Virgin Media Trowbridge call centre to close?

[alwaysabear]

Originally Posted by MartJ

Why not close overseas call centre and keep UK ones open, seems like Virgin Media/Mobile have little respect for their UK workforce.

It is all about money! These corporations do not seem to care about the UK workforce or the customer experience. I hope decisions like these comeback to haunt them.

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by MartJ

Why not close overseas call centre and keep UK ones open, seems like Virgin Media/Mobile have little respect for their UK workforce.

I would point out that they are closing the site, not the UK Call Centre

The existing UK Call Centre at Wythenshawe will take over dealing with the calls that are currently dealt with at Trowbridge

They also have the Sheffield UK call centre that also takes Mobile customer service calls.

[carlwaring]

Fair enough, Ben. However, still doesn't answer the wider issue of overseas call centres v UK ones

Cost - if they hire all UK call centres, it will cost more, which will put our bills up.

[LondonRoad]

Originally Posted by Hugh

Cost - if they hire all UK call centres, it will cost more, which will put our bills up.

You're probably right about VM. There are a few organisations, particularly in finance and insurance who are turning their back on overseas centres.

I suppose they have to balance call centre savings with lost business because of the poor quality of customer service experienced.

[Mick Fisher]

Originally Posted by Hugh

Cost - if they hire all UK call centres, it will cost more, which will put our bills up.

Hmmm I don't remember off shoring measures ever reducing our bills.

[LondonRoad]

Originally Posted by Mick Fisher

Hmmm I don't remember off shoring measures ever reducing our bills.

I'd tell them where to stick their 5 rupees.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by MartJ

So Virgin are going to add to the UK Unemployment figures some much for the government claiming that the Private Sector will provide the jobs.

Perhaps instead of closing Trowbridge, they should look at closing overseas call centres which are much detested by customers for their lack of customer service.

There,s only one word to describe overseas call centres and that is awful.

---------- Post added at 16:00 ---------- Previous post was at 15:58 ----------

Originally Posted by Hugh

Cost - if they hire all UK call centres, it will cost more, which will put our bills up.

Maybe our bills might rise but l believe if all their call centres were in this country the customer service would be far better thus l suspect saving them money.

[Mick Fisher]

Originally Posted by denphone

There,s only one word to describe overseas call centres and that is awful.

---------- Post added at 16:00 ---------- Previous post was at 15:58 ----------



Maybe our bills might rise but l believe if all their call centres were in this country the customer service would be far better thus l suspect saving them money.

Well it would certainly save a load of modems being needlessly sent out.

[hedgie]

Originally Posted by carlwaring

I think it's a matter of cost; and always has been. Overseas CCs are cheaper to run.

But if you end up with more calls, less customer satisfaction, and more work for the support team is it really worth it??

I would pay a bit extra if VM committed to close the overseas call centre.

M

[m419]

Well we should expect to see some of these savings they are making through using foreign call centres. Most likely not!

3 is probably has the highest use of foreign call centres, they seem to be ok, the acutal call centres are in fact owned by 3's parent company Hutchison Whampoa through an initiative by the company called Hutchison telesales, the call centre is used by other Hutchison Whampoa businesses including 3-Ireland,Vodafone-Hutchison austrailia ltd.

3 does pass the savings onto customers, well they have to, who would stay! They must be doing something right they leaped from 3 million customers to 6 million in just a few years, soon they will overtake Vodafone.

My experience with Virgin Media's foreign call centres lately hasn't been very good in comparison with 3's. I can't hear a word they are saying! and they miss a lot of things so you have to keep repeating yourself.

The thing that gets me is, Cable services in comparison to 1997 is extortionate and Virgin Media avoid many costs by using foreign labour and VAT, they use Virgin Media entertainment, a business registered in Luxembourg to cut VAT, but we still pay the full wack and both Sky and Virgin charging like up to £199 for Set top boxes such as Tivo, when in reality they are made in third world countries for like a tenner!

And both Sky and Virgin the amount the charge for pay tv is crazy! most of the stuff is constantly repeated and there is never anything on, if people soon abandon the pay-tv market, you'll soon see the cost drop and fresh content appear.

In germany, Sky does not fit in well because most channels you get free through cable services provided by Deutsche Telekom. Imagine if Virgin Media,Smallworld Media and Wight Cable started doing that here offering the top TV package including related HD channels for free when you take unlimited calls and 50MB/100MB broadband, it would certainly attract customers, something that Sky,BT,TalkTalk,Orange,Demon and Plusnet are miles from offering, and don't even mention BT Vision with BT's 100MB infinity rubbish, BT Vision is so lacking in content, Ofcom doesn't even class it as a pay-tv service!

But back to the main subject, if Virgin Media want to remain successful, they must get the idea of foreign call centres out of there heads, customer service is the main function of a business. Online customer services with a premium rate telephone number is also another one they should avoid, you can't run a business and not give a stuff about the customers, they will walk simple as that!

[carlwaring]

Originally Posted by m419

Well we should expect to see some of these savings they are making through using foreign call centres. Most likely not!

I don't think it's matter of our bills going down because they're saving by using overseas call centres more than our bill might have to rise if they brought them all back to the UK

Originally Posted by m419

... when in reality they are made in third world countries for like a tenner!

Is this just what you think or can you actually prove it?

[Fingy]

There have been other redundacies this year too, sadly my last official day is tomorrow after 10 years of service. Ho Hum

[pabscars]

Originally Posted by Hugh

Cost - if they hire all UK call centres, it will cost more, which will put our bills up.

I disagree, uk call centre staff are much better at correctly diagnosing issues, overseas can all too easily incorrectly diagnose a problem and send out new hubs, modems, router's and engineers.

Typical example, at home I must have 3 or 4 modems, 3 routers, and had a dozen engineer visits, most of which has been the result of overseas support being too hasty in their diagnosis.

Uk call centre may cost more in labour but I would not be surprised if in the long run, it would lead to much improved customer support/loyalty/perception, save money (in equipment) and time spent by engineers driving up and down the country screwing attenuators on the back of modems etc.

[DABhand]

I have said in the past 1 UK agent is worth 25 of the Indian's. Now lets say 2000 indians are employed, thats 80 UK agents. I would prefer the 80 who understand good English skills and do not follow a check list, do not lie and just don't order you things even when you say no to them.