[digtialfan]

We cancelled Virgin Media 30 days ago tomorrow.

Therefore my Internet service is disconnected tomorrow.

Now, on the day of cancelling, VM *accidentally* disconnected the phone service.

Now today, we recieved a bill in for £50.99 + £10 late payment fee.

VM disconnected the Direct Debit and said last time we called that we wont have to pay anything.

After explaining all this on the phone after recieving the letter, the Customer Services person hung up on us!

We did however take the persons name

What shall we do?

[martytoo]

Call em back and make a formal complaint! VM service is getting worse day by day. Don't blame you for leaving.

[ccursons]

I have found VM customer service fantastic, and find it suprising that they put the phone down, unless of course you were in any way rude to them in which case they are entitled to end the call.

Ring back and explain calmly your situation, if you were not in any way rude to the advisor then also point out that the previous advisor cut you off before.

Hope this helps, having been a team Manager for a Building society call centre, I know how frustrated customers can be when they call in, but your complaint is not the advisors fault although a lot of customers seem to feel better by ripping the advisor to bits on the phone. I always told my staff to just cut off rude customers. Advisors dont get paid to be shouted at, and if they get cut off enough times they always calm down.

Hope this helps, and you get the problem resolved.

[lokko]

It is not the VM ethos to ever cut a customer off irrespective of attitude, yes no one likes to be shouted at but how many times has shouting and screaming ever lead to getting something done?

Its also down to whom you speak to, all staff have the same level of training but human nature being what it is you will always get a bad egg or two and if they are weeded out and either disciplined or trained further this should help to aid the problem

[ccursons]

So do VM encourage staff to just sit and take abuse. I'm suprised anyone still works there.

As for shouting getting things done, that never works at the building society I work for, infact, customers who shout and are abusive have their calls monitored and repeat offenders are then banned from using the contact centres to do their business, and have to trek along to a branch or write in, if they still continue to call in or are rude to branch staff their accounts are closed.

The british public are so strange, they are all nice a sweet, but at the sign of the smallets issue, feel it is fine to turn into screaming banshees and that this is only way to get results. I find it very amusing when someone gets really wound up on the phone, but a huge percentage of call centre staff take abuse to heart.

If you find an advisor is not satisfying your enquiry, just ask to speak to someone else, screaming and shouting is no good for your blood pressure anyway

[tvtimes]

VM staff are told to advise the sub if they carry on being abusive they will terminate the call. If the customer continues to do so they are terminated

[lokko]

unfortunately not, calls are not terminated, new regulations have been introduced!

Its down to the employee to have the nounce and skills to deal with the situation and eliviate the concern and instill confidence in the customer

and to be honest the amount of shouters you get are a lot less than one may think

[davidredge]

Originally Posted by lokko

It is not the VM ethos to ever cut a customer off irrespective of attitude, yes no one likes to be shouted at but how many times has shouting and screaming ever lead to getting something done?

Its also down to whom you speak to, all staff have the same level of training but human nature being what it is you will always get a bad egg or two and if they are weeded out and either disciplined or trained further this should help to aid the problem

You'd be surprised. Havinf once worked in a call centre for Severn Trent Water, its made very clear that we were able to cut callers off if we felt intimidated or threatened by their attitude. However, it is up to the individual call agent what is "threatening" - and its generally used as an excuse to cut callers off for a number reasons. Instead of actually recording the call for proof, a call agent can just hang up and make a note on the system.

[dgrandich]

Yeah all call centres have the obligation to terminate a call if a caller gets too abusive, i'm sick of people like you trying to play the victim, i'm willing to bet you were a complete tw** on the phone.

[lokko]

This used to be the case but it has changed somewhat to reflect the VM ethos. We all know shouting and screaming is not the way to get things done but it does happen occasionally. These is always a line of escalation to get things sorted!

[RobAnt]

I would advise anyone calling a call centre to record their calls. If the call centre claim it has the right to monitor your calls, you have a reciprocal right, in my view. This way, if there is any issue you can play back that recording to whomever it may concern.

The words "calls may be recorded etc..." imply that both parties have the right to record conversations, even if it is said in a manner so as if to imply that only they have the right to record conversations. Clearly, that is a nonsensical implication.

[lokko]

Although it is common courtesy to advise the agent you too are recording the call!

[knet2020]

Originally Posted by RobAnt

I would advise anyone calling a call centre to record their calls. If the call centre claim it has the right to monitor your calls, you have a reciprocal right, in my view. This way, if there is any issue you can play back that recording to whomever it may concern.

The words "calls may be recorded etc..." imply that both parties have the right to record conversations, even if it is said in a manner so as if to imply that only they have the right to record conversations. Clearly, that is a nonsensical implication.

You have to be VERY careful with this, remember the PERSON (as an individual NOT an employee) has the right to decline to be recorded AND you could find you are subject to questions under the Data Protection Act.

[virginmediaguy]

I've cut off about two people in all the time I've worked for Telewest/Virgin Media and don't hesitate to do so if a caller is being abusive. I do of course give them fair warning first but if any manager tries to tell me I can't do that as it's against the rules I'll just point out that it is one of my basic human rights to live and work without the fear of intimidation or abuse.

As for this case ok there has been a cock up. If you were shouting at the rep then you got what was coming to you. If not then it was probably an accident so just call back be calm and you would be amazed at what gets done.

As for recording the calls a caller is informed the call may be recorded for quality monitoring purposes of which the reality is only three calls per rep a month are recorded. If you don't want you call recorded then don't call, simple really. If you are recording the call as the caller then you MUST inform the person you are speaking to and they have the right to refuse the recording. If you don't stop then it won't be any good in court anyway.

