Sky customer service - or lack of...

[john_r]

So... a couple of months ago I phone sky to switch off movies and sports as they're never watched... The answer is yes of course, they'll be switched off today. Hang on though, I pay monthly in advance. Yes sir, but because the direct debit is 'setup' 14 days before the end of the month you have to pay an extra 2 weeks on the service you are switching off today... But it says on the marketing blurb you can switch services on and off at will? Yes sir, but you have to pay for the service for 2 weeks after we switch it off...

Sky are charging me £68 a month for sh1t ADSL at 4Mb and all the TV channels. BT are charging me £17 a month for line rental on a phone I never use, so I can get broadband from Sky.

Cue a call to Virgin... £50'ish a month for top TV package, 50Mb unlimited Fibre, phone line rental, free evening and weekend calls, 2 boxes and Virgin HD+.

Virgin service ordered, installed in less than 2 weeks and all done with no bother in about 2 hours. OH MY GOD 50Mb IS VERY VERY QUICK! :D

1) Phone Sky to cancel subscription... So 'John' why are you cancelling? I'm switching to Virgin. Why? It's a better service, 50Mb broadband and cheaper. OK, hang on while I pull up your details. Line goes dead.

2) Phone Sky to cancel subscription... So 'John' why are you cancelling? I'm switching to Virgin. Why? It's a better service, 50Mb broadband and cheaper. OK, hang on while I pull up your details. Line goes dead.

3) Phone Sky to cancel subscription... So 'John' why are you cancelling? I'm moving abroad. OK, hang on while I pull up your details - no problem, all cancelled and your final bill is in the post - good luck and we hope you join Sky again in the future.

What a bunch of shysters.

[Fiona]

Ahem, I will forward your comments to our customer services manager:leaving:

[Redex R]

All too typical of many a company nowadays isn't it ? If the service operator doesn't like the answer or computer says no then you are cut off , I always get a name of the person I am speaking to.

I had a similar situation with our electricity supplier and I didn't really want the hassle of changing over to be honest and urged the current supplier to just match the deal we were being offered , of course no one at the call centre had the authority at the time to do this so we changed over and guess what...they now ring us up every few months on bended knee offering a better price so I now take great pleasure in playing them along a bit then...cut them off :D small minded I know but I just can't help myself :stirthepot:

[Dan H]

Could have been your dodgy Virgin phone line dropping out on you :D

[Fiona]

Could have been your dodgy Virgin phone line dropping out on you :D

That'll be it. Virgin phone lines are programmed to cut out at any mention of the word "Sky" ;)

[john_r]

That'll be it. Virgin phone lines are programmed to cut out at any mention of the word "Sky" ;)

What you mean is the retention team get bonused on competitor retentions and the agents are programmed to hang up rather than raise a ticket showing a loss to a competitor... which is a very 'retro' way of doing business I suppose... ;)

(10 years in the BPO industry makes John a cynical old bugger) :D