Keep an eye on how long you are kept on hold

[lostandconfused]

the q buster system is automatic so you dont really have to chase people up, as said before it only becomes active when the abandonment rate is high, and it hasnt been that high for a while now, basically it gives the option to call you back and keep your place in the queue, if you dont answer or are engaged it will try again in 10 minutes if again there is no answer or still engaged it wont try again, it can be useful as you dont have to sit with a phone to your ear especially if the call queues are high but it is more expensive that someone waiting in a queue as is normally the case

Originally Posted by greencreeper

In that case, 15 seconds is unrealistic IMHO.

I hate call backs. Annoy me no end. You can call, wait patiently, and have your problem fixed. Or you can call, and hang up, and leave us to spend days chasing you - "in a meeting... can't find her... no answer... surgery closed...". And the time wasted chasing people could be better spent actually answering the phone and helping those customers who have patience.

You had better tell ICSTIS that 15 seconds is " unreasonable "
I do not think it is, about time companies got their backsides into gear, I get really cheesed with the attitude " we can keep them waiting for 10 minutes and in the meantime make loadsa money for the directors xmas bash "
When do NTL Chase customers who have called and decided to hang up? I am perplexed by that one
And even when you get through after 10 minutes, if youre lucky, you're not guaranteed to have the problem sorted, even though the csa assures you that it will be
Ob, whether NTL offer free calls, it still does not make it right to keep a paying customer waiting longer than what the regulators say, it is not just to do with making money from keeping people waiting, its called GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE, sadly what NTL lack the majority of the time time.

---------- Post added at 11:39 ---------- Previous post was at 11:35 ----------

Originally Posted by lostandconfused

the q buster system is automatic so you dont really have to chase people up, as said before it only becomes active when the abandonment rate is high, and it hasnt been that high for a while now, basically it gives the option to call you back and keep your place in the queue, if you dont answer or are engaged it will try again in 10 minutes if again there is no answer or still engaged it wont try again, it can be useful as you dont have to sit with a phone to your ear especially if the call queues are high but it is more expensive that someone waiting in a queue as is normally the case

Is this " q buster " system able to be overided if there are not enough csa in the call centre?
IE; if there are not enough staff it can be " deactivated "

[orangebird]

Originally Posted by arcamalpha2004

<snip (yawn)>Ob, whether NTL offer free calls, it still does not make it right to keep a paying customer waiting longer than what the regulators say, it is not just to do with making money from keeping people waiting, its called GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE, sadly what NTL lack the majority of the time ime.

Excuse me, but your opening post was all about putting people on hold and generating revenue - I've attached a link to your post just incase you want to double check. linky

Now you're changing your tune because your original argument holds no water because of the freephone numbers ntl are using again.

Seriously, get a real hobby.

Can I suggest to a mod that this thread is in the wrong forum, as it's not relevant to ntl?

Originally Posted by orangebird

Excuse me, but your opening post was all about putting people on hold and generating revenue - I've attached a link to your post just incase you want to double check. linky

Now you're changing your tune because your original argument holds no water because of the freephone numbers ntl are using again.

Seriously, get a real hobby.

The whole point of what ICSTIS were saying was about people being kept on hold longer than 15 seconds, but the fact that companies are raking money in does not make it any more pleasant.
WHETHER NTL ARE OFFERING FREE CALLS DOES NOT MAKE IT RIGHT, KEEPING PAYING CUSTOMERS WAITING, DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?
I am not backtracking at all, I suggest you read the article.
I think it is very relevent, its about call waiting times.

[orangebird]

Originally Posted by arcamalpha2004

The whole point of what ICSTIS were saying was about people being kept on hold longer than 15 seconds, but the fact that companies are raking money in does not make it any more pleasant.

ICSTIS regulate premium number services. ntl do not use premium numbers. You're urinating in a very strong breeze.

WHETHER NTL ARE OFFERING FREE CALLS DOES NOT MAKE IT RIGHT, KEEPING PAYING CUSTOMERS WAITING, DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?

PERFECTLY. HOWEVER, IMO 15 SECONDS IS NOT UNREASONABLE. ANYONE WHO EXPECTS THEIR PROBLEM TO BE INVESTIGATED AND RESOLVED WITHOUT A LITTLE WAIT TIME NEEDS TO STEP INTO THE REAL WORLD. DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?

I am not backtracking at all, I suggest you read the article.
I think it is very relevent, its about call waiting times.

You are backtracking completely, your posts now do not relate whatsoever to your original post.

I suggest your provide a link to the article , I'd love to read it.

Originally Posted by orangebird

ICSTIS regulate premium number services. ntl do not use premium numbers. You're urinating in a very strong breeze.


