Ntl Tech Support

[Avatar]

I work in a call center and just had a call from a fustrated user who has just spent nearly 1.5hours on the phone to TS as she couldnt get her work laptop to connect over her cable modem.


the problem took me approx 2 mins to resolve...she told me that NTL had said that her work laptop wouldnt work on there modem because she couldnt get into the "system" icon in properties all i did was get her to stop using the proxy server.

Can some one explain to me how in 1.5 hours they decided that the modem wouldnt install, she wouldnt be able to use the laptiop, and that she wasnt connected to the web, when a simple ipconfig showed that she was.

Is this the level of service i can expect from NTL TS? as of yet i have never plucked up the currage to call them my self, as i hate nothing more than talking to idiots who think they know more than me on the phone.....and i know what its like working on a helpdesk when the customer thinks that they know more than you

If it wasnt for the fact that i just got phone and TV on ntl i would go for DSL straight away, as the poor service in more than one area is really starting to surprise me.

[abailey152]

I would say that in my experience, no, it isn't the level of tech support you'd expect all the time. Having said that, the frontline help is abysmal. They seem to have a set of fixes to try then that's it, and they appear to have no personal knowledge whatsoever.

When you get to the proper tech support guys, then you can drop on a bad one, but there are good tech's as well. And that's the problem. NTL seem to have no coherent level of service. It seems it's down to the individual that you are put through to. If they are knowledgeable and willing to help, well it's all smiles, but if not then you're in trouble.

[Avatar]

Originally Posted by abailey152

I would say that in my experience, no, it isn't the level of tech support you'd expect all the time. Having said that, the frontline help is abysmal. They seem to have a set of fixes to try then that's it, and they appear to have no personal knowledge whatsoever.

When you get to the proper tech support guys, then you can drop on a bad one, but there are good tech's as well. And that's the problem. NTL seem to have no coherent level of service. It seems it's down to the individual that you are put through to. If they are knowledgeable and willing to help, well it's all smiles, but if not then you're in trouble.

sounds like where we work Stuart lol

[Stuartbe]

Originally Posted by Avatar

sounds like where we work Stuart lol

That reminds me of my little run in with Luton TS...

http://forum.nthellworld.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7453

[Avatar]

Originally Posted by stuartbe

That reminds me of my little run in with Luton TS...

http://forum.nthellworld.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7453

I should know really shouldnt i....the reason they are called call centres is because all they are there for is logging calls.#


nice one with the UPS lol looks like im going to get a second tel line and get 2mb dsl a drop the cable down to a 128 service as a failover. cant be arsed with this any more.

[andygrif]

Someone hit on the point that these guys are call front line support. This is fine but there doesn't appear any structured 2nd line support.

By that, I'm getting used to the fact that no matter which company I call with a technical issue these days, I have to be taken through the same script that the little old lady down the street gets too. That's fine, it's a waste of my time and theirs, but it's fine because they don't know what my level of knowledge is.

But most companies, when you have exhausted the list in script one, pass you through to someone who has expert knowledge and can operate independently of what's printed on the screen for him to read.

Now ntl do have these people, but getting through to them is a blinking nightmare. The script is written in such a way (either that or the people on the front line adlib) so that it must be your computer that's at fault, or the UPS as mentioned earlier, or a martain aircraft on your roof....anything except their problem.

I do try to avoid calling BB TS if I can, becuase I have no intention of having a heart attack from the stress they cause me based on the times when I have called in the past.

The last three times I had to call:

1. Network was not connecting to anything, but all lights were. 85 minute call queue. Response, no network problem, was my firewall. I disabled the firewall, they said it wasn't good enough becuase even if the firewall was switched off, then it was still active. Was told there was nothing they could do unless I uninstalled my firewall.

Actual problem....there was a problem at the Luton UBR.

2. Overall reporting that browsing was always sluggish in evenings. Was advised to call local faults department as there was nothing they could do in Swansea, the problem was an oversub'd UBR. Called Luton faults, they said I should not have called them, and before I could say another word, was put back in the 55min call queue to Swansea. Gave up.

3. Another attempt at reporting overall sluggishness. Was asked if I had installled any software lately. Said that this was an overall problem, not a single incident. Was asked if I had installed any software lately (!) said no, only the latest Windows updates. Ahh, said the TS. That's the problem. Could I uninstall it...but it's a major security update I said. Oh only temporarily he said....but if this is the problem, then it will be sluggish again, what will you do then I asked...er, came the reply, don't know yet.

Said I wasn't going to uninstall it, could I speak to someone else. They will tell you the same I have, he said. I don't care, I said, let me speak to them too please. Spoke to someone else, checked the settings, made a few changes, told me about the proxies, worked fine.

They do need to look at the script, but also some of the people working down there (I haven't called for about six months, maybe it's a bit better these days I don't know).

I do wonder what the criteria is for someone working in TS:

Q1. Have you ever used a computer?
A1. Yes.

Congratulations! When can you start?

[quadplay]

I can assure you all that ntl Technical Support staff do not read from a script. All answers come from the agent's personal knowledge, which should be backed up by use of the Intranet. Unfortunately, some agents have a tendency to embellesh, and although all new agents are told in training not to say anything unless they're sure it's correct, there are plenty who go ahead and do it anyway. Oh, and 85 minutes queues are getting thankfully rare again.

