Only 100 Customers/Day Leaving VM

[Downloads]

Originally Posted by etccarmageddon

there is more to it though

- firstly the issue that SKY is a platform supplier as well as a channel provider therefore a conflict of interest - they can over price their channels in order to gain exclusive broadcasting.

- secondly (as you mentioned) SKY having an open platform where channels can broadcast as pay to view independently of the SKY packages whereas VM are a closed platform - therefore a non level playing field.

You can't compare 2 different systems which cost completely different amounts of money to get up and running. If they forced Virgin to open it up this country would never get anywhere as there is no incentive for anyone to ever invest anymore. That would hurt the consumer more long term.

[GuestUK]

Originally Posted by Downloads

You can't compare 2 different systems which cost completely different amounts of money to get up and running. If they forced Virgin to open it up this country would never get anywhere as there is no incentive for anyone to ever invest anymore. That would hurt the consumer more long term.

It depends on how you clarify 'open', though. I think being open in the fact that they cannot discriminate against a channel, channels or a provider would be good. Otherwise, you end up in a situation where channels can be blocked from appearing on the network purely because it might provide competition or because of personal reasons. This is different in being open in regards to a free for all and giving away control of their network, which I think would be a bad thing. On the other hand, I think the first to some degree, with a certain amount of regulation, could perhaps be a good thing.

[mdwh2]

Originally Posted by AndyCambs

Good point. What would these people do if their television went wrong one night - by the sounds of some posts, there would be hospital treatment required!

If your TV went wrong and you couldn't get a new one, would you continue to pay for a service you no longer used?

I don't understand why people are labelled as being obsessed about TV just because they don't want to spend money on something they aren't intersted anymore. On the contrary, I'd say it's the people who spend money simply to have "100s of channels", no matter what those channels are, who seem more obsessed about TV.

_Everyone_ here who is spending out money for TV is just as much bothered about TV as each other - maybe someone who didn't pay for TV at all would be able to laugh at us, but then I'd wonder what such a person was doing wasting his time on this forum...

[Kaychsea]

Originally Posted by mdwh2

If your TV went wrong and you couldn't get a new one, would you continue to pay for a service you no longer used?

I don't understand why people are labelled as being obsessed about TV just because they don't want to spend money on something they aren't intersted anymore. On the contrary, I'd say it's the people who spend money simply to have "100s of channels", no matter what those channels are, who seem more obsessed about TV.

_Everyone_ here who is spending out money for TV is just as much bothered about TV as each other - maybe someone who didn't pay for TV at all would be able to laugh at us, but then I'd wonder what such a person was doing wasting his time on this forum...

Well I have cable primarily because the quality of the broadcast signal is poor in my area, you can't get C4 or 5 very well here. The benefits of dozens of other channels, particularly Film 4 and the like, and VOD is what keeps me with Virgin, the broadband doesn't hurt either .

If people want out because they are losing Sky's basic channels then Virgin are letting them, so I'm not sure why people are moaning one way or the other to be honest.

If the quoted figure of 100 a day is in the right order of magnitude and it stays like that by the end of this week I would be very worried if I was Sky. The figures are likely to start high and tail off, so in order to meet the 150K minimum to break even they need to average five thousand a day over March. To be pulling much less than 1% of that over the first two weeks is poor to say the least.

This is why Virgin got it right by letting those who really want to get out to do so. It presents a risk, but as things are it gives Sky a reason to get back to the negotiating table.

[swissle]

If the figures for people leaving are so small, I would like to know why I am on hold for 23mins

[WHISTLED]

I visited the central Customer Relations office this week and call volumes have massively decreased from those we were seeing prior to the channels being dropped. If its taking 23 mins which I dont doubt its because its 9am! Only 2 shifts have started and what does everyone do when they start work in the office? Use the company phone to make their lengthy personal calls.

[AndyCambs]

Originally Posted by WHISTLED

I visited the central Customer Relations office this week and call volumes have massively decreased from those we were seeing prior to the channels being dropped. If its taking 23 mins which I dont doubt its because its 9am! Only 2 shifts have started and what does everyone do when they start work in the office? Use the company phone to make their lengthy personal calls.

Surely not? Don't they all have Virgin Mobiles?

[jem]

Originally Posted by AndyCambs

Surely not? Don't they all have Virgin Mobiles?

Yep that's the point. They all have VirginMobile Lobsters and the're trying to get Sky1

[AndyCambs]

Originally Posted by jem

Yep that's the point. They all have VirginMobile Lobsters and the're trying to get Sky1

[swissle]

Originally Posted by WHISTLED

I visited the central Customer Relations office this week and call volumes have massively decreased from those we were seeing prior to the channels being dropped. If its taking 23 mins which I dont doubt its because its 9am! Only 2 shifts have started and what does everyone do when they start work in the office? Use the company phone to make their lengthy personal calls.

What? I have never heard anything so utterly stupid in my entire life. It shouldn't be possible for customer retentions to dial out and I doubt this is the case that they all sit with their feet up talking.

Why would the channels mean a decrease in call volume? "I was going to cancel my Virgin Media service but now they have dropped bSkyb basic channels I'm there for life"

Originally Posted by WHISTLED

I visited the central Customer Relations office this week and call volumes have massively decreased from those we were seeing prior to the channels being dropped. If its taking 23 mins which I dont doubt its because its 9am! Only 2 shifts have started and what does everyone do when they start work in the office? Use the company phone to make their lengthy personal calls.

That could be taken to mean that VM staff are getting on the phone as soon as they get into the office and making customers wait while they make personal calls . I hope that's not what you meant to say anyway.

[Crooky]

I called VM yesterday and today and both calls were answered within two minutes.

The CSR even apologised for the (30 sec) delay this afternoon.

swizzle, were you calling Customer relations or customer services?

[concepttwenty20]

staffing levels change throughout the day

[invisibleboy]

there have been a few faults over the last few days and rather a lot of new V+ installations so there have been times during the day when it has been very busy, lady i spoke to yesterday at CS said it was all sorts of things people were phoning about not many asking to cancel

[swissle]

This was customer retentions (25mins) and then customer service (4mins), I am so fed up of my bill being incorrect and the loss of Sky One and Sky Travel has just added salt to the wound, before anyone jumps on the 'those channels are crap bandwagon' I enjoy them and consider them one of the major reasons I subscribed.

I already have an alternative broadband supplier into my house through work so changing won't be much of a problem.