Not all is shiny and roses out there...

troesma · Dec 21, 2009, 14:03:05

Hi folks

At a new place decided to try Virgin Media for their "mind-blogging up to 50Mb speed..." promise (that word "up to" got me fed-up) and thought posting my experience here. Rather than making an essay, browse through the link below

http://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Up-to-50Mb-broadband/Just-got-my-50Mb-service-and-the-veredict-so-far-bleep/td-p/17772

IDnet is Top of the Pops by comparison. Still with them despite the speed issues (has gone better recently, but never north of 6Mb...)

Happy reading,

Ed

Rik · Dec 21, 2009, 16:15:20

And we thought Openreach were bad, Ed.

zappaDPJ · Dec 21, 2009, 16:22:31

That pretty grim to say the least

troesma · Dec 21, 2009, 17:17:37

Quote from: Rik on Dec 21, 2009, 16:15:20
And we thought Openreach were bad, Ed.

They are bloody Cinderella by comparison. This is just unheard of, well, browse through the VM forum and you'll see comparable stories. Now, engineer who came today said cab was toast and had it stripped/repaired. Now I have connection restored but speed badly fluctuatiing (have hit 49Mb down all the way to 6Mb and up to 12Mb, it's truly a yo-yo). Stable at least so far (touch wood). Seems there is some major issue in the area, as he told me "this cab is now tip-top but you will still experience problems until we get it fully sorted." People who have TV with them are doubly in the sh**e.

For all our rants, IDnet's CS is fu***ng awesome comapring to these muppets, and it shows why AAIP can charge what they charge (as far as I know, their CS is very good as well) because the "norm" in terms of CS is frankly pants. So you'd rather pay extra to get someone hearing you, speaking to you in an intelligible language, and so on. Speed becomes less of an issue. It also shows the client-facing side (at least with VM, guess BT and others are the same) is the cr*p bit, which is not suprising given all the work that's being sub-contracted on the cheap. When they tell me "an engineer will come around to set-up your modem" I do almost feel tempted to ask whether he has an engineering degree, which in 99.9% of the cases is not, yet we still accept companies telling us those half-trained, half-brained muppets to be "engineers".

Oh well...

Rik · Dec 21, 2009, 17:28:23

That aside, Ed, you'd recommend the service?

David · Dec 21, 2009, 19:54:27

dujas · Dec 21, 2009, 21:03:15

I've been with Telewest (later NTL:Telewest and then re-branded as Virgin Media) and customer service was a shambles even back then. Fortunately the broadband/TV was mostly fine, so I had few reasons to phone them

I think there used to be a newsgroup forum where you post your problems and get help from their UK technical support.

troesma · Dec 21, 2009, 21:26:00

Quote from: Rik on Dec 21, 2009, 17:28:23
That aside, Ed, you'd recommend the service?

When it works, of course...

troesma · Dec 22, 2009, 11:54:45

Gents

Just found this pearl which is really worth reading.

http://leakedmemo.com/an-open-letter-to-richardbransonavonline-plc-and-virgin-media/

Guess the situation might not be THAT much different within other operators, which, in turn, explains why many of us face the issues we face be it with services provided through BT/Openreach, cable, you name it.

Rik · Dec 22, 2009, 12:11:47

Pretty articulate, even if some of the comments aren't.

troesma · Dec 22, 2009, 12:13:51

Quote from: Rik on Dec 22, 2009, 12:11:47
Pretty articulate, even if some of the comments aren't.

True, at times reads like a mixed salad bowl, but the feel and judging by my own experience it's not too far out (and I would say damn spot-on).

Line still working fine. Cross fingers it's now finally stable.

Rik · Dec 22, 2009, 12:16:10

I had a feeling that it was basically a true representation of the position.

troesma · Dec 22, 2009, 12:18:53

Dunno how many contracted ppl does BT have out there on the road, but even if none, judging by the shambles they have been in for who knows now how long it suggests the pic (speaking of working practices, training, CS and the lot) is not a far cry different.

Rik · Dec 22, 2009, 12:25:47

BT use a lot of subbies, both for residential work and for commercial and exchange installations. You story reminds me of the trouble my BIL had getting connected, with the same "It's another team" attitude being encountered and nothing being delivered on time.

Glenn · Dec 22, 2009, 12:39:21

One of the guys guys at work, his daughter is with TalkTalk, she lost her BB conection, called the support centre, they have given her a fix date in Feb 10

Rik · Dec 22, 2009, 12:40:39

Ouch. How do they justify that?

Glenn · Dec 22, 2009, 12:41:31

No idea Rik, maybe that's the start of their financial year?

Rik · Dec 22, 2009, 12:46:54

This world is getting dafter by the week. Are we unable to deliver services anymore? If so, we are in trouble financially, because we certainly don't earn much from manufacturing anymore.

troesma · Dec 22, 2009, 12:49:49

Quote from: Glenn on Dec 22, 2009, 12:39:21
One of the guys guys at work, his daughter is with TalkTalk, she lost her BB conection, called the support centre, they have given her a fix date in Feb 10

Must surely be an Innocents Day's joke..? (bit ahead of the day, but...) Ah, nope, maybe it's because of the snow. It's really outregeous. Option..? Just say bye-bye..? Nope, maybe these days you get a promise from a competing network saying they will conncect you in 48 hrs and yet once you sign on the dotted line they give you a waiting ticket until June.

People are so wary that changing horses might set them in a worst dump than where they are currently stuck, that operators sense it and have a field-day. And everyone duly screwed.

Rik · Dec 22, 2009, 12:52:56

It was bad enough when it was just the Govt doing it.

troesma · Dec 22, 2009, 12:54:56

Quote from: Rik on Dec 22, 2009, 12:46:54
This world is getting dafter by the week. Are we unable to deliver services anymore? If so, we are in trouble financially, because we certainly don't earn much from manufacturing anymore.

Interestingly, in the manufacturing industry you mostly trade in physical goods, tangible stuff. The service industry trades mostly on words, and you know how they come and go as the wind pleases. A machine breaks-up, the evidence is palpable. As for services, it's your word against mine.

troesma · Dec 22, 2009, 12:57:33

Quote from: Rik on Dec 22, 2009, 12:52:56
It was bad enough when it was just the Govt doing it.

In many ways, at least you dealt with a single supplier plus the Unions. The supply has been privatised for long now, has become quite fragmented and the Unions are still there. You elect politicians (although many times we make it badly, it's become a habit...) but you do not elect CEOs.

Maybe someone at VM is sensing my ranting because I've got now disconnected TWICE in 5 mins

Rik · Dec 22, 2009, 12:59:12

And union secretaries...

Rik · Dec 22, 2009, 12:59:56

Quote from: troesma on Dec 22, 2009, 12:54:56
As for services, it's your word against mine.

I would never argue with you, Ed.

troesma · Dec 22, 2009, 13:00:55

Quote from: Rik on Dec 22, 2009, 12:59:12
And union secretaries...

Seen some nice PAs at some Union HQs...