NTL Tech support is in India

[Florence]

Originally Posted by DieDieMyDarling

I think this all comes down to something that's been wrong with ntl (and a lot of other companies in the uk) for a long time. The so called 'tech support' is usually made up of people who don't have a clue, sat in front of a computer screen with a list of Q&A type help sheets, and a list of phone numbers if they get stuck, that they can 'transfer' you to.

Have to disagree I have called Swansea over the last 4/5 years and always had the problem sorted by the first person I spoke to unless the problem was network, Modem or cable to my house from the box. Have to say I have had great help with my problems until recently!

Originally Posted by DieDieMyDarling

I've phoned tech support a few times, with various problems, and each time the person i get through to has gone through a list of simple questions, and if my problem doesn't fit into those problems i get 'transferred' - then the next person does the same thing, with a set of more complicated questions, and finally if all else fails, they put you through to tech support in Swansea (well, they're welsh, i think it's swansea), who really know their stuff, and have always had the answer for me.

The Tech support number would always take you to the Swansea only if you dial CS on the free number then that would happen

Originally Posted by DieDieMyDarling

The people in india probably know just as much, if not more, than the every day tech support for ntl in the UK, and are no doubt following the same Q&A help sheets, and have the same list of phone numbers to transfer you to, if they can't help, just takes a little longer now, if they don't understand your accent, or vice versa.

Wrong the guys over here can interrogate the modems send information to them and sometimes get them working again. The Indian Callcentre didn't attempt this at all didn't even try. Fewer questions than normal and less important details then the Dead modem remark. (The modem is still working)

Originally Posted by DieDieMyDarling

As long as ntl don't get rid of the guys in Swansea i don't really care, as they are the people i rely on when something goes wrong, the everyday phone monkey's can be from where they like, they're never any help anyway.

I called the 0845 number that should have taken me to these guys on a Sunday and ended up in India you are losing these guys they are working you over if we don't stand up now and fight for the Tech support to stay at Swansea it will disappear overseas with the loss of jobs of these very guys who have helped all customers over the years

Check the lists of Companies that use overseas callcentres
http://www.antioffshore.co.uk/
This website might be the way to protest and show we will not accept this.

[Chrysalis]

Well I am a bit confused how to go straight through to swansea bypassing india etc.?

I dialed 150 and chose tech support option (NOT CS) this took me to india on a week day, the same option on a sunday gives me a message saying office only open monday-saturday (how do you get service on sunday and I dont, region dependant?)

[Florence]

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

Well I am a bit confused how to go straight through to swansea bypassing india etc.?

I dialed 150 and chose tech support option (NOT CS) this took me to india on a week day, the same option on a sunday gives me a message saying office only open monday-saturday (how do you get service on sunday and I dont, region dependant?)

I use the 0845 650 0925 and this always got me to Swansea but the las time I know for sure it was India and now I think the time they blamed my modem when it wasn't was India as it was someone who did speak good english but wasnt english.

[threadbare]

Originally Posted by Kits

The Tech support number would always take you to the Swansea only if you dial CS on the free number then that would happen

This no longer true. When you call TS you will go to the next available agent whether he is in India or Swansea

Originally Posted by Kits

Wrong the guys over here can interrogate the modems send information to them and sometimes get them working again. The Indian Callcentre didn't attempt this at all didn't even try. Fewer questions than normal and less important details then the Dead modem remark. (The modem is still working)

The TS guys in India also have this capability. The only thing they cannot deal with atm is STB connectivity calls as they do not have access to the necessary tools yet.

[Rone]

At least one thing, i bet they dont take the threat of physical violence too seriously.

[thats just a j\k btw]

[Florence]

Originally Posted by threadbare

This no longer true. When you call TS you will go to the next available agent whether he is in India or Swansea
The TS guys in India also have this capability. The only thing they cannot deal with atm is STB connectivity calls as they do not have access to the necessary tools yet.

I don't have a STB and they did nothing I had two questions then he said itâ₠¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢s the modem.

1. Have we disconnected the modem?
2 what lights are on steady

As I am online now with the modem without an engineer coming out.. Then it is either:-

1. The tech support in India knows nothing
2. They blame the modem send an engineer and this poor souls sorts it

The second call to Tech support we had a female who asked us to give her the mac number she was onto my husband as they had insisted the account wasn't flagged for me to deal with it yet it is and has for years. He didn't know where the mac address was so asked her she didn't know herself. Not a very encouraging message when customers are given wrong details to find the mac!
It is annoying having to keep repeating yourself as they are unable to understand...... after all we are paying the phone bill and the longer you are on trying to get help from someone who hasn't the knowledge of the English language or the understanding of the British accents the more they rip the customer off for.

