never been trained differently; thats all i'm saying.

Re: Cut off though direct debit activated
 

I would also like to point out that many members here ARE ntl workers and do their bit to help others with problems that arise from time to time.A lot of them go out of their way to help(if they can) but want/need to be discreet about it.They do not need to be hear bad mouthing of NTL workers in such broad general terms either.Remember not everyone who works at ntl is a bad worker.Many of them are not respected by their employer but still find time to come here and be helpful.:clap:

In other words you maybe talking to someone who is from ntl and not know it.Please try to be polite. :tu:

Re: Cut off though direct debit activated
 

But we can't get to the higher management. Don't you have a means of feedback or a suggestion box or something where you can say how investing in ops training is investing in the company and the lack of training is letting the company down big time, and will pay better dividends for the future than any stocks or bonds could?

I know this and admire them, they are the good ones, but why should they have to come on here and hold the company together without reward or gratitude. You can bet your life that in 12 months a pile of them will be made redundant when another call center closes.

Re: Cut off though direct debit activated
 

The former telewest boardroom members initially regarded Swansea as the worst performing centre ntl:TW centre in the country - when they visited not too long ago they discovered for themselves what we were dealing with given the lack of resources we had, and have since poured a lot of money and development resources our way. These same board members also realised that former ntl training was very poor overall and are in the process of redressing this balance.

Re: Cut off though direct debit activated
 

:tu: opel,thats good to know thanks.

Re: Cut off though direct debit activated
 

How are things going with this now? Is everything sorted?

Re: Cut off though direct debit activated
 

Yes everything sorted now, thanks.

Re: Cut off though direct debit activated
 

Glad to hear it :)