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NTL are the biggest shower of time wasting incompetent losers

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  • 08-12-2008 2:25pm
    #1
    gabbo is coming
    Registered Users Posts: 968 ✭✭✭


    STAY AWAY FROM NTL!

    I have been informed by numerous flyers that NTL are "upgrading the cable in my area" - since last June. The process of upgrading didn't take "6-8" weeks, more like 6-8 months.

    However, I thought it was all done this day last week, when I phoned NTL because I saw a bloke working on the local exchange thing at the end of the road.

    They informed me that yes - NTL was now available in my area. Thus ensued a big discussion on what tariff I would like, and a time to install. As Saturday 6th wasn't available - we agreed today, between 9 and 1 p.m.

    At about 12.25, with no sign of NTL and having been on the receiving end of an NTL no-show before, I phoned them.

    Phone call one - transferred from sales and mysteriously cut me off.

    Phone call two (20 mins on hold) - "I'll contact someone", more time on hold, chap comes on the phone, "I'm Mick from sales, I'll get her to call you back in 5 mins", "eh, what". Click. Hung up.

    No call back in 5 mins.

    15 mins later

    Phone call three, 1.15 p.m. A woman answered who said "sure they might still call?". "but I have to go to work and they are now late". After me pleading with her not to transfer me, 10 mins later she comes back to me...

    "There's no broadband in your area, they're telling me its not strong enough".

    "But I ordered it last week"

    "It's not strong enough"

    "How could I have ordered it then?"

    "It's a human error, sorry"

    Waste of a half day of work. I'm an independent contractor - I'll take them to the small claims court.


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    #2
    IsThatSo?
    Closed Accounts Posts: 988 ✭✭✭IsThatSo?


    That is extremely annoying, it wouldn't have killed them to give you a ring to cancel the appointment. They really don't give a toss about that kind of thing.

    I have found myself that they don't call back, ever. One time a supervisor swore she would ring me back. A few days later I rang and was told there was a note on the screen to say such and such if I rang back :mad:

    Luckily I don't need to contact them very often.


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    #3
    ball ox
    Registered Users Posts: 699 ✭✭✭ball ox


    IsThatSo? wrote: »
    That is extremely annoying, it wouldn't have killed them to give you a ring to cancel the appointment. They really don't give a toss about that kind of thing.

    I have found myself that they don't call back, ever. One time a supervisor swore she would ring me back. A few days later I rang and was told there was a note on the screen to say such and such if I rang back :mad:

    Luckily I don't need to contact them very often.
    It's almost cliché to say it these days but they truely are the most incompitent company in the country. I myself have the privalige of paying for 12 meg broadband with them which rarely performs above 6 meg at best. I have actually given up ringing them at this stage and am looking at alternatives


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    #4
    banquo
    Registered Users Posts: 9,487 ✭✭✭banquo


    Helpful thread - thanks!


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    #5
    BendiBus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,074 ✭✭✭BendiBus


    ball ox wrote: »
    It's almost cliché to say it these days but they truely are the most incompitent company in the country. I myself have the privalige of paying for 12 meg broadband with them which rarely performs above 6 meg at best. I have actually given up ringing them at this stage and am looking at alternatives

    12meg?


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    #6
    cgarvey
    Registered Users Posts: 3,886 ✭✭✭cgarvey


    gabbo is coming wrote: »
    I'll take them to the small claims court.

    Please let us know how you get on with that. Non-material loss is a hard thing to prove/get compensated for in the SCC, no? If you do go, I hope you're successful!


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    #7
    gsxr1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,167 ✭✭✭gsxr1


    I hate dealing with there customer care also.

    there is no reason a company like NTL can not offer top class care. They have the money.

    This seems to be a big failing in the company and in my opinion, there inferior customer call team are letting the whole company down.

    If there is a problem with SKY. BT lines or or even your washing machine , ye can always get some person on the phone within 5 mins who can help you.

    Not so NTL. You wait 30mins . If you don't get cut off.

    I really hope some one in NTL reads this.

    You are so upset you are threating Legal action.

    I am sure. That if you had a nice easy to talk to person on the phone to help you when you needed them , you would not feel this way now.

    They are a bunch of clowns in customer care


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    #8
    ball ox
    Registered Users Posts: 699 ✭✭✭ball ox


    BendiBus wrote: »
    12meg?

    Sorry, 10 Mb, still not on though


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    #9
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 3,621 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    ball ox wrote: »
    Sorry, 10 Mb, still not on though

    Is it syncing at 6Mb or 10mb?

    If its at 10 but you're getting six its likely a capacity issue.

    But thats the joys of contended bandwidth. Its pot luck depending on your area.


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    #10
    dub45
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 12,448 Mod ✭✭✭✭dub45


    I am sure that several times since the initial debacle of the UPC takeover that UPC management have acknowledged 'shortcomings' in the customer service and promised significant improvements.

    The not turning up is a common complaint on here and their insistence on sending out 'technicians' for virtually every complaint must cost them a fortune. The sad fact is that it does not matter to them if a technician does not turn up and wastes a customers time off etc the customer has no one to complain to except UPC themselves and that means yet another adventure with the UPC switchboard.

    I recently rang to report a tv fault (a major blackout in the area) the csr refused to register my complaint as I would not agree a time for a technician to call out! I pointed out several times that this was ludicrous but she would not listen and just kept insisting on an appointment.

