Some letters i sent to VM, you may like

[bob2009]

Sorry if in wrong place, feel free to move it mod's im new and this is just some fun for you guys to read...

Letter 1 26th Feb 2007

BoB2009
*************
Roath
Cardiff
CF24 ****
Tel : 02920 NOT WORKING !!

Dear Sir/Madam.

I’m writing to tell you about the worst customer service I have received by any company ever. I thought NTL was bad and Virgin Media was the future of customer care, how ever it appears I was massively mistaken.

Around 2-3 weeks ago I called about moving I was advised by the girl on the phone that now you had become Virgin Media I would see a massive difference in the customer service and that in moving I would need to sign a new 12 month Contract I was put off at first and having looked at offers from SKY, but she assured me that the new company would be nothing like NTL, I arranged an installation date of the 21st February, My first mistake that day.

Tuesday the 20th at around mid day my Internet and Telephone service where cut, now for someone who is moving and needing to get things arranged this is rather inconvenient not having a telephone. When I called to complain from my mobile at god knows how much a minute, I was told sorry but they could not turn it back on. I had to wait till they fitted the new one tomorrow. I asked to speak to a manager about it and was told that I could not, I said I would wait until someone spoke to me about this as it was not right for you to cut me off so early the person I spoke to then cut me off when I said I would not wait for a call back…. Great customer service there, showing the new side of Virgin Media is no better than NTL, maybe even worse?

They called out and fitted the cables in the house with no dust sheets and also making a nice score of about 5-6 inches in my plaster of my new wall (have photos I can send you if you require) and leaving piles of dust and plaster on my new carpet. They also ran cables across from the front of the house next door, and did not tie them to the wall correctly, leaving them hanging under the door step of the two pensioners in there 70’s I live next door to, and this was a major trip hazard for them. I called the moves and transfers department who advised me they could call back out on the 2nd March to fix this. That was 9 days later ?? What if someone had fallen? Anyway after a long battle with this person and talking some common sense on the phone they agreed to come back that day, which they did and fitted to the front of my house, why this could not have been done the first time I will never know.

Later that day I received a call saying the phone was not working but would be working tomorrow. My second mistake was believed this.

In the meantime I had to set up my new modem (even thought I was told I could just take the old one and plug it in) I had to enter the pin number and my name as on the welcome letter, which I never got that day ( arrived 24th ) so I called to get my PIN number. The lady gave me the PIN but every time I put my name in it would not take it. I was advised to try lower case and upper case. This went on for about 20 minutes, calling from my mobile as my land line is still off, she then transferred me to tech support to solve the issue, even though I spelt my name out 3 times. Tech support then got my check the modem was connected, which it was and got me to register a different way via a web site rather than the disk, this didn’t work and I was advised to wait 2 hours then try again.

I waited and it still didn’t work so I called again, was on hold for 20 minutes before I got through, during this time I was with someone who suggested maybe they spelt my name wrong to which I replied “don’t be silly I have had an account with them for years” How wrong was I? VERY they managed to change my name from McCarthy to macarthy. Good skills there seen as my bills and account all have my name correctly spelt for the last year or so.

So eventually after maybe an hour on my mobile and speaking to 3 people I get the internet working but not the phone.

This takes us up to Thursday and my phone is still not working so I call the customer care team, I speak to Joanna Rowe at around 10 AM, who says she is really sorry and will get this all sorted out and call me back within 15 minutes, great I think ! Someone taking my issue by the horns and sorting this out…. How mistaken was I again? VERY! No call back by 12:30 so I call and ask for Joanna, I’m told by someone that they would E-mail her to call be back ASAP, (still not been called back) This makes me sad as she seemed such a nice person when I spoke to her the first time I thought this young lady will go a long way with your company she took the lead with the call and installed me with confidence that this issue was in hand and would be resolved (falsely admittedly but for a few seconds maybe even minutes I thought I was on to a good thing there) How wrong was I ? You guess VERY!

I call again at around 3 or 4 PM and there is nobody there who can help me. For that day I just give up and hope and pray that waking up Friday my phone would work.

