Has anyone gotten any joy from NTL?

Rebska

I ordered a DVR from NTL two Fridays ago. I was told the engineer would come out last Wednesday morning to install. I stressed that the engineer would have to ring my mobile upon arrival as our apt intercom doesn't work reliably.

Took the morning off work. Was hoping to still make it to a nice lunch with a client for 1 o'clock that my colleague had scheduled after I'd made the NTL appt. At about 11, I thought I'd ring NTL to see what "morning" meant (8-12? 9 -1?) and was told 9:30 to 1. Ok. All very nice. Reminded them about the phone.

At one I rang again and was told the call was still open, the engineer was definitely coming. They were sending a message to ask him to ring in advance, I said I'd make sure I'd be there. Nothing. Called at 3:30. Definitely coming, yes. Called at 5. Definitely coming. Called at 6:25. Of course he's not coming. Can we offer you another appointment next Tuesday? Well - I'm not happy about this, I've wasted a day, missed a nice lunch. What choice do I have?

So I'm assured a team leader will ring if a "priority appointment" becomes available. I guess normal appointments are not priorities. I also asked if the installation charge would be waived due to the extreme lack of regard for my time. I'll get the team leader to ring you.

So, Tuesday morning rolls around. 11 am: Call to make sure they've got the phone number and can they ensure the engineer rings. Yes. 12:45. Anyone planning on coming? Oh, that call has been closed. The engineer attempted to install, but no one was home.

What?!!! I've been here all day. No one rang. No one knocked.

I'll have to transfer you to sales so you can request another appointment. We can try to contact the engineer. Like the other two times? Yes.

Called sales (twice - as I got cut off the first time). Placed another order and asked if the engineer could be expedited. You'll have to talk to customer services. All they do is apologise. I'm sorry about that, I can't do anything - I can make the appointment for next Monday morning.

Has anyone ever spoken to anyone with any authority at NTL or will I just be engaged in this endless round of appointments until I get lucky?

And don't suggest Sky! I wish! Our apartment complex won't allow dishes.

Sir Oxman

I feel your pain, I do but my install went off without a hitch last Thursday morning.

Rang NTL previous Monday tp pay off final bill, they said could we tempt you, I said okay go on then.
Got DVR+3 months mullarkey and no install charge and final bill written off. Appointment Thursday morning.
Wednesday evening got a call asking was I still okay for install next morning between 09.30-13.00, said yes.
Was rang at 08:45 by installers said they would be with me by 09:30 - they were.
5 minute install. Well pleased.
I wish I could remember the contractors company name.

Again, I do feel your pain - it's the most annoying thing in the world and it's all down to lazy gets who can't be bothered (NTL & your invisible contractor)

NoToLies(NTL)

Rebska,

I know exactly what you mean - have been through this exact experience as have many others who have posted here and presumably many others who have not posted.

Installation no-shows, calls not returnned, being bounced from sales to customer support and back again. Promised calls from supervisors organising priority installations never made....not that a priroirty means much. Sales don't want to know and customer support don't seem to care much either way.

There are plenty of people posting on these boards closely associated with NTL (even if more so on the technical side) but nothing changes. I would be interested to know what these people think of the sh*t service being provided at the front-end.

I am very tempted to pull my own no-show when my next installation date rocks around and just go with Sky. The words Sky and Sky+ are the only words that seem to break through the 'script' and get you talking to retention who can actually do anything.

Unlike a lot of others, while I live in an aprtment i can have a Sky dish installed.....I live in the penthouse and have been asked by other residents would I be happy to have a dish installed on my roof garden or roof - I have resisted this up to now to save myself the hastle but i am starting to feel the road i have travelled is actually more hastle. When this communal dish goes in NTL can say goodbye to the whole apartment block and they will only have themselves to blame.

Rosser

NoToLies(NTL) wrote:

Rebska,


There are plenty of people posting on these boards closely associated with NTL (even if more so on the technical side) but nothing changes. I would be interested to know what these people think of the sh*t service being provided at the front-end.

I am very tempted to pull my own no-show when my next installation date rocks around and just go with Sky. The words Sky and Sky+ are the only words that seem to break through the 'script' and get you talking to retention who can actually do anything.

There are indeed many NTL employees on the boards but I wouldn't be surprised if there was a few Sky employees too judging by some of the posts....

