Let down

[Hroff]

Good morning. I was due a visit by a BT engineer yesterday but they didn't show up. Sky tell me they can't help me until they have heard from BT as to why they didn't show up. I can't understand why Sky can't contact BT and find out as it could take up to 3 days for BT to contact Sky. I would try and contact BT myself but I'm sure they won't talk to me as I'm not their customer, Sky are. Surely someone at Sky can call BT to find out what happened, but apparently that's too difficult. In the meantime I spent several hours preparing for BT to install a socket. I had to take down 3 floor to ceiling bookcases from the wall, after unloading several hundred books, leaving my lounge completely upside down. I think what's made it worse is I had a message on the My Sky app telling me there is a problem with my order and I need to contact Sky to get the order "back on track" which I did three times. The engineer was due between 1pm and 6pm, but I had a suspicion that nobody would show up. I started talking to Sky at 3pm and told them I think there's a problem somewhere. They checked and said all is well, an engineer will be with me shortly. I called again at 5pm to tell them I was concerned no-one would turn up, but I was still told they would. Called again at 6.30pm after the no show, to be told "Sorry, we don't know why they didn't show although I had asked them to check some3.5 hours before then as I thought they would be a problem. Today I'm at home without phone. TV or broadband and Sky have no idea what's happened, even though I've asked if someone can contact BT to find out. Sorry for the book I've just written, rant over. Just very disappointed that Sky can't seem to be able to do anything apart from apologise profusely and wait for god only knows how long.to hear from BT.

[TimmyBGood]

@Hroff 

Openreach rather than BT: although Openreach is still owned by BT Group they are required to be operationally independent and no longer use BT branding.

Unfortunately the ability of ISPs to communicate with Openreach is limited, specifically to prevent BT as an ISP leveraging any commercial benefit from their relationship.

If you are due to get an FTTP installation, resources for this are still distinctly limited and timescales do sometimes slip.

[GD1]

@Hroff  It won't be a BT Engineer you're waiting for it is a company called Openreach, Sky have to wait for Openreach to update them electronically, I doubt either Sky or Openreach are geared up for ISP to Network calls as there would simply be too many to deal with.

Sky have advised correctly they need to wait for an update from Openreach.

[Chrisee]

@Hroff Ofcom strictly control how Openreach (part of the BT group but run separately) talk to their customers who are Communication Providers like Sky and BT Retail so that BT group companies get no advantage. What happens in practice that the engineer's reports get sent through over night so Sky should know today the status of your order.

Openreach schedule multiple jobs in a time period if one over runs the others drop off. It is annoying but you should be compensated Customer Auto-Compensation | Sky Help | Sky.com I switched my line to full fibre last year and the compensation meant I got 6 monthe connection paid for due to Openreach issues.

Edit sorry you got 3 replies essentially saying the same thing but this comes up a lot.

[Hroff]

Hi. Thanks for the reply. Sorry, I'm old school and Openreach, BT it's all the same to me lol. Whatever they are called, I have still been let down very badly. If I ran my business like that, I simply wouldn't have a business. Yet another, we are to big to care company, we'll do it when we feel like it , not when you expect us just because that's what we have told you. 

[Chrisee]

@Hroff it is what is. Openreach have an effective monopoly although more companies are laying fibre nationally in practice for most people the Openreach network is the only choice. The nearest competitor is Virgin Media who are not any better according to what I read.

[TimmyBGood]

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@Hroff wrote:

 I have still been let down very badly. If I ran my business like that, I simply wouldn't have a business. Yet another, we are to big to care company, we'll do it when we feel like it , not when you expect us just because that's what we have told you. 

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Openreach inherited their effective monopoly from the privatisation of British Telecom in 1984, which in turn got it from the GPO going back to 1912, so history and associated historical inertia is something of a factor here.

 In the absence of any competition it's essentially up to Openreach themselves to decide how to operate: Ofcom is supposedly the 'public' oversight to keep them in line because ISPs can't offer the job to anyone else.

[Hroff]

Hi Chrisee Thanks for the reply. Its just another case of another big company who will do things when they want to do it, not when we tell you we are going to do it. Virgin are no better. I've been with them since they started in the UK sand I've had enough. You would think the amount of money Sky must spend with Openreach as sun contractors they would have some clout. When I asked why someone at Sky can't pick up a telephone and call someone at Openreach and ask what's going on is beyond me, but apparently that's far too difficult. Why should we expect two huge communications companies to not have a problem communicating? Makes absolutely no sense to me whatsoever.

[TimmyBGood]

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@Hroff wrote:

 You would think the amount of money Sky must spend with Openreach as sun contractors they would have some clout.

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As I said, unfortunately Sky can't threaten to take their business elsewhere, which is ultimately what any such 'clout' relies upon.  They also can't renegotiate based on cost because Openreach has to charge all ISPs the same amount.