Let me tell you a jackanory-story. Once upon a time happybunny moved into a flat and asked the services of BT to get the landline connected.
3 engineers, one key and 2 weeks after the initial connection was due to be made, I eventually was able to phone home (“Hi, mum and dad – I’m still alive”)As I am a money-grabbing bugger, I wanted to claim compensation from BT as the route of the problem was that 2 engineers couldn’t be bothered to find the distribution point in the block and once found the 3rd engineer said that a wire had become loose.
And so to compensation claim…One very nice woman at BT’s customer services said that I would be entitled to compensation. One extremely nice line-manager told me I would get compensation. Oh, I was a happy bunny!
So, I anxiously waited by my phone day and night awaiting the call to tell me how much I would get.Days went by. Weeks went by. Happybunny was beginning to get an irrate bunny. So I made a call to customer services, and was told that my claim for compensation had been rejected. Happybunny turns into angry-murderous-bunny.
So, I state my case again and ask for it to be reconsidered. Again, I waited in eager anticipation. No phonecalls or letters were forthcoming, except a reminder that I hadn’t paid my bill (in protest I may add). Thanks BT.Again, I phoned 2 weeks later to find out whether the old bank balance would be increased by BT. No, was the answer.
And the happy ending?Well, a letter of complaint was copied to Oftel. Funnily enough I received a reply within a week and had been granted the compensation that I knew was owing to me.
So, the moral of this story?- Ensure that you read the Customer Service Guarantee that BT send when you first sign up for their services. It states all that you should expect from BT.
- When you connect, report a fault or have any problems always write down who you speak to, dates and what was said. If you are visited by an engineer take their name and again make a not of what was said or pointed out to you.- If you believe that BT are not delivering a good service, read the Customer Service Guarantee to see whether you’re entitled to compensation.
- Complain to customer services and if you believe you’re entitled to compensation ask to make a compensation claim and ask how long you should wait before a representative from BT will contact you.- If no contact is made by BT before the agreed time, call them and ask to speak to a ‘first line-manager’. Be assertive.
- If you’re not happy with the way in which your complaint or compensation claim is handled, put it in writing and send it to the local Complaints Review Manager (the address should be in the phonebook)- Keep going through BT’s complaint procedure, if you have no luck contact Oftel, your local Citizen’s Advice Bureau, or as a last resort a solicitor.
- Be PERSUASIVE, PESTER AND PERSEVERE.
by (10%):
05.07.2001 09:19
excellent op well done for standing your ground ,i too had probs with them i claimed compensation after having phone off for 2 weeks while they tried to LOCATE fault and after 3 months i gave up and changed to ntl .You write some good stuff so i am adding you to my cot. craig
25.06.2001 17:47
well written opinion although I am surprised you don't rate their service, especially the waiting times, which I always find excellent. Pushing BT into following their own rules shouldn't be necessary but I'm glad to hear to won the day. Good advice - if you know you're in the right and BT and a BT manager won't sort it out, Oftel are there to play hardball - similar a few years ago when I had a load of problems with C&W! Cheers
25.06.2001 17:46
Sounds like a well deserved victory over the big-boys. Congratualtions! Good opinion.