No wonder Sky customer service likes to keep you talking on its 0844 number
They’re making good money out of it!
I spent 2 and 1/2 hours continuously on the phone to Sky trying to sort out my parents’ rubbish broadband service, their incomplete phone package and – wait for it – get my dad an email address of his very own.
The first thing I noticed when I dialled the 0844 number was how overwhelmingly talkative the nice technical man was. Without any invitation he took it on himself to give me a lengthy lecture on the physics of copper wiring and broadband signals.
He just kept on…and on…and on…and on.
On the one hand, he was very helpful and was able to improve the capacity of the broadband connection a bit. On the other hand, I couldn’t help wondering how much money his monologue on copper telephone technology had earned Sky.
The good news ended there.
The www.sky.com website repeatedly failed to create a new email address for my dad. Why? ‘Because it’s broken’ said the wee fella on the end of the phone. And it’s still broken. What use is a broadband package if you can’t create additional email addresses for the family?
And would you like to sell them the full phone package you inexplicably failed to sell them a few months ago? I enquired. The response was 20 minutes of incomprehensible cock-and-bull and STILL they couldn’t sell them the package. They’d probably made so much money on the 0844 that they didn’t need to.
This is so typical of the UK’s biggest companies. No-one to complain to. No management or supervisors to be accountable. No buck stopping no where. Just a lame suggestion to put my complaint in writing.
I am writing, Sky. Here in this Google-visible blog.
If you’re unwilling to accept Sky’s bad customer service and lack of accountability, here are a few useful contact email addresses from saynoto0870.com you could try:
Sky CEO Email Address:- jeremy.darroch@bskyb.com
Only Other Executive Board Member Email Address:- andrew.griffith@bskyb.comDirector of Customer Marketing (not a Board Director) mark.anderson@bskyb.com
High Level Escalated Complaints Address Used
by Sky To Respond to Complaints Addressed to
Jeremy Darroch’s Email Address CRsupport@bskyb.com
I have a number that will go straight through to Customer Relations without any waiting or list of numbers to press it is 08442 477 714.
I have just written to Mr Anderson after an age of trying to get a phone line intalled. I won’t go into the details, but suffice to say I will be taking them to the cleaners over it, Ofcom, Court if necessary.
Hi, why dont you use MSN account for your Dad’s email address. That is how I created mine. Just go into MSN account, put in details etc it is quite easy to set up. Hope this helps. Regards, christine.
I had a similar experience from a Customer service person, who went on and on about cricket, what I like to watch on sky and what he enjoyed as I just wanted a sky box replaced with a HD box, initially waited for 15 mins for them to answer the phone and then another 1hour and half to get an appt for an engineer to be arranged and I was using my elderly parents telephone.
I thought that he was being particularly friendly, but I can now see it is a scam. I had to ask him to call me back as I realised how long the call was taking. I have asked my parents to let me know the cost of the call when the bill comes in so that I can pay them.
Why can’t companies assist the public rather than thinking of ways to scam them. If they conduct themselves honestly there will be no need for emails such as my own.
I also am having a bad time with Sky. One day my computer stopped working the the telephone line goes dead. I had to phone Sky from my mobile, which cost £26 and got me nowhere. My neighbour let me use her phone, then when I was passed to a third person, they spoke to ‘someone upstairs’, then came back and apologised,said it was SkyThere has not’s fault and we had been disconnected!. We have been without a computer ar phone for 12 days. I have now gone to a new supplier and will now have pay £69 to be reconnected. There is still no response from Sky, although I have written to Customer relations.
I’ve just had 2 days of hell with sky. Just moved to them last Thursday and can only get wireless in 3 rooms of the house (all these rooms are next to the router room). This is down to the poor quality of router they supply.
My gripe is…….I specifically asked, when sales originally offered us the deal, if we could use our own router, to which they answered, ‘yes no problem we’ll give you a username/password on day of activation’……..this was not the case! Now we have changed our line and broadband over we are told there is no way they will let us use our own router, and if we choose to cancel they will shut the line down so we can only make 999 calls and we’ll have no broadband and lose our number.
I have never felt so threatened and stressed with a company in my life! I just wanted others to be aware of what they will be dealing with if they choose to go over to sky. They really are a living nightmare.
If they informed you ( Rebecca ) that you could use your own router and then you find you can not, then they are in breach of the contract that was made with you to sign up with them!
