Well – it’s Day 2. Little progress has been made, in fact, it feels like I’m going backwards.
I had an answer phone message from Sky. With the Customer Service rep telling me I was no longer under contract with Sky so I could leave if I wanted to. Nice.
This made me a little bit annoyed, so I did a bit of research. A new Sky customer, moving into my house would get.. A phone line installed (for free – as there isn’t a BT line there apparently), a new box, discounted service for a few months, free M+S vouchers and a choice of installation dates for the phone line and the TV. As en existing sutomer you get cut off almost straight away and it’s all very vague about what is happening and when.
I’ve looked at Virgin and their offering is better than I thought.. and they can have someone there to install almost immediately. So I’m very tempted.
Me being me.. this all churning around in my head, I was a little bit cross.. so at around 00.50 this morning I sent the following e-mail to Jeremy Darroch, the CEO of Sky (I apologise in advance for poor speeling and grammar – it was late and I was tired!) –
‘Jeremy.
I’m emailing with regards to your ‘Moving Service’ that you are proudly offer. I am soon to move house, and I was pleased to see that Sky offer assistance to customers who are moving home as part of your whole ‘Better Effect’ campaign. The website was fantastic, a real joy to use! I was very pleased to Sky employing a little bit of joined up thinking, the whole process was fantastic!
I was told after giving all the relevant details that the ‘Moving Team’ would be in touch within 48 hours to discuss it further. Fantastic.
About 30 mins later I received an email from the team.. this was impressive!
That’s where it all went wrong… I was told that if my Line Rental and Broadband would be cancelled within 48 hours of me booking an engineer at my new property, I was told I couldn’t keep my number, and if I was okay with this to respond to the email or call them. I wasn’t okay with this. Despite telling your team all the relevant dates, and even scheduling an engineer to visit I was now being told that if I wanted to proceed my phone and broadband would be cut off within 48 hours… Then I was told that after the engineer has set up my Sky in my new house within 2-4 weeks I would be able to have Broadband at my new home.
Can that REALLY be correct?!?
You expect customers to be cut off with 48 hours of booking an engineer to visit in the future, and then wait another 4 weeks to get connection at their new property?! I’m baffled. It would appear I can have an engineer from Virgin Media on my doorstep the day after I move ready to give me TV, Broadband and Phone. But Sky expect a loyal customer to be cut off BEFORE they move and wait up to a month to sort it all out? It really seems pointless having a wonderful ‘Moving’ website that gives you a ‘Better Effect’ when you swiftly get a kick in the stomach being told your back end systems can’t do what your front end system is promising?!
I asked your moving team if I was under any contractual obligation to stay with Sky, and I had a message left on my voice mail saying that I didn’t have any contractual obligation and I could leave if I wanted to.. Charming! I really do feel like Sky are so keen to sign up new customers the old ones can be left to rot. If I were a new customer signing up, I’m able to book an installation date, and even book an engineer to visit to install a line to my property for FREE! I’d even get a £50 M+S Voucher, a new HD box and money off my Broadband. Why can’t an existing customer do this?!
I had read so many nasty comments on your own forums about how shambolic your systems are for moving customers, and I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt, but really I can understand it all now.
So Jeremy, if you or one of your team could give me a team and explain to me where exactly my ‘Better Effect’ is in all this mess I’d be VERY grateful.
Kind Regards’
Let’s see what happens now..