If I can just point out at this point the main reason if you look at my phone records for me needing a phone is my elderly mother and father live in Spain, I don’t use the phone for local calls, I use it only to make and receive calls from Spain. Now this from a mobile is a very expensive business… My father is critically ill right now and suffering from Lewy Bodies, look it up, it’s no fun trust me. So I like to be in contact with them both as often as I can. Being without a phone for a week is a long time.

So back to the issue with your Customer Relations Team and on to my calls made Friday. I spoke once again to various people who all advised I would get a call back about the phone. Spoke to a Steve and John yet nobody called me back. Was on hold for 30 minutes here, and 30 minutes there… I tried to call Thursday night about for about 3 hours but I think you systems where down I got and engaged tone or call back later we cant take your call now message.

I looked at your website and filled in the E-mail complaints part of the website and still have no reply, however I was told today that this can take up to 20 days for someone to reply to a complaint sent by E-mail? This seems a long time? Can you confirm this for me or was I shock horror lied to again my Virgin Media?

The weekend, what with all the stress of moving and the cost of new things and unpacking I decided to call my mum from my mobile let her know I was ok see if your company would maybe call back and forget about the phone line. Again I was wrong you never called back. You still haven’t… Don’t you like me or my money?

So today I get back to work and see if there is a reply maybe to the E-mail, maybe a confirmation we have you E-mail and we are looking into this maybe some has even said don’t worry Mr McCarthy (or macathy) when you get home today all is well and your phone will work so you can call the moon or something like that?

Nothing…

So I think fine I have had enough I want to cancel all of my services with you, my phone has been off for 6 days now, I have seen the all the press over the weekend with you and sky fighting it out, I think maybe there service is better, anything has to be better than this. I read though your code of practice on the web site (highlighted in this letter) that if my issue is not resolved I can ask for a manager…. The girl I spoke to said there was not one there. I said I would hold, she then told me that one will not be around until 4 PM, (then call I made as just after 11:00 AM) fine I say, I will hold till then. As I have no faith in your call back system. She then put me on hold for a few minutes and said that she could not keep me on the line... I said this needs to be dealt with now, she then transferred me to your moves and transfers department without informing me of this action.

After another 15-20 minute wait I get though, but I don’t want this department? This is not why I am calling?

So I call Customer relations again, I spoke to Allan on ETX : 3424 I advised Allan the call was being recorded, I have recorded most of the calls and can provide copies however I am aware you can pull these up from your own system so there is no need to send them in at this stage. However I’m happy to send in the ones I have if you request them. Allan also tells me there is no mangers there, even at one point there not even in the same building and once again try’s to palm me off to moves and transfers, not grasping the fact the I wanted to speak to a manger in Customer Relations.

I then asked Allan what the Customer Relations department does? He said it sorts out people issues with Virgin Media, however for some reason you can’t deal with mine. My issue being that nobody has called me back my phone wont work, I have spent a good 3-4 hours on hold last week mostly from a mobile, I think apart from swearing at me there is not much else you could have done to wind me up as a company.

He then tells me a Manager will call me back within 48 hours from Moves and Transfers. Another 2 days without the phone? And a call back from a department I don’t wish to speak to. I think Allan didn’t really understand my issue which is the issue with this so called Customer Relations Department.

I then asked for the account notes on the system under the Data Protection Act, Allan then states there is a charge, I say fine my account is in credit take it from that. I’m then advised this will take longer that way then me sending in a cheque ?!?! How does that work you have money on my account now? Anyway he then says I need to speak to customer services and I ask him for the number, he starts to say dial 150 from your land line. (If you read the rest of the letter you will have worked out why I’m not calling from my land line) I stop him before he makes a bigger fool of himself.

So next I call Customer Service. Who give me the address to write into to request this, which makes me laugh that fact that I have to write a letter and send it by royal mail to an internet based company and pay you £10 for the info you hold on me.

