Stupid Stupid Virgin Media...

[RizzyKing]

It is incredible that a company like VM does this but surprisingly doesn't surprise me at all. Given how far the service has slipped (certainly in my experience) i put nothing stupid past them. I too am interested in what happens if you laugh and put the phone down.

[spiderplant]

Originally Posted by Matt D

How do you know they are who they say they are?

Simple - you ask them the security questions. Or ask for their name then call them back via the main company switchboard.

[Kellargh]

This is absurd.

I'll give you all an example to debate on, because I don't really appreciate muppet comments when we have to follow DPA - it's the law.

I call a customer, say for example, called Mr Smith regarding a fault he's reported with missing channels - and it's a package issue on the account. A man answers the phone. I ask to speak to 'Mr Smith' and he claims that he is. I change personal details on the account to fix the problem, but it causes the cost of his bill to increase every month.

The next week, an angry Mr Smith calls in that his bill is higher and he hasn't requested to change anything, cancels his service to go somewhere else.

HOW do we clarify who we are speaking to if we don't ask DPA?

[harveyvan]

Originally Posted by RizzyKing

It is incredible that a company like VM does this but surprisingly doesn't surprise me at all. Given how far the service has slipped (certainly in my experience) i put nothing stupid past them. I too am interested in what happens if you laugh and put the phone down.

I had this happen with another company (can't recall which) a year or so ago; they rang to discuss something (trying to see if I'd add additional services, IIRC), and when they asked for ID details I actually did laugh and say "no way".

They tried it a couple of more times before they wound up contacting me by post with a number to ring (which I didn't bother doing).

If VM try the same thing, they'll get the same response: "I don't give out identifying details to cold callers".

[lostandconfused]

Originally Posted by Kellargh

This is absurd.

I'll give you all an example to debate on, because I don't really appreciate muppet comments when we have to follow DPA - it's the law.

I call a customer, say for example, called Mr Smith regarding a fault he's reported with missing channels - and it's a package issue on the account. A man answers the phone. I ask to speak to 'Mr Smith' and he claims that he is. I change personal details on the account to fix the problem, but it causes the cost of his bill to increase every month.

The next week, an angry Mr Smith calls in that his bill is higher and he hasn't requested to change anything, cancels his service to go somewhere else.

HOW do we clarify who we are speaking to if we don't ask DPA?

IMO the way to keep customers details safe, is to call the person in question. And inform them what needs to be done, i.e need to change details on his account, which may increase his bill, however for him to be sure his details are safe he can call whatever department for free on X number.

Then details of exactly what needs to be done should be left on the account, so when customer calls the agent that answers the call knows exactly what needs to be done. Once DPA has been completed

It will take slightly longer to fix, and if mr smith doesnt call in, well thats his fault, VM have taken reasonable steps to fix the problem but hasnt been followed up by the customer.

The only time accounts should be modified is when DPA has been passed, so this shouldnt be done on an outbound call

[spankysmagicpian]

After leaving Sky ages ago, there was a spate of phone calls from Sky asking me to come back. I wasn't happy and the calls, most of the time, went like this.

Sky: Hello this is Sky Television calling wondering if you'd be interested in some of out special offers. Before I can continue, I'd be grateful if you could confirm your name, details and security password.

Me: Why?

Sky: for security reasons so we can be sure that we are talking to the right person

Me: You phoned me at my house - you should have the details. You should tell me the details and the password so I know that you are Sky

Sky: we can't continue without you confirming your details so we know who you are.

Me: So you phoned ME, on MY telephone number, in MY House. Do you think I am a burglar who just broke in a while ago and decided to answer the phone whilst I was clearing the house out of valuables? It's you who could be anyone....

This happened a few times and needless to say, they haven't phoned since then.

[Kellargh]

Originally Posted by lostandconfused

IMO the way to keep customers details safe, is to call the person in question. And inform them what needs to be done, i.e need to change details on his account, which may increase his bill, however for him to be sure his details are safe he can call whatever department for free on X number.

Then details of exactly what needs to be done should be left on the account, so when customer calls the agent that answers the call knows exactly what needs to be done. Once DPA has been completed

It will take slightly longer to fix, and if mr smith doesnt call in, well thats his fault, VM have taken reasonable steps to fix the problem but hasnt been followed up by the customer.

