strange question regarding BT

[JoeBloggs]

We opened a new branch last AUG. We are currently using a point to point fibre network with Virgin, but when a site is off-net we have to use BT OR.

 

Now the branch opened in Aug (currently running on ADSL) and basically there has been problem after problem and we're still without fibre.

 

They have surveyed it many times, contractors not turned up, blockages found, council not allowing digs, new ducting installing then a week later found power cables have been laid which then can't be moved. TBH it is a joke.

 

Our contact at Virgin is trying but keeps getting stuck.

 

Is there anything we can do?? It is having a business impact because the whole office is on ADSL and all our servers are centrally located so everything is extremely slow and they're not on our VoIP telephony system which is causing issues. Anyone had experience with this??

[Andrew_C]

Experience of BT being utterly useless? Plenty.

[rich_tech]

We opened a new branch last AUG. We are currently using a point to point fibre network with Virgin, but when a site is off-net we have to use BT OR.

 

Now the branch opened in Aug (currently running on ADSL) and basically there has been problem after problem and we're still without fibre.

 

They have surveyed it many times, contractors not turned up, blockages found, council not allowing digs, new ducting installing then a week later found power cables have been laid which then can't be moved. TBH it is a joke.

 

Our contact at Virgin is trying but keeps getting stuck.

 

Is there anything we can do?? It is having a business impact because the whole office is on ADSL and all our servers are centrally located so everything is extremely slow and they're not on our VoIP telephony system which is causing issues. Anyone had experience with this??

 

Get your local MP involved ?

 

Write to the MDs of the people involved ? explaining that your getting no satisfaction at the call centre level and its a serious issue with business impact.

 

Local News as well if its causing your business horrible problems like that as you cant get it fixed, usually it gets the right people "on the case" in these media Savvy times.

[JoeBloggs]

Are we entitled to compensation of this sort of thing? 90 day turn around, still on going after 8 months !

[stickman]

I'd suggest the school seek legal advise through their normal channels, whilst you continue to push the issue further up the chain at BT, if you've got nowhere within a few weeks at least you'll have some solid legal advice and the school will know how to proceed.

[eyetea]

Bit of a different situation - where we lived previously was right out in the sticks, and after a particularly bad patch of weather quite a few overhead phone cables were damaged, sometimes you couldn't ring out, sometimes you could hear other people on the line. We had a BT engineer our about 2 - 3 times over a period of 6 weeks and still no end in sight. Dad got fed up, managed to get CEO's secretary email address and wrote a very long winded letter explaining the issue, and that during the 40+ years that Dad had worked for BT (and indeed the GPO before it became BT!) that they always strived to provide the best service for the customer, and that he was sad and ashamed that this level or service to a customer was "adequate"... roll on a week later and it got sorted!

[rich_tech]

a gentleman I used to work with had a job in the BT office directors department, he told us that they have a separate team who deal with complaints at this level and get them resolved rather than the call centre staff below them.

 

Check on the compensation, because about 10 years back my parents had a couple of thousand off them as they didnt have a working phone line for 6 months+ - it was a set amount of compensation per day of not working - they still have intermittent issues because for some reason, BT buried a DP in a manhole near them in an area of common land which regularly gets flooded over and above the manhole cover.

[JoeBloggs]

Thanks for all the replies!

 

We're not a School by the way.

 

I think I just need to get the right contact at BT OR and give them an ear full. It's just finding the right person, or anyone as they don't like speaking to us!! If anyone has any information on the compensation procedure would be very useful! We placed the order in June 2015 and now mid April 2016!

 

We have a fibre point to point network connecting all our offices, running SIP. And just this one office and a random ADSL connection, the office is crippled compared to the rest of the business.

[MatthewL]

If you have ordered it with Virgin you need to be on at them and they are the ones that need to be chasing OR. Keep on at them and threaten to cancel it and that should kick them into gear. Speak to your account manager and raise an official complaint.

[SchoolsBroadband]

Yes you can get the service provider to go to the DSO's office. If you are a customer of BT Openreach direct then this is something you can do too (although I suspect you'll go via your service provider).

 

However BT Openreach can be picky about the reasons given from a customer for them to be accepted. Issues such as damaging OR's brand because of it (e.g. a school doesn't get its leased line and pupils can't access the Internet) are all viable, but if its just that your business has decided that it want's to change the way it works and now requires a leased line then this may struggle to get through. Still if you don't ask then you don't get.

 

Things are changing with BT Openreach and new targets are about to be introduced and new processes to speed things up. This also includes compensation (although your service provider may just keep this themselves).

 

We are a commercial partner / customer of BT Openreach so any more questions do let me know.

 

Thanks

 

Dave

[JoeBloggs]

If you have ordered it with Virgin you need to be on at them and they are the ones that need to be chasing OR. Keep on at them and threaten to cancel it and that should kick them into gear. Speak to your account manager and raise an official complaint.

 

Our Service Provider has an escalated call with Virgin. I've also opened a separate complaint too!

[JoeBloggs]

Yes you can get the service provider to go to the DSO's office. If you are a customer of BT Openreach direct then this is something you can do too (although I suspect you'll go via your service provider).

 

However BT Openreach can be picky about the reasons given from a customer for them to be accepted. Issues such as damaging OR's brand because of it (e.g. a school doesn't get its leased line and pupils can't access the Internet) are all viable, but if its just that your business has decided that it want's to change the way it works and now requires a leased line then this may struggle to get through. Still if you don't ask then you don't get.

 

Things are changing with BT Openreach and new targets are about to be introduced and new processes to speed things up. This also includes compensation (although your service provider may just keep this themselves).

 

We are a commercial partner / customer of BT Openreach so any more questions do let me know.

 

Thanks

 

Dave

 

Hi @SchoolsBroadband

 

DSO's office?

 

Basically we have a WAN which is completely virgin fibre point to point connecting our 18 branches (unless off-net then BT do it, like this instance). When we opened a new branch last June we placed an order to get it hooked up into our network, however still no joy. We are also on SIP so this office is on analogue phones and ADSL and it is really causing us issues!

 

Our service provider just keep saying it is openreach's fault (they've gone out 5 times and never completed the works) - any tips to try resolve??

 

Thanks

[JoeBloggs]

Got through to someone at the DSO and he has said he will look into it and then give updates to my service provider! won't hold my breath!

[SchoolsBroadband]

:-)

 

Good stuff

[FN-GM]

OpenReach just don't get it sometime. We have 2 Fibre lines installed. They sent 2 separate people on the same day to splice tails onto the fibre, why the same person couldn't do both is a mystery.

[twin--turbo]

Another arm of BT provided us with a service for 11months but forgot to charge us, we pointed this out and it took 3 goes for thm to then provide an invoice. Now on the same renewal we started talking to them 3 months ago and last week they said we paid back in January! But the licence on the hardware we find out at 16:40 today, runs out on the 14/4/16 !!!

 

TT