BT - How can i contact somebody important?

[ol]

Hi,

I've been trying to get BT to install a phone line at my new (to me) house for the last 2 months.

I first called them in July, and so far they have managed to not turn up to 4 appointments at my house. This has meant that i have spent 4 days sitting waiting for them to turn up (self employed so i've lost a lot of income through it).

They have never phoned me to let me know they cant attend, they just haven't turned up, which means that i have had to call them after each occassion, which again has cost me lots of time and money in phone calls, which always end in the call center monkey apologising and them booking another appointment for weeks later.

I have tried escallating the calls and speaking to the call centre manager, but to no avail.

After it happened AGAIN yesterday, i am sick of it.

Does anyone know how i can phone someone important at BT who might actually be able to book an appointment to which they will actually turn up to?

If you dont want to post their number on open forums please PM me.

(i've not got the internet at home [BECAUSE OF BLOODY BT!!!!] so it might take me a while to reply to any posts, so thanks in advance)

Any help would be much apreciated!!!

[Swillsy]

Hi ol i had a new line put in last week for a place I just moved into. BT were absolutely terrible, they sent me a letter saying that the engineer would come between 1 and 6 on thursday so I took the afternoon off work.

No engineer or contact from BT at all so I tried getting hold of BT which was a mission on a mobile phone was on hold for hours. They said that the work had been done ... and they didnt need access.

I asked if I still had to pay 125 quid for the work which is a rip off and they said yes!

Neways just an FYI for ya - if you get sky TV they will send you forms to refund the 125 pounds. If you work it out it may be cheaper over 12 months if you after tinternet

[lunarscope]

Here's the BT "Code Of Practice":
http://www.btplc.com/Thegroup/Regulatoryinformatio...

Have a look at pages 10 and 11.

You should be able to claim compensation/credit for the inconvenience.

[ol]

Hi mate, thanks for the reply,

Yeah i had booked SKy to fit the TV and internet on the same day that BT were first supposed to fit my line. Sky got everything sorted on time, but because BT hadnt managed to get the line in SKy couldn't provide the broadband or the Phone package.

This means that if i dont get the line in in the next 2 weeks and the sky phone and internet up and running Sky will fine me as i got the free Sky + on the premis that i would be taking their other services too. ARGHH!

The most annoying thing is, that my dad has just completed a rennovation project, and phoned BT last week to get a line put in, and they fitted it yesterday (under a week) yet i'm still here over 2 months on from the initial call and they've done bugger all exept waste my time and money...

[lunarscope]

IIRC, you have to keep the BT line for 3 or 6 months before it can be 'taken over' by another telephone provider.

That's what I was told by TalkTalk anyway.

[ol]

Lunarscope - Amazing, thanks for that, i'll study it carefully and see what i can do.

I still need a way of contacting someone with some authority though, i'm sick of call centres...

Edited by ol on Tuesday 9th September 12:17

[ChristianZS]

Actually.. I were speaking to an ex-employee last night.. Hes now a customer service manager for BT.. I dont have his number though :|

[ol]

lunarscope said:

IIRC, you have to keep the BT line for 3 or 6 months before it can be 'taken over' by another telephone provider.

That's what I was told by TalkTalk anyway.

I think it depends on what you ask BT to put in. If you sign up to any of their services you have to keep it for X amount of time, however if you just get the basic line rental i think you can change right away.

It's daft that BT are the only company that can provide a line initally but they are so inept!?? Surely there should be some kind of monopoly law prohibiting this kind of trading?

[ol]

ChristianZS said:

Actually.. I were speaking to an ex-employee last night.. Hes now a customer service manager for BT.. I dont have his number though :

Damn! If you happen to speak to him again get him to find out the MD's number!!

[The Walrus]

No joking I have diabetes not a life threatening disease but I have used this before as a reason I need a phone in case I have a fit and hey presto next day they turn up after giving the usual it will be over a month blah blah blah.

Edited by The Walrus on Tuesday 9th September 12:26

[Trevelyan]

I had exactly the same problem with BT putting a new line into my house. Three missed appointments (and therefore days off work), hours on the phone to their call centres, different parts of BT telling me conflicting information within minutes of each other etc. etc. A complete shower of st all in all.

The way I finally got some action was to ask to speak to the 'Chairmans Office' (actully a troubleshooting department) or the 'High Level Complaints' department. I'd been tipped off that the call centre staff can't refuse to give you this info, and they're the departments with the power to get some action. Strangely enough the call centre I spoke to did refuse to give me the contact information, winding me up even more. However ten minutes after hanging up on them I got a phone call directly from a BT Engineer who was sat at home on his afternoon off when he was told to come in on overtime and do whatever necessary to get my line in. Co-incidence? I think not! Five minutes after he turned up another two engineers turned up to help - they'd both been brought in on overtime to give the first guy a hand and make sure the job got finished. It took the three engineers about ten minutes to finish - thankfully they all saw the funny side and were glad of the overtime. The strange thing was that they all said they'd had hardly any work on for weeks, so couldn't understand the problems I'd had...