So Today I send you this letter, I also send the letter regarding my request for my file notes under the DPA. I also post this letter up on the Intranet in work for all my 2,000 work colleges to read, I also post it on some internet message boards for people to see that just because your bills now comes in a nice new shiny black envelope with a hot chick on the cover that the people that pick up the phone are just as simple as the people that picked it up for NTL.

I don’t expect a reply I just want you to arrange someone to call around and pick up your equipment and to stop billing me from the date I moved into my new (with added drill holes and dust) flat.

BoB2009 McCarthy (not macarthy)


__________________________________________________ ____
Letter 2 27th Feb 2007
__________________________________________________ ____

BoB2oo9 McCarthy
************
Roath
Cardiff
CF24 ***
Tel: STILL NOT WORKING !!

Dear Sir/Madam.

Just thought I would give you an update on what has gone on today. As you know yesterday I spoke to Allan on EXT: 3424 and he said a Manager would call me back by the end of the day, well surprise surprise nobody called, so I called the Customer Relations department today.

I spoke the Niki Bover who first asked me what the weather was like; I politely informed Niki that I was not in the mood for small talk at my cost and that if she looked at my notes then she would see why I’m not in the best of moods. I asked then to speak to Allan the man who said he would get someone to call me back yesterday, Oh Allan Burk she said he’s on my team I will get him for you now… I was put on hold for a few minutes while she spoke to him, she then came back and said he’s to busy on a call. I asked to wait for him, “oh you can’t said Niki I have other calls to take (more important than mine I guess)

I Said that I was promised a call back from a Manager yesterday, Niki reminded my of your 48 hour call back policy. Even though it has now been a week since I first called about this issue. Anyway she insisted that I could not hold but her Manager Jane Wear or something like that would call me back today. I asked Niki to confirm the number that Jane would call me on, Niki started to read out my 02920 land line number (spot the mistake there if you can)

I advised Niki that’s all well and good but if my phone line is not working then how could she call me back, and that if she looked at my notes then she would see that I have given a mobile number for her to call. This call I made was at 9:00 AM, it’s now 4:00PM and I have had no call back from Customer Relations. I did however receive a call from Daren Shelly in moves and transfers saying that he had just been passed my info saying that my phone was not work. Great a whole 7 days after it goes off they are now aware that it’s not working. Anyway Dean agreed to call me tonight at 5:30 when I’m home so we can test the line.

He seemed very nice and again installed me with some confidence that he would take the phone line matter in hand. Let’s just hope he calls, fingers crossed and all that.

So where was I yes, today what have I been up to.

First I sent this letter to Richard Branson for his sectary to open a file with any other stuff he gets, I bet he gets more letters than Santa asking for Balloon rides or stays on his Island and what not…

Then I sent yesterdays letter to Sky, seems that your company and sky are having a public argument about the loss of sky one and that sort of thing. I thought maybe they would like to know that even thought you may be cheaper or offer 5 million thousand movies on demand your Customer Services team is still operated by a bunch or (see I’m stuck for words here, I don’t want to swear and I don’t want to cause to much offence but I do want to cause a little, being slightly un educated I’m not sure what word to use) so make up that bit or something.

Next, I wrote to watchdog now I know this wont do me much good, when people on there get a bill for 4 million quid British gas say sorry and send flowers, but I think what has gone wrong in our relationship is well past flowers now.

Oh I E-mailed the CEO for NTL Steve Burch, so his secretary can file it some place where it will never been seen again.

Posted it on some more message boards, sent it to my mum and my old boss, they both liked it.

Went to pick up a sofa from my old place, which was a pain it’s really heavy but luckily the back bits come off so once you get them off it fits in better. While there picked up my mobile bill, which for some reason seems high, can’t think why? But its double last months anyway, will keep thinking about that one for a while I might figure it out.

Think that’s about it.

I will write to you every day now with an update. Would add more but need to get this in the last post then do some work to pay off this massive mobile bill… hey ho ! Guess that’s the way it goes.

Regards
BoB2oo9 McCarthy

__________________________________________________ ______
Letter 3 3rd March 2007
__________________________________________________ ______

[bob2009]

Dear Sir/Madam.

