[Closed] How do you deal with BT?

How do you deal with BT...............move to a different supplier.
I'm now with Zen, if there's an issue you can speak to a human in the UK.

Sadly as manager in a small telecoms reseller this is par for the course. BT are a least consistantly shit.
Perservere, I would suggest that a week is a little long for a hoist, but not unusual.
yosemitepaul, who do you think provide Zen with their services? Besides the OP still needs a line from BT to run their (BT) broadband.
Given the OP has begun the process and the line is nearly done, I'd suggest keep pressuring them. You could always try and e-mail their CEO if you're really desperate.

I like the services they supply but not necessarily the way they deliver.
We had a mini first world nightmare when we moved . The fibre optic broadband we had ,wasn't available at new address .Their bright idea was to cancel me as a customer and then had to start again. It took four weeks to sort , on a new contract-plus another contract when fibreoptic arrived two months later. Wasted a lot of time .grr.
Have they asked your missus about the weather yet?

[i]They said there was no line at the new address yet could only offer an engineer ten days after we moved in.[/i]

Based on needing a new line, then it isn't really 'BT' but Openreach. And by law they have to provide the same level of service to ALL the providers.

Welcome to 'competition' 🙂

We went around and around with them when they set up our phone line and broadband in the house we moved into. Initially it all worked - 10Mbps broadband and telephone. Then the phone stopped working and the broadband dropped to 1.86Mbps.

Called them half a dozen times and never managed to get offered a solution - there does appear to be a fault on the line but we will try to fix from here etc. Didn't fix it.

My partner called them once and they sent an engineer straight out that week. He found no fault externally and when inside found no fault there either, although his equipment said there was a fault. He called the exchange and they flipped a switch and fixed it straight away. Angry... You bet.

we have been waiting over a year for connection to fast broadband.. each time i have called they have said that the exchange is over subscribed and that we are scheduled for connection in the following month.... still bloody waiting.

Had a similar issue with them when we moved 5 years ago.
They sent us a new router then they repeatedly cancelled the switch over as we didn’t have a new router.
Several time I told them that I had the new router because they had sent it to me.
They told me that I couldn’t have had a new router because it was not on the system.
Once I even banged my phone against the new router just to make a sound and asked them if they had heard it.
It took about 6 weeks to sort out.
They are a set of Clims.

Hmmm BT - I was just having a good morning until I read this and it all came flooding back!
You need to call their complaints centre in Leicester I think. Not sure how to do this as my wife had the pleasure of their wonderful service. Anyway state that you want to make a complaint and you will also be contacting Ofcom. It did the trick for us. I think this is the number: 0330 123 4150. Keep a record of all time spent and demand compensation. This will usually be in the form of a bill free period. Also keep a record of all calls, who you spoke to and ask for a reference number for each call. Good luck.

To top it all, when calling any BT service you have to enter yr phone number in order to be put through to the right dept. Same if waish to check order status online.

They haven't even given us a f** phone number!

We were given a 14 day cooling off period to cancel our contract. That passed before they even failed to fix us up.

F.

It's not even remotely funny with one of us disabled and trying to register with local services, follow up health appts, referrals, prescriptions, etc. A patchy mobile signal that drops out mid-call is at least as frustrating as BTs residential customer service.

Wish had read the dire, desperate reviews on the BT 'community' forum beforehand. We had a good experience with new line from BT at last new address just 7 weeks ago, so understandably (but stupidly) bypassed the review process in ordering again.

*Edit - thanks Gavin just what I was after 😀

Hi

All client emails from BT are addressed from Libby Barr, she doesn't exist. However if you email her a really serious moaning complaint with as much info as poss about your issue and your contact info, then someone from the executive complaints department will contact you same day generally.
The lady I dealt with was lovely, polite, helpful and actually got the problem sorted fast.

Giles

Thanks Giles, will do exactly that. If the wifi doesnt drop out again midway. Grrrraaaaaargh!!!!!

libbybarr@bt.com ?