    It takes real effort to be as consistently awful as they are and have been for ages now.


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    #11
    Twiki
    Registered Users Posts: 143 ✭✭Twiki


    It might be worth sending a letter of complaint directly to the CEO, Robert Dunn. It's not as easy to ignore letters, particularly those addressed to senior management which trickle down through an organisation - phoning UPC is usually a waste of time.


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    #12
    neacy69
    Registered Users Posts: 2,823 ✭✭✭neacy69


    Twiki wrote: »
    It might be worth sending a letter of complaint directly to the CEO, Robert Dunn. It's not as easy to ignore letters, particularly those addressed to senior management which trickle down through an organisation - phoning UPC is usually a waste of time.


    Make sure its a registered letter or it may get lost in the post like a lot of letters seems to do when dealing with internet companies....


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    #13
    kmick
    Registered Users Posts: 3,375 ✭✭✭kmick


    I was thinking of changing over to their full package tv, phone and 20mb broadband but Im not sure I want the hassle of dealing with them.


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    #14
    GigaByte
    Closed Accounts Posts: 515 ✭✭✭GigaByte


    In protest all UPC/NTL customers should call and arrange for them to send out an engineer to fix a "problem" your having but instead of hanging about all day head into work. :D


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    #15
    gsxr1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,167 ✭✭✭gsxr1


    GigaByte wrote: »
    In protest all UPC/NTL customers should call and arrange for them to send out an engineer to fix a "problem" your having but instead of hanging about all day head into work. :D

    thats my plan. I have one coming on tuesday. If he is not here by 10 I will be off to work.


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    #16
    Yarnhall
    Registered Users Posts: 93 ✭✭Yarnhall


    I rang up UPC on a Friday to get the 20Mb package, they booked the installation for the following Thursday, I got a call Wednesday morning saying they'd had a cancellation and could do mine early. 40 minutes later it was synching at 19Mb. Where as I'de tried to order broadband from BT a while back and they'de lost the order twice. Nobodies perfect.


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    #17
    DingDong
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,438 ✭✭✭DingDong


    Sorry to hear you got the run around gabbo. As for the length of time it took to upgrade your area they usually have a target to complete a rebuild in 8 week max, but some parts of a rebuild areas end up in LOC basically it mean the crews have run in to difficulty in replacing the existing cable(customer no longer want cables on their home etc.). Until this is resolved the area in LOC is not released for BB/VOIP sales or upgraded completely. This is usually what causes delays in the rebuild process. As long as cables are on private home there is always the chance of delay.

    As for the customer service maybe they could take a leaf out of comcast's book or even a help forum Link


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    #18
    Pablo Sanchez
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,207 ✭✭✭Pablo Sanchez


    We have all had our nightmare experience's with NTL, if my apartment block allowed for anyone else than them to provide TV i would be out like a shot!

    Its always best to go directly to the head honcho on these matters.


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    #19
    gabbo is coming
    Registered Users Posts: 968 ✭✭✭gabbo is coming


    DingDong wrote: »
    Sorry to hear you got the run around gabbo. As for the length of time it took to upgrade your area they usually have a target to complete a rebuild in 8 week max, but some parts of a rebuild areas end up in LOC basically it mean the crews have run in to difficulty in replacing the existing cable(customer no longer want cables on their home etc.). Until this is resolved the area in LOC is not released for BB/VOIP sales or upgraded completely. This is usually what causes delays in the rebuild process. As long as cables are on private home there is always the chance of delay.

    As for the customer service maybe they could take a leaf out of comcast's book or even a help forum Link



    I totally understand that the process can take longer than expected. What I can't understand is why their sales team report that it is available when it clearly isn't, and why they book appointments for FOUR hours when they have no intention of showing up...


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    #20
    paulm17781
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,858 ✭✭✭paulm17781


    gabbo is coming wrote: »
    I totally understand that the process can take longer than expected. What I can't understand is why their sales team report that it is available when it clearly isn't, and why they book appointments for FOUR hours when they have no intention of showing up...

    Because their customer care / sales teams are inefficient and badly run. Often you hear of someone being told they can't get broadband to find they can. The other is people being told they aren't customers when they are.

    As above, if I could get anyone else for TV, I would cancel all UPC services. They've had (at least) two years and they're still a mess, they don't strike me as a company worth giving money too.


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    #21
    anonymousjunkie
    Registered Users Posts: 223 ✭✭anonymousjunkie


    What can I say, totally agree with all the comments here about UPC.

    Can't figure out how they qualify for the awards they receive, its certainly not their customers voting for them:

    "To date we have been voted the Best Internet Service Providers for 2008 at the Digital Media Awards"


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    #22
    Vadrefjorde
    Closed Accounts Posts: 271 ✭✭Vadrefjorde


    "To date we have been voted the Best Internet Service Providers for 2008 at the Digital Media Awards"

    They are nominated because as bad as they are the competition is even more kack....

    Entries will be judged on the following criteria

    1. Strategy 30%
    2. Results 30%
    3. Product Range 40%

    so if you have a good product range (That doesn't actually work)
    Some fancy ideas ( Circulate some nice white-papers etc..)
    thats 70% of the marks for best internet service provider already clocked up.
    So the fact that your results are actually complete tripe will only knock you back 30%.


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