Mossy Monk

Rosser wrote:

There are indeed many NTL employees on the boards but I wouldn't be surprised if there was a few Sky employees too judging by some of the posts....

Such as?

Rosser

Mossy Monk wrote:

Such as?

after over 17,000 posts I'm sure you can work that one out for yourself

emersnbe

NoToLies(NTL) wrote:

Unlike a lot of others, while I live in an aprtment i can have a Sky dish installed.....I live in the penthouse and have been asked by other residents would I be happy to have a dish installed on my roof garden or roof - I have resisted this up to now to save myself the hastle but i am starting to feel the road i have travelled is actually more hastle. When this communal dish goes in NTL can say goodbye to the whole apartment block and they will only have themselves to blame.

I'd be very interested to hear how you get on if you go the communal dish route (can you tell me who can do it for you? Is it Sky themselves?).

At this point, I'd take the hassle of getting buy-in from all the other residents to put in a shared dish over dealing with NTL/UPC.

(My back story: Naively ordered PVR on-line, received confirmation, no show on arranged day, multiple follow up emails to sales and "customer service", as yet no reply.

Now, I know I should pick up the phone and ring them, but firstly, I can't face it, and secondly I'm now performing some sort of a masochistic experiment to see how long it takes to get a response - I'm trying to give them my money after all).

Mossy Monk

Rosser wrote:

after over 17,000 posts I'm sure you can work that one out for yourself

I would have actually hoped you could back up your statement. Obviously you cant so why say it?

Rosser

Mossy Monk wrote:

I would have actually hoped you could back up your statement. Obviously you cant so why say it?

and obviously I gave you more credit than deserved.

Mossy Monk

If you will say nothing, then say nothing at all.

Rosser

Mossy Monk wrote:

If you will say nothing, then say nothing at all.

Another worthwhile contribution Mossy well done. You're probably too proud to ask for help, here you go. In my opinion there're two recent posters who if you take the time to read their post clearly have an axe to grind. One has opened 5 new threads all anti NTL, one of which is laced with error and inaccuracy and the other has a boards name that is pretty hostile too. It might make one wonder...

Before you get overly excited I too have been the recipient of cr*ppy NTL service but I like to retain a semblance of balance.

Mossy Monk

That wasn't too hard now was it. Unlike your good self I don't actually read every single thread here. Too proud to ask for help? Have a look around I have asked for help many times, but thanks for caring.

Rosser

Mossy Monk wrote:

That wasn't too hard now was it. Unlike your good self I don't actually read every single thread here. Too proud to ask for help? Have a look around I have asked for help many times, but thanks for caring.

I don't read 'em all just the ones I comment on, you should give it a go

byte

To be fair, this is a cable forum, and many threads are to complain about services.

Similarly, in the Satellite forum there are many threads complaining about Sky or Setanta, and I don't even want to start on the Broadband forum!

Rosser

Yeah, that's fair enough.

NoToLies(NTL)

My choice of User ID for Boards.ie may not have been the most conciliatory but then again neither was the choice of name for NTL Hell which provided a service to disgruntled NTL user for a long while. Just to be clear on the subject I am not just sounding off here – I have spent ages on the phone to various people in NTL making the same points as I have made here.

I am not going to try and prove that I am not associated with Sky because I think it would be a near impossible task to persuade those who have already made up their mind about my bona fides.

Before reverting to type and criticising NTL I would like to state that I have now at last received the PVR/DVR from NTL that I requested. More than that, I am largely happy with it – it is easy to use, it is quick, it has a good interface and it has most of the functionality that I am looking for – most of all it has arrived in time for me to record all the world cup matches that I am not at home to watch.

It’s not a perfect product but my posts were never about the pro’s and con’s of the product (they are well covered elsewhere on boards) but rather the way in which I as a paying customer felt I was being poorly treated – as Rosser points out I have an axe to grind and boards.ie is where I want to do my grinding where as many people as possible can see it – maybe NTL will pick up a couple of tips in the process.

