OT (as usual): Police do respond to reports of theft.

Yep, I've said that. A few times!

Indeed, although I find that most staff make up implausible excuses that they're plainly not informed enough to know whether it's right or not, a technique known as "explaining away". I've had this with BT a few times as well as lots of other places. If they don't know, they should say so and find out. Then of course there's the "someone will call you back shortly"...

BT - god, don't get me started! The last time I called them about our broadband [trying not to be racist here!] a non-English woman was insistent that our connection would work properly if I deleted all the "temp" files on my computer, despite me protesting to the contrary she obviously couldn't follow her check-sheet any further until I had done what she asked. I pretty much gave up at that point, and if it wasn't for the fact that I don't like being rude I would have hung up. Mind you, BT have nothing on the sheer incompetence of Telewest!

Interesting to note that one company (was it Powergen?) have stopped using foreign call centres to answer customer calls now because they have had so many complaints.

Matt

Me neither, last hassle I had from them was the worst, I was trying to get a line fault diagnosed on an ISDN line installed in my house, owned by my employer. First time I tried they helped me out, second time I got some scottish lass who refused because I didn't own the line. I asked to speak to someone else, but she refused and said that she wouldn't waste their time. We argued for a bit so I asked to speak to a supervisor, but she refused. I told her I'd be making a complaint and she asked me if I'd like help spelling it! I muttered "for f*ck's sake" under my breath and she told me I was being abusive and she'd list my number as a known abuser's line and get it cut off.. She even called back on it 5 mins later to check that she recognised my voice.

Nothing happened to my line in the end, presumably because she'd have to identify herself on the BT systems in order to do it, I tried to make a complaint but BT said they couldn't do anything because she'd refused to give her name or her call centre. Having the exact time of the call and the telephone number I called from didn't help it seems.

NTL are far far far worse though.

PMSL!

I'm going to have to stick up for NTL here, or at least one of the help desk blokes. As ever, when setting broadband using a "non-standard" OS I have to ring the techie people to get to the relevant IP adresses (that's all you need on any OS - these "installer" discs are just hocus-pocus to make you think your getting something for your money). Prepared for the usual battle, I jumped straight in saying I wasn't using Windows, and all I needed was the IP adresses and/or server names. Oh right, says the bloke - gives me the info, suggests I try it ("You don't have to re boot? Thats nice!")... Yep that's working fine. It took two mins, against the usual half-hour of "Now open this or that - what do you mean you havn't got that?".

And he didn't try to sell me anything!

Richard

Hardly a problem though, if you call because you've got no link they'll want to take you through the scripts I'll bet.

The issues I had were with getting the line cancelled though, it took ages!

And then 3 days later they will send someone out to fix it! (a very long time when your business requires you to have full-time Internet access!)

Me too - they were supposed to put us onto a 3 month contract (so they told us on the phone) but some idiot had done it as a 12 month contract, and no matter how much we protested they wouldn't listen.

Matt

Mine does. I am fortunate in that I live in area well served by cable and traditional DSL. I have both - been a lifesaver on more than one occasion. hrmm - lifesaver - a bit strong? certainly takes the stress out of trying to get the connection fixed.

thats why I got out couldn't hold my head up in public