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[SecTSys]

I have had on many many occassions the unfortunate displeasure of having to deal with BT customer services in india.

However after many calls and conversations. i found out what it is i need to say and how to say it for them to arrange a meeting with a BT ENgineer within the next 2 to 3 days maximum, so my waiting times are reduced to as minimum as possible.

However - on the last three callouts I have had One BT Engineer in Particular, and to this Guy i would like to say thanks, and have done so in the BT Forums too.

His name is Russ.

He never takes shortcuts - he checks everything thouroughly, and investigates every little detail or concern, most recently there was a problem with the FTTC connection that required a lift and shift. which he did and in a remarkable amount of time.

but here is why i am saying thanks to him.

Every time he has been called out he has resolved the issue, without fail, and then further went on to see if there were any other issues.
He won't leave unbtill there are no more foreseeable issues on the line
He has never taken a shortcut with my equipment,
I have only ever needed to call BT up 3 times in the last 6 months. maybe once every couple of months each time for a different Issue.
and the problems that i was having have never re-occurred.

So i thought what engineers have you been impressed with and who do you think ought to get a good recommendation. after all generally speaking all that you hear about are complaints. so why not do something Positive.

Who do you recommend as your Openreach Engineer of the Year?

[NewtronStar]

Did you by any chance get his or her Mobile number incase I need them 

[verkosh]

What do you say to the call centre to make them send an engineer out?

I might try it and see if i can get my infinity installation date moved forward after the last one failed due to problems at the cabinet.

[burakkucat]

SecTSys,

If you are not aware of it, there is a page entitled Tell us something about our people on the Openreach website. On that page there is a link to take when one wishes to praise --

An Openreach engineer for the work they've done, special assistance given or kindness shown.

 

[SecTSys]

In regards to what you say to them over the phone, - It really is quite simple. - just make sure that when you call them out for a service that you insist the fault is not on your side, that you have checked and reset the router, and after running various line speed and quality tests you are not happy with the service that is being provided. - add in a little drama about how the BT Speedtester is inaccurate and the BT Speed tester Beta is giving out a completely different result to everything else. and that this has been occurring for quite some time now despite repeated attempts to resolve the issue.

Then Insist that if it is not repaired properly that you will hold them in Breach of contract, for not providing the service that they agreed with yourself upon signing up. (always read the small print most of that contract is about their service provisioning to yourself.) they actually have to begin dealing with any fault on your line within 48 hours. 

if you get an issue on the line you need to keep the "fault" open for as long as you possibly can. - I have one that is still open from back in march... - the easiest way to do this is the day after the engineer comes around, call them up and report the same or similar problem on your line.

and another thing - they will look at and focus on the download issues... - insist your problem is with the upload speeds. - if they ask me i tell them i run a gaming server and the quality on the line is appalling causing all sorts of grief with the quality of the games i am playing - MW3 etc...

The Key point is to hold them in breach of contract for not providing the service that they have promised in regards to fault finding and correction ...


****************************************************

If you are ordering a new installation...

only deal with the sales team. do not deal with India... always on the phone call and options speak to the customer sales enquiries team. (uk call center)
if you have ordered the service and asked for the nearest available installation date. and the BT Engineer does not turn up - then they are already in breach of contract. so call them up and tell them. it's not nice but the only way they get any work done is by informing them of their duty of care and doing everything by the Book.

Twice BT Missed the Appointment for my installation of service and after that i told them that enough was enough and i was going to take Legal advice regarding the matter and further action if necessary. - They sent out an Engineer the very next day and my service was up and running and switched on.

I hate doing it - but the way to communicate with BT - Is to throw the book at them.

[Ezzer]

The situation for the people working within bt is getting worse as far as support contact numbers are concerned too. Gradually different sections get off shored. Not the fault of the new people in the call centres but the level of service gets worse. But its ok because as the upper echelons of the company keep saying its more efficient, Pfffttt ! 

[SecTSys]

Yep i know that one - heard it before too many times. - Throw the book at them and read the small print. - then demand the service your entitled to!

it isn't more efficient - it is cheaper and we all know what happens with cheap goods and services!!!

