Hi, all.
I have been out of my 18 month contract for about 4 months. I've been paying £65/month for a few months, now, but have decided to change broadband providers.
I talked to a UK based member of the retentions team who were unable to provide an "offer" price that was better than my new broadband provider.
I've been on the phone for about 45 minutes to a call centre person and I have absolutely lost my temper with this poor, inevitably minimum-wage phone operator.
I just wanted to cancel my service. I have already had the sales pitch with a too-high offer. I don't want to discuss my new provider, their price, their speed, how many devices are connected to wifi. I just want to notify them of my 30 days notice of disconnection.
But again and again I was told "I hear that you want to cancel, sir, but can you please help me understand why you want to leave." No. I just want to cancel. "OK, sir, can you please tell me how many wireless devices you use" No, please just start my cancellation. "OK, sir, I just want to understand why you don't want this package. I see you have been with us for a long ti-" NO, I JUST WANT TO CANCEL MY VIRGIN MEDIA SERVICE PLEASE. "I understand sir, but can you please help me understa-"
And so on, round and round for probably 20 minutes, at the end of which I was absolutely apoplectic with rage, screaming down the phone. I asked her if she was a human being - as I was seriously starting to think she was a bot. I asked her if she was enjoying this interaction. She said she was not. I asked her to just do as I had repeatedly asked, and cancel my service.
And back she went to offering me the same service for £14 more than my new provider. Then back to asking how many devices I used. I demanded to be connected to a supervisor. Three times I asked that. Three times I was put on hold for a few minutes, and three times she came back saying that she couldn't, but if I could JUST help her understand why I wanted to leave...
I absolutely lost my rag. Again. Eventually, after being on hold for the final time, I heard her voice for a split second and then the line was disconnected. She attempted to call back a few times and I heard the noise of the call centre for a second before the line disconnected again.
I called back, went through the same checks as before, got through to another agent who, after attempting to ask the same questions, started the cancellation ball rolling with the minimum of fuss. That was how the first call should have gone.
I am DEEPLY ashamed and embarrassed about how I acted. I resorted to profanity a number of times. I don't believe I personally attacked her, as I understand it was "the system" that was at fault, and that she was just going through the list of questions that were up on her screen, but I can only imagine that she was very upset by the whole thing. For that, I am deeply sorry.
Part of me hopes that the call was recorded, and it can be used to try to understand what went wrong, and ensure that it never happens again.
I'd like to say that this experience has put of me off ever giving Virginmedia my money again, but I'm sure that when my contract is up with my new provider in 2 years, I'll be back.