The only time accounts should be modified is when DPA has been passed, so this shouldnt be done on an outbound call

We wouldn't be able to confirm any details to a customer for them to call us back unless they passed DPA - 'there is an issue on the account' is also breaking DPA, and also asking for them to call us back generates a repeat call, when we can fix the issue at that time by the customer answering these questions.

You can also imagine, we do these call backs because front-line agents cannot fix the issue, so getting the customer to call back will just cause the issue to go on, and on, and on.

We have an FMS department which has been carrying out this process for years, I just feel that the company itself is being slammed for something which is really benefitting as a whole.

[Banks do ask for personal details when they do outbound calls - I've worked for HSBC] So it really isn't just Virgin Media that do it - like the Guardian states.

---------- Post added at 09:45 ---------- Previous post was at 09:43 ----------

Originally Posted by spankysmagicpian

After leaving Sky ages ago, there was a spate of phone calls from Sky asking me to come back. I wasn't happy and the calls, most of the time, went like this.

Sky: Hello this is Sky Television calling wondering if you'd be interested in some of out special offers. Before I can continue, I'd be grateful if you could confirm your name, details and security password.

Me: Why?

Sky: for security reasons so we can be sure that we are talking to the right person

Me: You phoned me at my house - you should have the details. You should tell me the details and the password so I know that you are Sky

Sky: we can't continue without you confirming your details so we know who you are.

Me: So you phoned ME, on MY telephone number, in MY House. Do you think I am a burglar who just broke in a while ago and decided to answer the phone whilst I was clearing the house out of valuables? It's you who could be anyone....

This happened a few times and needless to say, they haven't phoned since then.

So if you had a son with the same name (say for example, Mr Smith) and he agreed to a 12 month contract because they thought it was you, do you think that is acceptable because they didn't ask DPA?

[Maggy J]

The problem here is that if I phone VM wanting to change packages etc I'm phoning them and I know whom I'm dealing with so I need to identify myself via my password so they know it is me they are talking to.IF they call me out of the blue then am I going to give them my password etc when I don't know that IT is VM phoning me?

[Kellargh]

If it is a sales call then I would call in to change package - the only time we do call to change package is when there is a fault generated by say, an invalid package - but the customer normally calls first to report it, and is told that they will receive a call back to rectify.

[RizzyKing]

Well Kellargh look at it this way the policy is now going to have to change now it's been made public as i can see all the little scammer's thinking of ways to exploit this. You really cant blame people for being hostile to cold caller's in this day and age we are as a society worried about ID theft and the like. We are constantly told by all that you DO NOT give away personal details so might make your job a tad harder but personally i prefer to err on the side of caution and i will not be giving any details away if i am contacted by VM.

[Kellargh]

I agree that it is difficult to trust anyone who asks for any information over the phone, but it just wouldn't be possible to fix certain issues without it.

So you'll have a constant fault ridden service :/

[RizzyKing]

How do you work that out lol if i have a fault i call VM and i talk to them and they either sort it or an engineer comes out at least that is how it has always worked for me. I have never had a callback that sorted a damn thing so i am not really sure how a callback resolves anything.

[harveyvan]

Originally Posted by Kellargh

[Banks do ask for personal details when they do outbound calls - I've worked for HSBC] So it really isn't just Virgin Media that do it - like the Guardian states.

Yup, HSBC has done that to me: and when they initiated the call as a cold call (on my business account), they got the same response of "no can do" from me. (I eventually had a letter from them, agreeing to remove me from the call list.)

Your description of "call-back" (for faults or whatever) is a bit of a red herring: if I ask a company to ring me, it's reasonable for them to do the security check.

But unless I've misunderstood it, the issue here is that VM (like the bank, before I squashed that) is *cold calling* the customers and asking for ID.

That's entirely different to an "arranged call back".

[Itshim]

off topic - My bank ( and yes I confirmed by calling them) have done this as well. I told them were to go!!

[ntl.wotcha]

Ditto with my Bank. They tend to call up from time to time and ask me to confirm security info. Each time I tell them they should know my security info and confirm the details to me, but apparently they can't do that. So I tell them I will call them back.