Fibre optic broadband

[malumbu]

Apols, no doubt a very old issue/thread. Time to renew my account. Last year after being fleeced by TalkYalk, slow speed, poor helpline and unreliable I had to return to BT, who I vowed never to go back to. TalkTalk offered me cheap packages but could not provide fibre, and told me we simply weren't on this network in the area and that no other provider could offer me this due to the lack of infrastructure.

BT simply ran a new line from the box down the street and I am getting about 20MB which will do (not quite 36). I'm not interested in sports packages, superfast gaming and the like and it is generally fine for browsing, video calls and internet telly.

So (a) how best to negotiate with BT

(b)now they have put fibre in I assume that other providers can use this - it seemed to be some sort of 'grey' package ie don't tell the other providers we do this.

[Sue]

What do you mean, how best to negotiate with BT?

Is BT your only possible provider?

I have fibre, and I'm with Plusnet. I was with BT for a time and their customer service was appalling.

I know Plusnet belongs to BT, but they are run as different companies.

[Mrs D]

Definitely try Plusnet. BT?s ?value for money? brand. But gets a lot better customer satisfaction scores - and as post says above is run as a different company.

[DulwichFox]

I'm with BT. Just done a test

Download 44.58 Mb/s

Upload 18.86 Mb/s

BT Excellent customer service.. I worked for BT for 26 years. ;-)

[malumbu]

So vfm/efficient provision of utilities all seems to be based on regular switching all seems to be based on regular switching and the operator offering you tempting add-ons. There is no obvious reward for customer loyalty and worse still you if you don't switch you will pay more.

The special offers all appear to be for new users. There's stuff on line about how to get a better deal, essentially don't blink first.

Personally I'd like to see a world where everyone gets a good deal on essential services. I'll have to wait for Jezza to nationalise the network. A long long wait I'll expect.

PS BT customer services superior to TalkTalk

[nxjen]

I?ve had BT Broadband for many years now. Negotiation tactics:

1. Never renew online at the price shown

2. Phone them up and say you?d like to renew but can they offer any discount. I?ve found the discount offered carries on from one contract to the next.

3. If you really feel like chancing your luck, say there?s still a little while before contract is due for renewal which will give you time to look around for a better deal. They may ask what price you?re looking for which I avoided answering but I did get an extra ?5 per month discount.

[Sue]

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> BT Excellent customer service..

I think you will find if you google that BT do not do well on customer service/satisfaction ratings.

Talk Talk are setting the bar rather low, so it isn't surprising that BT are better than them.

[KalamityKel]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> DulwichFox Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

>

> > BT Excellent customer service..

>

>

> I think you will find if you google that BT do

> not do well on customer service/satisfaction

> ratings.

>

> Talk Talk are setting the bar rather low, so it

> isn't surprising that BT are better than them.

How much can you really trust "customer ratings" though?

As with most things praise is hardly recognised and bad experiences over exaggerated (IMO).

Never had a problem with BT. You just need to know how to handle the help lines that are mostly just following scripts.

[Sue]

KalamityKel Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Sue Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > DulwichFox Wrote:

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> > -----

> >

> > > BT Excellent customer service..

> >

> >

> > I think you will find if you google that BT do

> > not do well on customer service/satisfaction

> > ratings.

> >

> > Talk Talk are setting the bar rather low, so it

> > isn't surprising that BT are better than them.

>

> How much can you really trust "customer ratings"

> though?

> As with most things praise is hardly recognised

> and bad experiences over exaggerated (IMO).

> Never had a problem with BT. You just need to

> know how to handle the help lines that are mostly

> just following scripts.

The only way that I got a problem resolved, after months of promises from various people in various places at BT, was to go onto their Facebook page and complain there.

Because it's public, they have to be seen to sort things - which they did, very promptly. I just wish I'd thought of it before.

And yes of course people are more likely to complain than to praise, however it is still the case that more people appear to complain about certain companies (BT, for example) than others (Plusnet, for example).

[DulwichFox]

Plusnet Vs B.T.

https://www.broadbandchoices.co.uk/reviews/plusnet-vs-bt-broadband

All you need to Know ?

[Sue]

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Plusnet Vs B.T.

>

> https://www.broadbandchoices.co.uk/reviews/plusne

> t-vs-bt-broadband

>

> All you need to Know ?

I dont see anything about customer service on there. Apologies if I missed it.

Also, the comparison is over a year old. Things change quickly in the broadband world :)