Delayed pre install and no internal communication

[Restassured]

Good morning,

apparently a hot topic this year, I’ve read other suggestions but keep getting scripted replies on the phone and chat service.

the lack of internal communication at Virgin is shocking.

My-pre pull has delayed twice from 1 Sept. first time issue at box and then when they came back a blockage. Fair enough this is out of their hands and the install was delayed until this Sat 18th.

What I cannot accept is the scripted replies and being fobbed off. Take this little gem -

I can tell you for free that the pre-pull did not happen yesterday.

Even more amusingly, I received a phone call later that day asking me if this Sat 18th is still ok for the install. I told them it’s fine but are they sure the pre-pull is complete. “Oh yes sir, your case has been escalated and it will be going ahead.”

I’ve asked to speak to the area manager on phone and chat and just get fobbed off with scripted replies - it’s exhausting.

Is there a better way to get to someone who dan actually get something done / communicate.

Just hoping my rant gets a VM mod to look into this, I’d rather not go from department to department for nothing.

In the meantime, I’ve had to pay £59 for mobile WiFi and unlimited data for a month, which should be credited to my account to be honest.

[jpeg1]

That's entirely normal I'm afraid. The only way you'll get anything sorted is if a member of VM staff on here can help.

If a definite appointment has been broken then there should be compensation for that.

[Gareth_L]

Hello Restassured

Sorry this is happening, Its not good at all and we do need to get some definite answers about what is going on 

To do that, I will need to send you a private message to pass security 
If you can check the purple envelope top right of your screen that would be great 
Regards     
Gareth_L

[Restassured]

As an update, firstly thank you for Gareth picking this up to attempt to resolve, unfortunately the circus continues

Today in the allocated timeslot an engineer pulled up to my house, rang the door bell to let me know he is taking photo's and from VM.

I asked him whether he was here to dig the road as there was a permit issued to block the footpath. Turns out he was simply here to survey the area to see if there was a cheaper way than digging the road.  He sat in his van for 20 mins before leaving, I can only assume that the previous engineer who called me and said there is a blockage and no way through and it needs digging was correct.

So that's another two weeks and permit request wasted.

I assume that the next step is another two weeks wait, another permit and as expected two weeks ago someone to dig the road to sort the blockage.

one more chance for this pre-pull.....

[Kirstie_w91]

Sounds like the norm at VM! 
I’ve had 3 failed pre pull appointments & meant to be having everything installed by a VM engineer on the 27th but I’m not holding my breath. 
The service has been shocking for me too & the rare time you get through to someone in CS that understands the process of pre pull before install they end up making false promises that I’ll be updated or provided a dongle. None of which has happened in my experience so far!
And I’ve been calling pretty much every other day since I can see on my account the pre pull order keeps changing to the current day.. I’m ready to cancel the whole install to be honest now 

[Andrew-G]

@Kirstie_w91 I’m ready to cancel the whole install to be honest now 

VM are banking on the probability that you won't.  The problems with VM's wretchedly incompetent installation processes, and their crap communication are well documented in this forum, and have been going on for many months now.  This leads to only two possibilities:

1) Senior management are fully aware but don't care.  It isn't affecting them, and rather than fix the persistent and repeated failures, they'd rather congratulate themselves on another function that has been reduced to the cheapest cost possible, regardless of the consequences.  

2) Senior managers don't know what's happening, see no relevant metrics, have no dealings with customers, with complaints, and don't read this forum.  They're sitting in their offices, spinning around on plush leather chairs, thinking what a superb job they are doing.

Either way, it will be no surprise that Virgin Media was the most complained about telco in the country in Ofcom's recent Hall of Shame awards.  And not by a little bit: They had about five times as many complaints as the best performing companies.  That's not an accident, it suggests that nothing has been left to chance.  Don't forget to vote for them in the next edition.  I'd really like to be more upbeat about this and offer productive advice, but there is none to be offered - there's no way of speaking to competent humans who are actually managing the installation process, and even if the matter gets escalated to the area manager they are still unable to circumvent the company's cack-handed systems and delivery structures (read this one, it's a corker).  All and any assurances need to be assumed to be a wild r-sed guess, either made by a system programmed by idiots, or plucked out of the air by an employee who is likely frustrated by their own company's inability to provide them with the information to help customers.  This even applies for existing customers needing a cable re-pull or repair, where the simple replacement of a few metres of commodity grade coaxial cable can take months, with multiple missed appointments, broken promises and delay after delay, and in cases where the CEO complaints team have got involved this still has not resulted in prompt and effective outcomes.

I wouldn't suppose to tell you "don't join" because I don't know what your other ISP options are, or the package you have been offered, but it is certainly the case that Virgin Media are sending you a message, and that message is "we can happily issue multiple apologies, but deep down we don't care about customers".

[Kirstie_w91]

I pretty much have no choice but to cancel the whole thing at this point if it’s not resolved. 
If I had known it would be this painful I would have just gone with Sky or BT. 
Im not surprised they’re most complained about, at least they’re number 1 at something! 
It’s clear no one cares & shocking there are no metrics for customer satisfaction etc. You know it’s bad when I’ve spoken to that many people I know the process better than half the advisors I end up talking to 

[Sofia_B]

Thanks for getting back to us @Restassured. 

I'm so sorry to hear this, I can only imagine how frustrating this must be and we apologise for any inconvenience caused. 

I've had a look into your account and I can see the install has been marked as completed, is this the case? 

Thanks, 

[Sofia_B]

Hi @Kirstie_w91. 

Thanks for your post 🙂 

I'm so sorry to hear about the delays you've experienced with your install, I can appreciate how frustrating this must be and we apologise for any inconvenience caused. 

I've managed to locate the account from the details provided on your account, and I can see the customer service team tried to call you back after you spoke with them to provide an update. I can see they've escalated the matter to the pre install team and are awaiting a response from the Area Field Manager for more information. 

I can assure you as soon as they have an update for you from the AFM and pre install team, they'll be in touch. 

Any issues in the meantime, please just let us know and we'll happily look into things for you. 

Thanks,