Virgin damaged my existing TalkTalk/ Openreach connection during prepull

[gspannu]

Signed up to Virgin in November. New Installation.

Confirmed Installation date provided by Virgin: 09 Dec 2021
Virgin pre-pull/ installation team arrived on 06 Dec 2021.
Cleared an obstruction so that a cable could be laid, however the crew damaged my existing TalkTalk/ Openreach box outside the property.
Got message from Virgin same evening: New installation date provided: 27 Dec 2021 (instead of 09 Dec)
Pre-pull of cable still not completed.
4 appointments promised fro prepull, no one from Virgin turned up.

I have NO Broadband/ No telephone line since 06 Dec, because Virgin damaged my existing line.

Multiple calls, chat with Virgin - but no response from Virgin to fix the existing line.

Can anyone from Virgin help?
- Either get my new Virgin broadband installed
- Or repair damage to my existing broadband line.

Photos below… the state in which Virgin crew (construction guys responsible for clearing obstruction) left the site having damaged my existing Openreach box.

I have spoken to my existing Broadband provider and they have stated that if the damage has been done by Virgin, then I should complain to Virgin or complain to OFCOM.

[gspannu]

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@Gareth_L wrote:

HI gspannu

I have emailed our Service and Installation 

As soon as I have a definite answer on this situation I will let you know

Gareth_L

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Thanks... Much appreciated.

[gspannu]

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@Gareth_L wrote:

HI gspannu

I have emailed our Service and Installation 

As soon as I have a definite answer on this situation I will let you know

Gareth_L

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Hi Gareth,

Any response to your email from Virgin?

Thanks...

[Gareth_L]

Hello gspannu

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you 

I can see a complaint has now been raised and is sat with the right team who are chasing this up 

Gareth_L

[gspannu]

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@Gareth_L wrote:

Hello gspannu

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you 

I can see a complaint has now been raised and is sat with the right team who are chasing this up 

Gareth_L

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Thanks for the update... Let's see how this goes...

[gspannu]

Just to provide an update...

- I finally lost patience and cancelled the Virgin Account.... as this was going nowhere. A total shambles of a service from Virgin.

@Gareth_L, who actually tried to help as much as he could - so no complaint with Gareth

Coming back to my damaged cables by Virgin (aka an Openreach problem)

1) I contacted TalkTalk, a site survey was done, the problem was a lot bigger (as Virgin had damaged the underground cables).
2) The time frame from Openreach was very long - 3 months likely to be 6 months ... as it involved permissions from various parties.
3) I managed to speak to a TalkTalk customer services manager and explained my situation. Even told TalkTalk the truth that Virgin had messed up and damaged the cables and I was leaving TalkTalk.

A) Lo and behold... yesterday, engineers from Openreach came around with 3 vans (including the Highway Agency, the local council and Openreach).
B) Came will all sorts of specialist equipment to detect underground blockages, etc..
C) Were able to lay a new cable in the same underground pipe.
D) Internet and Phone line - up and working - all done by the afternoon.

I am back finally online... !!!

Now, I think to  myself...
Why did I ever think about leaving BT/ Openreach?... and trusting Virgin to deliver me a service. 

Lesson to self
1. Read consumer forums before signing up to new services and giving my custom away to 'new parties'
2. Do not believe any Hype from Virgin - a bunch of incompetent customer service personnel and a really poor customer service.
3) Virgin have far too many departments, too many sub contractors, too many bespoke IT systems - and the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. Very typical of a large business that has eaten more than it can chew - and end consumers suffer because of this.

Now that I am up and running with phone/ broadband (with TalkTalk)...

Other things I am looking to do:
1) My property is in a relatively new build area with about 500/600 homes. Virgin has only recently laid the fibre cables (in the hope that new customers will sign up, stupid people like me).
2) We have monthly 'resident meetings' - and I am going to inform to the attendees in the meeting about my poor experience with Virgin and request other residents 'not to follow my example' and make them aware of the 'pathetic Virgin customer service'.
3) I am also going to propose in the meeting that as a resident association, we collectively write to BT/ Openreach to accelerate their FTTH program in the area. Our local councillor/ MP lives in our area - so hopefully some added leverage.
4) I am also (at my own cost) going to distribute a note through the door to all residents in my area; writing about my poor experience with Virgin.

Probably a drop in the ocean toVirgin, they won't care.. but that is  Virgin's perspective.