I personally don’t mess about with these massive companies anymore and just take them to the small claims court. Although I have never personally been a sky subscriber ( too many nightmare stories from friends and relatives ), I have adopted the American approach of litigate . . . . litigate . . . . litigate
I have successfully taken Orange ( the mobile phone company ) to court and won twice against them in the last 2 years and have another case pending right now. Most of these big companies breach all manner of basic laws and regulations in their dealings with you, and the ONLY was to get satisfaction is to sue them.
Take a tip from me ( £2,500 richer and counting ) – go online to https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/web/mcol/welcome and start proceedings against them; give them a bit of their own treatment, they reallllly don’t like it
what a joke three times i called them Three this week on that number 0844 i get 0845 numbers free on my o2 bill.what a suprise when i get a bill with calls made to sky total £`19.95 ive called them 3 times for something that was there own fault and ive now got to pay for it.No wonder people r going to virgin or anyone else.
Sky What a right rip off
Sky are a total joke. I have tried to cancel my package with them today. I have rang 3 times, spoken to a total of 5 advisors and a couple of managers. All I want to know is whether or not I will have to pay any cancellation charges.
6 hours later and mountains of conflicting information about things I never asked in the first place and I honestly feel like having a break down. The last manager I spoke to told me I may or may not be charged around £88 to cancel the package. I will just have to try it and see what comes up on my statement?! WTF!
I have just emailed jeremy.darroch@bskyb.com to see if I can get a decent response.
I don’t think that the Customer relations department exists. I have had problems upon problems since i have joined sky and have even been sent a bill that belongs to someone else. Guess what? i was told that only Customer Relations can sort out the problem. I have sent urgent faxes and phoned customer services about a hundred times but no one will call back. I am going to contact Watchdog and folks best thing to do is to cancell your direct debit and give them a taste of their own medicine!
If only I’d come across this page before signing up in Nov 2010. Still no phone or broadband but they’re quite happy to charge for it. No accountability, continually broken promises to ‘escalate’ the case and call me back within 72 hours – lots of apologies but it’s like groundhog day every time I call (an expense I hope to claim back).
Oh, and I can’t cancel the entire package apparently because the TV is a separate contract so I would have to keep that element of the service for 12 months. Any ideas anyone? I’m losing the will to live with Sky.
Nice, Adamm. Groundhog day. Great film – not so great as a customer experience.
i am fed up with sky..my pitcure keeps going off and it keeps saying no sattellite signal being received..ive tried phoning sky and all i get is a answerservice and some tacky music..i would love to cancel my sky
I share your pain.. I’m a Sky customer although nothing has gone wrong (the TV channels work). But I suspect I’d have a crap time if something DID go wrong. I wonder what gives me that impression…?
iv been with sky for years and iv noticed their customer service get worse and worse… most recent problem is pushy sales during calls costing me a load of cash, then no compliance to request to reduce my package to witch my reply was cancelation of DD. soon had letters form them for payment. to be honest i need sky+ so i payed up after they gave discount but still got problems cos i still have no sky+…???? some error setting up DD….. again????? problem for IT they say…. 7 days ago im told up 4 hours to viewing, 5 days ago told up to 3 days to viewing, today told up to 3 days to viewing again?????
ALL MUST CALL WATCHDOG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ALL MUST CALL WATCHDOG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ALL MUST CALL WATCHDOG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I thought it was just me!….I have been having problems since Jan 2011 with trying to cancel.
I was an existing customer for sometime, well over a year, and changed my package in December 2010, which they inform me now instigated a new 12 month contract! I have sent numerous letters, emails etc. explaining that being a single mum I can no longer afford their subscriptions and that I need to put food on my childrens plates only to get a torrid of abuse and threats from their so called customer service dept and their complaints dept. (if it truly does exist). One even said if I didn’t continue to pay for the duration of 12months they would send the debt collectors round!
I’ve asked specific questions and just get standard letters and or emails in response.
I am now going to email jeremy.darroch@bskyb.com and see if I get a response, but i’m not holding my breath!
I’ve tried numerous searches for a postal address for him as I wanted to send a letter via recorded delivery….. can anyone help!
I’m going out of my mind with this
Spoke with OTELO, completed their paperwork, Sky are going to cough up everything I’ve paid so far including the TV service which did work. . . . Mind you, we don’t actually have it yet but OTELO are on the case. Recommended: http://www.ombudsman-services.org/communications.html
And this letter seemed to work based on supply of goods and services act 1982:
Customer Complaint
Sky Subscriber Services Ltd
P.O. Box
Livingston
West Lothian
EH54 7DD
Supply of Goods & Services Act 1982
[Detailed issues in depth with dates etc.]
