Call Centres - AAARRRGGGHHHHH!!!!!
Posted 12-Aug-2008 at 14:50 by dmeredith
I'm spending a week at my in-laws' house to look after their dogs (
) and seeing as they don't have the same sky package as us I thought I'd download the Sky Player to watch instead. I installed it ages ago on an old PC and so it threw up an error (it can only be on 1 PC at a time) with a number to call. Called the number yesterday, where a message told me the number was out of use (despite having only just downloaded the software!) and a new one was given. Called this and waited 15 minutes on hold to speak to someone who thought that "sky player is giving me an error when I log in" meant "I have technical difficulties with my sky box". Eventually he understood what I meant and I spent 5 minutes going through various security checks and attempted upsells (at 5p a minute) before being told that I needed a different department (even though the message when I rang said "thank you for calling sky player...). He said that had a big queue and he gave me the direct number and transferred me. After 15 minutes I gave up. Tried the number he gave me today, told them my problem, went through security checks and was then told I needed a different department and was given a new number to call. Hung up and realised the number was the second number I tried yesterday.....
Tried it anyway to be greeted with a message that my call might be longer than usual. Having called sky before and regularly having to wait about 30 minutes I figured I might as well give up, as if 30 minutes doesn't justify a "you'll have a long wait" message then how long will it be this time?
Now stuck with basic Sky and BT Vision
.
) and seeing as they don't have the same sky package as us I thought I'd download the Sky Player to watch instead. I installed it ages ago on an old PC and so it threw up an error (it can only be on 1 PC at a time) with a number to call. Called the number yesterday, where a message told me the number was out of use (despite having only just downloaded the software!) and a new one was given. Called this and waited 15 minutes on hold to speak to someone who thought that "sky player is giving me an error when I log in" meant "I have technical difficulties with my sky box". Eventually he understood what I meant and I spent 5 minutes going through various security checks and attempted upsells (at 5p a minute) before being told that I needed a different department (even though the message when I rang said "thank you for calling sky player...). He said that had a big queue and he gave me the direct number and transferred me. After 15 minutes I gave up. Tried the number he gave me today, told them my problem, went through security checks and was then told I needed a different department and was given a new number to call. Hung up and realised the number was the second number I tried yesterday.....Tried it anyway to be greeted with a message that my call might be longer than usual. Having called sky before and regularly having to wait about 30 minutes I figured I might as well give up, as if 30 minutes doesn't justify a "you'll have a long wait" message then how long will it be this time?
Now stuck with basic Sky and BT Vision
.
Total Comments 11
Comments
 | This is always the case: Some companies are more than happy to eat your money up but not to help you! |
Posted 12-Aug-2008 at 14:55 by Stourbridge Weather  |
| | Sky TV corporation 1, D Meredith 0. |
| Posted 12-Aug-2008 at 20:57 by DoctorD |
| | how annoying! and an interesting first blog DM  |
| Posted 12-Aug-2008 at 21:01 by Dollsworth |
| | Currently hate Sky as I have recently canceled Sky TV. I gave them 30 days notice in writing via email but they say they never received my email,even though I have a confirmation email from them stating that they had received my email. So upshot is they now want another months money thieving B's. Been with Sky for over 15 years I wanted to upgrade my system but could not get a deal from them as I was an existing customer...madness...dont they want to keep their customers obviously not!!...I could only get a deal as a new customer.. ..so now they can poke it.. |
| Posted 13-Aug-2008 at 11:02 by Stumpey Updated 13-Aug-2008 at 13:52 by scotweather |
| | call centers - doooooooooooooo NOT get me started ....... |
| Posted 13-Aug-2008 at 14:01 by brett |
| | Stumpey - tell them that you won't be paying for another month and they can take you to court otherwise. Provided they accept cancellations by email, the fact that you have a confirmation is proof enough that they received it. If they took you to court they'd never win. However, you'd need to check that you can cancel by email, as otherwise they've got you! |
| Posted 13-Aug-2008 at 19:08 by dmeredith |
| | Yep told them that they must be joking! I have sent a letter with the copy email attached so just waiting to hear the outcome. Received a letter this morning saying that my Sky broadband and telephone had been terminated, strange as I have never, and never would use, their bb or tel services....seems incompetence rules at Sky. |
| Posted 14-Aug-2008 at 09:20 by Stumpey |
| | I had a similar experience with Orange. Even though they tell you that your BB services are terminated they still try to tell you a few weeks later that you owe them money. You phone them and they say yes your account is closed so you why on earth are you then charging me for services I don't have? the answer was there is an error on the system. Yeah right. Money grabbing so in so's! what they appear to be doing is letting one more payment go through and hoping people don't respond to the email and those of us who don't check their bank statements regularly. This also happened with my sister but they didn't get away with it with her either  What got me about Orange was their call centre. You always seemed to end up in India or Pakistan with people talking with very heavy accents who assume you are a complete muppet (applicable to most call centres uk or foreign) and make you out to be completely stupid if the answer to your question isn't on their Q&A database. If you ask them something thats not in the Q&A database then its your fault you are doing something wrong ! errr don't think so  what it really means is that they don't know the answer and cannot think outside the box. You then need to fight to speak to someone who knows what you are talking about and eventually after being on the phone for ages (at national rate or worse) finally get some sort of answer and if that doesn't annoy you then the smarmy over niceties and calling you by your first name as tho you are old pals really does grate me. Particularly if they ask hows the weather in Falkirk... who cares you don't even know where Falkirk is ! I just want my question answered... small talk and chit chat gains you another £1 against the phonecall.....I've worked in a call centre (IT Helpdesk) though I wasn't one of the Monkeys, I never once patronised or accused anyone doing anything wrong and I take my customer services skills very seriously and would treat people how I would expect to be treated myself - a rare commodity these days. Ah ya see you got me started now.... I could go on for pages but will stop now! I will surmise by saying " pay them peanuts and you will get monkeys" ! |
| Posted 14-Aug-2008 at 09:57 by scotweather |
| | So many of those call centres drive me nuts too! Same in New Zealand: now I always ask where they are located: getting hold of my ISP (Vodafone) here is impossible. ("Thank you for calling Vodafone. Currently there is a 40 minute wait...").I mean, some of us have lives! So I resorted to email, which has to be done via the website. It asked you if you want a reply to the email and if you do, you then fill out a form as well. What next? I got an instant reply saying it may be some weeks before I get a reply. Thank God for electronic communication and the speed of light. Go figure, because I can't! On the positive side: when I had to activate my copy of XP Pro after re-installing it for the zillioneth time, the Microsoft Indian call centre were fast, efficient and helpful!It took exactly 5 minutes, just like they claimed! |
| Posted 05-Sep-2008 at 07:52 by ATO2 |
| | Update on my fight with SKY cancellation, they have now agreed that I did give enough notice and there was nothing further to pay...bloody hooray! But now I get junk mail saying I can get SKY for 17 quid and a new Skybox thrown in......what are they nuts this all started cos I wanted to upgrade my box but sky wanted 300 quid as I was an excisting customer and they could not discount the box even though I had been a customer for over 16 years....worlds gone mad ...lets not look after our good customers lets just stiff em.....lol Anyway bought a Freesat box now so waiting for this to blossom over the next few months..at least it is free TV and I already get BBC and ITV HD with not a murdoch in sight... |
| Posted 05-Sep-2008 at 09:43 by Stumpey |
| | Glad you finally got it all sorted. |
| Posted 05-Sep-2008 at 09:45 by scotweather |
Recent Blog Entries by dmeredith
- Call Centres - AAARRRGGGHHHHH!!!!! (12-Aug-2008)