[threadbare]

Originally Posted by Kits

I don't have a STB and they did nothing I had two questions then he said itâ₠¬ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚¢s the modem.

1. Have we disconnected the modem?
2 what lights are on steady

As I am online now with the modem without an engineer coming out.. Then it is either:-

1. The tech support in India knows nothing
2. They blame the modem send an engineer and this poor souls sorts it

The second call to Tech support we had a female who asked us to give her the mac number she was onto my husband as they had insisted the account wasn't flagged for me to deal with it yet it is and has for years. He didn't know where the mac address was so asked her she didn't know herself. Not a very encouraging message when customers are given wrong details to find the mac!
It is annoying having to keep repeating yourself as they are unable to understand...... after all we are paying the phone bill and the longer you are on trying to get help from someone who hasn't the knowledge of the English language or the understanding of the British accents the more they rip the customer off for.

I don't think its fair to blame tech support in India as whole. I think it is however fair to say that the first agent you spoke to may need a little more training in order to their job effectively.

As for the second agent, they are more stringent in they way the enforce dpa over there. Technically they do not have to deal with anyone other than the account holder, and although you may be flagged as an authorised account holder on customer services systems this is not necessarily the case with the systems used in tech support

[quadplay]

Hi all,

Just thought you might like a couple of addresses where you can express your dislike of Tech Support being outsourced:

The first is head office:
ntl Group Ltd
Bartley Wood Business Park
Bartley Way
Hook
Hampshire
RG27 9UP

The second is for the head of ntl technical support at IBM:

Customer Care Team
ntl Technical Support
Matrix Court
LLansamlet
SWANSEA
SA7 9BB

[Chrysalis]

jimbo thanks for the details, will be sending recorded delivery lwetter's to both after christmas.

I can't see how india works, because customer's dont like it, the people who lose their job's dont like it, and people need to ring back more often as it is obvious from reading this thread the guys in india cannot fix the problems efficiently like the guys in swansea can, so why not just expand the swansea call centre and sack everyone in india.

[threadbare]

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

jimbo thanks for the details, will be sending recorded delivery lwetter's to both after christmas.

I can't see how india works, because customer's dont like it, the people who lose their job's dont like it, and people need to ring back more often as it is obvious from reading this thread the guys in india cannot fix the problems efficiently like the guys in swansea can, so why not just expand the swansea call centre and sack everyone in india.

The indian call centre has a broad spectrum of abilities within it's agents in the same way as Swansea has, some are good at their jobs others aren't. That's just life. No tech's in Swansea have lost their jobs.

[Nugget]

Originally Posted by Kits

<snip>was India as it was someone who did speak good english but wasnt english.

But in all fairness Kits, that doesn't actually mean that it was in India - I'm not saying that it definitely wasn't, but the fact that the person you spoke to had a strong accent doesn't actually mean that they aren't sitting in Swansea (for the sake of an example)

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

so why not just expand the swansea call centre and sack everyone in india.

cost cost cost and ohhhh did i mention cost

Originally Posted by Nugget

But in all fairness Kits, that doesn't actually mean that it was in India - I'm not saying that it definitely wasn't, but the fact that the person you spoke to had a strong accent doesn't actually mean that they aren't sitting in Swansea (for the sake of an example)

if they had a strong accent they probably were sitting in swansea

[Chris W]

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

so why not just expand the swansea call centre and sack everyone in india.

because the new starters in swansea would have the same "training issues" as the new starters in india.

oh and btw there was a group of new starters in swansea a couple of weeks back

I speak to the agents in India every day in work and there is as much of a mix of abilities in India as there is in Swansea.

Oh and lastly, the techs in India are more highly qualified than most in Swansea- firstly they are all fluent in two languages, and secondly a degree is a pre-requisite to employment in an Indian call centre

[Lee]

Just had to speak to tech support twice, got through to the Indian call center twice and to be honest, its rediculous. I could barely understand what they were saying and I had to constantly repeat myself to make myself understood!

I cant see how this helps anyone (other than cost obviously) - it certainly doesnt help the paying customer.