Sky customer services complaints

For those of us who are subscribers to the digital television services offered by Sky, take note and be prepared for a long wait when you come to cancel your subscription.  The following email complaint was sent to one James Murdoch of Sky on the 26th March 2006.

Dear Sir, I telephoned your Sky television and broadband Customer Services department this evening at 21:05 and had a whole customer experience that does your organisation no credit.

I have been left with a definite feeling that Sky is ill equipped to deal with volumes of calls from customers (which isnt new as I have experienced the same delinquency of response in all my time as a subscriber), and that the Sky customer service staff I spoke to were of very low competence levels which was demonstrated in their inability to deal with my enquiry or answer my concerns satisfactorily.

Also, the process which took me from my first point of contact to the user dealing with my enquiry was flawed, time consuming and utterly without point.

- 21:05 - I telephoned to cancel my subscription as am moving house.  Asked to identify myself using touch tone keys to input my home telephone number.

- 21:24 - Customer Service Advisor comes onto the line and asks me to identify myself again, collects bio data, takes password and checks the nature of my enquiry.  I state that I find the amount of time it takes for Sky to deal with an non-sophisticated enquiry to be entirely unacceptable for an organisation of its size with such a large customer base.  He asked me to hold which takes 4 minutes then comes back to me advising I would be put through but would have to hold for approximately five minutes.  Why was I put on hold initially for him to put me through to another department and have to hold again?

- 21-36 - I came through to a Customer Service Advisor called Helen.  I said, quite seriously, "I assume you know my name and the nature of my enquiry." She answered no.  I asked if she could explain why I had gone through the previous process and she replied no.  I stated once again that I found it entirely unacceptable that I had been forced to be kept waiting throughout a process for no conceivable reason.  I then had to provide full bio data details again. She then dealt with my enquiry with the minimum of charm that tested my patience further.  The fact that there was no reason to this elongated process caused me to ask if Sky made revenues from customers dialling the 0870 number.  She replied I dont know.  I requested I speak with a manager or someone who was her superior and she said the manager was at home and there was no-one more senior than her and they were leaving in twenty minutes.  I demanded that she allow me to speak to a colleague of hers to corroborate her statement on three occasions, I was then cut-off.  Not once did I use bad language or raise my voice.

This was a straightforward enquiry, one which could have been dealt with so simply but one which actually served to raise my levels of disbelief at the poor level of customer service and the feeling that a large corporate organisation really had no empathy or consideration for its customers.  I have been a subscriber to Sky TV since 2000 and have enjoyed the output of programming and the flexible pricing structures you offer however I believe it is only fair to you to point out the severe failings of your Customer Services people, process and supporting infrastructure.  I would very much like these questions answered directly to me.

I have forwarded this email onto various consumer and media organisations, as I will not accept any organisation that I am a customer with dealing with me in such an unprofessional, uncaring manner.

Yours Sincerely

Rob Williams