BT is one of those companies which i wont be using again for anything, ever. It was a long time ago and i cant remember the details, I just know they were freaking s**t

libbybarr@bt.com

thats the one

I found BT very helpful and courteous, but I did use Twitter to complain in the first instance. Try that route.

Write to the head, think it was dutch guy, you get their email address from some website that lists the head honchos.

Online chat works surprisingly well with them too in my exeprience.

We have an ongoing problem with BT after moving to them from Talk Talk who were equally sh*t at fixing things. The problem I now think isn't with BT but with Openreach. Now I know Openreach are part of the BT Group but it seems the problems and time it took to get a fix when we were with Talk Talk and the problems we are now having trying to switch to BT are all to do with Openreach. No one seems be able to pick up a phone to Openreach and actually get an answer. It seems everything has to be messaged to them and then you have to wait at least 24hrs to get a reply.

Its all just a bloody mess and god nows how the government is going to make broadband a Universal Service Obligation. What I am pretty sure is that if I had no electricity or water then an engineer would be out the next day to at least try and fix it. Open reach are just a joke. But why would them improve, they have no competition in the majority of the country.

I would prefer using two cans on a length of string to communicate than ever consider a BT 'service' again. Our issue wasn't resolved after a year of trying, we gave up and vowed never to go there again.

We stayed with BT on the proviso that the lady who sorted out our many problems gave us her direct number in case of further problems.
I had to call the number recently and was told that she was away and that they were far too busy to help us.
They lost another customer that day.
Here is the number tel:08000325115.
A fellow stwer gave me the number so passing it on.

I had a rubbish experience with BT over a braodband order that they completely messed up. I felt I was being fobbed off etc for weeks, right up until I tagged @BTcare in a twitter rant, using words like "utter incompetence" etc etc. They obviously have a social media team constantly monitoring the twitter feed. I guess they don't like that sort of bad feedback being seen by probably hundreds of thousands of followers instantly. Needless to say I was contacted very quickly and passed onto someone who sorted the issue within an acceptable time frame. It took a few tweets of a "robust" nature to keep them interested, but I felt it was the only way I was going to get any form of response from them. I cant say or not whether I was just lucky but it worked for me very effectively in a way that hours wasted on the phone certainly hadn't. Twitter is very effective complaint method, in my experience they really tend not to ignore or fob off complaints via twitter, it simply reaches too many people too quickly for them to ignore it...As the famous Carry on film quote goes "They dont like it up em"

Twitter with @btcare with a polite question asking for help. Why people get ranting so quick is beyond me.

Why people get ranting so quick is beyond me.

Just received my "personal invitation" to switch to BT Infinity, having been with Cable and Wireless/NTL/Virgin for 10 years plus. Was actually considering it.

Probably cheaper with BT, but I think I'll just stay with the status quo. Virgin's customer service has been a bit poor in the past (no broadband for 10 days, then 2 engineers turn up on the same day).

Thanks for the warning...

Since moving to another operator I have had three calls asking me if I wanted to switch back to them, that is precisely two since I told them why I switched (they were shit) and formally requested that they not contact me again.

Apparently they are trying to move customer support back on shore, but how long that will take is anyone's guess.

Drac is the PR director for BT and ICMFP 😀

My attempts at getting them to connect an existing phone line went on for months with over 20 hours on the phone to them. The final straw was when I called them to ask why no one had arrived the previous day for their appointment. Apparently when they called me to confirm the appointment there was no answer so they cancelled the whole contract.

"So which number did you call me on? My mobile number or my BT landline which you haven't connected yet?"

"Errrm... "

So I told them to forget it and I signed up with the post office. It's still a BT line but they have the joy of dealing with BT so I don't have to.

BTW BT are still billing me for the contract they cancelled. But it's only been 7 months now so early days.

