VM's Indian callcentre

[Russ]

Originally Posted by Kursk

Like I said, I can only go by my own experience. But beyond that, will it really help for one of the moderators on the best cable forum in the UK to be so openly critical?

And why not? Am I to play down a company's failings just to be PC? Perhaps it will have the opposite effect, perhaps my comments will be noticed?

I have the right to pass comment on VM's service as much as anyone, my position on the team makes no difference. I post within the T&Cs, and my comments stand.

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by Russ B

I don't know how Virgin tech support agents have their set-up but when 9 of them in one country can't spot the problem yet 1 in the UK can, with exactly the same tools, they leave themselves extremely wide open to be a soft target, and rightly so in my case. 9 is beyond a forgivable or understandable amount.

---------- Post added at 19:48 ---------- Previous post was at 19:45 ----------

Originally Posted by Kursk

Like I said, I can only go by my own experience. But beyond that, will it really help for one of the moderators on the best cable forum in the UK to be so openly critical? The training provided to the techs is the training provided; I think these guys would be feeling pretty glum about the service they try to provide if they were to read this. Sherer has made this point very well a few times. I dunno, perhaps all us computer types are just inherently miserable.

The thing is Russ is quite correct to complain because quite often the UK call centres have to clean up the mess left by Off shore and mend fences with customers, plus it is now a question of who do we in the UK trust to fix our fault Off shore or UK based, maybe we should put that to a vote and run a poll.

[General Maximus]

Originally Posted by Kursk

I think these guys would be feeling pretty glum about the service they try to provide if they were to read this.

I am sorry but I am with Russ on this one. When I ring a tech support number and tell them my internet is dead (once a year if that) there is nothing more annoying than them telling me they have run some tests, nothing is wrong and I must have a virus, and that is after speaking to only one person.

At the end of the day the issue isn't with indian people, it is to do with cheap staffing and poor training to cut down costs no matter whether they be in Indian, China, America or Scotland. I am sure we would all moan just as much if they offered such poor service if it was an english call center.

As for how they feel? Screw them, they should be more worried about how we feel. If they were good customer service people and took pride in their work they would want to make sure every customer was happy with the service they provide and the problem was resolved instead of telling them a load of crap to get them off the phone. I am normally more than happy to pile on the praise where it is due but the tech support guys are thing about VM that really get to me

[Ignitionnet]

Much as I hate misusing the Newsgroup guys as '1st line' support better to use them and get issues resolved than to waste my time with the guys in India. Every time I've spoken with the tech support agents in India I've always ended up having a disagreement with them, from them saying that even though my STB was transmitting at 61dBmV it was all fine because it was connected (for the first time in a while) through to my most recent entertainment with them, a simple password change to fix my non-functional self-care and that took 3 calls...

They are abysmal and clearly not really trained in any technical way. They are trained in a bit of customer service and run through flowcharts, they have no idea what they are actually supporting nor how it works.

They are bluntly a liability, they waste customer's time, lower customer satisfaction levels within Virgin Media, and need to either be much better trained or support needs to be brought back onshore.

Someone needs to get through to VM in no uncertain terms that offshore support at its' cheapest does not work, this isn't just my opinion this is official and proven both by studies into customer satisfaction and value along with companies that have brought support back to the UK after finding it a false economy to outsource.

That they had the gall to charge for this at one time is absolutely astounding.

[Milambar]

Originally Posted by Broadbandings

That they had the gall to charge for this at one time is absolutely astounding.

I remember that period. £1.85/minute for an unsupport call because I only had a mobile phone at the time. Ouch.

[smcaul]

Having just read the whole thread, I can't understand why no one has pointed out the obvious.

It took 10 phone calls in total to rectify, had call ten actually been call one then the other nine calls would not have needed to be made. How exactly do nine extra phone calls (no matter where the operatives are based) actually translate into a cheaper service for VM or the customer?

I have had very similar experiences with the "off shore" call centres, whilst they may speak English, they do not understand the English language! I do not like having my time wasted by someone who likes the sound of their voice! They always feel the need to repeat themselves time and time again, telling you what they are going to do, how they are going to do it, what they are actually doing, what they have done and what they can do in the future!!!!

[Russ]

Originally Posted by smcaul

They always feel the need to repeat themselves time and time again, telling you what they are going to do, how they are going to do it, what they are actually doing, what they have done and what they can do in the future!!!!

Oh my word YES!!! It makes you wonder how much of each call is wasted with them repeating everything, telling you what they have done, will do, might do etc instead of just getting on with it as people in UK callcenters do.

At the very most they should ask us if we want to know what happened - chances are the caller won't want to out of desperation to get off the phone as well as the assumption that notes will be placed on the account explaining it all.

[smcaul]

I forgot to add, what would be a very interesting study or read if the study has already been carried out is exactly what the stats are for a first time fix for UK call ctr, and a first time fix for off shore call ctr's. Also which location gets the most repeat calls etc? I am pretty sure I already know the answer!

[Kursk]

Wow, you guys must have tech support in 'family and friends' in your address book. Perhaps it's me. Perhaps I haven't had to call them much - well, no, I haven't but when I have it's been fine. Could be I'm just lucky.

