The unbelievable incompetence of my 'phone provider!

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

I am moving home next month and after pondering what to do about my telephone and internet providers, I opted to swap both to my current ISP in a bundled deal. Having set that up, I rang my present telephone provider - a big one, possibly even the biggest - to arrange for my home 'phone to be disconnected on the date of my move in December. The female on the other end tapped away at a keyboard and muttered "Oops, it has defaulted to today's date for the disconnection - I'll try and catch that". After another attempt she went off the line for a few minutes and when she returned she said that she'd fixed it and that I could rest assured that it would cease on the required date. Good!

...or so I thought...

Next task: to set up a redirect on my post. Pick up the 'phone, dial: three rising tones and "the number you have dialled is not recognised, please check and try again". The b*******s had only dropped my line already! Not ten minutes after being assured it was to happen on the arranged date and I have no land line. I go to the relevant website (luckily the broadband is still on even though the 'phone isn't) and request a conversation with a service agent. They call me on my mobile and the upshot is that my line is 'pending' disconnection, will finally die tomorrow and until it does it cannot be reinstated. Oh, and when it is I shall have a new number! Oh and that'll take another 48 hours! Oh and my internet/broadband will take a further 48h. Oh and my provider probably won't reconnect me before I move. I rant and the customer service manager tells me to get a PAYG internet dongle which will be paid for by the company. I bet!

I can see that this will have a few more episodes yet... If I ever get reconnected.

[Captain Colonial]

Now all you need is an incompetent Membership Secretary to screw up your change of address and you'll have the complete set!

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

At least he is a human being!

[Norman Verona]

You sure?

[s2rrr]

Well Norman got his line fixed I guess.

Give customer services an almighty b*ll*cking and get free rental and your number reinstated, lay it on very heavily and you may get a bit of compensation, well you can try if nothing else. Letter to the chairman may help.

Bob

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

Well Norman got his line fixed I guess.

Give customer services an almighty b*ll*cking and get free rental and your number reinstated, lay it on very heavily and you may get a bit of compensation, well you can try if nothing else. Letter to the chairman may help.

Bob

I shall - when I get a line from which to call them! I am not using up my precious mobile allowances sitting on hold listening to bl**dy Vivaldi!

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

Wednesday evening: the 'phone is off still, but the broadband is still on! Weird...

Needless to say the Customer Services Manager at the 'phone company didn't ring me back as he promised me he would. But I don't want to rock the boat and lose the internet connection as well.

[Norman Verona]

I phoned France Telecom Sunday evening when we reilised the router flashing was a line problem. The English speking number was not available on Sunday so I phoned FT direct. I explained everything in French and did quite well really.

She said it would be fixed today or tomorrow or by Friday.

Yesterday afternoon at about 5pm I got a text on the mobile I'd used to phone them on Sunday informing me the line was back on.

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

Zut alors! I thought 'demain' was like 'manyana' or 'domani' but much less urgent.

[Norman Verona]

The French don't understand "urgent". Everything is "tomorrow" but can actually take from 3 days to 3 weeks.

When they miss the delivery date and you complain (only gently, of course) they want to know what the problem is and why am I so upset, it will be here next week, that's OK, isn't it.

They seem to have no concept of someone needing something to finish a job, or whatever it is you're waiting for. In my case it's usually something for the house. I always order in plenty of time but....

[mikef]

About 10 years ago, one of the large pallet networks tried to move into France with their "next day pallet delivery".

Failed miserably because the French just could not see the need for such urgency.

[V8grunt]

The French don't understand "urgent". Everything is "tomorrow" but can actually take from 3 days

Hi Norman

When I was out in Normandy, My English mate had France Telecom coming to his house to put a new cable thru the wall.

He was back in Blighty so asked me take the call for when they were coming,

It went something like this...

"Ring Ring" "Hello" ( Something garbbled in French which I had no idea what was being said, but I got the Last bit!)

"Toute Sweet" (Excuse the spelling) I understood that, Drove straight down there and they were waiting on site!

works different when they want you to do something for them!

[Norman Verona]

Sure does. Only problem is I've never come across that situation.

[V8grunt]

They came equiped with everything....

24" drill...... Broke that.... Then produced another and drilled a parallel hole next to the broken drill bit!

Sorry for spellin!

[Norman Verona]

The plumber who fitted our boiler had to drill a hole for the gas pipe. He had a 60 cm drill and just kept drilling holes until one went in all the way. I wish I'd done that when I drilled holes in the barn. One took me 6 hours to get all the way through. Another I did give up on and started again.

Only broke the drill, which was replaced under warranty and one drill bit. It just snapped at the shank.