[i]We have an ongoing problem with BT after moving to them from Talk Talk who were equally sh*t at fixing things. The problem I now think isn't with BT but with Openreach. Now I know Openreach are part of the BT Group but it seems the problems and time it took to get a fix when we were with Talk Talk and the problems we are now having trying to switch to BT are all to do with Openreach. No one seems be able to pick up a phone to Openreach and actually get an answer. It seems everything has to be messaged to them and then you have to wait at least 24hrs to get a reply.[/i]

I guess because Openreach work for the providers, not for you.

I guess because Openreach work for the providers, not for you.

Unfortunately BT Openreach* is both a lumbering behomoth engineering company and one bound by strict regulatory rules. I have lost count of the number of conversations I had with them trying to get them to think of the end customers as their customers, but too many middle ranking people there just don;t get it. The senior people do, but you try effecting change in a huge business with a lingering "we're doing everyone a favour" mindset.

I used to think that BT Openreach was cynical and did things that benefitted the BT Group (because it all rolls up into one consolidated set of accounts), but have actually come to the conculsion that, much like the large network operators (esp the one in Newbury) they have just entrenched themselves in a culture of incompetence.

The sooner BT Openreach is separated from the BT Group, the better for everyone.

*Let's not let the BT Group** get away with pretending they don;t rely heavily on BTOR revenues.

**Which also includes BT Plusnet, let's not forget. Bastions of customer service until you use too much internet and get charged FFS!

Emailed the chief exec gavin.e.patterson@bt.com and got a response from his PA within 10 minutes. Complaint has been forward on to the senior complaints team and 30min after that I have been emailed by them saying they will look into the problem and call me later. Fast reposes for sure, but lets see if they can get an solution.

BT are totally shite and incompetent. Took 4 months to get us started and service is still patchy after 6.

Anyone with BT problems should easily be able to log on to one of billions of those hot spots they mention.
As yet I've managed to find a grand total of one.

Openreach are garbage but have monopoly on service so get away with shocking service. Like few others I only got a response through a Twitter blog highlighting dreadful catalogue of events. The next day there were 4 vans on site! Still managed to walk mud from hole they'd been digging through new carpet to phone!

zippykona - Member
Anyone with BT problems should easily be able to log on to one of billions of those hot spots they mention.
As yet I've managed to find a grand total of one.

I was thinking of leaving TalkTalk after all there woes but they really are all as shite as one-another!

At least TalkTalk should have the best security!

Google 'chief exec email addresses' and get one of the senior customer services people on it.
I did this after one silly junior customer services told me there was no-one more senior than her in the dept to escalate my query to her. The query being that I'd been paying them monthly for several months for broadband they'd never delivered.

Ian Livingston - the chief exec at the time emailed me on a Saturday saying the situation 'really was not very good' and got a senior complaints person to call me later that day. I still had to negotiate my way out of a contract they'd never delivered on which I told them was well out of order (I told them I considered them in breach of contract) ie: I lost the 3 months worth I'd spent but they agreed to terminate the rest of the contract without expecting me to pay it).

They'll not be getting my business ever again.

I can recommend Virgin as if you're on fibre they don't have to rely on Openreach (who are useless). Currently with Zen and their customer service is topnotch.

[i]I can recommend Virgin [/i]

Frying Pan Fire...

I had experience of BT's awful customer service when I attempted to switch from Plusnet (a BT subsidiary!) to BT earlier in the year.

I paid in advance online to take advantage of an offer, the phone number swapped over painlessly but they were unable to swap the broadband. After 4 frustrating months of talking to various BT customer service people in the UK and India, I was told the only way to guarantee a transfer was to request a new number and wait up to a further 2 months without broadband or a phone.

I called Plusnet and they price matched BT's offer. BT did eventually refund the full amount as promised by the penultimate (and probably most effective and honest) customer service chap but only after sending me a written bill stating that they wouldn't. One final call to customer services eventually sorted this out - I reckon I made roughly 15+ calls to customer services totalling over 5 hours to not achieve anything particularly useful.

It's ok when the service is working. We had as similar experience as the OP last year when we moved and they left us high and dry over Christmas. In the end took the complain to the CEO who's complains manager kept trying to phone me on the wrong number and wondered why she couldn't get hold of us. Summed up the whole experience at the time. Been ok since the service was up and running

How many times have they used the expediting word? How I now hate that word lol.