[carl.waring]

Originally Posted by RobAnt

I would advise anyone calling a call centre to record their calls. If the call centre claim it has the right to monitor your calls, you have a reciprocal right, in my view. This way, if there is any issue you can play back that recording to whomever it may concern.

The words "calls may be recorded etc..." imply that both parties have the right to record conversations, even if it is said in a manner so as if to imply that only they have the right to record conversations. Clearly, that is a nonsensical implication.

Sorry, but that's a load of BS. Of course, this has already been pointed out to you

[stedixon]

Originally Posted by virginmediaguy

I've cut off about two people in all the time I've worked for Telewest/Virgin Media and don't hesitate to do so if a caller is being abusive. I do of course give them fair warning first but if any manager tries to tell me I can't do that as it's against the rules I'll just point out that it is one of my basic human rights to live and work without the fear of intimidation or abuse.

As for this case ok there has been a cock up. If you were shouting at the rep then you got what was coming to you. If not then it was probably an accident so just call back be calm and you would be amazed at what gets done.

As for recording the calls a caller is informed the call may be recorded for quality monitoring purposes of which the reality is only three calls per rep a month are recorded. If you don't want you call recorded then don't call, simple really. If you are recording the call as the caller then you MUST inform the person you are speaking to and they have the right to refuse the recording. If you don't stop then it won't be any good in court anyway.

Where I work (EDF Energy) we follow the above rule too. Most call / contact centres follow this rule.

I myself warn people 3 times, after that they are gone! I dont get paid enough to put up with people effing and jeffin at me as if I'm a piece of you know what!

Even people shouting at me won't get them anywhere. I can't shout at them so they don't shout at me it's as easy as that.

[virginmediaguy]

Originally Posted by stedixon

Where I work (EDF Energy) we follow the above rule too. Most call / contact centres follow this rule.

I myself warn people 3 times, after that they are gone! I dont get paid enough to put up with people effing and jeffin at me as if I'm a piece of you know what!

Even people shouting at me won't get them anywhere. I can't shout at them so they don't shout at me it's as easy as that.

I feel sorry for the new people to call centres as it takes a while to develop a skin and it often leads them to making rash promises or just passing off to a manager.

I do so enjoy thanking someone for their call just before I cut them off though.

[Elojikal]

Think people are getting a little carried away here and jumping to conclusions about the original poster having been abusive on the phone when he may well not have.

That said everybody's the big man when they're on the other end of the phone line or computer connection. There are too many angry people around these days who think that they are of importance.

[jauh]

Originally Posted by knet2020

you could find you are subject to questions under the Data Protection Act.

Under which part of the DPA?

[sunseeker]

If you dont terminate the call and the customer is swearing, i have had customers on the phone swearing non stop and nothing has got sorted cos all they do is wanna rant at someone. They call in to get things sorted but a lot of the time they arent telling you what they want they literally just freak out and shout at the top of their voice. No one should have to listen to that not even VM employees

[sunseeker]

Originally Posted by Elojikal

Think people are getting a little carried away here and jumping to conclusions about the original poster having been abusive on the phone when he may well not have.

That said everybody's the big man when they're on the other end of the phone line or computer connection. There are too many angry people around these days who think that they are of importance.

well considering what he was complaining about i wouldnt be surprised if he was shouting cos to be honest i would be angry myself. But i have learnt the more you shout the less the agent is willing to help you

[Scots_Dragon]

Originally Posted by lokko

Although it is common courtesy to advise the agent you too are recording the call!

Its actually law that that you have to advise them you are recording the call. If you don't then you have no recourse to use it against the person or the company if you wish to seek legal action. Why do you think companies have that disclaimer in the first place, which by the way isn't every single call as that would be too time consuming and costly to do.

Having worked both on a call centre floor and in an escalated Customer Care dept for 7 years, I have only twice cut someone off. Both times were for threats of physical violence, which I feel is more serious then having someone ranting and raving at me down the phone. I agree that you do have to develop a thick skin if you work in call centres, but the ones that rant I can deal with all day long. Its the ones that use emotional blackmail that I hate, especially when it involves kids.

[richard1960]

Originally Posted by digtialfan

We cancelled Virgin Media 30 days ago tomorrow.

Therefore my Internet service is disconnected tomorrow.

Now, on the day of cancelling, VM *accidentally* disconnected the phone service.

Now today, we recieved a bill in for £50.99 + £10 late payment fee.

VM disconnected the Direct Debit and said last time we called that we wont have to pay anything.

After explaining all this on the phone after recieving the letter, the Customer Services person hung up on us!

We did however take the persons name

What shall we do?

Virgin c/s are good,they base their whole ethos on c/s i love dealing with virgin as they are an open company,i simply do not believe a virgin customer service agent would cut you off deliberately unless you were being abusive,that is just not virgins way.sorry.

[tvtimes]

I wouldnt think it was any cs way to cut off a customer for no reason

[blackwood]

Originally Posted by Scots_Dragon

Its actually law that that you have to advise them you are recording the call. If you don't then you have no recourse to use it against the person or the company if you wish to seek legal action. Why do you think companies have that disclaimer in the first place, which by the way isn't every single call as that would be too time consuming and costly to do.

There's no legal obligation for either party in a telephone conversation to give a disclaimer that they might be recording the call - as long as the recording's for the recorder's own use or unless the intention is to share information recorded with third parties.

But I don't know if you would be covered if, say, you recorded a telephone call with a VM representative without their knowledge and subsequently played the recording to another representative of VM to prove what had been said.