Virgin installation - no thanks!

steery1

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Well, my 8yr old son and I have really been looking forward to today. VM BB, phone and TV were being installed - Hooray! :D

Everything has went swimmingly so far. No CS issues at all and I've been pleased to receive letters from VM about direct debit, installation date etc. Even got a confirmation call this morning telling me the installers were about an hour away. All just how it should be. :).

Then it all went horribly wrong. :eek:

The doorbell rang...."Great", I thought, "they're here" :clap:

Now it was a grey drizzly morning and I was met at my front door by an installer who for want of a better word had just realised that this was a bigger job than he wanted on a wet saturday morning.

First thing he asked me was what services I was getting. Now correct me if I'm wrong but isn't he supposed to know this before he calls out?
I told him 3 for £30 with a V+ box and an extra box in another room.

"Thats not 3 for £30" he reproached.
"OK then", I said "It's 3 for £30 and an extra fiver for the extra box" feeling suitably chastised. Not a good start I thought.

Then I showed him where the 2 TV boxes were going.
"You're going to have to move that wardrobe" he said.

Now again, am I being stupid or are they not supposed to move the flippin wardrobe?
But anyway, "OK" I said, "no problems I'll have that out of the way for you"

"You know I'm gonna have to totally rewire and were gonna have to dig up your garden and run 2 wires across the front of your house?" he warned.

Now, not wanting unsightly wires running right across the front I asked if they could hide them slightly by clipping them to the corbel brick that seperates the brick at the bottom half of the house from the pebble dash at the top, chipping off a little of the dashing so the wires would fit a little snugger.(I live in an old house built in 1920 and really couldn't spoil it with obtrusive wiring at the front)

"I'm not chipping no pebble dashing" was the response :nono:

"Well what about bringing the wires round the back" I suggested. "Cant you do that" (This was done for me previously by the guy who fitted my analogue ariel without any problems at all)

"No, not really" was the exact reply. :rolleyes:

At this stage I just thought "This guy doesn't want to be here" He thought he'd be in for a nice easy saturday mornings overtime and then he realised this was a full rewire type install and a tricky one at that he just didn't want to know.
Right from the off I got a bad vibe/attitude from him.
I work in a customer oriented business (installing PVC and timber windows to peoples homes) and come across tricky/complicated/non-standard situations all the time. The thing to do is work with the customer to find a suitable solution, even if it means staying that little bit longer, being a little patient, trying to accomodate.
I got none of this today and had to tell the guys to forget about the install.
And the installer had the cheek to say "Are you sure" :(

Now my son (and me) are so, so dissappointed.

I'm just glad I did not cancel my BT phone line or my AOL BB sub. (I wanted to see how VM worked out first for the 30 day cancellation period first)

Might have to go to Sky where I think the dish will be hidden at the side of the house but for what I wanted the subscription is dearer.

And to top it all my central heating boiler has packed up and I'm freezing! :rolleyes:

Sorry about the long protracted rant but I'm just fed up ATM.
 
I know, some of the engineers are terrible. I think a lot of it is down to NTL/Virgin, they only pay them a fixed price per job, whether it takes them 30 minutes or 4 hours!
 
I know, some of the engineers are terrible. I think a lot of it is down to NTL/Virgin, they only pay them a fixed price per job, whether it takes them 30 minutes or 4 hours!

Yea you're probably right.

What I might do is get all the wiring in first myself just how I want it then get the lazy, grumpy, uncooperative VM "installers" out to connect it up.
 
he sounds he had the right hump!
but all that aside any furniture is down to you to move (its your house property) you shouldnt expect him to move your furniture
and the idea for the wall is very good but something you should do prior to the installation
as someone pointed out its a fixed price for each install and to be honest its unreasonable to ask him to chip bits of your wall
not having a pop its just that ive been doing it 8yrs and cant understand why people dont plan ahead
your right not to go along with the install as the guy obviously had the wrong attitude :thumbsup:

regards
leigh
 
He didn't ask me to dig the garden to conceal the wires and it's my garden.
It should be part of the install to route the cables in a tidy, unobtrusive way and if this involves knocking off some pebble dashing so the wires fit snug and neat then so be it. I relly dont see the problem with this.
Not unreasonable at all - Just doing a good neat job. I thought it was about what I wanted as the customer not what was easiest for the installers to get in and get out asap.

