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Entry tags:
Bureaucracy and Call Centres
October: B. decides to switch broadband supplier from Tiscali to Talk Talk.
November - March: Endless confusion caused, in part, by Talk Talk's takeover of Tiscali and the fact that I have the Tiscali account while B. will have the Talk Talk account.
Late March: Receive letter informing me that my account will be closed 23rd April
*Much rejoicing*
Last Week: Receive Invoice for May.
Today:
* Phone cancellation enquiry number on letter: informed I needed to be but through to business accounts.
* Business accounts: Confirm account has been cancelled. Did I want to cancel billing as well? yes, and I'm going to stop the Direct Debit, just so they know. Business say they'll put me through to Billing and I should request a refund for the last week in April which I was billed for even though the service was cancelled.
* Billing: Someone answers the phone, there is an odd click, followed by silence and then I'm in a queue
* Talk Talk Customer Service: Can not possibly put me through to billing, I have phoned the wrong number.
* Phone supplied number (presumably Business again): Immediately put through to Billing.
* Billing: Explain situation, put on hold, explain situation again, put on hold, explain that no, I don't want a refund for May, I'm informing them I won't be paying the May invoice, I would like a refund for the end of April, put on hold, yes they can do that, put on hold while amount is calculated, no I don't want anything else.
Hang up not at all convinced that they've actually grasped the important fact that I intend to cancel direct debit. That said I was impressed by the two people I spoke to in Business accounts who both grasped the situation quickly, didn't ask any stupid questions, and provided pertinent information and advice. The woman in Billing though was as thick as two short planks.
* Phone Bank: Talk Talk have already cancelled Direct Debit. Woman in bank somewhat perplexed but I assured her that I had just spoken to Talk Talk and I had no trouble believing that they had cancelled the direct debit but were nevertheless still sending me invoices stating their intention to collect the money.
On checking my bank statement I realise they actually only deducted the amount I owed in April, despite invoicing me for the whole month. I'm intrigued to see if they work this out before they refund me, but I am sufficiently deterred by the Byzantine Talk Talk phone system and the IQ level on display in Billing to be unprepared to phone them again to try and straighten this out.
-- I realise this is a common story, but I remain suprised by the variable competence of the people at the end of these phone lines (e.g. the woman at the Bank and the people in Business at Talk Talk handled moderately complex requests with ease (the Bank conversation was complicated by not wanting to cancel B's Talk Talk Direct Debit and she sorted out the two DDs and the status of each very quickly)). I also remain surprised that you can normally tell within a couple of sentences whether you've got a good'un or a bad'un at the end of the phone.
This entry was originally posted at http://purplecat.dreamwidth.org/6494.html.
November - March: Endless confusion caused, in part, by Talk Talk's takeover of Tiscali and the fact that I have the Tiscali account while B. will have the Talk Talk account.
Late March: Receive letter informing me that my account will be closed 23rd April
*Much rejoicing*
Last Week: Receive Invoice for May.
Today:
* Phone cancellation enquiry number on letter: informed I needed to be but through to business accounts.
* Business accounts: Confirm account has been cancelled. Did I want to cancel billing as well? yes, and I'm going to stop the Direct Debit, just so they know. Business say they'll put me through to Billing and I should request a refund for the last week in April which I was billed for even though the service was cancelled.
* Billing: Someone answers the phone, there is an odd click, followed by silence and then I'm in a queue
* Talk Talk Customer Service: Can not possibly put me through to billing, I have phoned the wrong number.
* Phone supplied number (presumably Business again): Immediately put through to Billing.
* Billing: Explain situation, put on hold, explain situation again, put on hold, explain that no, I don't want a refund for May, I'm informing them I won't be paying the May invoice, I would like a refund for the end of April, put on hold, yes they can do that, put on hold while amount is calculated, no I don't want anything else.
Hang up not at all convinced that they've actually grasped the important fact that I intend to cancel direct debit. That said I was impressed by the two people I spoke to in Business accounts who both grasped the situation quickly, didn't ask any stupid questions, and provided pertinent information and advice. The woman in Billing though was as thick as two short planks.
* Phone Bank: Talk Talk have already cancelled Direct Debit. Woman in bank somewhat perplexed but I assured her that I had just spoken to Talk Talk and I had no trouble believing that they had cancelled the direct debit but were nevertheless still sending me invoices stating their intention to collect the money.
On checking my bank statement I realise they actually only deducted the amount I owed in April, despite invoicing me for the whole month. I'm intrigued to see if they work this out before they refund me, but I am sufficiently deterred by the Byzantine Talk Talk phone system and the IQ level on display in Billing to be unprepared to phone them again to try and straighten this out.
-- I realise this is a common story, but I remain suprised by the variable competence of the people at the end of these phone lines (e.g. the woman at the Bank and the people in Business at Talk Talk handled moderately complex requests with ease (the Bank conversation was complicated by not wanting to cancel B's Talk Talk Direct Debit and she sorted out the two DDs and the status of each very quickly)). I also remain surprised that you can normally tell within a couple of sentences whether you've got a good'un or a bad'un at the end of the phone.
This entry was originally posted at http://purplecat.dreamwidth.org/6494.html.