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you, I know in my last letter I promised I would write every day but as it was last week I had some kind of mini nervous break down, I spent the last few days laying in bed watching Desperate Housewives on DVD, some day time TV, drinking wine, eating chocolate and crisps while crying into my pillow. Work where ok about it, they understand that moving is a stressful time and what with not having enough money for furniture and most of the basics, I was starting to freak out about it all and how I was going to pay for this flat on my own… Anyway I’m back on my feet now, at long long last ( 9 days latter ) my phone is working and my mum can nag me once more and tell me to snap out of it from 3,000 miles away.

So yeah update, Wednesday or Thursday I forget which I get a call from Dean or Daren in you tech thingy place who calls me back as arranged, and then keeps me on hold for about 20 minutes before saying he cant get through to the right people, but I think at least he called back when he said he would and tried… so he says someone else will call back… around 7:10 or something like that, I get a call from Jane Wear not sure if that’s how you spell it.. But hey you guys cant spell mine so what’s the difference.

Anyway at first Jane was very stand offish and started the argument with a view that they had done everything that they should have, and that it was 48 hours for a manager call back, I advised I had been waiting almost a week, we read through some notes, she asked me about Joanna Rowe who I said had promised me a call back, and she saw I had called later asking for Joanna to call me back, she didn’t seem to believe I had asked for a call back at first as there where no notes from Joanna on my account, we then got in to a very deep and hypothetical questions about how I had this girls name if I had never called and she had not left any notes, and then on to the fact that if she had not left notes there was a possibility that maybe just maybe she never passed the info on to the Moves and Transfers department.

Anyway we battled it out for a while I advised Jane the call was being recorded she read through the notes and this went on for a while, I think she then realised that I had spent a fair bit of time trying to get this sorted and finally agreed that they where at fault. She asked me what they could do to keep me as a Virgin Media customer, I advised her I could not put a price on the frustration emotional stress and trouble this has caused me, she said free phone line rental for a year would work out at £130, and I said that would be a start. (My mobile bill for calls to you would have cost almost half of that) Any I advised Jane this offer would be based on the fact that my phone was fixed within 3 days.

An hour later, I received a call about an engineer coming out to fix the line, a booking was made for 5pm on Friday the 2nd March. At around 4pm the phone rang, I jumped out of bed (almost spilling my wine) with shock!!! As I picked it up I was greeted by an engineer saying that I had reported a fault on the line… Yes I said but it seems to be working now. ( now I wont stoop so low as to repeat what he said but it was something about the people who fitted it and the connections in the exchange on my street and how they where some kind of women’s private parts or words to that effect )

So Happy Happy joy joy! My phone works…

So Then I go to try my TV, now I thought the on demand thingy was not working as the phone line was off as with sky you need the phone line to order films and things. So I tried it, re set the box then tried again. Called to say it’s not working. The guy I spoke to asked for the error code… 1061 I say.. are you sure asked the man, yes 1061 No no no he said it must be IQ98 or something like that please check it again.

Now I can read and I was not drunk I swear, but it did and does still say 1061.

Anyway this guy then tells me it will take 4 days to sort this out. So I will keep you updated on this issue as we go along.

PS: not had a reply from last week yet, starting to feel unloved my Virgin Media?

BoB2009 McCarthy

__________________________________________________ _
Letter 4 9th March 2007
__________________________________________________ _

Dear Sir/Madam.

Hello, how are you today? right just an update, you sent me a letter on the 5th March saying thanks for my letter dated the 3rd March, which was sent to you recorded delivery on the 26th Feb 2007. The letter states you are busy and will get back to me within 10 days but it normally takes you 5, but you are very busy people now. Thing is right you have had this letter 7 days before you write back to me and say you are going to take 10 days to reply. So that’s 17 days… Anyway I never expect a personal reply or a quick one. I got another reply to my second letter yesterday saying the same sort of thing… I notice on these letters there is a number on this one your Ref is CC/411297 I can’t help but think the CC stands for Customer Compliant and the number is the number of complaints received. 411,297 That’s not bad going, is this since you became Virgin Media or does this roll over from NTL?