PERFECTLY. HOWEVER, IMO 15 SECONDS IS NOT UNREASONABLE. ANYONE WHO EXPECTS THEIR PROBLEM TO BE INVESTIGATED AND RESOLVED WITHOUT A LITTLE WAIT TIME NEEDS TO STEP INTO THE REAL WORLD. DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?


You are backtracking completely, your posts now do not relate whatsoever to your original post.

I suggest your provide a link to the article , I'd love to read it.

Dont you buy newspapers on a sunday? you would do well to give it a try, I cannot abide lazy people
NTL keep people on hold, do you not understand that?
Whether you do not pay for the pleasure makes no ounce of difference.

[orangebird]

Originally Posted by arcamalpha2004

Dont you buy newspapers on a sunday? you would do well to give it a try, I cannot abide lazy people

I do - the Times

NTL keep people on hold, do you not understand that?
Whether you do not pay for the pleasure makes no ounce of difference.

so ntl keep people on hold. But I'm not sure what that has to do with the topic of this thread, that being ICSTIS and their concerns about companies generating revenue from premium numbers... Could you please clarify?

The OP intended to discuss a link between NTL and the ICSTIS news story. Whether or not other members think the OP is mistaken, if he intended for this to be a discussion about NTL, this thread is in the correct place.

[orangebird]

Originally Posted by Chris T

The OP intended to discuss a link between NTL and the ICSTIS news story. Whether or not other members think the OP is mistaken, if he intended for this to be a discussion about NTL, this thread is in the correct place.

But there isn't a link between ntl and ICSTIS, therefore it shouldn't be in an ntl forum.. Current affairs would be the best place for this - AS IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH NTL PHONE AND CABLE TV.At the very least, a pointless, ill informed dig at ntl is the best way to decribe this thread.

Originally Posted by orangebird

But there isn't a link between ntl and ICSTIS, therefore it shouldn't be in an ntl forum.. Current affairs would be the best place for this - AS IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH NTL PHONE AND CABLE TV.At the very least, a pointless, ill informed dig at ntl is the best way to decribe this thread.

I'm not about to take sides in the discussion by moving it. The OP has used the ICSTIS news story as a jumping off point to talk about NTL's on hold times. I'm happy enough that this is therefore a discussion about NTL, even if you think the original leap from ICSTIS to NTL was poor logic.

[orangebird]

FFS.

I am with OB on this one - I don't understand why this thread holds any relevance to ntl.

For a start ntl are re-introducing free calling again to customer services and faults. So this thread is irrelevant.

On another issue - anyone who expects an issue to be resolved within 15 seconds on any call, needs their head testing.

Originally Posted by orangebird

FFS.

Throw your rattle then.

---------- Post added at 13:24 ---------- Previous post was at 13:16 ----------

Originally Posted by Mick

I am with OB on this one - I don't understand why this thread holds any relevance to ntl.

I agree that arcamalpha has used somewhat tortuous logic to get from ICSTIS and premium rate phone numbers to a complaint about NTL's on-hold times, but he clearly intended for this to be a thread about NTL. He clarified that when he posted this:

Originally Posted by arcamalpha2004

What they are on about is the time you are kept on hold once your call has been answered.
They are saying that they are suspicious if you are kept longer than 15 seconds, the answer to this seems to be more staff to take the calls, there is no doubt in my mind that ntl will employ as few csa's as they can get away with, putting the welfare of the customer on the back burner, ntl are not the only guilty party in that respect.
I would suggest that when people call these numbers, if they are kept on hold longer than 15 seconds they notify ICSTIS and let them deal with it, this will also help highlight the problems of understaffed call centres.

I have bolded the key parts. Arcamalpha is complaining about NTL putting culstomer welfare on the back burner, not NTL ripping people off with long on-hold times.

But the whole arguement still doesn't hold any water at all - that I can see, with the simple fact, ntl is going back to freephone customer services and faults. Why would anyone want to get suspicious of being on hold to ntl - the call is free. Thus this arguement is by far, flawed.

[orangebird]

Originally Posted by Chris T

Throw your rattle then.

---------- Post added at 13:24 ---------- Previous post was at 13:16 ----------



I agree that arcamalpha has used somewhat tortuous logic to get from ICSTIS and premium rate phone numbers to a complaint about NTL's on-hold times, but he clearly intended for this to be a thread about NTL. He clarified that when he posted this:



I have bolded the key parts. Arcamalpha is complaining about NTL putting culstomer welfare on the back burner, not NTL ripping people off with long on-hold times.

He's saying, if you're being put on hold by ntl, time it and complain to ICSTIS - what for??????? ntl do not use premium rate numbers for the customers. If he wants to **** and moan about the CS, then do that in a more appropriately themed thread. As I said before, this has nothing to do with ntl phone and cable TV. So it's in the wrong forum.

This thread is about companies generating revenue by putting people on hold when they're calling a premium number, nothing to do with ntl at all.