I also think there's nothing wrong in keeping you informed of progress in resolving your issue. They seem damned if they speak and damned if they don't. Sheesh.

Noone is questioning anyone's right to comment and clearly my view is in the minority here. If people are so dissatisfied with the performance of the Indians, maybe it is time to give the cowboys a turn .

I wonder if then you'll be any happier.

[Turkey Machine]

This is why they offer tech support free when you take their phone line. Any other phone provider you use to call Virgin Media's Tech Support costs a LOT of money! I spent about £10 on my mobile phone credit (Vodafone PAYG) trying to activate my modem with them, one final call early(ish) in the day to a UK call centre (thank the good Lord) and it was all sorted! They never refunded it either. The calls to the Indian call centres I made I struggled to understand them, I was straining to hear them, trying to translate what they were saying (they weren't saying it in Hindi, just very strong "Indian English").

This sort of problem wouldn't happen if we had call centres in the UK. Companies are only trying to make a quick fast buck by out-sourcing them, and it only hurts the consumer.

[Russ]

Originally Posted by Kursk

I also think there's nothing wrong in keeping you informed of progress in resolving your issue. They seem damned if they speak and damned if they don't. Sheesh.

I'd say pretty much none of us want to be on the phone to any tech support and even less of us are interested in the progress. What we want is results. We don't need a running commentary. We want an agent to just get on with what they're doing and let us know if they've found the fault and if it's fixed.

You know, like they tend to do in the UK callcentres.

[General Maximus]

so say we all

[mabseyuk]

A typical phone call I had recently with the indian call centre:

Me: Hello, Could I speak with the 50mb support Team Please

India: Yes Sir, this is the 50mb Technical Support Team, how Can I help you?

Me: Are you sure you can support 50mb?

India: Yes Sir, I support 20mb and 50mb.

Me: Ok Thanks, I am still having problems with my upload and download speeds on the 50mb service.

India: Can I take your details and password blah blah.

Me: Gives Info

India: Ok sir, can you tell me what speed you are getting

Me: I'm getting 900k upload speed and only 26mb download speed.

India: 900k upload speed is fine sir, you should be getting 768k (My Alarm bell starts to ring)

Me: I'm on the 50mb Service, it should be up to 1.5mb and also, I'm only getting 26mb download speed.

India: Yes sir these speeds are fine for your package. (Oh Dear!)

Me, Aggrevated: No, I am on 50mb, these speeds are not fine!

India: You are on 50mb, hold on sir, let me transfer you to the 50mb team, can you hold?

Me: Waits on hold music for 4 minutes.

India: I am sorry sir I can't put you through to the 50mb line. Can I give you there number.

He then gives me a 0800 number. I ring, I get long number not is use tone, I chucks phone at wall.

Some are better than others, but to tell me he deals with 50mb, what a joke and waste of 10 minutes of time.

Mabs

[Kursk]

Originally Posted by Russ B

I'd say pretty much none of us want to be on the phone to any tech support and even less of us are interested in the progress. What we want is results. We don't need a running commentary. We want an agent to just get on with what they're doing and let us know if they've found the fault and if it's fixed.

You know, like they tend to do in the UK callcentres.

Originally Posted by General Maximus

so say we all

A group hug and/or high fives would seem appropriate *waits for male bonding to subside*

H'ok. Well, I still doubt it very much that if Tech was UK-based everyone would be content with the new support Utopia. Let's face it, whoever is trying to keep VM's customers happy has got his/her work cut out. Lots of people seem only to use the net for checking that their connection is up to speed...

Just how many times are you guys contacting tech? Perhaps the 9 different agents you spoke to Russ were the same bloke doing support Rory Bremner style

ps looks like things are getting worse!

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by mabseyuk

A typical phone call I had recently with the indian call centre:

Me: Hello, Could I speak with the 50mb support Team Please

India: Yes Sir, this is the 50mb Technical Support Team, how Can I help you?

Me: Are you sure you can support 50mb?

India: Yes Sir, I support 20mb and 50mb.

Me: Ok Thanks, I am still having problems with my upload and download speeds on the 50mb service.

India: Can I take your details and password blah blah.

Me: Gives Info

India: Ok sir, can you tell me what speed you are getting

Me: I'm getting 900k upload speed and only 26mb download speed.

India: 900k upload speed is fine sir, you should be getting 768k (My Alarm bell starts to ring)

Me: I'm on the 50mb Service, it should be up to 1.5mb and also, I'm only getting 26mb download speed.

India: Yes sir these speeds are fine for your package. (Oh Dear!)

Me, Aggrevated: No, I am on 50mb, these speeds are not fine!

India: You are on 50mb, hold on sir, let me transfer you to the 50mb team, can you hold?

Me: Waits on hold music for 4 minutes.

India: I am sorry sir I can't put you through to the 50mb line. Can I give you there number.

He then gives me a 0800 number. I ring, I get long number not is use tone, I chucks phone at wall.

Some are better than others, but to tell me he deals with 50mb, what a joke and waste of 10 minutes of time.

Mabs

If you are on 50Mb then you will have received a dedicated number to call so you get through to the 50Mb support teams first time, so ring that next time.