I would describe myself as a tolerant person. However, I refuse to even engage directly with them and have done so successfully for the last 10 years or so.

I accept that 'deregulation' and 'competition' in the telecoms business here actually means that it's an unequivocal monopoly as far as the infrastructure is concerned and that I have to pay them £16 per month for renting some copper wire.

Whilst PlusNet are a subsidiary of they who shall not be named, they do at least understand my categorical refusal to communicate directly with their parent and get on with sorting out the frequently downed overhead cables, or some ham-fistedness at the not so local cabinet/exchange and it all happens reasonably quickly and painlessly.

I have however recently found that the engineers, individually, are good people, who want to do a good job.

To learn that there's some sort of vague pledge that the uk will be super fast broadband enabled in 5 years, I find just utterly laughable and a downright lie.

Well after complaining to BT CEO earlier today I have received an email reply direct from him at 10pm tonight. Quite surprised to be fair. Broadband finally got switched on today so at least I am now up and running. He says they are going do a full review to learn from where things have gone wrong. Interested to see if anything comes from it.

But fair enough the CEO actually reads and replies to customer complaints.

I had all sorts of grief with them trying to set up our broadband and my BT Sport. Endless phone calls to people with European names but suspiciously strong Indian accents.
In the end I raised a complaint on-line in which I said I required to speak to someone in authority who actually had the power to do anything at all, and, I refuse categorically to speak to anyone in an Indian call centre.
If I didn't hear back from them in 7 days all of their useless tat was going straight in the bin and I would cancel my direct debit immediately.
Somebody from the UK called me the following day, she got the problem sorted almost straight away, regularly called me to make sure everything was working and that my bill was correct.
Next time, I will go straight to B without wasting any more grey hairs on step A.

But fair enough the CEO actually reads and replies to customer complaints.

I'd not give the bloke too much praise though, a real effective CEO would be royally kicking arse to get these problems sorted, through contractual means with Openreach if they are not his responsibility.

Well, I was warned and I didn't listen.

I've had to schedule and reschedule my transfer from Talktalk to BT three times; each time they've told me they'd do the phone first and then schedule the broadband and I've told them that wouldn't work and I want it all done together.

Right up until yesterday I was getting emails confirming the 8-1 broadband engineer coming and the phone line switchover to take place. Come half one, the phone's off, and no engineer. After 90 minutes on the phone to two call centre staff of various seniorities, they confirm there's nothing they can do now, phone should be on 'by Monday' and once that was on then they'd reschedule the engineer. But I need to be in for that - means another day off, plus I'm travelling Tues-Fri next week so EARLIEST I can do it is looking like Mon 7th. 10 days without access to thee web, plus all the other services like On Demand, Netflix that we pay to subscribe to and can't use.

To keep the peace with those whose needs must be met, I'm in for £40 for a mobile dongle thingy and a 15Gb allowance - which the young trainee bloke at Currys/PCWorld was brilliant at explaining to a technumpty like me - plus I'm going to work out how to tether my Giffgaff mobile for my own use. And thanks to this thread, I've emailed Gavin Patterson, had a response, and had it elevated to the Executive level service team who are evaluating. So - fair do's - seems once you get to the right people then things can be done (I'm assuming something will be done.....) and I'm glad I didn't go the full twitter rant route. At least - not yet.

If someone from BT does scan the web for BT related material and is reading this - I'll be posting an honest update so do me good, and I'll be fair back. But mess me around - you wouldn't like me when I'm angry.....

Mate recently had an issue moving from TalkTalk BB to BT BB. Apparently, the date the former gave to the latter was only a "guesstimate" so the BT engineer was booked but couldn't do anything as the account hadn't been handed over yet 🙄

Broadly the same issue as I got from my call centre guy. That they'd gone to port the line from TalkTalk and then found there was an issue.