It's just as frustrating for those of us who work there and do know what we're talking about, because we then have to bend over backwards to apologise to the customer who rings back to say he/she's just spent £40 at PC World to get his or her PC checked, only to be told it's not a PC issue. Having said that, it's not unusual for PC World to say that even when there is a PC issue...

[andygrif]

Thanks Jimbo....I was quite careful to point out that not everyone who works there suffers from this problem, but it does appear from the outside there ntl has more than its fair share of people not able to do the job.

I do know there are people there who are very very capable, like the guy I ended up talking to regarding the proxies.

I know 85 mins is rare, the reason, I expect, that it was 85 mins was simply becuase there was a major problem.

I'm not having a go at you here, I guess you know that already, but the line you said about all answers coming from the TS' own personal knowledge did make me smile.

[quadplay]

Yes, I agree. There is a training issue. :pp

[threadbare]

Originally Posted by Avatar

I work in a call center and just had a call from a fustrated user who has just spent nearly 1.5hours on the phone to TS as she couldnt get her work laptop to connect over her cable modem.


the problem took me approx 2 mins to resolve...she told me that NTL had said that her work laptop wouldnt work on there modem because she couldnt get into the "system" icon in properties all i did was get her to stop using the proxy server.

Can some one explain to me how in 1.5 hours they decided that the modem wouldnt install, she wouldnt be able to use the laptiop, and that she wasnt connected to the web, when a simple ipconfig showed that she was.

Is this the level of service i can expect from NTL TS? as of yet i have never plucked up the currage to call them my self, as i hate nothing more than talking to idiots who think they know more than me on the phone.....and i know what its like working on a helpdesk when the customer thinks that they know more than you

If it wasnt for the fact that i just got phone and TV on ntl i would go for DSL straight away, as the poor service in more than one area is really starting to surprise me.

correct me if I am wrong but if your frustrated user could not get into the system icon either then perhaps ther are other issues with pc or user cannot follow simple commands.

you must be able to appreciate that technical support is a process of elimination and if an ntl TS guy/gal thought there was a particular problem with someone's PC and could not verify if that was in fact the cause or not, due to either system problems or user incompetence then what exactly are they to do especially after an hour and half going round in circles?

as i said correct me if i am wrong as obviuosly you know more about what happened on the call than I do

[threadbare]

Originally Posted by andygrif

<snip>

there are no scripts that you speak of at ntl tech support (i have friends who work there and no one works from scripts)

[br3ach]

Originally Posted by threadbare

there are no scripts that you speak of at ntl tech support (i have friends who work there and no one works from scripts)

@ threadbare: There are no scripts. Ill confirm that.

Everything is done from memory or experience.

@ everyone in the thread: And to generalise that all the techs here are useless is quite insulting.

I work to fix every problem I get, and fix i'd say around 98% of them first time.

The other 2% are PC problems that cant be fixed (even tho the cust will always disagree "theres nothing wrong with my PC, PC world have looked at it!" or issues where the customer has limited knowledge of the PC or not at the computer and we are unable to carry out a fix.

[quadplay]

Agreed.

[Avatar]

Originally Posted by threadbare

correct me if I am wrong but if your frustrated user could not get into the system icon either then perhaps ther are other issues with pc or user cannot follow simple commands.

you must be able to appreciate that technical support is a process of elimination and if an ntl TS guy/gal thought there was a particular problem with someone's PC and could not verify if that was in fact the cause or not, due to either system problems or user incompetence then what exactly are they to do especially after an hour and half going round in circles?

as i said correct me if i am wrong as obviuosly you know more about what happened on the call than I do

this is because the system is locked down so that the user cant get in there.... they have enough access to do what they need and if the NTL TS rep had done a simple ipconfig they would have seen that the laptop was connected to the net.

i am also a Tech services person (not ntl ) i am shocked at the level of knowledge that people i work with i have let alone something as big as NTL, but people who fob of users with excuses like "its that last piece of software" "its your system" "itbecause your companys laptop isnt compatable wiwth our product" really should not be wasting peoples time on a help desk. if you dont know the solution say so. it make customers much more happy if you admit it and then go and find out and get back to them. ive been working in support since 1997 in enviroments from 10-10,000 users and nothing peeves me off more than people trying to fob people off because they cant be arsed to ask or find out.

[Avatar]

Originally Posted by Kedoo

@ everyone in the thread: And to generalise that all the techs here are useless is quite insulting.

I work to fix every problem I get, and fix i'd say around 98% of them first time.

The other 2% are PC problems that cant be fixed (even tho the cust will always disagree "theres nothing wrong with my PC, PC world have looked at it!" or issues where the customer has limited knowledge of the PC or not at the computer and we are unable to carry out a fix.

I would never say that...would be saying that i am useless... :P im just saying that when you phone tech services you expect some small amount of tech and not to be fobbed off

and yes if i had the access at work i too would be able to resolve 95%+ of all issues i deal with.....but with my current crappy job with the comapny from hell i get to do about 25% fcf as i have the access rites of a dead hamster.