[Black Sheep]

Thank you SecTSys for your comments about the good OR technicians that exist out there. Unfortunately, pressures from above mean that the type of behaviour Russ has delivered are becoming increasingly obsolete. Believe me, I know.

As with most industries, we have become stat obsessed to the point of saturation, when it comes down to 'should I perhaps carry on with the EU's fault and face discipline for poor productivity, or hope the circuit holds up for 28 days and close it off', then the latter will usually prevail.

Not the technicians fault, and although it bugs the hell out of me following up at the back of them, I fully understand the reasons why. Glad there are still 'Russ's' out there.

[Jonnyteg]

Thank you SecTSys for your comments about the good OR technicians that exist out there. Unfortunately, pressures from above mean that the type of behaviour Russ has delivered are becoming increasingly obsolete. Believe me, I know.

As with most industries, we have become stat obsessed to the point of saturation, when it comes down to 'should I perhaps carry on with the EU's fault and face discipline for poor productivity, or hope the circuit holds up for 28 days and close it off', then the latter will usually prevail.

Not the technicians fault, and although it bugs the hell out of me following up at the back of them, I fully understand the reasons why. Glad there are still 'Russ's' out there.

You will always have bad engineers and good, we also have vetrean engineers who really do a good job on the UG side of stuff who struggle to make the stats.   

We have a new breed of engineer now who can resolve any issues from pstn,adsl,isdn,fttc and so on, what people outside the buisness dont know we all get the same pay which in my op is wrong.

[SecTSys]

Thank you SecTSys for your comments about the good OR technicians that exist out there. Unfortunately, pressures from above mean that the type of behaviour Russ has delivered are becoming increasingly obsolete. Believe me, I know.

As with most industries, we have become stat obsessed to the point of saturation, when it comes down to 'should I perhaps carry on with the EU's fault and face discipline for poor productivity, or hope the circuit holds up for 28 days and close it off', then the latter will usually prevail.

Not the technicians fault, and although it bugs the hell out of me following up at the back of them, I fully understand the reasons why. Glad there are still 'Russ's' out there.

You will always have bad engineers and good, we also have vetrean engineers who really do a good job on the UG side of stuff who struggle to make the stats.   

We have a new breed of engineer now who can resolve any issues from pstn,adsl,isdn,fttc and so on, what people outside the buisness dont know we all get the same pay which in my op is wrong.

lol oh so true - unfortunately about the stats. - the thing is if openreach really cared about the service they were providing they would remove the stats from the equation completely. though this will lead to longer waiting times, but because the pressure of targets are not needing to be met - the quality of work will go up dramatically. and surely then it will cost open Reach less in the long run - due to the reduction in petrol costs and the number of complaints will decrease too amongst other things.

Ok on the other side of the Balance the waiting times might increase for a while whilst OR clear the backlog of customers in the first six months as a guesstimate, but in the long run they will even out and the availability of good quality Engineers doing good quality work will improve too.

I don't mind waiting an extra day or two in the mean time if i know a problem is going to be resolved successfully first time round. and i am sure many people here would agree with that comment.

So Here is to the Russ's and the likes of Russ on the OR team!

And keep those commendations coming in. - if we find out any of them get fired cos they aren't meeting quotas then we can all back the OR Engineer up



 

[verkosh]

Had a great FTTC installtion service by an engineer named Jeff and his trainee.

They switched the master socket to my room as requested and ensured there were no.faults and the modem and router synced properly

[burakkucat]

Had a great FTTC installtion service by an engineer named Jeff and his trainee.

Excellent news. Another job is well done. 

[Jonnyteg]

I feel sorry for the modern apprentices! Training poor and in my area anyway usually they are placed with different engineers all the time with the managers not wanting top guys held back by one.

They do seem to get fastracked into management side of openreach if they show decent potential,  saying that I have yet to see one become really good. 

And if they happen to be female then promotion becomes more likely, one example of this 'female engineer apprentice unable to do job'  moved into the control and gets the position.   On the other side we have a male apprentice currently who does struggle on a shaky nail    good little guy none the less


But if you got a good one then no worries, maybe

[Black Sheep]

A real can of worms JT, and a subject all of its own.

The way promotion works within our glorious company, is ridiculous to the Nth degree. Fair and equal ?? Those are the words that usually accompany the vacant post, but we all know different.