Useful Customer Service and Faults Information

[Pinkypants]

Contents

1. Faults and Customer Services Opening Hours
2. Escallation Process
3. The Data Protection Act
4. Who Deals With What
5. Faults Charges
6. Basic Telco Terminology
7. Standard Phone Line checks
8. Phone Compatibility
9. Engineer Availability and Appointment Times
10. Additional Information
11. Emergencies
12. Standard DTV Checks

1. Faults and Customer Services Opening Hours
Call Centre Information

Customer Services

Monday to Friday : 8am - 8pm
Saturday : 9am - 5pm
Sunday : Closed

Faults

Monday to Friday : 8am - 8pm
Saturday : 9am - 5pm
Sunday : 10am - 4pm

2. Escallation Process

If you are very unhappy with your service you can request to speak to a manager. If a manager is not available, the agent will arrange for one to call you back. If you do not want to wait around at home for one to call you back, if you provide a mobile number, a manager will call you back on the mobile number you provided. Turnaround time for Managers phone back 4 hours max.

3. The Data Protection Act

Before calling make sure you have the correct information to hand in order to pass the Data Protection Act.

You must have your account number to hand, you will find this on the top of your last bill. Alternatively the agent can search by telephone or address.

You must also know your full address, the account holders name and the postcode.

Possible questions include, but is not limited to: your password on the account (if you have one) the amount of the last bill, what packages you have with NTL, how you pay your bills, what services you have with NTL, information on the last fault reported, installation date of services, amongst others.

In order to pass DPA you must correctly answer at least of the above questions. One question will be bill related, one non bill related.

4. Who deals with what?

Customer Services

General Enquiries
Number port order enquiries and requests
Repull / Installation engineer requests
Disconnections
Retentions
Upgrades and Downgrades
Any account defect or irregularity
Billing Queries
Chargable Faults call outs

Faults Issues

Faults can deal with:

• Any genuine fault with either Digital TV / Telco

Faults cannot deal with:

1. Customer equipment related faults i.e. DVD / Video setup problems
2. Teletext issues
3. TV Tuning Issues

5. Faults Charges:

£10 if no one is home when the engineer calls
£25 if the engineer turns up and finds it is a problem with your own equipment (non NTL)
£15 for new remote control
£25 if the customer requests a call out for a tuning / equipment issue
£25 for the replacement of a non NTL installed extension, or an NTL extension that was installed over 12 months ago.

6. Basic Telco Terminology

No Dial Tone - When you pick up the telephone receiver and there is no dialing tone.

Ring Trip - When the line appears to ring once and then go dead.

Call Barring - Stops certain calls being made from the land line. It can be requested by the customer or by a particular department such as High Toll / Credit Control / Customer Services if the account gets downgraded / suspended / restricted.

Common call barring issues:

Call barring on the account but not on the telephone exchange
Call Barring not on the account at all
Call Barring on switch, but no PIN number to override
Call Barring put on by NTL and customer not aware.

Line Check - The agent may tell you that there are contacting the exchange / telephone switch / doing a line check. All they are doing is checking the telephone switch to make sure the telephone number is on there, and what the line status is (IDLE, Busy, Blocked etc)

In some cases, the telephone number may not be on the exchange, which will lead to a NDT. This problem will take 48 - 2 working days to fix.

7. Standard phone line checks before phoning in :

Remove all extensions from your line
leave one corded phone in main socket.

If that doesn't fix the fault, try another working phone in the line

If there is a problem with one particular extension, the extension will need replacing.

Extensions installed by NTL are insured for the first 12 months. Anything after that, you will need to either replace yourself or you can book an technician through customer services to do that for you. The call out charge for non insured extensions is currently £25.

8. Phone Compability:

Some phone features will not work with a pulse phone. You will need to either change the phone or read the phone instruction manual and see if there is a way to change it.

To find out what phone you are using, lift up the handset and press the number 5 on your hand set.

If you get a short beep, you have a tone phone.

If you get an extended key tone, your phone is a pulse phone / set to pulse.

9. Faults Engineer Availability and Appointment Times:

Bromley (billing system ICMS)

Monday to Friday : 8am - 1pm, 12pm - 6pm, 5pm -8pm
Saturday : 8am - 1pm, 12pm - 6pm (In some areas Engineers finish at 4pm or earlier)
Sunday : Usually no availability

Langley (Harmony)

Monday to Friday : 8am - 12pm, 12pm - 6pm, 5pm - 8pm
Saturday : 8am - 12pm, 12pm - 4 pm
Sunday : Usually no availability

10. Additional Information

If you have a problem with your telephone line, make sure you have a valid contact number handy. Also, you can also request to have a text message sent to your mobile to confirm the appointment has been made.

11. Emergencies

If you have an elderly relative, you may want to investigate the possibility of them becoming a lifeline customer. For further information, contact Customer Services or your local council. Lifeline customers get priority for telco problems and a technician would be available within 24 hours of reporting the fault.

12. DTV: Standard DTV checks

See Useful STB Thread for further info.

