Treating old customers equally the same as new?

[Tony Handyman]

I remember reading on the forum somewhere that a page exists on the virgin site that explains how they treat old customers the same as new customers. As anybody got this link please.

Just looking at some of the deals on offer, exactly the same bundle package as I have but with a V+ box thrown in, new customer: pay £29 a month after 3 months @ £24, I pay £36 with no V+ box.

[jellybaby]

http://www.virginmedia.com/wehearyou/OffersForAll.html

[Tony Handyman]

Thanks

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by Tony Handyman

Just looking at some of the deals on offer, exactly the same bundle package as I have but with a V+ box thrown in, new customer: pay £29 a month after 3 months @ £24, I pay £36 with no V+ box.

Remember to add £11 line rental to any price that is on the website

TV L, BB L, Phone M and V+ is £40 (or £41.25 on paper bills)

[Tony Handyman]

Just got off the phone after screaming at customer services, who failed miserably to explain why I’m paying so much more than a new customer taking the same package.

BenMcr comes along and explains it in one line of text, THANK you very much.

[BenMcr]

You are welcome

[chickendippers]

I don't think screaming will have endeared yourself to anyone.

[kkevin666]

Virgin should be telephoning / emailing / posting this fact to existing customers.

Not waiting for them to find out.

[Tony Handyman]

Don’t know about them letting customers know, should try training there staff so they know and can explain it. As for Endearing myself to Virgin, I think it should be the other way around.

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by kkevin666

Virgin should be telephoning / emailing / posting this fact to existing customers.

Not waiting for them to find out.

What, posting that it is more expensive?

[broadbandking]

Originally Posted by Tony Handyman

Don’t know about them letting customers know, should try training there staff so they know and can explain it. As for Endearing myself to Virgin, I think it should be the other way around.

Shouting at the agent won't get you anywhere.

[Tony Handyman]

Makes me feel better. What’s the problem? At least he’s getting paid for his time. Spent the best part of 3 days sorting problems out with broadband, I could have been doing something a lot more interesting. People wouldn’t get wound up if the call centre staff were better trained and consistent.

[broadbandking]

Originally Posted by Tony Handyman

Makes me feel better. What’s the problem? At least he’s getting paid for his time. Spent the best part of 3 days sorting problems out with broadband, I could have been doing something a lot more interesting. People wouldn’t get wound up if the call centre staff were better trained and consistent.

He's paid to help you not to take abuse or to be shouted at would you like to be shouted at or spoken to calmly, your more likely to get more help if your nicer and not shouting.

[slowcoach]

Just got off the phone to India, said I was interested in 50Mb but only if I paid the same as new customers, no problem, £7pm extra to upgrade from 20Mb, plus the extortion fee or whatever they call it.

[ziggycat]

I've been a C&W / NTL / VM customer for about 10 years. Last week in a cost cutting exercise to try and reduce monthly bills we decided to downgrade our BB and TV, 20mb to 10mb and TV from L to M taking our monthly bill from £45 to £26. Tried every angle with the rep to see if I could reduce it further (moving to e-bill from paper billing, the fact I was agreeing to a new 12 month contract etc.), but alas this was the best deal they would do. * later that same day they advertised on tv the exact package I had just signed up to - But for new customers £24*

Over the weekend our existing wireless router(non VM) got damaged, and before rushing out to buy another the wife reminded me that when her parents signed up for BB they were given one for free.

So today 7 days after agreeing the new contract over the phone I recieved my new consumer hire agreement/welcome letter. Ahh I thought, I'll just give them a call now and get myself a new router for free, after all I've just agreed to a new miniumum 12 month term like a new customer would have.

WRONG!!!

I thought I'll skip customer services and go straight through to the retentions team. I can honestly say the rep I spoke to was just outright hostile. I explained that we had reduced our services and entered into a new 12 month term and could I have a wireless router as per new customers.

NO! That is for new customers only - we are already giving you a £10 discount I was told. ?

When I asked what the discount was for she told me I was paying £11 telephone and £15 BB, and I was getting the TV free. It's freeview channels only I replied, to my knowledge you can get this for free if you take out a phone line(?I think?). She then started going on about me not having to buy a freeview box blah blah. and toldme that If I really wanted the router they would do it for half price £20. WTF. do they just make things up as they go along. Sod it I thought - i'm not being spoken to or treated like this, so I informed her It was within 7 days and I wanted to cancel all my services. Almost immediately she changed her tone and offerred me the router for free. Unfortunately at that point I had made up my mind, "no, please take this as my 30 days notice". She asked if I had heard what she said and reitterated that I could now have a free router. I confirmed my cancellation and the conversation promptly ended.

This is typical of VM, and now that I've actualy jumped ship and started looking around I wish I'd done it sooner. No they do not look after existing customers, their only mandate is to get people on as longer contract as they can. Yes I'll miss BB, the STM policy is very strict, and set to become worse - unlimited it is not.

/rant