Anyway, about this on demand thing, I thought it was not working as my phone was not working so I called up and spoke to someone in your Indian call centre last Saturday, he said it would take 4 days to fix this and he passed it to the high level department and they would call me back. No call back was received so on Wednesday or Tuesday I called again to find out what was going on. I was then told that someone had tried to call me back and the call was closed as I did not pick up the phone. I have voicemail none was left, I have a mobile noted on my account nobody called this.

So I asked what was the issue, I was told this had been an issue since Jan the 18th on this type of box, and the error code 1061 was a big issue for your company, and that a engineer would attend to the box on Saturday the 10th March.

Great I thought if this has been an issue with this box, and why was it I was never told when you installed it. Who knows… do you? I doubt it. (No offence I honestly don’t think you would know, you are just in a back office flicking through half a million complaint letters pulling your hair out and thinking… Jesus where do I start?!?! Oh sod it lets all go down to Pizza hut they got that £5:99 eat all you like buffet thing on)

So now I’m just waiting for this guy to come out and fix this issue. I really hope he can fix it, it only took two weeks for you to fix my phone so I hope that this is fixed quicker. Will write to you on Monday and update you. Just hope he arrives after the Rugby so I don’t have to watch Wales get a kicking again.

In other news I went out last night to see a comedian that cheered me up, feeling a lot less stressed about the move now, still got loads of box’s to unpack but the kitchen is looking like a kitchen now, need to re paint and plaster that bit of wall your engineer stuck his drill all over, but hey it will keep me busy on the weekend.

I still await a reply from my letter dated the 26th Feb, but as you say your super mega busy now offering wicked deals to people with like 20MB broadband V+ TV XL and all that for £20 a month.. When all I want is a TV and phone that works… Maybe I should go to SKY, but maybe it’s a case of better the devil you know…

I don’t know. At least it’s Friday (well here now, might be Friday again by the time you read this and file it with the other 450,000 complaints)

Not sure what else to say, I feel that are slowly drifting apart, I'm doing my own thing more, you seem to be busy most of the time, we don’t speak on the phone as much as we did at first… I see you offering massive discounts and deals to keep other people, but yet you won’t even respond to me 

At least I can seek some sort of relief in writing these letters to you, you know get my feelings out in the open and let you know where you stand. I feel open and honest communication is the best way to deal with issue.
__________________________________________________ _
Letter 5 15 March 2007
__________________________________________________ _


Dear Sir/Madam.

Well my first letter posted 26/02/07 that’s 17 days ago has still no reply, and nothing from the other 3 or 4 I have sent you. That’s a bit worrying either you’re not taking me seriously or you’re seriously unable to run a complaints department. Either way almost 3 weeks to reply is not the best.

Anyway everything is working now at last my phone works, and the TV is working now, however the on demand does seem to stick a lot of the time. And gives me all sorts of error codes, but I don’t use it much and I guess it’s new so you might have some technical issues with it.

What I did however find amusing was that for every time I called and said it was not working and gave the error code 1061 I was told a different story about why it did not work, when the engineer called out to look at it he said it was because it had never been set up for my box. And that’s what the error code was. So in short you didn’t need for me to wait in all day for the guy to come out you just needed someone who knew what they where doing to pick up the phone each time I called to complain that it was not working. This would have saved me 3-4 phone calls, me 3-4 hours of sitting in waiting when I could have been watching Wales getting a beating in the Rugby once again this year . And most of all you could have saved cost of sending and engineer out. I guess you contract out your work so there not cheap.

So where does that leave me now… Well I’m glad you asked, I’m still keen to hear back from you about my first letter and it’s strange that you changed your code of practice almost instantly after getting the letter but not even bothered to reply to me?

So what’s wrong with me? Is my letter being dealt with, have you posted on the notice board for everyone in the office to read and say “ yeah we are a bit rubbish really aren’t we “ and chuckle as they take a sip from a expensive latte and take a bite from the poorly cooked bacon roll from your over priced or deli bar.

