General : Virgin TV Behind the rest ?

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by carlwaring

Again, which facts?

Never mind. I think we're back here again

Facts regards speaking to the average manager who usually only manages and has little or no idea about anything else regarding the processes and products involved, how clear do you need that to be.

All companies want complaints resolved at First Point of Contact so as to improve the customer experience, now do you have any idea who the FPOC maybe when you call in, I will give you a clue it is not the manager.

Of course when you have never done the job you get people trying to make a guess and getting it completely wrong, learn from someone who does this kind of thing for a living and up to now with three different companies but the process is little different between the three.

[paultrademark]

Everytime I've spoken to a manager at VM, they know the product and services.. pretty poor if they don't IMO.

[Itshim]

O.k this is the answer from S4C . Back to Virgin. whom should it be taken up with:-



Many thanks for your further request for information.

Virgin has been upgrading its capability to deal with multiple audio streams – however currently that does not affect the availability of a second language on S4C. Whether the second language stream will be offered in the future is a decision for Virgin Media.

Yours sincerely

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by paultrademark

Everytime I've spoken to a manager at VM, they know the product and services.. pretty poor if they don't IMO.

Most don't and as a manager have no real need to have product knowledge so as above apart from them stating they are a manager how can you be sure they are actually a manager as quite often the so called manager who takes over the call is just another agent who may be more experienced than the original agent nothing more.

Try to remember you are not sitting face to face with that person so you are relying on them being a manager because they told you they are a manager.

If you do not work in this field then you are unaware of this type of thing until you see it first hand.

[paultrademark]

Originally Posted by Peter_

Most don't and as a manager have no real need to have product knowledge so as above apart from them stating they are a manager how can you be sure they are actually a manager as quite often the so called manager who takes over the call is just another agent who may be more experienced than the original agent nothing more.

Try to remember you are not sitting face to face with that person so you are relying on them being a manager because they told you they are a manager.

If you do not work in this field then you are unaware of this type of thing until you see it first hand.

Maybe that's your experience of it, and thanks for the condescending reply but I have worked in plenty of call centres and know how they work.

If you're saying that people are pretending to be managers, that's shoddy and frankly disgusting behaviour.. does this go on at VM?

Everytime I've needed to speak to a manager at VM, I mostly get the issue dealt with and given a direct contact number (or email) to follow up with if there is any further issues.

Am pretty sure the inbound call centre agent would not be very happy taking time out of their AHT, Inbound time etc to do all this.. as we all know how strict targets are in a CC.

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by paultrademark

If you're saying that people are pretending to be managers, that's shoddy and frankly disgusting behaviour.. does this go on at VM?

No-one will pretend to be an agent's line manager. However, if you ask the call be escalated, then you may well speak to a dedicated resolutions team who are tasked to deal with escalated calls and would have the same authority level as a 'manager', rather than an agents direct line manager who is tasked with managing the agent.

[paultrademark]

That's not what Peter was implying though...

as quite often the so called manager who takes over the call is just another agent

So when I've asked to speak to a manager in the past, and actually been told I am speaking to a manager.. then in fact it is an escalations team?

I have spoken to managers at VM who are perfectly well versed in their products and services, and I also understand why call centres sometimes only have 'people' managers.. but surely those managers go through the same company training on products as the agents at very least?

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by paultrademark

So when I've asked to speak to a manager in the past, and actually been told I am speaking to a manager.. then in fact it is an escalations team?

As I said, it should always be clear who you are speaking to.

Originally Posted by paultrademark

but surely those managers go through the same company training on products as the agents at very least?

Yes they do

This isn't about hoodwinking customers, it's about making sure they get their issue resolved. Virgin Media staff team managers as that - to manage teams, not be immediately available to deal with an escalated call. So there are less in a centre than agents and previously when people wanted to speak to a manager, none would be available as they were all doing their team management job.

The resolutions teams are empowered with the same call resolving authority as what customers would expect for a manager, so the result is the same.

[paultrademark]

Thanks Ben, certainly makes it clearer than the way Peter explained it.

Originally Posted by carlwaring

Erm... Ben just did. Or do you mean an official statement/press release or something?

i know its nothing to do with this thread.. i finerly got rid of virgin media.. i had enough of it.. they came today instead.. its all gone.. one less bill

[carlwaring]

Originally Posted by Peter_

Facts regards speaking to the average manager who usually only manages and has little or no idea about anything else regarding the processes and products involved, how clear do you need that to be.

Again, which manager though? Becasuse the Customer Services Manager should really know what his Reps know.

But yes, not all managers will know about the products and services a company offers to the level that they can talk to customers about and "make deals" and stuff. That's what they have a CS Dept. for

All companies want complaints resolved at First Point of Contact so as to improve the customer experience, now do you have any idea who the FPOC maybe when you call in, I will give you a clue it is not the manager.

That much is blindingly obvious so no sarcasm needed.

Of course when you have never done the job you get people trying to make a guess and getting it completely wrong...

Well I've been right so far

---------- Post added at 14:50 ---------- Previous post was at 14:46 ----------

Originally Posted by paultrademark

Everytime I've spoken to a manager at VM, they know the product and services.. pretty poor if they don't IMO.

I would assume that that was a Customer Services Manager (as in "I'll have a word with my boss about that".)

Correct me if I am wrong, of course

[Itshim]

Certainly from comments made very close to home. line managers can sometimes have NO idea what is happening .HMRC line managers put in to contact centres for income tax, Have been promoted from the customs service You can imagine how much they know about PAYE. So do not assume that getting a "manager" will be of any great help.
From the information I have they are more interested in rest breaks, leave sheets & how long a call lasts! As they do not have a clue about the nuts & bolts of the service offered.

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by BenMcr

No-one will pretend to be an agent's line manager.

Do you want to bet on that one as sadly it is true and it does happen as I have had this done on a few calls myself.

---------- Post added at 17:06 ---------- Previous post was at 17:01 ----------

Originally Posted by carlwaring

Again, which manager though? Becasuse the Customer Services Manager should really know what his Reps know.

Again not all managers know what his team know because they have been employed as managers not first line agents and they rely on the agents knowledge.

As already stated all companies want issues sorted at First Point of Contact and this has now been put in place in the banking industry as the FSA decided it was a legal requirement that the customer must have their complaint sorted out at FPOC otherwise the banks now get fined if it is escalated to the Financial Ombudsman Service which is an automatic £500 fine even if the customer turns out to be in the wrong.

[BenMcr]

Originally Posted by Peter_

Do you want to bet on that one as sadly it is true and it does happen as I have had this done on a few calls myself.

Ok, I'll rephrase. No-one who does their job correctly should pretend to be something they are not and lie to customers

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by BenMcr

Ok, I'll rephrase. No-one who does their job correctly should pretend to be something they are not and lie to customers

I know it should not happen but it does, at least it is better than getting a promise of a callback from offshore that never happens.