Is a half hour wait acceptable?

Originally Posted by Scooby

I'm sure that ntl did/do have a service status line as well but the 0800 number escapes me at the moment

probably dropped it because it was oversubscribed.


incog.

Originally Posted by Theodoric

The number I phoned was simply the one I'd noted for Tech Support when I started with ntl. However, for future use, I'd be grateful if you could give me the best number to phone if I have a problem in future; I'll store it away in my ntl info file.

0800 052 4315 for ntlworld server status line.

0800 052 2000 for fault reporting, if there is a widespread service problem there may be an automated message indicating that ntl do know there is a problem in your area that is effecting your service.

[Graham F]

Originally Posted by Dr. Plummer

0800 052 4315 for ntlworld server status line.

0800 052 2000 for fault reporting, if there is a widespread service problem there may be an automated message indicating that ntl do know there is a problem in your area that is effecting your service.

Thanks for that Dr P was kinda pulling my hair out trying to find the status line number here

[scrotnig]

Originally Posted by Scooby

Please tell me you aren't being serious when you say



are you trying to tell me that almost all the one million plus internet customers tried to contact ntl last night abt this fault?!?

Sorry, what I meant was 'what seems like every customer', certainly in these circumstances a lot clearly do ring in to technical support in Swansea, and with all the best preparations in the world, no call centre could be prepared to handle, for example, 10 times the usual call volumes at a moments notice.

My best advice to anyone who loses their connection altogether, is to try the status line first (free call), if no information there, call technical support and listen for a recorded message. If that message covers your fault, then hang up, because holding on for an advisor may take a while, and they can only tell you the same as the recorded message anyway.

Most problems that affect a large number of people are resolved PDQ.

[Theodoric]

Originally Posted by Dr. Plummer

0800 052 4315 for ntlworld server status line.

0800 052 2000 for fault reporting, if there is a widespread service problem there may be an automated message indicating that ntl do know there is a problem in your area that is effecting your service.

Thanks. Cut and pasted into my ntl info file.

[prolific8]

I once spent a combined total of 4 (1 hour - cut off, then another hour - cut off, then 2 hours bounced between every department in the company) hours waiting to speak to the right person.

Needless to say I've been put off ever calling again.

[Richardr]

Originally Posted by Theodoric

I had a half hour wait before I was dealt with. So, is a half hour wait considered acceptable by ntl?

My last two calls to ntl have taken 36 minutes and 28 minutes respectively before they have been answered. Neither was at the time of a widespread problem (as far as I am aware)

ntl probably consider that acceptable, I don't.

[Mr.Moony]

Originally Posted by Richardr

My last two calls to ntl have taken 36 minutes and 28 minutes respectively before they have been answered. Neither was at the time of a widespread problem (as far as I am aware)

ntl probably consider that acceptable, I don't.

ntl are taking steps to resolve this issue. As far as my memory serves (yesterday seems a slight blurr) before that fantastic virus that everyone was well prepared for, there were always 0 calls waiting.

Ohhhh if I had a time machine. (I'd go back to see iron maiden in their first head-liner concert)

[lemarsh]

The problem with ringing with a 'fault' is that there is not 1 area that deals with issues.

Most of the time I'd ring customer services first (0800 0522 000) - queue normally 30 minutes. They do 'account' checks (which in more than 1 occasion was the reason, despite I pay all bills by DD, and are always paid), and then transfer to Tech Support in Swanswa - another 30min+ queue.

At least this way it is all a free phone call - I really object to having to pay NTL for being in their queue - even if it is a local rate number.

Perhaps that is why, on Friday, I will be a Sky+ customer

[paulyoung666]

Originally Posted by lemarsh

The problem with ringing with a 'fault' is that there is not 1 area that deals with issues.

Most of the time I'd ring customer services first (0800 0522 000) - queue normally 30 minutes. They do 'account' checks (which in more than 1 occasion was the reason, despite I pay all bills by DD, and are always paid), and then transfer to Tech Support in Swanswa - another 30min+ queue.

At least this way it is all a free phone call - I really object to having to pay NTL for being in their queue - even if it is a local rate number.

Perhaps that is why, on Friday, I will be a Sky+ customer

exactly the approach i take and for the reasons you state as well

[Ian K]

Originally Posted by lemarsh

Perhaps that is why, on Friday, I will be a Sky+ customer

Exactly the same here - they're due round to do the install on Friday, and the magic access card arrived in the post over the weekend.

All very professional and efficient, and, I'm sorry to say, much better than the run-of-the-mill ntl experience.

Ian

[Deev]

Originally Posted by Ian K

Exactly the same here - they're due round to do the install on Friday, and the magic access card arrived in the post over the weekend.

All very professional and efficient, and, I'm sorry to say, much better than the run-of-the-mill ntl experience.

Ian

Of course. I'm sure they're lovely and efficient and friendly and quick when they're signing you up.... just you wait until something goes wrong though. I have had more than my fair share of HORROR stories dealing with Sky in the past... plus haven't Sky's CS all been shipped out to India or somesuch recently?

[quadplay]

I believe Sky's main call centres are still in Scotland, but they do have overflow/overnight and outgoing centres in India. I remember when I first got SkyDigital back in 1998 (before I lived in a cabled area), waiting one hour in a phone queue to book a reinstall because the first installer said his ladder wasn't big enough for my house! ntl's queues are quite dire right now, but new people are being trained, for tech support at least!

[andygrif]

I beleive that the whole appraoch to how customers are handled in each of the call centres should be re-evalued as it clearly isn't working right now (not just at ntl, but then this is the subject on discussion here).

I'm perfectly happy to be shot down in flames on this one, as it's only intended to be a topic for discussion, but here goes:

Why not have one number for all customer contact and support? I know that tech support is a revenue generating number right now, but most often it is a fault at ntl's end that causes me to call BBTS and not somrthing I have done.

If the customer had one free number to call, each call could be handled quickly and efficiently (and immidiately) via a 'receptionist' that could direct the call to the relevent next level, such as faults, BBTS, customer service, etc. Obviously depending on the level of calls of the next level, customers might experience some delay, but at least they are not then subjected to call costs whilst in a queue.

From there I think that each region should have its own tech support for internet. Quite often there are network problems in the local area, which ideally the local area should know about first. In my experience, on such occasions Swnasea may not be aware (or at least claim not to be) of these issues when calling. Localised tech support could identify these issues, make local networks people aware and potentially resolve the issue much faster.

If the localised BBTS people identify that the customer has a problem which is at their end, rather than the ntl end, then they could offer pay per incident tech support (like many companies such as Microsoft, HP, IBM do) at a reasonable cost such as £2 / £3 or customers could purchase blanket cover for a fee - both of these could be added to their phone bills every month, or pay as you go style billing via credit or debit cards. Such calls could be handled from a centralised point, be that Swansea or be that Bangalore - no doubt this would be a more efficient manner to handle such calls - without clogging up the phone lines for people with network faults.

Anyway....I could go on, but you get the general gist of what I'm saying....open up the floor.....

[Mr.Moony]

Originally Posted by andygrif

If the customer had one free number to call, each call could be handled quickly and efficiently (and immidiately) via a 'receptionist' that could direct the call to the relevent next level, such as faults, BBTS, customer service, etc. Obviously depending on the level of calls of the next level, customers might experience some delay, but at least they are not then subjected to call costs whilst in a queue.

Yes, a technical support free phone number. Thats not going to generate more calls.