Talk Talk poor customer service

I am trying very hard to move away from talktalk because 1) their broadband connectivity is terrible, 2) they treat customers with total contempt 3) At CEO's office level they refuse to even investigate their inadequate service without my agreeing a £140 fee. Unfortunately I can't move away from them because they have given away my landline number without my authority and of course disconnected my phone service in the process! I know it is my fault for having gone with a cheap price service in the first place so please don't remind me - yes I am "none too bright" as someone has already suggested in this column - as I was told by one of the many talktalk officials I have had the misfortune to contact, "its a cheap service what do you expect?" When talktalk eventually condescend to give me a phone line back I shall probable switch to BT - unless someone out there suggests to me that that would be equally stupid? Mike

FAO: When I'm Fixing Windows

It's true that many TalkTalk customers are people who are none too bright, and in many cases not willing to do their own research and seek out solutions for themselves.

That is, after all, why they became TalkTalk customers in the first place.

If they were the kind of people who did their research, they would have known before signing to TalkTalk of the reputation the company has for poor customer service.

On the hand, that doesn't mean that TalkTalk can lay claim to being a well-run company. It is not. It is a low-cost, low-quality, cheap-to-run outfit that targets the most vulnerable members of society - the people that don't have, or believe they don't have, much money.

FAO: Arya.

The call that your wife had almost certainly came from one of a pair of independent call centre companies which TalkTalk employs to make cold calls.

The reason for the poor quality, high-pressure nature of the call relates to how TalkTalk manages the outsourcing operation. Quite simply, the company expects - and will only pay for - over-optimistic sales results.

Plus, the call centre companies are so desparate for the TalkTalk contract that they agree to terms that are unrealistic. That means that the people they emply to work on the phone are under such pressure to acheive results that they resort to all sorts of strange behaviour.

and I did try to e-mail but got 'Ooop0s page not found'---------

Got offered a new package on my exisitng phone no at a Carphone Warehouse shop-cheaper charge /free 0845 nis. I also have another phoneline which is with Sky-didn't want to cancel this as it's linked into the tv and it's alwayes reliable-not like TalkTalk. Talk Talk tried to cancel the Sky line-I have rung up three times to cancel this Got a 'welcome pack' after one cancellation, today I got a bill for nearly £40 for connection and line charges ! Tried to cancel DD-got passed around two departments-so have now cancelled the DD with my bank

Router has now died-called up 'technical support' who said it would have to go to 'higher technical support'.I was given what was allegedly the contact no-have tried 3 times (the magic no ?) to be put through to the lower level again. Have just spoken to someone who finds it deeply amusing that their 'servers are down' and I'll have to call back again. Today TalkTalk have eaten up about 2 hours worth of time-and I have no broadband-am now using Sky

Looking at the survey chart there are some who think Talk Talk is brilliant.

I think they are okay and they wouldn't have anyone thinking they were brilliant if they were like what the majority of complainers think.

If Talk Talk can please decent users but not the antisocial users then the problems lie mostly within the antisocial customers attitudes.

Unfortunately most problems seem to occur in the lack of communication and the need for some customers being taught how to suck eggs.

These are where those who expect too much for nothing who give the workers a lot of grief and don't explain themselves too well.

If you are organised and technical then their service can work as good as any other and if you know what you are on about you can get the answer you need without confusion.

This has blown out of proportion by the moaners exaggerating the problem because they cannot get what they want or others to do their work for them.

Many of these complaints seem like unruly tantrums by the beggars and idiots of society. I have never had any problems when fixing Talk Talk customers computers where the problems were with the users and not at Talk Talk's end like they thought.

Talk Talk does make mistakes but are nothing like what I read of generally. Only the baddies seem to be heard and these are likely to be untrue sometimes.

Phone and broadband package went live today (only a day late) and I have had no phone for over 5 hours. Truly disgusting.

dear sir/ madam,
good day to you.
i am writing to you regarding to my recent phone bill, which bascially I am not happy about. my talk talk bill are too expensive this month, I do not understand what engineer appt means and I will not pay for that, our last bill did not have any engieer appt listed last time. I would like you sort out my bill properly and not cunningly. my name is james baker, and I would like to change my entire, policy with you.

My phone does NOT work despite what some dozy tart in india tells me, she say it is ringing when I am sat next to the bloody thing and it is not. I cannot ring out - she tells me to give her a ring on the phone which is not working. Says she will get back to me within the hour....... still waiting.
cannot access my account says it does not recognise my email or password the only ones I have ever used. Will buy fountain pen and paper tomorrow I think it's the way forward.
bottle of wine is calling to me from fridge

My wife, who is not greatly assertive, received a call from a guy called Mike Mitchell a ferw days ago. This guy tried to pressure her into switching our phone service to Talk Talk. I have just (20:20 on Tuesday 23rd June) received 4 calls from the same guy - 3 return calls when I specifically forbade him from calling my number again! Are these guys mad? Or are they using some cold calling firm more used to USA-style high pressure selling??

I want to report this to Ofcom but I dont know how to (I'm aiming to find out) as this high pressure selling is very painful.

I suppose I have had one of the worst experiences with a phone company till thais moment. All I wanted was to discoonect from them but I had been transferred from one department to the other several times. ONLY WHEN I got really angry and I raised my voice they decided to pay some attention to my request. I am really, really disappointed!