Virgin Media Closing Albert Dock

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

I'm not sure. My contact at VM mentioned it in passing last Sunday, but doesn't know too much about it, but I do think I recall reading or seeing something about it.

I assume that they have become involved because they are concerned about the human and financial cost.

Have any Albert Dock staff heard anything about this?

No hence my question apart from local councillors and local mp's coming to the dock the other week.

[RichardCoulter]

OK- thank you.

[RichardCoulter]

Would you like to directly share what the actual point is that you are trying to make, if indeed there is one?

Instead of seeking out opportunities to denigrate others at every opportunity, perhaps you ought to think about leading by example in keeping this thread on track?

Oh for goodness sake will you lot stop responding to the elephant in the room or at the very least use the ignore function.

This thread has been successfully hijacked and instead of being about the people at Albert Dock has become a slanging match.I'm personally sick of asking people not to feed the elephant.

[Nopanic]

Well said, it's all about feeding the "T" ... Mod's .. attack

[Russ]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

Your attempts at bullying me off the forum, both in public and in PM, are like water off a ducks back. As you will be aware, I am a disabled person and have encountered this many times before.

Let's get one thing straight, if the team wanted you off CF all it would take is the click of a button. But that's not how it works around here. You are welcome to post here.

I had no idea you were disabled but it makes absolutely zero difference. Your posts in this thread have been most unhelpful and disrespectful.

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

Once again, in the interests of the people affected by this closure and the forum as a whole, can we now please move on and keep on topic?

When we need new Team members, we'll advertise for them.

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

I'm not sure. My contact at VM mentioned it in passing last Sunday, but doesn't know too much about it, but I do think I recall reading or seeing something about it.

Whilst our numerous VM contacts know nothing about it.

When any further news about the closure becomes available (from trusted, verifiable sources naturally) it will be posted here.

[Peter_]

Here is the latest job advertisement for our jobs in Swansea.

http://jobs.thisissouthwales.co.uk/c...812&src=search

The shifts down there are a lot worse than our present hours at the Albert Dock and they will be open 365 days a year.

Location: Llansamlet
Salary: starting at £13,200 per annum
Long-term temporary assignment
Bonus potential

This role involves working rotating shifts over 37.5 hours per
week, between 07.30 and 22.30, Monday – Sunday; however
days/hours may change at any time due to business
requirements, and so you must be flexible. Please note that
the call centre is open 365 days a year.

I have just removed some unpleasant off-topic postings. Please respect the topic and respect each other, difficult though the subject may be.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

Would you like to directly share what the actual point is that you are trying to make, if indeed there is one?

Instead of seeking out opportunities to denigrate others at every opportunity, perhaps you ought to think about leading by example in keeping this thread on track?

I thought it prudent to point out that this post was a response to a rude off topic post that has been removed, just in case anybody thought I was referring to them and it caused any trouble.

---------- Post added at 17:32 ---------- Previous post was at 17:22 ----------

Originally Posted by Russ

Let's get one thing straight, if the team wanted you off CF all it would take is the click of a button. But that's not how it works around here. You are welcome to post here.

I had no idea you were disabled but it makes absolutely zero difference. Your posts in this thread have been most unhelpful and disrespectful.

Thank you, although I disagree that I have been unhelpful and disrespectful. Being unhelpful and disrespectful should not be confused with not sharing any point of view that I may hold.

I have shared pertinent information that I believe may be of help to any VM staff affected, even to the point of inviting any who wish to do so to privately contact me for help.

Originally Posted by Russ

When we need new Team members, we'll advertise for them.

I have no time or desire to become a member of the CF team. I was merely politely requesting that we keep on topic for the benefit of all. I do not need to be a member of the CF team to request this.

Originally Posted by Russ

Whilst our numerous VM contacts know nothing about it.

It is not clear what point you are trying to make here.

Originally Posted by Russ

When any further news about the closure becomes available (from trusted, verifiable sources naturally) it will be posted here.

