Fed up playing guessing game, what's Virgins telephone support numbers?

Originally Posted by mikeym

Is it just me or is there a pattern?

There's a pattern.

I guess VM would call it 'decreasing call volumes' and chalk it up as a success for whichever project manager implemented it.

The rest of us can call it what it is - making it harder for customers to get a speedy response to their problems by doing the natural thing and talking to someone.

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by mikeym

Go to almost any contact us page on the internet and it will have prominent contact details there on the first page,

Amazon.co.uk - I have to log in before I can contact them, and then, as with Virgin, they ask some questions to make sure I get the right contact details.

Sky.com, again you have to let them know what you wish to contact them about

BT - again presents questions to make sure you get the right contact options

So if there are separate contact details for each of these types of contact then I could understand having a distinction

Yes, they are. For instance there are different online forms depening on whether you are wanting help with a fault, wanting to arrange a house move online or make a complaint

Instead you now have to answer another question about the type of service you have.

This is again, to make sure the correct contact details are presented. There are different numbers if you have cable services or National services

Then more questions about the type of question you have (why does that matter to contacting you?) and then a list of fast answers

Again, to make sure you are presented with the correct contact times, options and forms. As you have a billing question, you don't want to be given the details for help with your broadband connection do you?

I would suggest that 320 choices to pick from will put a lot of people off.

It's not 320 Choices, because 99% of the options won't apply. You choose the options you need.

Having an automated telephone system that will ask you 20 questions that the support person will just have to ask you again will also put many more people off.

Any questions asked by the automated phone service are not asked by the support people again. If they are that support person is possibly not doing their job correctly.

---------- Post added at 22:27 ---------- Previous post was at 22:23 ----------

Originally Posted by Chris

The rest of us can call it what it is - making it harder for customers to get a speedy response to their problems by doing the natural thing and talking to someone.

It's not about that at all

It's about making sure those people who need to speak to someone can get through speedily.

If you have had a broadband fault, do you really want to be stuck in a call queue behind people that don't know how to set up a new e-mail address? Or would you rather Virgin offer them the help they need so they don't need to call in, which will allow you to get through quicker?

[Peter_]

If you call in and you have answered all the questions on the IVR system then all I will ask for is your name.

You may be asked some further questions if the agent feels it is required say for an issue which involves your email address.