[Russ]

I have to say I'm slightly on the OP's side here - slightly.

OK the issue was dealt with and although the agent was distracted (something which really winds me up regardless of where they're based) if that was me and it was the first time I'd called the company I'd have very little confidence in the company to sort any subsequent issues out if they're unprofessional enough to be cheering at the tv in the background.

When I was at NTL (as it was then) yes there were TVs scattered around the place and when any sporting event came on we would not be cheering or anything like it. In fact I'm pretty sure we'd have been up for a warning if something like that happened.

I admit I'm very anti-Indian callcentre but I'd find this very unprofessional no matter where in the world the callcentre was based and I'd be inclined to write a letter of complaint to the company - although I'd stop short of booting the door down or whatever the OP said.

Saying that however, VM and other companies seem very unwilling to ask employees in their off-shore callcentres to stop behaving in certain ways if it's deemed to be "part of their culture". When 3 first started it took them two years to get their callcentre staff to stop referring to customer as "Mr/Mrs *first name".