This is all speculation obviously I don’t know if you have a canteen, deli-bar or if you all nip down to the local burger van, I have no idea I’m just making it all up in my head. The reason I hear you ask? Well that’s simple It’s because it’s taken you almost 3 weeks to reply to a letter, so what else can I do while I wait for a reply…

I also get the idea that there is a really annoying guy who works in your department maybe a Dave or David, always harps on about cars and football. Thinks he’s in his mid 20’s but was 30 a few years ago, can’t handle his beer and maybe has a thing for Asian women?

This again is all speculation I have nothing better to do until I get a reply.

______

The End
Well so far
______

[NTLVictim]

'kinell......

[valor]

Actually companies prefer letters that are concise and to the point....

[handyman]

Bob you have a way with words. Ntl/ Virgin/Telewest drop to an all new low.

---------- Post added at 17:58 ---------- Previous post was at 17:55 ----------

Originally Posted by valor

Actually companies prefer letters that are concise and to the point....

Which They would have got I guess if they had replied to the first one. this sort of thing should be able to be sorted out via email.

What Virgin need is more people like 2 of the members here. ! from belfast 1 from Manchester (or at least 1 was from Manchester) Both of them capable of sorting out any issue 1st time everytime and writing good notes up. However Virgin have ntl staff so it will never work.

That said I called bt and sky over 20 times each recently and can say they are no better.

[bob2009]

Originally Posted by valor

Actually companies prefer letters that are concise and to the point....

Actually i dont care, if they are happy to waste my time im happy to waste there time.

But thank you for your input anyway.

[LemonyBrainAid]

Originally Posted by valor

Actually companies prefer letters that are concise and to the point....

QFE - to be honest BoB - you carried on over and over about the same thing and irrelevent subjects...

I also get the idea that there is a really annoying guy who works in your department maybe a Dave or David, always harps on about cars and football.

^^ Who really gives a monkey's... seriously?!

[bob2009]

Jesus I thought i was a losser...

This is my last post here, will leave you all to it... hope someone smiled at some point, leave you geek it out now.

and yes i am Dyslexic <removed>

Tara...

[fluffychick]

Spelling and grammar checking should be compulsory.

[handyman]

Originally Posted by LemonyBrainAid

^^ Who really gives a monkey's... seriously?!

Ignore him bob, he's justa kid. Has no idea what it's like to work all week and pay out hard earned money for services that should work.

A reasonable person would expect things to break down everynow and then but having to make 20 odd calls to get matters sorted out is beyond a joke.

He'll learn one day.

[Fingy]

Well your letters (not your situation) gave me a giggle anyway. I could harp on about how it would not have happened like that 2/3 years ago but whats the point.

Glad its all sorted and interested to hear what sort of a response you get.

[WHISTLED]

Ignore him bob, he's justa kid. Has no idea what it's like to work all week and pay out hard earned money for services that should work

Well im not a kid and I work hard to pay my bills and mortgage, I also expect a level of service from all my providers and when I dont receive it im not happy....

But I also have a life and the recognition that its too short to spend hours writing lengthy emails which rather than draw attention to a problem are tiresome and make light of what I assume you are trying to say is far from funny.

Those letters will be passed around only for people to comment upon the mantal capacity and martital status (virgin?) of the sender.

Ps I may be wrong but as far as I know there is no new 12 month contract for a mover which has further detracted from you credibility

[piggy]

@bob

a very good read bob i share your frustration...and if you dont laugh you cry and as far as i know a move and transfer is indeed a new 12 month contract but........them good ol boys from sales will tell u different

@whistled

anybody who posts on forums hasnt got a life and are sad (me included) if we had a life we wouldnt be reading this s!%t

[WHISTLED]

anybody who posts on forums hasnt got a life and are sad (me included) if we had a life we wouldnt be reading this s!%t

I come on here to get bit of intel.. Works a treat. Only 66 posts since 2005!

[AndyCambs]

Originally Posted by fluffychick

Spelling and grammar checking should be compulsory.

I tend not to read any posts with poor spelling and grammar now..