Also as I said before I work in an industry where windows are fitted in peoples houses and would never dream of asking someone to move a sofa, bed, chair or wardrobe or chip some dashing for me so I could do the job. Maybe I should ask them to remove the old windows themselves too.

BTW all the above is IMHO. :)
 
If it makes you feel any better I remember when I had Sky before Virgin. The Sky installers were rude, obtrusive and technically challenged (ie. they hadn;t a clue what they were doing)!!!

Saying that, I had three guys turn up from Virgin. One to lay the cable, one to crimp the ends and the other to play with his mobile phone
 
i understand but at the end of the day we are not insured to move furniture etc , so are well within our rights to ask for it to be moved
any damage comes out of the guys pocket directly
the best installs i get are when the person knows how he wants the cables routed and clears space in preperation for the install
that way i wont mind doing the odd favour either
but im no way defending the idiot that knocked on your door

cheers
leigh
 
Anyway moving the wardrobe is neither here nor there as I was gonna do it anyway.

I did know where I wanted the cables to run and he wouldn't do it even after I gave the option of running them round the back. (A slightly longer run)

Why should I know anything about cables or how VM services are fitted? Even better how do you expect someone like maybe an elderly couple to know where cables go and get prepared. All they know is their TV, phone or BB is coming today and thats all they need to know. Its their and my job as a customer to pay for it not do it.

I only found out today there were two different wires to go in. I had thought there was only one. And again why should I know anyway.

Dont want any favours - A nice neat courteous job will do nicely. Thats what I signed up for.
 
Im sorry but i think its down to you to move large furniture ,and expensive objects ,i install central heating for a living and customers are expected to move items or the job doesn't get done .Why is it that when you call round to a customers houses they always look perplexed when they are asked to move things.
 
Im sorry but i think its down to you to move large furniture ,and expensive objects ,i install central heating for a living and customers are expected to move items or the job doesn't get done .Why is it that when you call round to a customers houses they always look perplexed when they are asked to move things.


I think your missing the point. The engineers should be trained in customer service (or paid more money). Simple as that.
 
i do understand you just want a tidy job done
the official line is that any furniture in the way has to be moved by the customer or at our own risk but as you say (elderly people) that doesnt happen in the real world !
personally if its heavy id give you a hand but wouldnt even bother attempting it on my own
try not to let some idiot put you off getting it done , the procedure should have been a supervisor to attend to work something out (try to get cables routed where everyone is happy)
i take it this didnt happen?
if that wasnt the case then the contractors that run your area obviously dont give a damn
where i work its the last resort that a customer cant have the service installed as we/they will try every angle to get the install done

cheers
leigh
 
I think your missing the point. The engineers should be trained in customer service (or paid more money). Simple as that.

No i think after 18 yrs installing i have a grasp of the situation ,and obviously this guys communication skills were poor ,but i know exactly what customers are like.
 
No, no supervisor. Im assuming that neither of the two guys who called were supervisors although one did all the (negative) talking. Is it normal practise for someone to call out first before the install and pin down things like cable routs etc. This was not the case for me?

The wardrobe isn't heavy, I've moved it by myself loads of times, arranging furniture, decorating etc. But it was not an issue at all as I was gonna move it. I just mentioned it cause I thought it strange that two big strapping lads were asking me to move a wardrobe out of their way. A couple of feet is all it needs anyway.

I know exactly what the problem was. The guys got to the job, realised it was a much bigger job than they wwere expecting. It's saturday morning too remember. They just didn't wanna do it and were negative from the off.

They came with the attitude - "How can we make this job good for us" instead of "How can we make this job good for the customer"

Bottom line is they got their way in the end and left. Probably went to the bookies :rotfl:
 
that is bad a supervisor should come round or call as soon as the install isnt going ahead
as contractors its down to them to get jobs to go ahead (although this isnt always possible)
at the end of the day they have targets to meet in terms of installs by virgin media and they have to relay back to virgin if a install cant go ahead and why!
id personally kick up a fuss and get them to send someone round
good luck though:thumbsup:
 
I've called VM and cancelled the subscription totally. It has left a bad taste.
According to cancellations I have to wait fo someone else to call me to validate the refund. (Probably try to talk me out of it)

Maybe I'll feel differently tomorrow..............No Setanta for me then :rolleyes:
 

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