Cumbersome Installation Process
On 18 May I signed up for VM. On 20 May the first of the installation teams arrived to pull the cable to the house and fit the box on my wall. And then the problems started!
First thing on Monday, the 'pullers' were here. But very quickly they told me that there was a blockage and that a crew would need to come out to clear this.
Later that day, someone from VM called to advise me on what and where I could place the equipment in the house - once the instal was complete. He was helpful.
The following day, a second crew arrived to clear the blockage and dug down quite some depth at the side of my house but were unable to do so. They left saying they would return the next day to make another attempt to clear. They did return but could not clear the blockage and suggested that a narrow trench across my lawn would be required and that they would return on the Thursday or Friday - perhaps with the pullers - to lay the cable over the lawn.
On Thursday, a 'construction' team arrived to attempt to clear the blockage and managed this without cutting the lawn. Big thumbs up and almost ready to go. Shortly after this on the Thursday, the first maintenance crew came back to cut the lawn and were pleased to leave knowing it was sorted.
On the Friday, the 'pullers' arrived to instal the cable to the wall of my home. Only then to tell me there was a blockage further down the street and that a 'construction' crew would need to return to clear this.
It is now Wednesday of the following week and there has been no sign of the construction crew and I now have no idea what is happening or if this cable can actually reach my home. Which, btw, is not in anywhere inaccesible.
However, my point in writing this is this - and it should be obvious - why have so many crews with limited capabilities? Surely it makes sense to send out a single team who can do the entire task and cut out this stage by stage creeping installation which leaves the customer feeling this whole thing is a complete lottery? I am becoming increasingly nervous about being cut off from the world come my installation date when my BT contract ends (....or I have to embarrass myself and return to beg them to extend this for a period at a price which will probably be far from reasonable).
Oh and if anyone knows who to call on VM to check where I am in the list for a team to resolve this issue, please let me know.
This is not unusual. VM employ local contractors to do the outside work, but there is little or no communication with them once they have been given the job. The best you can do is to phone the VM Installations number 0800 052 1734, but even they often don't know what's going on.
