Sky customer service a joke
18-March-2010
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Sky customer service a joke

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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 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 isn’t 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 touchtone 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 it’s size with such a large customer base.  He asks 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 don’t 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 it’s 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 Service 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


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Free phone number for sky customer service 0800 0466432, just too help out all those other people having difficulties with SKY.
*Malcs  18-Mar-2010 11:55

 
Sky? Do not use them, HD+ picture in normal definition is terrible. Customer Service non existent.
*Malcs  18-Mar-2010 11:50

 
I have spent over an hour and a half tonight trying to cancel my Sky, only to be told that despite the fact I have a letter dated 1st March confirming Talk & Broadband were cancelled from February (no refund on bill!) I have to give another months notice for TV & wont be allowed a reduction to cancel it down to basic service by cancelling Sky Sports for the 31 days I dont want it anyway! I've cancelled the direct debit, whilst they recalculate my refund, and asked them to provide me with proof that I agreed to the 31 day notice period,
*sng  17-Mar-2010 21:49

 
I've had endless problems with Sky and i've spoken to many mindless zombies in their so called customer services team. I always make sure I get their names when I speak to someone and I keep all email correspondence and use it against them when they try and screw me over! That and threaten to complain to Ofcom. They are useless. Be persistant in any complaints you have with them, don't let them get away with anything and if it looks like you are about to lose the battle tell them you will be writing to their head office and Ofcom.
*Ems  16-Mar-2010 12:53

 
when you cancel with sky you dont ! you have to pay for a service that is so poor ! you are on the phone then turn you off after waiting 15 mins.when you do manage to contact them you are told pay up as you owe them money ! there lieing about the emails you have from them that dont matter they still want there money even if you dont have there service and that you pay one month in advanse but they say you dont.i fill someone should look at the way people are treated by them !!!
*mickpat  16-Mar-2010 09:50

 
word of warning we had big problems cancelling and after sending many letters and making lots of phone calls, also getting bills we didnt owe,(we cancelled direct debit when we had cancelled contract, all up to date and if anything think thay probably owned us money!) cheeky gets took money out of our credit card, which we had used when we first set up account as a one of payment and they still had those details. so took paymeny with out consent! so beware not to be trusted.
*colly  15-Mar-2010 19:41

 
can't read the above as I can't get on to my internet, and I cannot find an e-mail address to address this prob, you have every advertisement going you can think of and pour every junk mail going through my letter box, so why is it we can't have an e-mail address to sent our complaints to, without having to pick up the phone that costs a fortune to speak to someone who can hardly speak english - seroiusly think of moving another network
*Ann  15-Mar-2010 16:08

 
I have join sky about a week ago the pack was hd box, telephone and brodband we never receved any thing for phone and brodband. I'm not hapy for that can you please tel me how long it gona be.My acccount no.630057290250 and my e-mail www.javedmalik50@yahoo.co.uk
*Mrs. malik  13-Mar-2010 19:55

 
Sky TV is just one big rip off, Sky HD £10, ESPN £12, broadband on out dated copper wire.
I left sky in 2005 and went with Virgin media, I had a problem with my V+ box and within 3 days I had a new V+ box, Ok there isn't many HD channels on virgin but there is more coming and ESPN is free, I have 10mg broadband that never go lower then 8 mg on a bad day . I would never go back to sky TV and I would never recommend sky tv to anyone.
*I H8 SKY TV  12-Mar-2010 18:23

 
I ceased being a SKY customer in August 2009. I provided one months notice to cancel my package - TV, broadband and phone. I received 2 acknowledgement letters - phone and broadband, but thought nothing of the fact I had not received a letter acknowledging cancellation of the TV. I thought nothing more of it, until approximately December when I noticed Sky was continuing to charge me via DD. I phoned their "customer service" dept, who denied any knowledge of cancellation as my account was still active. After a prolonged and frustrating conversation with numerous members of SKY staff, one member of the SKY team told me I hadn't cancelled the TV and this was the reason I was still being charged!!
January 2010 SKY took DD but I missed this as was away. February - SKY take DD. I call their “customer services” dept - my account is still active, but told to cancel DD so no further money can be taken by them and assured my account would be closed and refund issued. I asked to speak to the representatives’ supervisor to confirm my account would be closed. They were not available!
March 2010. I have now received 2 demanding letters for payment. The last stating if I do not pay my service will be stopped! Really! My service stopped in August 2009 when I signed up with BT vision!!
I called SKY “customer services” again this week. After initially describing scenario with rep, was abruptly cut off. He clearly couldn’t be bothered to do his job. I tried again, this time getting through to someone who actually took the time to listen. However, guess what. My account is still active, but was told to ignore the demanding letters. I asked to speak to supervisor – who of course was not available.
I’m at a loss what to do now. They owe me over £200 simply for services I have not received, and I am concerned about the demanding letters
*Michael T  12-Mar-2010 11:05

 
I had the same problem really, taking almost 2.5 months to get the packages I wanted and even then it all gone wrong, initially ordered sky package tv, talk and broadband on 3rd jan, tv went fine, another month later enquired about phone, after 35mins waiting on phone to get the phone connection date, this was given to me wrong they told me 19th feb, recieved a text from them saying 3rd march for phone connection, (no letter received),
On 09.03 wondered when my modem would be arriving, so after another 45 min phone call to some idiot, who told me I would have activated broadband on 17th march, and the base package that I originally ordered, received an email one hour later saying welcome to broadband unlimited, dont understand why they did this, when I confirmed to operator I wanted base, totally and utterly disappointed, with the service they provide, I cant wait for the year to be up, looks like im commited for a year and 2.5 months now, think thats why they do this crap service..
*karen  10-Mar-2010 10:05

 
If you are planning to subscribe to Sky, you are moving into a trap, you are asking for inefficient services from inefficient people all the time. Your phone bill will skyrocket because calling sky's customerservice will keep you listening to music on hold for most of the time, because they never call back , in financial matters they may calll you to give you some crap , but otherwise be ready for a torture.
*Abc  09-Mar-2010 19:03


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