[ol]

Trevelyan said:

I had exactly the same problem with BT putting a new line into my house. Three missed appointments (and therefore days off work), hours on the phone to their call centres, different parts of BT telling me conflicting information within minutes of each other etc. etc. A complete shower of st all in all.

The way I finally got some action was to ask to speak to the 'Chairmans Office' (actully a troubleshooting department) or the 'High Level Complaints' department. I'd been tipped off that the call centre staff can't refuse to give you this info, and they're the departments with the power to get some action. Strangely enough the call centre I spoke to did refuse to give me the contact information, winding me up even more. However ten minutes after hanging up on them I got a phone call directly from a BT Engineer who was sat at home on his afternoon off when he was told to come in on overtime and do whatever necessary to get my line in. Co-incidence? I think not! Five minutes after he turned up another two engineers turned up to help - they'd both been brought in on overtime to give the first guy a hand and make sure the job got finished. It took the three engineers about ten minutes to finish - thankfully they all saw the funny side and were glad of the overtime. The strange thing was that they all said they'd had hardly any work on for weeks, so couldn't understand the problems I'd had...

Thanks for that, i will try calling them this afternoon. They Guarenteed me when i called yesterday that a 'manager' would phone me within 24 hours, and that was at 1pm. That gives them another 35 mins to call me, but i would bet my life on the fact that they wont...

[Mannginger]

I'd write to Ian Livingstone at the below address:

BT Group plc,
BT Centre,
81 Newgate Street,
London
EC1A 7AJ

I took a similar approach with consistent failure of Microsoft CS and got very prompt and pleasing results. Shame it needs to resort to this approach now and again.

Phil

[ol]

Mannginger said:

I'd write to Ian Livingstone at the below address:

BT Group plc,
BT Centre,
81 Newgate Street,
London
EC1A 7AJ

I took a similar approach with consistent failure of Microsoft CS and got very prompt and pleasing results. Shame it needs to resort to this approach now and again.

Phil

Thanks, i will definately be writing to them to complain, but i really need to get my line in, so i need to phone.

Edited by ol on Tuesday 9th September 12:34

[Barton]

Email the CEO Ben Verwayen, I have before, twice, and was amazed how quickly thinges were sorted, he even phoned little old me personally!

[Mannginger]

Barton said:

Email the CEO Ben Verwayen, I have before, twice, and was amazed how quickly thinges were sorted, he even phoned little old me personally!

He stood down earlier this year - it's Ian Livingstone now I believe

[.:ian:.]

lunarscope said:

IIRC, you have to keep the BT line for 3 or 6 months before it can be 'taken over' by another telephone provider.

That's what I was told by TalkTalk anyway.

You`ll be ok if you choose the "no line rental" option from Talk Talk,, ie you still pay line rental to BT.

However Talk Talk hide this option quite well, and you cannot sign up online, and the call-center drones obviously get paid for getting you onto certain packages and will lie and/or put you on a different package to that which you ask to go on.

[1066]

I have been given the runaround by BT before, under similar circumstances.

Anyway, after reading the moneysavingexpert.com forum, I managed to get the new CEO's (Ian Livingston, who took over from Ben whatever a few months ago) email address.

I mailed him, and within twenty minutes I recieved a reponse from his personal assistant. My complaint was passed on to the "High Level Complaints Team" and was resolved the same day.

I'd definately recommend a strongly worded email to Ian Livingston. Definately quicker than speaking to the various grunts in the call centres. Let us know how you get on!

Edited by 1066 on Tuesday 9th September 12:48

[Small Car]

I wrote to the CEO as well. I was given a direct line into a very nice lady who could not do enough for me - "and keep my number if you have any more problems".

It took a week or so for them to get back to me after the initial letter but did the business.

[The Walrus]

ol said:

Mannginger said:

I'd write to Ian Livingstone at the below address:

BT Group plc,
BT Centre,
81 Newgate Street,
London
EC1A 7AJ

I took a similar approach with consistent failure of Microsoft CS and got very prompt and pleasing results. Shame it needs to resort to this approach now and again.

Phil

Thanks, i will definately be writing to them to complain, but i really need to get my line in, so i need to phone.

Edited by ol on Tuesday 9th September 12:34

Say your wife / partner / you has a serious medical condition and that you need a phone line ASAP in case of emergency trust me it works, I wont say it again !!!

Diabetes is an easy one to use as so many have it, say it is type 1 as this is the more serious type.