They've only had a month preparation time, and surely the number of lines they port - there can't be any new issues, can there?

[edit] and well I'll be jiggered....... my phone line's just rung too.....

How strange - seems like they could do it after all!

I have had recent problems with BT over incorrect bill, they owed us over £200 but no one would sort it. Found this website below, e mailed CEO and had e mail within 24 hours from Executive complaints dept, followed by phone call and then the cheque within 10 days. Will not be going near BT again.
BT Complaints Department Numbers Email Address to write ...
phonebt.com/bt-complaints/

Give BT a chance, it's only had 169 years to improve

OK, I said I'd be honest.

Phone line went live on Friday evening after my emails with the CEO and the ELC, and I got an email promising me a call on Monday, which i duly got. Still some confusion on the Broadband as apparently someone had gone to the box and exchange on Friday, found they couldn't do the fibre connection for reasons unspecified but rather than tell me, just went away again. The ELC lady told me she couldn't honestly tell me what the issue was but they'd get an engineer to it asap and find out and call me again today to update me. And in the meantime, to let her know my out of pocket costs for the dongle thing and she'd get a credit for that.

At which point the front door bell rang - and a happy smily Openreach guy told me he'd had a look in the cabinet and was 95% sure he knew what the problem was, could he check something on the socket, could he install the router, then he'd run a diagnostic on the box and confirm. 10 minutes later his 95% is now 100%, he needed to disappear for a few mins to the cabinet further up the road and then he'd be back to check he'd fixed it.

So about half three yesterday, I'm hooked up to 40Mbps fiber broadband and alls well with the world again.

So - in honesty, you shouldn't have to reschedule 3x, and then get all ranty on the phone and email to the CEO to get done, but if you find the right people then they can be pretty effective.

Why anyone would WANT to be CEO of a major PLC - **** knows.

Right, I'm starting to get a bit ranty again.

My broadband went off sometime yesterday. My wife (I'm away until later tonight) has done all the reset stuff, turn on and off again, etc. No joy. I've contacted my ELC lady and waiting for another call back.

Just now i got a call (voicemail on my mobile) from the Indian call centre again - a different number and location to the one I contacted.

They are very sorry my broadband still hasn't been activated, they don't yet have a schedule for when it will be and they will call again on Monday (5 days) to give me a further update. It appears they still believe my line is not active.

Sounds like someone has started pressing buttons again and ****ed it up again.

Not impressed.

Whilst PlusNet are a subsidiary of they who shall not be named, they do at least understand my categorical refusal to communicate directly with their parent and get on with sorting out the frequently downed overhead cables, or some ham-fistedness at the not so local cabinet/exchange and it all happens reasonably quickly and painlessly.

My experience is the opposite. We moved a line with Plusnet from the 3rd to the 4th floor in the same building. Utter utter incompetence their end with every stage of the process going wrong and a minimum of 30-40 minutes wait time to get to talk to someone. I will never buy from them again. Everything BT touches is tainted and I want to kill my television every time I see an annoying jovial northerner talking about broadband.

I had constant broadband issues for around a month, dropping out randomly. Finally had to get them in. It's a business line. Sorted on the first visit. Was a faulty line on the telegraph pole.

My gf is moving into a new build in the new year and has heard from residents who have already lived there since October, that they still haven't been connected. How is that even possible in 2016 in Manchester?

How is that even possible in 2016 in Manchester?

One of my colleagues has had a similar problem getting connected in a new build (but in Fife). Even worse there is no mobile phone signal there, so when he's at home noone can contact him at all!

**Which also includes BT Plusnet, let's not forget. Bastions of customer service until you use too much internet and get charged FFS!

I don't think they do that any more? Or at least, I'm 'unlimited' now and haven't been billed for going over since despite hitting 70Gb plus most months.

Believe me that's an achievement on our circuit.

I'd recommend the OP try Plus, as they did all the dealing with Openreach for me when my line was being an arse. It was a reasonably straightforward, borderline pleasant experience - engineer within a week, fixed when he left.