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...ad.php?t=16344

Hope that helps

[Bob]

That's really good info - perhaps it could be put in the articles section

[bomberbrown]

Originally Posted by Pinkypants

Customer Services
Monday to Friday : 8am - 8pm
Saturday : 9am - 5pm
Sunday : Closed

Thats changed now. I phoned up last Friday in the evening and the message said that for non-business customers, the opening times were solely:

Monday to Friday : 9am - 5pm

Also, I've just called 0800 052 2000 (printed on my latest bill) to confirm this and it now prompts you to dial an 0845 number!!!

[Pinkypants]

Originally Posted by bomberbrown

Thats changed now. I phoned up last Friday in the evening and the message said that for non-business customers, the opening times were solely:

Monday to Friday : 9am - 5pm

Also, I've just called 0800 052 2000 (printed on my latest bill) to confirm this and it now prompts you to dial an 0845 number!!!

I am unable to edit my initial post as it has been stickified. However, the new number for Customer Services & Faults is 0845 454 0000.

The opening hours remain Monday to Friday - 8am - 8pm, Saturday 9-5pm, Sunday 10-4pm (Faults Centre only)

[bomberbrown]

Originally Posted by Pinkypants

The opening hours remain Monday to Friday - 8am - 8pm, Saturday 9-5pm, Sunday 10-4pm (Faults Centre only)

You are right after all, I had dialled 152 last Friday evening (checked on my phone dial history yesterday) and not 150. Doh!

[BarFly]

Originally Posted by Pinkypants

2. Escallation Process

If you are very unhappy with your service you can request to speak to a manager. If a manager is not available, the agent will arrange for one to call you back. If you do not want to wait around at home for one to call you back, if you provide a mobile number, a manager will call you back on the mobile number you provided. Turnaround time for Managers phone back 4 hours max.

Umm, depends which FMR you are, 4hrs max, nope more like 24hrs ( may have even changed to 36hrs ) is call back period, but they hope to get it done within 4hrs.

Originally Posted by Pinkypants

Faults Issues

Faults can deal with:
Any genuine fault with either Digital TV / Telco

Also refunds with regard to loss of service's ( telco / BB / DTV ) are dealt with by faults & not customer services or tech support.

[ebeth32473]

[QUOTE=Pinkypants;729644][B]Contents


Customer Services

General Enquiries
Number port order enquiries and requests
Repull / Installation engineer requests
Disconnections
Retentions
Upgrades and Downgrades
Any account defect or irregularity
Billing Queries
Chargable Faults call outs


Hi just to let ya'll know, Customer service doesnt actually deal with disconnections and retentions. We dont have the authority to disconnect accounts, that is the retentions/disconnections department, which unfortunatly is only open from 9am to 5pm monday through friday. If you just want to disconnect one of many services, then we can do that, but not the full account or if you only have one service.
The same goes for moves and transfers, they are only open m-f 9am to 5pm

[lauzjp]

can i add that the 150 and 151 numbers for customer services and faults respectively are working again now?

[AndyP85]

ll

[matty125]

yay at last

[Elliehants]

Originally Posted by lauzjp

can i add that the 150 and 151 numbers for customer services and faults respectively are working again now?

Are these numbers still active or are we stuck with the 0845 numbers since the departing of 0800?
Thanks in advance! (and my appologies, im new and im thick! )

[Druchii]

Originally Posted by Elliehants

Are these numbers still active or are we stuck with the 0845 numbers since the departing of 0800?
Thanks in advance! (and my appologies, im new and im thick! )

Just been put back into service i htink in almost all areas, worth trying them anyway And they're free.

Welcome to the board by the way! Enjoy your stay

[Elliehants]

Originally Posted by Druchii

Just been put back into service i htink in almost all areas, worth trying them anyway And they're free.

Welcome to the board by the way! Enjoy your stay

Thanks alot!!

[Druchii]

No problem

[info4u]

Data protection is only required when providing account information. (specifics)

If some one has a fault the customer would be providing the info to us (Telwest this is) therefore we arent divolging any information out.

*Please note this is subject to process change should the big guys change their mind in the future on how calls should be handled.

For NTL they may be the opening times but that may soon change to bring inline with Telewest's times (or we may change to the above).

Telewest numbers:

0845 142 0000 charged at local rates
150 Free from a Telewest Land Line

Opening times
08:00 - 00:00
7 Days a week (Unless National Holidays)

Types of queries...
Billing
Complaints
Special Requests (such as moving cables around £75.00)
Upgrades and Downgrades
Internet Disk Req
Copy of their password /
Copy of their internet username and password
(Not visible to staff only can be requested by post)
Product Lititure
Number changes including transfering from BT (account holders only)
Bill forwarding address
Transfering the responsibility (Set up a new account holder)
Payments and Direct Debit set ups
Chasing Up technicians (Upon customer contact)
Digital Migrations
Copy of contract
Directory Enq change req
Product offers stopped (Contact from TW)
Special Needs Request (customers with dissabilities)
PPV (pay per view) queries
PIN number request (account holders only or named 3rd parties with the password) also Unlocking the PIN
TV Drive Installs
Analogue change to digital
Reffering a friend
Recomending a friend
Reporting a customer who has left the property

NSC (National Service Centre)
Faults
151 Free from a Telewest Phone Line
0845 142 0000 Option 2 (Charged local rates)

Option 1 (TV Drive)
Option 2 (TV)
Option 3 (Internet - option 1 broadband - option 2 dial up)
Option 4 (phone)

A fault is any service affecting issue that doesnt relate to service restriction as a result of non payments or credit limit reached.
Ensure the correct option is selected as representatives will only be able to deal with faults that relate to the department they work in (Training reasons).

