With apologies if I have posted this in the wrong section.

However I thought this was rather interesting and dear old $ky gets a mention

saynoto0870.com gets a nice bit of advertising in the story

(By the way I like the cartoon half way down the story)



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1340277/The-worst-centres-waiting-cost-fortune.html

Maybe I'm missing something here, but there figures don't make much sense (although they don't provide the basis for how the costs are calculated).

For example an Orange or T-Mobile PAYG customer calling Sky's 084* number, if waiting 9.09 minutes, and spending an average of 10 minutes on the call, the cost would be £8.00 not the indicated £2.29, A hell of a difference!

Cheers, Des.

At the other end of the scale there's no competition for the title of best call centre. First Direct. Answered by a real human being 24/7 and better service than most banks can give across the branch counter. While their main published number is 0845 they make no secret of their 0113 number. Might be nice if they brought in an 0345 number to replace the 0845.

allegro wrote on Dec 22^nd, 2010 at 7:52am:

At the other end of the scale there's no competition for the title of best call centre. First Direct. Answered by a real human being 24/7 and better service than most banks can give across the branch counter. While their main published number is 0845 they make no secret of their 0113 number. Might be nice if they brought in an 0345 number to replace the 0845.

Something worth praising first direct for. Also worth contacting them and highlighting the benefits to them and customers alike of having the 03 number instead of the 08 one.

Indeed both could be used with ease, for customers to get used to the "new" number.

Seems they have been running since 1989!

:)

That was back in the days when they used 0345 numbers whch gave a genuine benefit to customers who were calling from outside their local area.

allegro wrote on Dec 23^rd, 2010 at 9:21am:

That was back in the days when they used 0345 numbers whch gave a genuine benefit to customers who were calling from outside their local area.

... a benefit that remained with 0845 numbers for BT customers whilst the distinction in charges between "local" and "national" rate calls existed.

In its "Simplifying Non-Geographic Numbers" statement Ofcom has re-designated 0845 as "Business Rate". This is accompanied by a proposal that the "service charge" and "access charge" elements, which exist at present, be unbundled.

I suggest that those who may wish to challenge banks and others with whom they engage on their use of 0845 numbers, use this re-designation and the fact that in future it is likely that they will be required to present the service charge (currently around 2p per minute, with access charges varying enormously) as the basis for getting them to change to "Geographic Rate" numbers - i.e. 01/02/03.

I would say similar of smile.co.uk call centre. Yeah it may take time to get answered but they are also friendly.

They also don't hide their 0161 number, but they sting other customers by using an 0870 number. Have also noticed that the co-op's phonebank 0845 number wont let you 'login' using smile account details and instead directs you to the 0870. Yet in reverse the 0870 will let you use normal co-op account details.