The issue has still not been resolved despite our patience. Therefore, if you fail to resolve the landline and broadband issues and deliver the service in the next 10 days you will be in breach of the contract and we will be looking to cancel at no charge.
We also wish to make a damages claim for xxxx [detail].
I think the solution for a proble is better so here is a local rate number of sky whihc ig ot from the web last year. u can try it too
01506243071
Cheers
Thank you
Yes sky has diabolical customer service! Phone line has been down for almost 2 months and Internet down almost 3 weeks! Issue still not resolved! What can I say words fail me! Yes I am changing to BT!
Word of advice, avoid using sky for your broadband and phone line, if things go wrong you are in for trouble!
I too, am currently having a problem with Sky’s rubbish customer service. All I want to know is WHERE IN HEAVENS SAKE IS THE ENGINEER. I contacted them through a freephone number; 0800 0466434 – 020 7126 7020l, strangely, they don’t talk as much on these two phone lines as they doo when I call an 0844 number, I wonder why. Anyway, when I do get my point across to them, they say they’re going to contact the engineer, which they put me on hold for, for about 5-10 minutes, when they finally get back, wait sometimes they don’t get back, I wait, and wait, oh and wait, and then I get the tone that exclaims; HaHa, you waited, and got cut off, how do you feel? Anyway, when they do get back what do they have to say? We’ve left the engineer a message, he will contact you as soon as he can, he’s probably driving that’s why we cannot get through to him.
What do I have to say in reply? Get a handsfree device, I’m paying you over £50 a month, and you idiots can’t invest in a handsfree device, I mean c’mon?
Well, now I’m waiting, the latest info is, he’s really late and he will most probably get to you 7:30 at the latest, he had left us a message yesterday claiming he’s going to be at my house between 2:15 to 4:45. Two hours late my friend, two frickin’ hours late.
Hi All
Just to address a few issues raised here, I used to work for sky and did so for 4 years in Customer Service.
I can assure you that there is no conspiricy regarding keeping you on the phone for long periods of time to make money from you, Its even free to call if you have sky talk.
The reason sales teams keep you on calls for so long is that they are told to, from a sales perspective the longer they have you the more likely they are to sell you something. (they get statistically targetted for keeping you for as long as possible).
Customer service is different they were allocated a 6 minute average handelling time about 2 years ago to help with call queues.
Tech just like to talk.
Most departments now are expected to upsell products and again are targetted on it.
Emailing people directly will likely be promptly ignored and could force them to change their email addresses. This has happened a few times in the past.
Customer relations is quite badly understaffed for the most part which leads the to the long delays (can be 10+ days) in getting emailed back.
I am in no way supporting sky here just explaining how their call centres/departments work, I dont really agree with the upselling on CS calls and the level at which agents are targetted for stats, ridiculous job where the time you spent in the toilet shows up on a spreadsheet the next day!!! And you can be asked to explain or reduce this time.
@tracey, Changing your package should not tie you into a new 12 month contract unless taken with a recommitment offer (rare with sky).
Adding additional products, mainly Talk/Broadband/HD subscription has a 12 month subscription attached but they do not affect your right to cancel TV.
While you are getting it sorted call up request to be downgraded to 1 pack, the next day call again and tell them you are going abroad for 3 months, they have a status where you pay very little for this time but can only be put on for 3 months, they might not do it cause they think you are in contract but worth a shot.
Good luck
Many thanks for the comment Kelpi, always happy to hear another side to the same story.
sky adverts ,sky deals ,what a load of rubbish
my order placed for 1st of April 2011 ,tv on time phone line no!sky – weres my phone and internet ah 26th of april sir 26th comes
no phone or internet
sky sorry your order was stuck on our computer and not processed
will be now done on 25th may,yes 25th of may phone done but quess what no internet
sky sorry forgot to place order will be with you on 10th june
router in post
10th of june router installed but no internet working
sky after several phone calls,we are migrating your line ?
yes you quessed right still waiting 27th june and counting
Over the course of the last MONTH I have had problems with my phone.
Had problems with Broadband since Sept 2010, since I stupidly changed from BT. This is still not resolved.
Had 2 new sky+ boxes in the last Month. Am I a satisfied Customer? NO!
My phone has not been putting through all calls to me for the last month, sometimes I can get calls, sometimes not. My phone rings a tiny ring & shuts caller off. Funny though, Sky can usually get through, phone then works for short time, shuts off again. I could make outgoing calls but no incoming.