This will save your self time and that of other customers who are holding to get threw, this will reduce your dissatisfaction experiance and the satisfaction of others.

Dial Up broadband
0906 706 0000 charged 50p per min.
Reasons:
Many customers dont like the idea of the charge, the reasons for this is Dial up operates simular to a phone, it simply picks up the receiver and dials a phone number with tone dials and communicates with fax noises rather than voice to transmit data.

The dial up modem and the computer consists as the customers own equipment and therefore customers are liable for their own support.

As some find it hard to get in touch and obtaining support from their vendor Telewest provides a 3rd party company line available for customers to get some support.

As per ofcom if the calls come to above £20 or 5+ calls made in 1 day (24hr period) for support then your allowed to be called back by speaking with customer care and an email request will be done for you (Subject to change if any policies change in the future)

Opening times for faults NSC.
08:00-00:00 for TV faults - 7 days a week (Unless national holidays)

Phone:
08:00-00:00 for general faults - 7 days a week *Unless national holidays*
24hrs 7 days a week if it is a No Dial Tone issue.

(If the customer is registered dissabled then the account is subject to fault fixing on the phone line only for no dial tone within 4 hours)

TV and Broadband consists as leisure and not subject to this since phone lines can be a life line for customers.

Request from customer care for special needs forms must be requested prior and signed by a Dr. to confirm the dissability. Abusing the service may cause a 75.00 charge (Call out charge) since it is for emergency purposes only with customers who really depend on their phone line for health purposes.

Broadband:
24hrs - 7 days a week (subject to national holidays)

Sales:
0800 953 5353
08:00 - 20:00 Mon - Fri
08:00 - 18:00 Sat
09:00 - 16:00 Sun

There after a representative is available until midnight to take a message and your details and call you back during normal opening hours and provide advise on the services offered. This is available until midnight

Sales is to request a brand new service. A service is defined as Broadband install, Phone or TV install (to upgrade an existing service call customer care)

Service Line:
0800 953 2000 - Find out about faults (Fasing this no out now, due to internet status page, and messages whilst on hold indicate of any known faults)

Compatible Directory Enquiries:
0800 953 0720

Customer Relations (Disconnections only)
08:00 - 20:00 Mon - Fri, 08:00 - 18:00 Sat (Closed on sundays)
To organise a disconnection or if organised a disconnection then you must call customer relations to cancel the disconnection also.
150 Option 3

Move and Transfers:
0845 141 0111 (Charged at local rates)
150 Option 3

Please note that if your moving to a non servicesable area you still need to call move and transfers as you are leaving the property your at

Credit Services:
For customers experiancing problems paying their bill or if a credit limit is exceeded and unable to pay. If credit limit is exceeded and payments made over the phone services will resume 2-24hrs (48hrs for the phone line)

0845 142 4444 or 173 from a telewest phone
Open hours:
08:00 - 20:00 Mon - Fri
08:00 - 18:00 Sat
Closed Sundays

After this time you may speak with customer care but unable to set up a payment plan or make adjustments to any due restrictions this is only credit services who can do this.

If your a customer that has been with the company 6 months or more with no restrictions or late paying the bill then you can have the restriction extended no more than 7 days. after this you must pay on time for another 6 months before another extention will be granted.


Data Protection and Security:
Account holders may only disconnect, obtain pin numbers and perform a number change, Directory Enq Changes, Transfering a responsibility to another person, Setting up a direct debit or changing the address a bill is sent to. Unless a nominated thrustee which must be named prior to the call by the account holder only. (Regardless of knowing the password)

Unbilled phone calls cannot be divolged at all over the phone.
You would need to wait for them to appear on the phone, this is mainly also due to childline and 3rd party confidentiality, we are unable to divolge even to the bill payer until billed. (part in part with Data protection)

When a pin no is requested - 2 additional security questions must be asked.

3rd party:
All other queries, must quoted the password if no password 2 security questions.

3rd party password is set but not able to quote it.
Unable to help other than general product information
(advising what telewest has to offer its customers)
No account specifics.

Hope this helps you out with any future call as to what each person can and connot do for you
and helps your experiances when calling.

Please note that all of the above is subject to change as sometimes certain things change over to be dealt with by other departments
Example: 3 years ago if you locked your pin number you had to speak with the NSC where as now customer care deal with the query

Im no big person just a standard rep therefore any changes are and can be made at any time neither me or the company is to be held liable for the advise provided