Worst was last time I moved. I remember it all too well (as you can probably tell from the detailed description below). I thought that calling BT to transfer my services to my new house was bad. Oh no.
I had to call them but their automated switchboard kept putting me through to the cable services department, who can't access non-cable customers' accounts. To make it worse, every time they transferred me I'd hold for about 30 minutes before an answerphone told me to leave a message as they were too busy or shut. I did this three times, the third time telling them to call me back first thing the next morning or I was cancelling my direct debit.
No call was forthcoming so called again. I spoke to an absolute arse who argued with everything I said - I had called the wrong number (which was on their contact us page), I was lying with my story as they didn't have answerphones etc. (he eventually retracted that a little and said "maybe some divisions in the cable department have answerphones" but they would have no way of relaying messages... obviously they've never heard of e-mail)
I said I was going to make a formal complaint and he told me that I had to speak directly to the department I wanted to complain about as customer services don't deal with complaints. I asked him what the point of customer services was and he replied "to deal with customer queries".
I was told that no supervisor would speak to me as it wasn't 'policy'. All complaints have to be in writing. I asked what the point of customer services was and they said to assist customers....
I told him again that I'm wasn't happy with that at all and he starts going "I don't know what you want me to do". I want someone to just take ownership of the situation, apologise, tell me what they're going to do so it doesn't happen to anyone again and help me move my services!!!
So still not happy, I asked to be put through to cancellations. On hold again, and here I have to go through the same conversation again. They don't have answerphones. It's partially my fault for ringing the wrong number. Yes, you would have to complain to home movers and not customer services.
Normally I find that cancellation departments bend over backwards to try and make you stay. This guy did nothing of the sort. Eventually I ask to cancel and he then tells me I would have to pay a large cancellation fee, despite having been a customer for around 5 years (I was with ntl before they were Virgin Media). Supposedly, when I had moved my services 6 months earlier I agreed to start another 12 month contract. Supposedly, I would have signed something.
I did nothing of the sort, so suddenly that changed to "you would have agreed to it over the phone"
In the end I conceded and said that I'll just have to move my services and keep complaining. So he puts me through to home movers and after five minutes..........
"Sorry, there is a technical issue and we can't take your call right now, please call back later"
Which meant I had to call back later and do the obligatory trip through the cable department and transferred across. I remember the guy I dealt with on this call as he was potentially the only helpful and polite member of staff I dealt with. However, he was rather taken aback with the idea that we had to complain to them. He actioned my home move and then transferred me to customer services to make my complaint.
There I was told that I had to write in - and no supervisor or manager would talk to me. It's the policy. I queried the idea of making angry customers write in and wait for a reply but was told "that's the policy and I'm afraid I can't help you any more sir"
I called back the next day as I thought he was talking out of his arse but was told the same thing the next day.
So I had to write in, got a few months free but it was a lot of hassle, and after I sent the letter I got an e-mail for the advance notice of my direct debit payment (they send one out every month) with the steep cancellation fee added on - the cretin in cancellations had added it even though I wasn't leaving. I called and was told that there was 'nothing they could do about it' as it was in the system already and a 'security feature' prevented them from changing any bill payments. The best option was to pay it and they would 'credit the amount from future bills'. No chance, but I was told that if I cancelled it they may be forced to 'take action'. Lovely, now we were onto legal threats for THEIR mistake.
I hung up and called back, someone else told me much more reasonably that if I cancelled the direct debit to prevent the payment coming out of my account she would call me back the next day to set up a new DD whilst putting a note on my file that this was all pre-arranged and that I would pay two months in one the following month. She did all of this and even called me the next month to check I hadn't received any hassle from the debts department from it all.
So, in short
there's only two decent employees in Virgin Media that I know of.
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