Having been through this process I would like to summarise my experience

• Billy to Bob to Jack: Once I had a problem, my request may not have fitted neatly into anyone’s area of responsibility but I didn’t appreciate getting bounced forward and back between different departments who were trying to hand-off the hot-potato
  
• Lies: Don’t lie to your customers, if you don’t know something tell them, don’t lie to get them off the phone - especially if you think they are taking notes
  
• Under-promise: if it doesn’t look like you are going to make it at an agreed time don’t promise that you will be there – if I were to buy-back another days holiday where I work and charge it to NTL they would spend years trying to make a profit on my account ….they bloody stole a days holiday and I have sh*g all left
• Call-back: If you say your are going to follow something up & get back to someone - do it, not some of the time, not if you’re bored and have nothing else up…all the time
• Communicate: if you ask for someone’s mobile number then make use of it….do not leave them sitting there for a whole day, or two whole days waiting for some spanner to turn up who doesn’t have the decency to call to say he is going to be late/isn’t going to make it
• Goodwill: Some effort, some token of recognition for what they put me through would have been appreciated and would have bought NTL some goodwill…I am not necessarily talking about a free installation or free channels (though others seem to have been successful in this regard) what I would like to have received was a phone call from someone who acknowledged that mistakes were made and apologised for poor service.

That’s it ….rant over, axe ground down to a nub….hopefully the next time I post it will be about something so far removed from issues with NTL that I will need a new username ….

Emersnbe…my apologies, I did not pursue the communal sky dish option sufficiently to be able to know who can do it for you but there is a site with some info on it skyhomes.ie

Rosser

Well then in your case I certainly stand corrected

Surion

Re NTL; just so someone else knows too; Lost both broadband & digitial TV when I came home on evening!!, spent 2/3 months ringing and ringing and ringing for 'emergency' call-outs that simply didn't happen. I lost 3 days annual leave on these guys. I wont recount the REDICULOUS things that where said by staff that really didn't care, working for an organisation of the exactly same attitude!!!
Finally, an engineer called out, imagine, couldn't fix it on the day. Was due to return week later (told them they would have to make own access as wasn't taking anymore time). Saturday morning.....get a call from same guy as previous week, "was I with you last week", yes..."oh, I fixed that on thursday for you...you were disconnected by mistake...the guy pulled the wrong apartment". ARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHH...I had had a connection for 3 days without knowing.
wrote a complaint letter....I'm sending the IGNORANT response on to the regulator with out line of issue to show how they treat customers. I want to break contract. I'll seriously go without TV if I can.
God - reading others' experience is making my blood boil. How long will they be left with this monopoly in Dub area???

altered121

ntl are not a monoploy. multilpe tv providers multiple broadband providers. complaints to both companies need to be well constructed and factual as well as
and more so to regulatory offices. ( I am NOT having a go at OP here only stating fact as per my experience )

Surion

altered121 wrote:

ntl are not a monoploy. multilpe tv providers multiple broadband providers. complaints to both companies need to be well constructed and factual as well as
and more so to regulatory offices. ( I am NOT having a go at OP here only stating fact as per my experience )

Actually I beg to differ. I will of course stand to be corrected happily, but for digital ditigal (and terestrial) television, they are a monopoly.

I live in an apartment block. I am precluded from having a satalite. NTL is my only option for television. Granted, monoply not exerted over broadband...but never ment to inferr such.

Paddy_man

Heres one for all the people who wait for installations and the guys are no shows. I moved apartment lately here in Galway. I had NTL digital and broadband in my old place and the new place had digital connection.

So the day before i moved i called NTL to tell them i was moving, they told me i need to give 30s notice if i wanted to cancel the account or move. So i hung up, and checked out Sky to see when they could do an install, but found out i couldn't put a dish in the new place. I took the kit with me when i moved, connected it back up myself and hey presto, it worked, nothing to it at all. So went back to NTL the following monday after i moved, told them i wanted to change address, they took my new adress and said an engineer will be sent out within a couple of weeks to do the install, i said no need i
connected it myself and its working, so he said that he'd note that.

Got a text the following friday from NTL telling me they'd be there monday, disregarded it as i thought it was an automated text when they setup an appointment, but maybe i gave 2 much credit to NTL for that.
Went to work monday and at 12 i got a call from NTL guy saying he was at the apartment to install it, told him it was done by myself and i had told them on the phone when i called, he just said thanks and hung up.....

So it seems if you tell them you dont want them to do something you get a faster response from the person sent to do what they dont have to do...