On "hold" to BT on the phone

[aliv25]

Last night I signed a year contract with BT just to have access to the Internet. Included in the package I will be recieving a BT home hub and a phone, although I insisted not to have the phone as my mobile is my main use of contact.

The whole process, which took place over the phone (my mobile) took nearly 35 MINUTES when it should have only taken no more than 10 MINUTES.

I phoned BT and followed instructions so I could speak to an operator, this took 15 MINUTES before speaking to someone. After a 10 SECOND conversation, I was being forwarded back and forth to various departments and holding for stupid amount of minutes before someone was on the end of a line. :x

You would think that BT would have many phones and operators because of the services they provide BUT NO, even trying to complain would take you another HOUR to leave a message at the end of the line.

Anyone with experiences similar to mine feel free to TESTIFY!!! :!:

[SteveB_NI]

Was this before or after you signed that contract?

The only thing I would go back to BT for is to enjoy the opportunity of "free" wireless access in numerous places throughout town - cafe's etc. Even my other workplace is a BT Wireless open zone.

I'm happy with Virgin Media believe it or not

[comedydave]

I'm really happy with Sky. and thier tellybox offering is good too.

[aliv25]

I was going to go with Virgin Media but then it would have cost me an extra £120 to change my line so I just used the current line we have now.

This was before I signed the contract.

I wish I could have had the sky package but I'm only in my placement year at Uni!

[Gatt]

With BT for the phone, Sky for the tele, and Tiscali for the Broadband

Happy with all but tiscali and am now looking at obtaining my MAC and shifting to Sky.

Question is - is it worth switching my phone to Sky too?

Virgin (formally NTL at the time) lost our confidence vote when we moved house and they decided to have about 2 weeks of engineering works... whilst still allowing people to book installations and (as was our case) re-locations without telling them that there would be nothing getting done between last week of November and mid december!!

2hrs on phone to NTL - nowhere
25mins on phone to BT got us a phone line 10 mins later..

[comedydave]

I have all from sky,
Total £57 a month (split 3 ways)

Phone - Freetime (free evening and weekend calls) - £10(inc line rental as sky can take the line rental off of BT)

TV - 6 mixes plus sports - £37

Internet - £10 (wanted the unlimited download quota)

[aliv25]

2hrs on phone to NTL - nowhere

OUCH. BT said the phone line would be connected this friday and I will be recieving the "package" by next wednesday. Abit annoying considering being on the phone all that time to be told I will have everything a week later, plans for downloading on the weekend are now out the window.

[localzuk]

Last night I signed a year contract with BT just to have access to the Internet. Included in the package I will be recieving a BT home hub and a phone, although I insisted not to have the phone as my mobile is my main use of contact.

The whole process, which took place over the phone (my mobile) took nearly 35 MINUTES when it should have only taken no more than 10 MINUTES.

I phoned BT and followed instructions so I could speak to an operator, this took 15 MINUTES before speaking to someone. After a 10 SECOND conversation, I was being forwarded back and forth to various departments and holding for stupid amount of minutes before someone was on the end of a line. :x

You would think that BT would have many phones and operators because of the services they provide BUT NO, even trying to complain would take you another HOUR to leave a message at the end of the line.

Anyone with experiences similar to mine feel free to TESTIFY!!! :!:

Hmm... Odd! It took me all of 5 minutes via their website to sign up to broadband. When I did want to speak to someone for confirmation it took a couple of minutes on hold and then they dealt with my request swiftly.

However, regarding the number of operators, you may wish to note that BT, like most companies, are trying to keep profits high (as they are legally required to do so as they are a PLC) and have moved a lot of stuff so that you can do it via their site. This leads to the reduction of call centre staff.

[aliv25]

Hmm... Odd! It took me all of 5 minutes via their website to sign up to broadband. When I did want to speak to someone for confirmation it took a couple of minutes on hold and then they dealt with my request swiftly.

However, regarding the number of operators, you may wish to note that BT, like most companies, are trying to keep profits high (as they are legally required to do so as they are a PLC) and have moved a lot of stuff so that you can do it via their site. This leads to the reduction of call centre staff.

I would have applied online BUT I DONT have Internet access. Piggybacking on other users worked whenever there routers were switched on, but even this was slow loading up pages and I have'nt had access to the Internet at home for over 2 weeks!

[localzuk]

2hrs on phone to NTL - nowhere

OUCH. BT said the phone line would be connected this friday and I will be recieving the "package" by next wednesday. Abit annoying considering being on the phone all that time to be told I will have everything a week later, plans for downloading on the weekend are now out the window.

Oh come on, you are being a bit impatient! The times they are quoting you are, to be honest, brilliant! Connection times for lines in the past were long - sometimes upto a month! Waiting a few extra days is nothing.

The times they are quoting you work out at 5 working days. 5 days!! Thats excellent.

[aliv25]

trying to keep profits high (as they are legally required to do so as they are a PLC) and have moved a lot of stuff so that you can do it via their site. This leads to the reduction of call centre staff

I think BT are getting there profits from putting all there customers on hold for ridiculous amount of minutes, not reducing call staff.

Maybe your right in that 5 working days I will be getting my present from BT, but that will mean 3 weeks of not net at home and it kills. You try going 3 days at home with no net, excluding going out to the pub or wherever to avoid it...its tough!

[localzuk]

I went 6 months without internet, in a new area, without knowing anyone. I know what it is like, and it isn't that bad.

If it is 3 weeks, then it isn't BT's fault, so you should be saying well done to them for the 5 day lead time, not getting angry for spending half an hour on the phone.

And BT won't be getting much from the call will they? Aren't their numbers 0800? I've only ever called them on 0800 numbers.

[aliv25]

The numbers are now 0871. Wow, that is a VERY long time. i was just putting my frustration forward to how annoying being put on hold for long periods of time is, not only to BT but to other companies too.

[aliv25]

A month later and look what I find in the news about BT...

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...icle495346.ece

Im glad this issue has been raised against BT when I thought I was the only one!