Excellent, I am sure that those affected appreciate this

---------- Post added at 17:34 ---------- Previous post was at 17:32 ----------

Originally Posted by Chris

I have just removed some unpleasant off-topic postings. Please respect the topic and respect each other, difficult though the subject may be.

Wise words Chris, and thank you

---------- Post added at 17:44 ---------- Previous post was at 17:34 ----------

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

I think the best thing that we can do is to rise above the minority of individuals who wish to disrupt this thread with their off topic negativity and spite, so that we can concentrate on the relevant issues instead.

@ DF, thanks for that, it was interesting to watch. I wonder if/hope that this intervention by those in the political arena will do anything to help.

Breaking news, further to my previous post that I thought that the Govt would be freezing benefits next year, they will now be uprated with the CPI. (They had been urged not to uprate benefits at a time when people in work are facing pay freezes* or pay cuts.)

*In my own company we have again had to freeze pay, apart from some people who will receive an extra 8p an hour.

This means that those unfortunate enough to be made redundant, who haven't found another job by next April, will now receive an increase in benefits by about 5%*, so that they keep pace with their spending power.

*Does not apply to some Tax Credits.

For completeness, I should add that the current Government has decided to freeze Child Benefit for basic rate taxpayers. For 40% taxpayers, any amount claimed will be clawed back. So why bother claiming, you may well ask? It is important to do so as this could potentially affect the State Retirement Pension of higher rate taxpayers. This is likely to disproportionality affect women.

There are some measures that staff can take now to minimise the impact of redundancy.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by Masque

Here is the latest job advertisement for our jobs in Swansea.

http://jobs.thisissouthwales.co.uk/c...812&src=search

The shifts down there are a lot worse than our present hours at the Albert Dock and they will be open 365 days a year.

I always assumed that VM call centres were open every day, apart from Christmas day??

What days does Albert Dock serve the public now?

What shifts do Albert Dock staff do at present?

I wonder why they want Swansea to open every day and require staff to do inconvenient shifts when they could use the foreign personnel overseas for this (not that I am advocating this as a customer, as I much prefer to deal with UK based staff.) Whilst I accept that the modern world of work requires staff to be more flexible and to increase their availability, why aren't VM utilising their offshore option

Maybe they are winding them down and/or have finally started to listen to customer complaints about them.

If so, maybe there is hope that the staff affected could have the chance to work for VM again in the future

I personally would like to see the whole CSR operation to be wholly UK based.

[Nopanic]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

I always assumed that VM call centres were open every day, apart from Christmas day??

What days does Albert Dock serve the public now?

What shifts do Albert Dock staff do at present?

I wonder why they want Swansea to open every day and require staff to do inconvenient shifts when they could use the foreign personnel overseas for this (not that I am advocating this as a customer, as I much prefer to deal with UK based staff.) Whilst I accept that the modern world of work requires staff to be more flexible and to increase their availability, why aren't VM utilising their offshore option

Maybe they are winding them down and/or have finally started to listen to customer complaints about them.

If so, maybe there is hope that the staff affected could have the chance to work for VM again in the future

I personally would like to see the whole CSR operation to be wholly UK based.

I'm not very bright .. so you'll have to forgive me if I'm just not reading your posts correctly ..

Didn't you start off by saying people should be grateful for whats offered and should move house if the employer needs them to ? Now you're saying working hours are unreasonable .. ?

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

I personally would like to see the whole CSR operation to be wholly UK based.

At last you have posted something i can agree with fully

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by Nopanic

I'm not very bright .. so you'll have to forgive me if I'm just not reading your posts correctly ..

Didn't you start off by saying people should be grateful for whats offered and should move house if the employer needs them to ? Now you're saying working hours are unreasonable .. ?

I do not recall saying that people should be grateful, I do believe that employees should relocate if necessary and appropriate.

