Shocking service

[webster74]

Unable to speak to an actually rep via the phone (60 mins wait then cut off).  Tried the WhatsApp chat at 2:15pm.  It’s now 7:40pm and apart from an acknowledgment at 16:10 stating that they can’t help me and will transfer me to the retention team I’ve had just one message since stating that they will be a wait as they are busy (their standard answer to everything).  Well retentions team, I was contacting you about possible changes and deals to my current package.  However after many years of substandard customer service I’ve had it.  There have got to be broadband providers out there that treat their paying customers better than this.  

[Natalie_L]

Hi webster74, 

Thank you for posting to us here on the Community. 

I am very sorry to hear of the issues you have experienced when contacting the team. 

The WhatsApp team aim to respond within a few hours once the automated part of the chat is complete. With it being the evening at the time of the chat, it is likely that the service has closed before the team were able to get back to you. Not to worry though, as your message will still be in the queue today and an adviser will get back to you as soon as possible. 

Thank you, 

[webster74]

Nat, you obviously didn’t read the whole message.  The chat was opened at 2:15pm.  I was passed over to your “customer service” team at 4:14pm.  Neither of those times are in the evening.

[Anonymous]

"Drive-by" forum team responses are a dime a dozen under the new forum management. They are done very quickly, without bothering to properly examine the details or context of the customer's post, usually by someone who immediately goes on to the next customer's post and does it again, etc etc. There are a couple of good ones but as they are probably not aligned to the new performance metrics around posts per hour may well move on in time given that they retain standards and a sense of personal pride. 

[Natalie_L]

Thank you for your reply webster74.

I can confirm I had read your initial message but as advised, the team aim to reply within a few hours. With your message being passed over after 4pm,  it is possible that the team were unable to respond before the service closed for the evening.  Response times do generally vary dependent on the time of day and the volume of messages from our customers. 

Unfortunately,  we are not able to review packages/deals from here so you would need to speak to the team to do this. If you have not received a response today, all alternative contact methods can be found here. 

Thanks, 

[Andrew-G]

Well there you have it webster74.  VM value your business so much that as far as the staff are concerned you can sit on your duff until the end of time waiting for a Whatsapp response, and that's normal and acceptable as far as they're concerned.

I'd say cancel by recorded post to Virgin Media Sales Operation Support, Virgin Media, Sunderland, SR43 4AA

If you want a new deal then they'll be busy calling you during your 30 days notice period, and if you hold out for the same sorts of deals they're offering new customers eventually they'll offer those.  if you decide that you're entitled to better customer service than this, then just let the cancellation run nits course, and choose another ISP according to what you want to pay and what sort of service you want.  If customer service counts then at least consider smaller ISPs like Zen Internet, Aquiss, uno, IDNet, AAISP (who mostly don't have price rises in fixed term deals, and some of whom offer only 12 month fixed terms).  If you want the sort of "pile it high, sell it cheap, and then give the customer a price wedgie during the 18-24 month fixed term" deals that VM offer, then BT, Vodafone, et al are the suppliers to consider.