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Robert1955's avatar
Robert1955
Tuning in
6 months ago

What has happened to Virgin???

As the subject line states, what has happened to Virgin Media?

i have been with the company as a customer for tv and bb for 25 years the retention agent just told me. I have just placed a cancellation notice due to the service received by the messaging advisor and then the retention’s advisor.

i contacted them as my deal was coming to an end and my bill was due to jump from £61 to £99.

previously I have called up in the past and renegotiated a new deal no problem.

This time I have spoken with 3 different agents who are trying to upgrade my package for more than I was previously paying and more than it was going to cost me to renew my deal online.

They then couldn’t explain the final bills to me so I asked to speak with the girls manager as she was going back and forward to her asking advice only to be told that there was no manager available.

im not one for complaining at all but I am shocked at the lèvel of service received and asked what the complaints procedure was.

unfortunately this couldn’t be explained either. I was told I would be given a callback within 28 days, then 7 days then sent an email to submit a complaint after nearly 3 hours of back and forth it looks like I have to go to Sky tv which I never wanted.

Do Virgin actually care about their customers or their reputation?

Virgin media problems

8 Replies

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  • Adduxi's avatar
    Adduxi
    Very Insightful Person
    6 months ago

    VM are a business, and as such will look to maximise profits etc.  Loyalty, if it did exist, is long gone. It is normal for the price to rise after the 18 month discount is over, to the full price.  If you get a good deal close to what a "new" customer is getting, then stay.  Otherwise just leave.  Note after 90 days of leaving your old mailbox will be purged. 

    I've left before and returned as a "new" customer, and got twice the speed for less than half of what I was paying before.  I've since left again btw.

    • Robert1955's avatar
      Robert1955
      Tuning in
      6 months ago

      Thanks for your reply Adduxi

      i understand they are a business and need to maximise profits, I also understand that I was getting a good deal and if that cannot be matched now that is fair enough. What I was most surprised at was the level of customer service. Even though maximising profit is at the forefront of most businesses surely you wouldn’t cut costs on training or drop the standards that have been expected for said customer service. 
      that would be a recipe for disaster for a company.

      Thanks again for your thoughts 👍

  • goslow's avatar
    goslow
    Alessandro Volta
    6 months ago
    Robert1955 wrote:

    <snip>

    Do Virgin actually care about their customers or their reputation?

    At the moment, the answer to your question seems to be a clear 'No!'. Your description of trying to renew has been repeated over and over again on here just recently in many renewal topics.

    VM's chaotic customer services seem to be in an even greater state of disarray than usual just at the moment. Many have reported receiving a crazy initial renewal offer with no flexibility in the discussion. Some have then cancelled and subsequently received a call back with a better offer. Others have cancelled and receive no call back and have left. It is mentioned regularly on here that you need to have marketing options turned on on 'My Virgin Media' to receive a retentions call back.

    You could try again and go into the negotiation armed with your alternative Sky price if you already have a Sky package priced and lined up. You should be able to use the new one touch switching process to switch to Sky and ditch VM which should eliminate having to deal with VM any further.

    • Robert1955's avatar
      Robert1955
      Tuning in
      6 months ago

      Thanks for your reply goslow 

      it’s disappointing to hear that many others have been in the same position as myself. 
      Maybe they are moving down the same route as Sky where they only value new customers and existing customers are taken for granted.

      I don’t expect much from any of my suppliers but, what should be a given, is good knowledgeable advisors with a decent understanding of customer service. 
      or maybe I’m just old fashioned and old 😁

  • goslow's avatar
    goslow
    Alessandro Volta
    6 months ago

    New customers over existing has long been VM's MO. Vacuum up the new customers and make it hard for the existing customers to leave (to the point where OFCOM has had to launch an investigation into VM's cancellation and complaints processes).

    Sadly for any of us signing up with any large multi-national corporation supplier these days it is generally all the same regarding customer service.

    • Robert1955's avatar
      Robert1955
      Tuning in
      6 months ago

      I didn’t know that about VM, but I suppose it makes sense for the shareholders if that is their MO.

      i agree in part regarding standards of customer service from multinational conglomerates but the basics like active listening and verbal nods as well as explanation of a complaints procedure should be the minimum expected imo

  • Robert1955's avatar
    Robert1955
    Tuning in
    6 months ago

    Just to say I got a call from the win back team and they resolved all issues and re contracted me for 18 months on a great deal. 

    • goslow's avatar
      goslow
      Alessandro Volta
      6 months ago

      Very good. Well done for persisting and getting an offer you found acceptable.