I can't comment on the working hours in Swansea compared to Albert Dock, as I haven't received a response to my questions regarding the working pattern of the latter.

When I said that the new hours were "inconvenient", I was quoting Masque, although not verbatim.

I hope that this clarification has been of help

Originally Posted by Sirius

At last you have posted something i can agree with fully

The main reason a company will use an offshore call centre is because they think it will be cheaper.

With VM, I find that their offshore operation often winds customers up with their robotic droning on, nonsense responses and inaudible/accented speech. I believe that this impacts on customer goodwill and probably leads to churn.

They invariably go through the script and then try to book an engineer, when it is obvious to anybody that this is inappropriate.

It would be interesting to hear from engineers as to how much of their time (and company money) is wasted because of this.

I'd like to bet that this eats into most, if not all, of the perceived savings.

This, coupled with the customer care implications, leads me to believe that call centre operations should be done in house.

An added benefit of this would be the fact that, instead of making redundancies, VM would actually be taking ON staff and that benefits everybody in the UK.

Some companies have actually taken a concious decision not to outsource abroad because of the reasons stated or brought operations back in house.

I have made my views known to VM management on many occasions when the subject arose, but, at the end of the day, the decision is up to them

[Peter_]

Originally Posted by RichardCoulter

I do not recall saying that people should be grateful, I do believe that employees should relocate if necessary and appropriate.

I can't comment on the working hours in Swansea compared to Albert Dock, as I haven't received a response to my questions regarding the working pattern of the latter.

The are actually no jobs on offer for staff at the Albert Dock, you would have to apply for them and in most cases it will be for less money and far worse hours than we do at present.

No one is being offered a job in Swansea so most of any prior posts about work being offered to people in the Albert Dock are pretty pointless as it is not true.

So unless you were free and single and did not mind the prospect of moving possibly up to 250 miles away from home for less money and quite dissimilar hours and the upheaval involved in relocating to an area of the country that you do not know, with the likelihood of it being move fated to fail why would you bother to even contemplate such a move in the first place.

I doubt anyone with a family or a mortgage would consider such a move.

We are getting help with our CV's and interviews about the possibility of getting jobs nearer to home which in reality is what we really want.

So I and every other person affected by this closure would appreciate no more posts about relocating to Swansea as it is in reality just smoke and mirrors, and the sooner we have closure with regards an actual date to leave the better as far as I am concerned as I for one do not want to be switching the lights off.

[RichardCoulter]

Originally Posted by Masque

The are actually no jobs on offer for staff at the Albert Dock, you would have to apply for them and in most cases it will be for less money and far worse hours than we do at present.

No one is being offered a job in Swansea so most of any prior posts about work being offered to people in the Albert Dock are pretty pointless as it is not true.

So unless you were free and single and did not mind the prospect of moving possibly up to 250 miles away from home for less money and quite dissimilar hours and the upheaval involved in relocating to an area of the country that you do not know, with the likelihood of it being move fated to fail why would you bother to even contemplate such a move in the first place.

I doubt anyone with a family or a mortgage would consider such a move.

We are getting help with our CV's and interviews about the possibility of getting jobs nearer to home which in reality is what we really want.

So I and every other person affected by this closure would appreciate no more posts about relocating to Swansea as it is in reality just smoke and mirrors, and the sooner we have closure with regards an actual date to leave the better as far as I am concerned as I for one do not want to be switching the lights off.

I too had hoped that the incorrect belief that some members of staff were being slotted into jobs in Swansea had been put to bed, I was just responding to the query made by Nopanic as s/he was a little confused.

I accept, as I always have, that relocation may not be right for everybody (that's what I meant by "if appropriate" in my last post.) and, as it has been confirmed that there will be no benefit sanctions for those who choose not to apply to Swansea, who don't manage to find alternative employment, it is now a moot point in any case.

I'm glad that help is being offered to affected staff to try and get a job nearer home and wish you and everybody else good luck.