[Okonski]

I must admit, forums like this and NTLHell do provide a useful additional method of problem resolution, and the world would be a much sadder place without them. That said, as an NTL customer, my bargaining power is considerably increased if I have an official paper trail that can be used to prove the timeline of a problem. Just as CS staff log details of what transpired during a voice call, I do exactly the same thing (using Outlook). I shouldn't have to keep trying to speak to a staff member who agrees that I've been treated badly, and I've lost count of the number of times an unresponsive exchange has been resolved simply by calling straight back and speaking to someone else. That's not thie issue - it is when error is compounded by error and your credit record is being wrung out to dry, only by dealing with the Manchester-based 'Resolutioin Team' can you ensure your efforts are being taken seriously and staff there have higher limits of providing financial compensation. My own issue was resolved after sending a 'Letter Before Action', and I received a benefit in kind of £160 for my trouble, inconvenience and the unwarranted removal of service for 3 days (in which EVERYTHING had been blocked, BB, phone and TV).

With firms like NTL being quick to fine consumers for the slightest transgretions, it is they who established the culture of customers not simply wanting their problem resolved, but by receiving due compensation for their error. Resolutions provided by sites like these may indeed resolve the original problem because at last, someone is taking an interest - however there is rarely an automatic compensatory payment made. With the customer usually happy his issue has been finally resolved, any further recompence is usually forgotten about in a rush of euphoria. That ended for me 2 years ago, if my services disappear through no fault of my own - excluting network faults - I've established that £50 per day for service removal of Phone, TV and BB is not an unreasonable amount. My NTL negotiator calculated the actual loss as £2.80 per day and said he would be prepared to pay this. I said this did not cover the true cost of having to finf an alternative Internet connection, using my mobile for calls instead of the landline, and the grief from the missus because of the blank screen. My argument won through, and the next stage in negotiations was how those costs would be recouped. With a cap on the maximum amount that could be applied (based on his seniority) we agreed on a £50 goodwill rebate to the account, £16 for non-DDM overpayments, and a further £120 in savings due to BB discounts and package changes.

If you feel you are not being treated well as a customer, a little bit of effort on your part can resolve issues and provide compensation that would otherwise be closed to you. If you get something wrong, you'll be made to pay, there's notning wrong in ensuring when the boot is on the other foot, you pursue it just as enthusiastically as they do.