I understand that a business can make a mistake, but how a business (customer service) handles the mistake is what really matters in the long run. That is what makes or breaks customer confidence and customer loyality.

Anyone from Virgin want to discuss/ talk about anything, I am available...

[jpeg1]

Congratulations on getting this sorted. 

You have described Virgin Media's dysfunctional operation perfectly. 

[Paulina_Z]

Hi @gspannu,

Thank you for coming back to us and updating us on your situation. 

I'm very sorry to hear that this has been your experience with us. We appreciate you posting about your experience and how it all looked from your perspective. 

We appreciate your feedback and will be passing it in internally in order to improve our services further.

Apologies for any inconvenience and stress caused by this situation.

Thank you.

[gspannu]

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@Paulina_Z wrote:

Hi @gspannu,

We appreciate your feedback and will be passing it in internally in order to improve our services further.

Apologies for any inconvenience and stress caused by this situation.

Thank you.

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I think you are missing the bigger picture here.

The issue with Virgin Media customer services is far bigger than my situation or the way my issue was handled. You just need to read the forums here or other online platforms to know the pathetic state of Virgin customer services.
Virgin Media issues are not going to be resolved by passing on feedback and 'promises to improve' - e have all heard this a million times before.

Someone senior enough in Virgin needs to take a long hard look at 'how customers are being treated'. And please do not quote numbers... that Virgin has a customer satisfaction index of x; so it is good enough. This is the flaw with most businesses that operate this way. The key to good customer service is 'Hw you deal with a problem when a mistake is made' .... and on this factor - Virgin is really poor.

What is fundamentally missing from your customer service is the ability of your customer services staff to actually do anything about the problem. Vigin hs too many bespoke IT systems, these systems do not pass information to each other, your customer services staff are not empowered to escalate issues (that culture is totally missing in Virgin). The key essence is that there is no 'human factor' in your approach to dealing with customers.

I have been part of a business that deployed 6 million products into UK domestic homes... so I understand a thing or two about customer services and the challenges.

As I said earlier, if you are serious about fixing the issues - then get assign some senior (a minimum director or VP level personnel assigned) to overhaul your customer service objectives... this concept of 'thank you for your feedback, and we will look into it' is just that. A tick-box exercise.

And just to highlight... the below attached screenshots do not represent 'how things look from my perspective.'....

Read the responses/ updates from Virgin...
Please count the number of times the word 'soon' has been used.

I think the writing is on the wall.

And this... received today !

So, essentially Virgin is saying that even after 8 weeks of a complaint:

- They still have no update
- No update has been provided to the customer
- Every update states 'We will let you know in a few days/ we will be in touch soon/ you will hear from us soon'

Surprisingly, the date of this 'soon' never seems to arrive !

What is the definition of the word "soon" in Virgin's dictionary?

As I wrote earlier... anyone from Virgin wants to talk to me, you have my number...

[jem101]

@gspannu stop bringing these well articulated and logical arguments to the VM forums, we don’t need any of this stuff here, get out, you’re barred!

Let’s be perfectly honest here, @Paulina_Z yes, I’m sure you will pass these comments on via whatever system which passes for a CRM system at VM you happen to use, and you know and I know and everyone else on these forums know that absolutely nothing will happen!

And why? Because everyone from Lutz down knows that this is the way they actually want it to work, (and that’s assuming that the sheer mass of Lutz’s hair hasn’t suffocated his brain so he may not be entirely in control of things), it’s all a numbers game isn’t it? Do absolutely nothing and the probability is that 90% of your customers won’t have any issues, the connectivity just work on inertia, does that actually mean that 90% of the customer base are satisfied with VM’s customer service (in a similar way, I’ve never had a heart transplant, so I have no complaints at all about the NHS transplant service, ergo that means everything is rosy, no?).

Cynical? Me, surely not!

[goslow]

gspannu

I think you probably know that the "We'll get in touch in a few days' time to go through the next steps" bit in the letter is unlikely to ever happen.

If you can now go to CISAS, you can consider putting together a complaint about this disaster of a failed installation.

If I have understood all of the key points from the previous 5 pages, VM ...

• Tried to install your service
• Failed to install your service
• Destroyed and disabled your existing Openreach connection in the process
• Left you with no broadband for about 6 weeks
• Left you to have to deal with the repair of the broken Openreach connection
• Took no additional measures to push through your new VM installation more quickly to get you back online

If that does not merit some form of meaningful compensation from VM for the hassle and inconvenience they have caused, then I don't know what would.