Changing IT providers

I recently decided to rationalise my phone and broadband packages and put the entire lot with a single provider.

So I called up BT. After the irritation of pressing quite a few buttons, I got through to a human being fairly promptly (sales always answer quicker than services). And then my troubles began. First, it took an age for the person at the call centre to find the package I was after (even though they only had three on offer). “I don’t think we are doing this anymore.”

“Then why did BT send me an advert for it last week?”

“What is your number?”

“It is the same one as I told your machine. Why are you asking me again now?”

“What is you address? …….that doesn’t match the one we have on our records.”

“We’ve been living here for eight years and you send the bills to this address.”

“Would you like the 1571 service and caller identification.”

“Yes we already have them.”

“No you don’t.”

“Yes we do.”

And so it went on. But after half an hour we were through and agreed on the package – which was the one I asked for in the first place. “You’ll be sent a confirmation by e-mail and you can track your order on our website. We’ll send you your hub by post.”

When the e-mail arrives, I am concerned to see that BT have ignored what I said about my address and put in a completely different one. So I phone up to put things right and after lots of pressing buttons I get through to Bangalore or some far flung place on the Indian Sub-continent. After about 20 minutes of our trying to understand each other, I am told my problem is sorted and I will receive an e-mail to confirm by eleven o’clock the following day. No e-mail. Order tracking site shows no change.

Phone up again, reach another Indian call centre. There is obviously a problem. After being left hanging on for two periods of ten minutes (“Just hold on for two minutes sir ….sorry to keep you waiting.”) I am told it is all sorted.

Following day, no joy. Get through to UK call centre by trying a roundabout route. After much hanging around on hold, I am told that the computer will not accept changes to my address, but I can rest assured it will be sorted. Good news and bad news: the following day, the website shows that my hub will be delivered to the right address (and the wrong address as well). But the engineer will be going to the wrong address.

So I call again. On the phone for another half an hour, told that the engineer will be going to the right address, but I have lost my slot and will have to wait another day. By this time I am pretty apoplectic. If I had known, I would never have started the transfer. Next day I receive written confirmation of original appointment. Two days later a new letter arrives confirming second date – with no mention of first appointment.

I am sure BT are not alone with their breath-taking incompetence – I have had my run-ins with Sky and Talk-Talk as well as various energy providers. But the experience shows just how bad things can be.

To be fair, when it came to the broadband changeover, all went smoothly. The postman used his initiative and brought the package straight to us – rather than deliver it to the unoccupied house to which it was addressed. And when we actually met a BT person (the engineer) he could not have been more helpful.

We were told the Lord King of BA used to fly incognito to test the airline service from their customers’ viewpoint. Perhaps BT and other large-scale utility operators might follow his example? I am sure senior management cannot be aware of just how bad their service is and how frustrating it can be to everyday users.