Lack of customer service

[Chris462]

I and I'm guessing that everyone one on this discussion group is a sky customer, so why when you have a problem with sky (my WiFi has turned awful over the last couple of weeks) is it that sky has no customer service.
Instead sky diverts you to this forum for answers and help. Is it just me that thinks this is wrong why can't sky answer a phone call and help its customers, instead when you ring you get an AI bot that asks you loads of questions but offers no answers or a human being to talk to.

RIP customer service, however if like me your WiFi is next to useless I've discovered sky shop has the answer to your problems.

sky has a new improved router for your wifi problems, for an extra £4:00 a month what a coincidence just as your WiFi problem started sky has the answer, what a great way to generate more revenue or just a coincidence?

[Chrisee]

@Chris462 you will find other companies use the same strategy as answering calls is very expensive so diverting as much traffic as possible to other channels is cost effective. WiFi issues are not new and are the most common question in this and Sky's  competitors forums. 

WiFi coverage is not simple something Sky's marketing teams totally gloss over. Each home presents different issues which are down to layout, how the home is built and usage patterns. These days people have far more devices they just want to plug in and work which is fine if they live in a house with partition walls a hundred yards from their neighbours but a tad different in a block of flats or an Edwardian house with solid walls or indeed a new build with 3 floors.

The basic fact is in many homes you need more than the single free WiFi hub Sky, BT or Virgin give you to get usable WiFi innevery room.  Esch company market add ons at additional cost (or build the cost into the package) which give you extenders. Alternatively you can buy your own WiFi kit as I do and not rent your ISP's. 

[Chris462]

Hi, the simply fact that other companies use the same strategy by diverting calls doesn't really justify the lack of basic customer service, it would seem that companies then are doing a splendid job on brain washing customers into excepting this as the new normal and we have let them do this.

As for WiFi depends on the number of devices using it and configuration of the rooms effecting coverage I agree with you they do, but that doesn't hold water when for the last two and a half years the WiFi coverage and connectivity has been good.

So what has changed for the WiFi to suddenly be so poor considering my room configuration haven't changed the number of devices using the WiFi is exactly the same nothing added.

The whole idea of having a company provide a service to a customer especially when the company has to provide equipment to be installed in your home for that service to function is that if it goes wrong the company will be responsible for any repairs, but not anymore it would seem no now it's for the customer to fix with little to no help from the supplier (Sky).

So it seems this is the new norm RIP Customer Service, instead set up a forum so some customers can bye in a company narrative of self help is better than direct company supplier help.

[Chrisee]

@Chris462 you are entitled to your view but I dont think that the trend to more automation of customer support will stop om the contrary AI is likely to accelerate it.

You can find isps with more personalised customer service at a price but the mass market isps are all much of a muchness. 

[Chris462]

Thank you Chrisee, and I apologise if I've have offended you in anyway that was not my intention.

I myself am a child of the sixty's I can fit a new kitchen swop out a radiator install a water softener and build a brick wall but I am in no way a technology expert quite the opposite,

so when something goes wrong with any tech I then need help.

In the same way if someone's central heating broke down and they are not a plumber themselves then they would require the services of a qualified plumber, what you wouldn't want is an Ai bot to talk you through how to remove and fit a electrical controlled three way valve as it's likely outside their skill set.

So when it come to tech be it broadband WiFi it's outside my skill set so I tried call for a service, but instead simply got fobbed off  by a automated answering service and got nowhere.

So by posting this I wrongly thought that perhaps Sky might monitor this forum and reach out to me to help, but I was wrong after all I've been labelled a VIP customer by Sky.

As I've said I'm not a tech in computing it wasn't on the curriculum in my school days/years, even the jargon that is used goes over my head, so I really don't know what an ISIP (sorry if I got that wrong you mentioned it as a solution in your last reply, which I thank you for but I just don't know what that is).

So I'll just go back to the to the AI bot answering service for another round.

[AmirAhmed]

When you call the support number, the bot will suggest that you go online and try their line checker service. The bot will ask you if you would like to try that suggestion. As I had already done that I replied with "No"(You might have to say it a few times for the bot to register). Then it redirected me to a real person in the customer support team, so if that's your goal then I would suggest following a similar route to me. Best of luck to you.

[TimmyBGood]

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@Chris462 wrote:

In the same way if someone's central heating broke down and they are not a plumber themselves then they would require the services of a qualified plumber, what you wouldn't want is an Ai bot to talk you through how to remove and fit a electrical controlled three way valve as it's likely outside their skill set.

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That's true, but the average local plumbing company probably doesn't have around six million customers who are all entitled to phone for individual customer support...

The scale of large ISP operations (that's for Sky: BT/EE is twice that size) inevitably means a degree of automation is required.

[BigEd]

I am very satisfied with Sky Customer help.  The last three times I have had to call for help on loss of wifi I was put through to a customer service agent very quickly and on two of those occasions they sent an engineer to my house the next day.

[Chris462]

• Thank you Amir, really appreciate that advise and I will do that, I honestly can't get over to you what a relief it is to hear from.

kindest regards Chris

[Chris462]

Hi Ed, thank you for your response would you be so kind as to share the number you use to call customer services, as I'm beginning to think I have a different one.

kindest regards Chris

[Daniel0210]

@Chris462 

Any phone numbers other than the 150 for calling from a Sky mobile or your Sky Talk landline would be removed as they aren't allowed on the forum.