Help please

[PurpleOne]

Hi there am wondering if anyone can give me advice after a rather poor show from NTL today.
I have a problem with my broadband connection which is through a STB. it has got to the point of having to reset my STB several times a day as the internet connection keeps dropping. This happened to my previous box which got swapped eventually and the probs went away. but to day i tried to report this and have not even been able to do so after spending at least 2 hours on the phone. Initially i called to report this in the morning but and spent abou 15 mins on a queue to get through to someone who asked questions (i use win 2k and he had to make sure i was not infected with virus - believe me i am clean and know what i am doing with pcs and this was a bit tiresome but seeing as there are plenty ppl who dont is understandable) he asked the nature of my problems but he quikly told me that he could not help any futher and that he would put me through to someone who could, he did not explain that he was actually putting me through to another queue, well 30 mins later and i was still in the queue. unfortunately i had a doctors apptointment so had to hang up and when i got back started the process all over again.
so i called again this time to wait just over 10 mins till i got thru to someone who then started to ask me questions about my virus protection, i explained that i had already been thru this with someone that morning, oh yeah he said and then dropped me into a queue which started with a message stating it was very busy and i might have to wait a while
well 45 mins later i finally got answered to someone who didnt give his name and asked me the nature of my problem and said i was in the wrong place and that he would put me through to someone who would be able to help, well guess wot, he did not actually put me through to anyone but dropped me into another queue to which i was played a msg stating that it was a busy time and that i might have to wait a while or better still try calling another time. hmmm impressed? well not really. unfortunately i had an appointment at the hospital and could not afford to be hanging around on the phone again for what could be another 45 mins or so. well i then decided that i was getting the runaround so tried to call to make a complaint. after serveral more calls and being put through to the wrong part of the country, wrong departments etc etc i finally got through to someone who said she worked for customer liasons for my area. she took all the details down and took my mobile number and said that she would get someone from the relevant dept to call me it was about 15:30 at this time. i went to my appt, my phone was never switched off except for 10 mins for the appt. but guess what no call ever came(or voicemail) :-( now i am gonna have to try and go through the same process tomorrow as i still have a problem. each time i spoke to someone i did actually explain just how long i had been in the queues for but they just gave me the impression this is normal.
my question is this. is this usual? is it really gonna be that bad everytime i try to call? i just do not have time to spend upto 2 hours or more tied to a phone trying to report a fault and really dont expect it to have to be this bad. or am i just gonna have to put up with p*ss poor customer service. I have never been a BT customer and it will cost me to do so but i really cant believe there cust services are that bad. but after an experience like today they (and sky) are looking quite attractive to me. i have had cable for about 8-10 years and this is only the 2nd time i have had t call services and dont remember the previous one to be so traumatic.

[Nemesis]

It looks like you've caught them at a bad time, they are bad, but not normally THAT bad.

Stick around, we'll see who pops up to answer your prob.

[orangebird]

Originally Posted by PurpleOne

Hi there am wondering if anyone can give me advice after a rather poor show from NTL today.
I have a problem with my broadband connection which is through a STB. it has got to the point of having to reset my STB several times a day as the internet connection keeps dropping. This happened to my previous box which got swapped eventually and the probs went away. but to day i tried to report this and have not even been able to do so after spending at least 2 hours on the phone. Initially i called to report this in the morning but and spent abou 15 mins on a queue to get through to someone who asked questions (i use win 2k and he had to make sure i was not infected with virus - believe me i am clean and know what i am doing with pcs and this was a bit tiresome but seeing as there are plenty ppl who dont is understandable) he asked the nature of my problems but he quikly told me that he could not help any futher and that he would put me through to someone who could, he did not explain that he was actually putting me through to another queue, well 30 mins later and i was still in the queue. unfortunately i had a doctors apptointment so had to hang up and when i got back started the process all over again.
so i called again this time to wait just over 10 mins till i got thru to someone who then started to ask me questions about my virus protection, i explained that i had already been thru this with someone that morning, oh yeah he said and then dropped me into a queue which started with a message stating it was very busy and i might have to wait a while
well 45 mins later i finally got answered to someone who didnt give his name and asked me the nature of my problem and said i was in the wrong place and that he would put me through to someone who would be able to help, well guess wot, he did not actually put me through to anyone but dropped me into another queue to which i was played a msg stating that it was a busy time and that i might have to wait a while or better still try calling another time. hmmm impressed? well not really. unfortunately i had an appointment at the hospital and could not afford to be hanging around on the phone again for what could be another 45 mins or so. well i then decided that i was getting the runaround so tried to call to make a complaint. after serveral more calls and being put through to the wrong part of the country, wrong departments etc etc i finally got through to someone who said she worked for customer liasons for my area. she took all the details down and took my mobile number and said that she would get someone from the relevant dept to call me it was about 15:30 at this time. i went to my appt, my phone was never switched off except for 10 mins for the appt. but guess what no call ever came(or voicemail) :-( now i am gonna have to try and go through the same process tomorrow as i still have a problem. each time i spoke to someone i did actually explain just how long i had been in the queues for but they just gave me the impression this is normal.
my question is this. is this usual? is it really gonna be that bad everytime i try to call? i just do not have time to spend upto 2 hours or more tied to a phone trying to report a fault and really dont expect it to have to be this bad. or am i just gonna have to put up with p*ss poor customer service. I have never been a BT customer and it will cost me to do so but i really cant believe there cust services are that bad. but after an experience like today they (and sky) are looking quite attractive to me. i have had cable for about 8-10 years and this is only the 2nd time i have had t call services and dont remember the previous one to be so traumatic.

Hi PurpleOne,

PM me your postcode, and I'll get you the the phone number you need to get this sorted (the area MD's to be precise... )

Orange. One of the mods can confirm I work for ntl btw.

[PurpleOne]

hi again check yr pms. have been 2 busy 2day 2 go thru sh*t again but will prob give a go 2 mo

do hope was a 1off as if even takes much more than 15 mins on the phone next time will cancel my tv immediately and poss bb as well. jus don't expect that sorta sh*t esp as been a cust 4 so long but spose means nothing in real terms.

[Shaun]

Originally Posted by orangebird

Orange. One of the mods can confirm I work for ntl btw.

I'm not a Mod, but I can say you'll be alright with OB