Slow internet and how do I speak to an English speaking member of staff? [Archive]

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Davey

22-01-2009, 10:35

My broadband has suddenly started going slow, I use XBOX live regularly and games have become unplayable; after doing a speed test I'm getting less than 1Mbit download and just under 200k upload..

I've tried contacting customer support twice but on both occasions the call centre operator hasnâ€™t been able to speak simple English!

Is there a simple way of talking to an English member of staff about this problem, not someone who is reading from a script and can barely understand me?

Enuff

22-01-2009, 10:58

I've always got through to clear speaking support staff in the UK when I've called before 5pm. After that, I normally only ever get through to Indian staff who I find hard to understand, plus I've never once had a successful outcome when put through to them.

esdxc37

22-01-2009, 10:59

you cant get to a U.K. based support person it is pot luck when you call.
Have you tried the bb newsgroups usually pretty good and fast?

Davey

22-01-2009, 11:04

I did phone out of hours, but I'm not at home during the day and I'm not willing to call an 0845 number on my mobile lol :D

I've never had a successful outcome with the Indian call center My cable tv box started playing up last year and I was told on four seperate occasions an engineer would come out.. In the end I phoned up to cancel my service because it was un watchable and voila I was put through to an english speaking person who said they would sort it out.. Two days later I had a new box!

Enuff

22-01-2009, 11:49

I haven't had to call them for a long time now, I'm just using their 10mb. So no TV and no phone = less to go wrong.

Davey

22-01-2009, 11:58

If having Sky+ AND BT wasnt such a rip off I'd junk Virgin.

General Maximus

22-01-2009, 12:00

I thought the tech support number was free now?

Davey

22-01-2009, 12:15

the 151 number is free but the site lists an 0845 number from non virgin lines.

Chris

22-01-2009, 12:30

In the end I phoned up to cancel my service because it was un watchable and voila I was put through to an english speaking person who said they would sort it out.. Two days later I had a new box!

It's a bit extreme, but I suspect that's the nearest you'll get to an answer to your original question. AFAIK I think all disconnection requests have to go to Retentions, who are in the UK.

Davey

22-01-2009, 12:36

Its really sad that it has to come to that though.. Vrigin must lose so many customers because after trying to resolve a small problem they literally just think "f**k this" and go else where.

General Maximus

22-01-2009, 19:24

and that all comes down to poor trained first line tech support people again. I am sure they must have done a cost/benefit analysis but surely they must realise that they would be better off if they coughed up that little bit extra for english call centers with well trained staff it would save them in the long run through keeping customers. If you are happy with your service you are never going to think about leaving. I have had a mobile phone contract with 02 for 8 years now and no matter what deals other networks throw at me I have always stayed with 02 because on the odd occassion that i have had to phone them about stuff they have got the problem fixed wihin minutes and no hassel which makes me a satisified customer.

pip_k

22-01-2009, 19:53

the 151 number is free but the site lists an 0845 number from non virgin lines.

I phoned them today and was given 0800 052 0942, haven't used it, but worth a try.

martyh

22-01-2009, 22:57

had to phone virgin today about my 20mb internet consistantly running at 10-12mb and dropping the connection to the router.
The best answer i got was from an indian tech bloke who said it was my security software that was the problem combined with the fact that i was using a wireless router,when i explained that i was hardwired into the modem via ethernet cable and booted in safemode with networking to perform the speed test he said it was definately the security software .I don't think he crasped the idea of what safe mode actually does.

Eventually i got put through to his supervisor who did a few tests using my laptop and my sons, same results on both machines.He then decided that the modem must be faulty as it wasn't asigning the correct ip address,so after 1hr on the phone he has agreed to supply a new modem, my current modem is a motorola surfboard about 4 years old which i don't think can handle the new high speed broardband.
My main point though is that these "tech guys" should be better trained and not just given a script to follow,i wasn,t even asked which os i was using, he assumed that i was using xp, when i was using vista,and only realised this when i said that all my internet setting were set up through "network and sharing center"and thats why none of his guides were working .I'm not an i.t engineer or anything similar but i have tried to educate myself on the basics of how computers work(my brother is an i.t engineer so he has helped alot)so why can't people who get paid for troubleshooting peoples problems learn something about the subject first instead of having to rely on a script and why can't their managers encourage the "tech guys"to read some forums,as i do,about the problems they are likely to meet,they will learn so much more and then they will finally be able to help us properly.
Sorry about the length of this mega whinge but i had to get this off my chest ...while my internet is still connected...thanks for listening

chickendippers

23-01-2009, 00:08

Post on the virginmedia.support.broadband.cable newsgroup: http://www.virginmedia.com/customers/newsgroups/

That's staffed by second level techs in the UK.

*sloman*

23-01-2009, 08:15