Connection speeds spark majority of ISP complaints

BT 'will do your head in'

I live out in the sticks and am with BT. For the last year I've had connection and speed problems, due probably to tree branch damage and damp connection blocks. I speak on a regular basis to Mumbai and other far flung cities where they haven't a clue. Normal response is 'is your phone plugged into the correct socket' and the old chestnut 'the fault is in your property and it'll cost £99 for an engineer to come out'. BT wouldn't understand service if it bit them on the b*m.

By Charlieparker on 4 Dec 2012

Is the isue consistency?

The article refers mainly to Virgin Media's figures. And being a Virgin Media customer, I'd agree that the majority of my calls to them are about speed issues. But I must ask since I'm getting a consistent 55 - 60MB broadband speed, it is more than noticable when the service drops to lower speed levels.

Could cutomers of other services therefore be more accepting of variations to their speed, in comparison to those who usually get a dependable speed on Virgin Media?

By NickyBe on 6 Dec 2012

Working as it should...who are you kidding!!

I agree with Charlieparker, what's the point complaining to some 'numpty' in an oversea's call centre about slow connection speeds?!!! The survey is ill founded to assume that because people don't regularly complain everything must be 'working as it should' and we are therefore all happy bunnies! In the past I have complained to my ISP about my poor connection speed but there is nothing they can do. Until BT get around to upgrading our Exchange the situation remains just as dire! Apparently FTTC is promised for the Barrow-in-Furness Exchange Dec2012-March2013 - we'll see!!!
After years of broken promises forgive me for being just a little bit sceptical; let's hope this time it isn't just another of BT's smoke screen.
Perhaps I should move to a big City down south, or an extremely rural hamlet (on a pilot scheme) where upgrade upon upgrade seem to be common place!

By Artagel on 6 Dec 2012

They ARE Doing my head in right now!

Entirely agree with Charlieparker - BT have made a serious mistake in offshoring the first level customer service function. All the call centre personnel do is read scripts - they make no intelligent contribution to getting a problem fixed.

By Rutherl on 6 Dec 2012

Virgin double speed - sometimes

I've been with Virgin for just over 18 months on the 30 Mbps package. This worked fine. But since they rolled out the double speed and 'upgraded' my connection to 60 mbps, service reliability has been dire. Intermittent connection is the usual problem, so I've only called them when the connection has been down for more than 15 minutes.
To give them their due, twice I have been offered compensation without being prompted, although this doesn't help when you are working from home on a deadline.

By GWhite12 on 6 Dec 2012

lol

If you're dumb enough to pick a **** ISP it's your own fault.

By PiRat on 6 Dec 2012

"25% of Virgin customer's contacted the company"

This was picked up on the Podcast, and questioned why it was so high. As a Virgin customer I would add that I have called them several times this year, probably during the period of the survey, for reasons such as getting the new modem to take advantage of the speed doubling, to order a Tivo box, and to add number recognition to my phone service. 3 separate calls, but none were fault related.

Virgin isn't perfect (far from it!) but my *personal* experience relates to new business for VM, or benefit to me.

By Ian_Davies on 6 Dec 2012

"25% of Virgin customer's contacted the company"

This was picked up on the Podcast, and questioned why it was so high. As a Virgin customer I would add that I have called them several times this year, probably during the period of the survey, for reasons such as getting the new modem to take advantage of the speed doubling, to order a Tivo box, and to add number recognition to my phone service. 3 separate calls, but none were fault related.

Virgin isn't perfect (far from it!) but my *personal* experience relates to new business for VM, or benefit to me.

By Ian_Davies on 6 Dec 2012

Consider yourself lucky

If you aren't with Talktalk, consider yourself lucky. Within 6 weeks of signing up I knew I had made a mistake. I have suffered continual problems with dropped connections and slow speeds. I have suffered numerous hours with the same inane questions from non-UK call centres, usually after waiting for upto 30mins "due to high call volumes". I have now been told that "line drops upto 20-25 a day are not considered to be a fault". Is it coincidence that the majority of these disconnections occur when I am on the phone? I think not. Ralktalk service and tech support is the worst I have ever suffered. Roll on February when I can cancel my contract

By polinsteve on 8 Dec 2012

Consider yourself lucky

If you aren't with Talktalk, consider yourself lucky. Within 6 weeks of signing up I knew I had made a mistake. I have suffered continual problems with dropped connections and slow speeds. I have suffered numerous hours with the same inane questions from non-UK call centres, usually after waiting for upto 30mins "due to high call volumes". I have now been told that "line drops upto 20-25 a day are not considered to be a fault". Is it coincidence that the majority of these disconnections occur when I am on the phone? I think not. Ralktalk service and tech support is the worst I have ever suffered. Roll on February when I can cancel my contract

By polinsteve on 8 Dec 2012

Depends on the call centre!

"By contrast, only 8% of subscribers to Orange, 12% of Sky subscribers and 15% of BT customers contacted their ISP during the period."

Lots of people using those services mentioned generally find the call centres so poor, they seek help/advice elsewhere!

Happily,I moved to an ISP with a UK based call centre a year ago - but have very few problems.

By trishahardwick on 8 Dec 2012

Virgin experience over 10 years

I have been a customer of Virgin from the start (since Birmingham cable) over 10 years, in that time I have called them with connectivity issues probably 6 times (one of those involved a car taking out the grey box on my road), 3 of those calls have been this year; once when all my services failed, once in relation to the speed upgrade, once due to a failing modem, all dealt with reasonably well.
Compared to friends experience with other providers, I think they provide a good service.
I also think the quality of hardware has a lot to do with it.

By Steely on 13 Dec 2012

Virgin experience over 10 years

I have been a customer of Virgin from the start (since Birmingham cable) over 10 years, in that time I have called them with connectivity issues probably 6 times (one of those involved a car taking out the grey box on my road), 3 of those calls have been this year; once when all my services failed, once in relation to the speed upgrade, once due to a failing modem, all dealt with reasonably well.
Compared to friends experience with other providers, I think they provide a good service.
I also think the quality of hardware has a lot to do with it.

By Steely on 13 Dec 2012