Lately, there’s been loads of interference (white noise) on line, making it impossible to hold a conversation. Today I pick up the phone to ring sky, yet again, to find……. NOW, It’s disconnected!
I feel I want to break anything remotely connected to sky. I am coming to the point I don’t want to deal with them as I WANT TO BE SO RUDE TO SKY, I have to remember these ARE people doing a job, IT IS NOT THEIR FAULT IT IS THE COMPANY SKY THAT IS AT FAULT!
Each time I ring I get the “It’ll take up to 72 hours to deal with this problem”
72 HOURS? YOU’VE HAD A ******** MONTH! AND YOU STILL CAN’T FIX IT!
I am sick of explaining the problem to so many people, no wonder sky can’t deal with the level of calls that are coming through. Each person is having to relate over & over & over again, their series of phone calls & problems regarding the NON-LEVEL of service we are getting from sky.
Before I even get to the problem, I have to explain what has gone on or I’m to the back of the queue again.I have asked for an address to write to, to make a formal complaint, I was pointed to Sky’s website. I said I wanted to make a formal complaint, in writing, not send an e-mail.
I was told if I wrote to Sky Customer Services, it would take WEEKS to get a response. What sort of business are you running? Is The Customer Care Services “CUSTOMER DON’T CARE?”
I don’t want to just vent. I WANT RESULTS….
MY PHONES WORKING, MY BROADBAND RUNNING PROPERLY,
AN APOLOGY, a continued verbal “sorry, but my hands are tied/ Procedure”, doesn’t do it for me!
COMPENSATION FOR CONTINUED LACK OF SERVICE,
FOR MY PHONE CALLS,
FOR THE HOURS OF MY WASTED TIME RINGING SKY, Must be 10-15 hours or more!
FOR WINDING ME UP, RAISING MY BLOOD PRESSURE, by not solving the problems & sending me texts saying your phone is fixed when it, bleep well, is NOT!.
FOR HAVING TO GET MY SON TO DO A 50 MILE ROUND TRIP FROM HIS HOME, TWICE, TO SORT OUT BROADBAND, which still isn’t sorted properly!
FOR HAVING TO GET 3 OF MY ADULT KIDS (as I am disabled & unable to do this myself) TO COME TO MY HOME, ON VARIOUS OCCASIONS, TO UNPLUG THE PHONE EQUIPMENT, WHICH WAS TOTALLY UNNECESSARY, AS IT HAD BEEN DONE SO MANY TIMES ALREADY, BUT SKY DEMANDS IT IS DONE AGAIN & AGAIN & AGAIN. WHY? surely once or twice is enough?
FOR TRYING TO INSIST I UNPLUG EVERYTHING YET AGAIN, EVEN AFTER BT ENGINEER HAS CONFIRMED NOTHING WRONG WITH MY PHONE EQUIPMENT.
For not telling me I cannot have my landline transferred to my mobile, until my line is repaired, as per BT, when I signed up.
For taking about 10 days after my first request, to tell me my phone could be transferred manually from my end, at a fee of £2.50 a month, (Thanks for the fiver credit to cover this)
BUT…… HOW WILL I EVER KNOW IT IS FIXED? SO I DON’T FEEL I CAN NOW USE THIS SERVICE.I have changed my mind, I do want to vent, I am going to put this letter on every section of SKY WEBSITE THAT I CAN FIND.]
I am sending a copy to…. SKY SUBSCRIBER SERVICES,
CUSTOMERS DO CARE/ SKY DOESN’T,
P.O. Box 99 Livingstone, West Lothian. E54 7PR.
Also to… SKY SUBSCRIBER SERVICES,
4, MacIntosh Rd, Kirkton Campus, Livingstone.
West Lothian. EH54 7BW
Advice to Customers. keep calm ARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!
Good rant, Jenni. I’d like to imagine Sky read these kinds of customer comments… but to be honest, I don’t think they care any more.
We’ve been unable to make incoming calls for 2 months, although we’re able to make outgoing calls.
Sky said their system went down on the day we were supposed to have our phone line switched from Virgin. That was on May 5th
We’ve probably made about 16 phone calls to Sky customer service we’ve been fobbed off every single time. We sent off an angry email 2 weeks ago to the upper echelons of the company and we heard nothing. Surprised? Of course not.
They’ve even had the cheek to tell us this morning that we may be liable to pay £100 if its our phone line with the issue – why were we not told this before? We can make calls – so how can it be our fault? Of course they won’t take responsibility.
