NTL Not interested in long standing customers

[Toshni]

Having been following a thread on another website recently (http://forum.moneysavingexpert.com/c...num=1101168571) about how NTL are taking existing customers for granted and how to get a cheaper broadband service, I decided to call them this morning to see what I could get.

This is the transcript I posted on the above site, not very positive from NTL to say the least, so it was suggested I post on this forum to see if anyone had any other suggestions?

Quote

"I spoke to the customer relations people this monring hoping to get the same upgrade, as I have been paying £24.99 for the 750K service for about 2 years.
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Their response was that the only way I could get the cheaper £12.99 new customer rate was to cancel my current contract and start a new one. When I suggested this was more of a pain for them than me, I suggested that there are other sevice providers who can offer a cheaper service (in a hope of getting her to reduce the price), she just said OK, there's nothing I can do thanks for being an NTL customer!!
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I said to her do yo really want to loose me as a customer (my monthly broadband and phone bill is about £80) and she replied with "thats upto you!!", staggering.
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Long and short is that I am not getting it any cheaper through NTL, need to start looking elsewhere.
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Anyone know any cheap ISP's?
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p.s. I did'nt want to cancel there and then and get the new service as she told me my phone number would change!!!, so might as well find a new ISP and phone company "

Unquote

[dilli-theclaw]

Welcome to the site

While I will wait for someone much cleverer than me to answer your post I'll just say that when I left NTL (Although I came back recently) I got BT to port my number over, which was free.

[Neil]

1st of all-your phone number won't necessarily change at all.

2nd-there are plenty of DSL providers that offer a godd service that would be more than happy to take your money.

More info here: http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/forumdisplay.php?f=63

Why pay money to a company that treats you like that?

[Florence]

I have already realised NTL didn't really care for the long term customer. They could do a free month or half price month once you have been a customer for 2 years.

Even loyalty bonus points that you could save up and exchange for downloading music. Any loyalty bonuses would be lost if you was late paying. There are many ways to reward customers for their loyalty.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by Kits

I have already realised NTL didn't really care for the long term customer. They could do a free month or half price month once you have been a customer for 2 years.

Even loyalty bonus points that you could save up and exchange for downloading music. Any loyalty bonuses would be lost if you was late paying. There are many ways to reward customers for their loyalty.

Anything would be better than "No" Kits.....

ntl & customer care-the words just don't roll off the tongue for me.

Originally Posted by Neil

1st of all-your phone number won't necessarily change at all.

2nd-there are plenty of DSL providers that offer a godd service that would be more than happy to take your money.

More info here: http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/forumdisplay.php?f=63

Why pay money to a company that treats you like that?

Neil & Kits


So if your "insert isp here and telco supplier" are offering new users a offer then you think you should get that or leave them and go somewhere else is that correct.

This rings a bell as i was reported this morning for not giving a customer a offer that they had heard about. I was fixing a fault at there house and they asked me about a new offer. I said they would not get it as it was for new customers and they reported me for

a. Not giving them the offer
b. Being rude to them "ie read a above"

[ikthius]

loyalty reward would be nice, I do, however, prefer the idea of a free month, or something like sports or movies free for a month would suit.

the points to download music is not that good, as I do not like to download music from internet, i prefer the actual cd.....

ik

[Neil]

Originally Posted by Bill C

Neil & Kits


So if your "insert isp here and telco supplier" are offering new users a offer then you think you should get that or leave them and go somewhere else is that correct.

Hi Bill,

I think that if I was out of contract with Pipex (for example) & phoned to enquire about current prices as the market (prices) have now changed since I took my contract 'X' months/years ago, I would expect them to at least attempt to keep my business (if they really value it)

If not, I'd be off in search of more value for my ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£ÃƒÆ ’‚£.

[Edit]-Mark B would be a good person to comment here, as he used to work in retentions I believe.

[scrotnig]

These deals ARE technically for new customers only, however, what region are you in, depending on where it is I will see if I can pull some strings.

Also bear in mind the £12.99 offer you mention is for 3 months only, it's not a long term price.

Originally Posted by Neil

Hi Bill,

I think that if I was out of contract with Pipex (for example) & phoned to enquire about current prices as the market (prices) have now changed since I took my contract 'X' months/years ago, I would expect them to at least attempt to keep my business (if they really value it)

If not, I'd be off in search of more value for my ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£ÃƒÆ ’‚£.

[Edit]-Mark B would be a good person to comment here, as he used to work in retentions I believe.

This all sounds a bit like constantly switching credit cards to get the '6 months zero interest on transfers', i.e constantly switching suppliers to get 'new customer' offers. I'd be interested to see what the response would be if you phoned your credit card company and requested the same interest-free period as a new customer.

Originally Posted by Mark B

These deals ARE technically for new customers only, however, what region are you in, depending on where it is I will see if I can pull some strings.

Also bear in mind the £12.99 offer you mention is for 3 months only, it's not a long term price.

That's opening a can of worms - 'Can I have it too please?'

[Neil]

Originally Posted by JohnHorb

This all sounds a bit like constantly switching credit cards to get the '6 months zero interest on transfers', i.e constantly switching suppliers to get 'new customer' offers. I'd be interested to see what the response would be if you phoned your credit card company and requested the same interest-free period as a new customer.

That's because it is very much like switching credit cards (kind of )!

It all comes down to whether you want to give your hard earned cash to a company that displays such contempt for you as a customer.

[Florence]

Don't let the worms out!!!!!

I actually think that what is special offers to get new customers is just for the new customers. I don't mind suggesting offers that might reward a loyal customer of 3 years or more.

But strongly feel t he new customer offers should stay just that.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by Kits

Don't let the worms out!!!!!

I actually think that what is special offers to get new customers is just for the new customers. I don't mind suggesting offers that might reward a loyal customer of 3 years or more.

But strongly feel t he new customer offers should stay just that.

I'm not necessarily interested in rewarding existing customers TBH-If you are getting a good service/product in return for your ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£ÃƒÆ ’‚£, then you don't really have much to complain about.

If on the other hand, you feel that you are paying too much when you could easily get a better deal for less ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£ÃƒÆ ’‚£ elsewhere, then I think any company would be bonkers to let you walk away (but this is ntl we're talking about )

[scrotnig]

The Retentions departments do have certain leeway where a customer is unhappy enough to want to cancel. However with all the restructuring in Retentions at the moment things there will change on regular basis.

Orange work the same way...I had to tell them I was thinking of leaving, I suddenly got passed to retentions who offered me a great deal.

We may think it'd be wonderful for a company to offer new customer deals en masse to ALL its customers, but in the real world that is never likely to happen, (except in the cases of former state monopolies such as BT). Yes you'll get odd exceptions but what ntl do is NOT unusual in business and it should not be portrayed as if it is.

At least ntl and Orange often offer you these deals if you are thinking of leaving...Sky just tell you 'no way'.