Does Virgin have the worst customer service in the History of the World? How to I make a formal complaint

[Reluctantly]

Every time I get ready to call virgin media the muscles in my back get tight with stress and I feel a panic attack is not far away. This seems like a system designed only to torment you. 

I am leaving the country in one month and I simply want to register my leaving date with virgin and cancel my broadband. This should be a simple enough process, 5 minutes? Ten minutes at most?

I called virgin customer services at 6pm this evening and got into a queue with music playing, after 20 minutes the line went dead. I repeated this three times, so that's an hour of waiting listening to music plus the time it takes to go through the menu/enter your details. The fourth time I tried a different route through the process (I selected the option of wanting to "discuss leaving" instead of "wanting to leave") - this time after 20 minutes I got through to someone who told me that they could not do it for me but that they would transfer me to their disconnection department that could help me. After another 20 minute wait listening to music another person answered, she said she would have to get someone to do it and that it wouldn't be long - I was put on hold for another ten minutes then she came back to tell me she was still there and that it wouldn't be long - after another ten minutes the music stopped and the line went completely quiet although I was still connected - I stayed on the line hoping that someone would eventually take my call, after five minutes or so of silence I heard some keyboard typing on the other end of the line just before the line went completely dead. I tried to call again but was met with an automated response saying that the lines were now closed for the evening. 

My first call was made at 6pm and it's now 9:18 pm and I am no better than I was when I started more than three hours ago. 

Can anyone tell me where to direct a formal complaint?

I also wondered if anyone knew what the implications would be of just cancelling my direct debit immediately? I have after all committed over three hours this evening trying to inform virgin of my leaving date. Am I to assume from their response to my calls this evening that they do not need to know????

[Reluctantly]

---

@agi wrote:

I will be in this situation soon. Is it not possible to cancel by recorded delivery to bypass all this phone hassle. I am not sure I can be very polite after hours on phone

---

From my experience I would definitely recommend trying in the morning instead of the evening. It seems as though the lines are always very busy in the evenings. If you are able to, set aside an hour one morning and if you manage to get it done in under 30 min it will feel like you scored a bonus. You just have to remain polite, you're at their mercy and you need them to cooperate.

I attempted to sort this out for over three hours last night only to be hung up on by UK-based call handler when she (presumably) reached the end of her shift. I wouldn't want you to go through something similar!

[Reluctantly]

---

@HuntsVM wrote:

Have to say I have been absolutely shocked at the customer service available.

Fist time I have had to deal with a broadband problem for a few years and ended up spending 50 mins talking to an overseas call center going through checks that were always destined to make not a bit of difference to the problem and then wanted to pass me on to a chargeable service support team,

he also refused or didn't  have the facility to arrange a technician visit.

So then I thought I'd phone up to cancel in order to try and move the resolution forward but cannot speak to a human being and just left on hold endlessly.

Have now cancelled my direct debit as is due to be collected in a few days as I simply do not know what else to do.

VIRGIN MEDIA - How has it come to this ? (customer of nearly 12 years)

customer service was never your strong point but this is unacceptable.

---

I sympathise completely, although I don't think you should cancel the direct debit. As another poster has commented you could get into tedious debt collection/credit rating territory. That's why this can be such a horrible experience, you need them to cooperate!

[HuntsVM]

ok, appreciate the advice and have got through to billing to re-establish an active direct debit

now just hoping the forum can help me resolve the broadband issue,

I've had a private message from a VM representative so hopefully he may be able to advance things,

I have to reiterate that the standards currently being set for customer care would shame some of the shoddiest companies,

though I would say the billing rep was very good.

[Paul_DN]

Hi,

I am sorry about your'e experience.

So I can look into your broadband issue please can you click on the purple envelope i sent you and reply with the information Irequested earlier.

Many thanks

Paul.

[jbrennand]

---

@HuntsVM wrote:

now just hoping the forum can help me resolve the broadband issue,

---

EDIT:  Sorry - just spotted you already have another thread going on this one to which I have replied - doh ! .

If you post up specific details of what the issue actually is and details of your devices and how they are connected, some of the technical experts on here might actualy be able to pinpoint what the issues are and proffer the solution(s).

[Kimdurose]

Sheisters of the highest order. I have lost count how many times I have phoned “support” or gone around in circles on the “Crapatron” (recently rebadged as the Virgin app).
The final straw came yesterday after being cut off after being on hold for almost an hour.
Cut off at exactly 6pm on the dot, coincidentally the time the UK office shuts. This call was to chase up a call from Virgin that despite promises, was never returned.
This company has one ace amongst its pack of 51 jokers; broadband speed.
Everything else is inferior to its competitor in every possible way.
I am going to spend the rest of my contract period selecting the skip I’m going to use for my two TiVo boxes, hub 3, and “WiFi boosters”. By the way the WiFi boosters boost nothing but the room temperatures by a couple of degrees.

[winlam]

Quick answer: YES

I regard myself as a calm. patient guy but dealings with these people makes my blood boil. I have tried phoning (no response within an hour before giving up), live chat (I am waiting for a response right now after 60 minutes and still waiting. Slowly losing the will to live.

I notice your experience was even before the pandemic so they should not be using this as an excuse for their tardiness but they probably will.

I have been a customer for over 20 years and I would have changed long ago if I wasn't so lazy.

My reason for contacting them is a fairly simple issue and I should not be subject to their poor idea of customer care (is that an oxymoron)?

[gary_dexter]

---

@winlam wrote:

Quick answer: YES

I regard myself as a calm. patient guy but dealings with these people makes my blood boil. I have tried phoning (no response within an hour before giving up), live chat (I am waiting for a response right now after 60 minutes and still waiting. Slowly losing the will to live.

I notice your experience was even before the pandemic so they should not be using this as an excuse for their tardiness but they probably will.

I have been a customer for over 20 years and I would have changed long ago if I wasn't so lazy.

My reason for contacting them is a fairly simple issue and I should not be subject to their poor idea of customer care (is that an oxymoron)?

---

Well for a start this thread is over a year old...

If you have an issue requiring assistance is suggest starting your own thread detailing said “simple issue”. 

[Beth_G]

Hi winlam,

Welcome to the community - I am sorry to hear you have a cause for complain. It's disappointing to hear about the overall experience you've had in attempt to get in touch,

What's the issue that you need help with?

Thanks,

Beth

[winlam]

Hello Beth

Thanks for replying

The issue was, at first, quite simple. All I wanted was to adjust my present package with Virgin.

The page on their website has not been working for days now so I (innocently) thought I would contact them via phone and/or live chat.

No response with either after 90 minutes. Not even "I will get back to you as soon as we can" (Live chat) or "you are placed in a queue and are number xx" (phone). I understand it is a difficult time for us all but, to be honest, I have had this many times even before the pandemic.

For a company of this size and stature (let alone the amount I pay per month) I would expect better service than this.

Thanks for your time

winlam