Sent off another today threatening to go to Ofcom if nothing is done.
Believe in better? What a joke…….
Well another Best Solution to call sky with Local Rate is to call this Number
02033554849
Rip-off companies are on the increase, so we decided to put up website that allows users to see who is ripping people off in there area. Users can create reviews when they think they have been scammed, the website is http://www.tradebust.com if you have a story to tell then let others know, bust the rouge traders!
We all need to pull together and create a central database to alert others!
Trying to cancel a contract with Sky is a nightmare, in particular the Broadband – I gave 31 days notice in writing on 28 July ’10 ; despite their providing the MAC code for transfer to BT on 1 Sep 2010, and I paid a settlement figure to them using my credit card in Sep 2010 – they did not cancel the contract saying I had not written the letter – during the months that followed they used my credit card to recreate an unauthorised direct debit, recalled the phone contract from BT (astonishing that BT even allowed this but thats another tale !) in over 15 phone calls, 4 recorded delivery letters I finally (I thought ) achieved the closure of the account in February 2011.
Not a single written reply was received by me, even to the formal complaints procedure, despite numerous Customer Services people agreeing on the phone that the contract will be ended. It now transpires that that still has not happened and Sky still have the Broadband contract open, though not supplying this service for over a year. Yet again 2 days ago I have the assurance that they will be cancelling, but I can get no assurance that I will get a letter to confirm this.
Cancellation delays, and non performance of a cancellation, are clearly a policy of SKY and I am now trying to obtain details of people who have had similar experience.
Is this a forum where I can give my email address so I can collate experiences ? I intend to do a project on this, for a full newspaper article, and representation to Ofcom (who are powerless/useless at any supervision of the communications industry)
Hi David thanks for your comment. You can post again with your email address if you like, not a problem. Hope you get somewhere – I’m all for customer power forcing big organisations to listen and take action. Let us know how you get on!
Copy of email sent to all of the above contacts this evening.
On Saturday 3rd December I tried on 6 separate occasions to upgrade my Sky box. I was unable to do this online. I was informed on your website that I did not have a landline – I do. I was informed online that I was awaiting a visit regarding my hardware – I wasn’t.
I used your complaints process on line and ‘spoke’ to 2 separate operators who eventually informed me that there was a problem with the website but I could upgrade through the sales team. They provided me with the number.
On contacting this team I was told I could only redeem the ‘carrot’ of £100 M&S vouchers by
upgrading online. Interesting catch 22! I telephoned again and was on the ‘phone for almost an hour and three quarters.
I eventually spoke to someone who informed me that I could contact a separate department that could arrange the online order with offer over the phone.
I telephoned again and the operator again tried to put me through to the appropriate department. Having waited 25 minutes she came back to me on 2 separate occasions to inform me that 4 operators had refused to speak to me and suggested that I contact them directly as they ‘would not put the phone down on me!!!!!
As I had already spent nearly 1 hour 15 minutes on the telephone by this time I suggested that she put a manager on to me. I had asked her to escalate the issue – she said she was unable to do so.
A manager spoke to me and informed me that to his knowledge the online ordering could not be resolved on the phone. He then spent 20 minutes again leading me around the houses and intricacies of the Sky operation. All to no avail.
I have been misled, patronised, left hanging on the line waiting to be ‘put through’. It has cost me a fortune in phone calls because of the invidious 0844 number.
I have spoken to upwards of 9 different people – none of whom could resolve the issue.
I should perhaps outline the obvious –
YOUR website failed
YOUR staff were singularly helpful
YOUR, what I can only refer to as ‘spurious’, offer of M&S vouchers could not be redeemed
I was trying to put more money your way ( for which I think I should perhaps be sectioned!)
I was on the phone for in excess of 1hour 40 minutes.
I only got a result when I threatened to cancel my subscription.
No way to do business
No way to keep loyal customers
No way to encourage the recruitment of new customers
I am disgusted with the treatment I have received this evening from your call centre.
All of that feeling, all that frustration – and it won’t make any difference because nobody in business in these places actually cares. They’re too big, too busy, too impersonal, too profitable, too complex, too distant, too unaccountable.
It’s a pity isn’t it?
Do let us know if anyone proves me wrong
Hi Folks,
I have also been conned, but not by sky , it’s another company trading under Premier satellite Repairs Limited of 1 St Stephens Court 15-17 Stephens Road, Bournemouth. These people have somehow obtained our details and gave us a phone stating that they represented Sky TV and that our Warranty was now up . We took out cover at £55 a year , and today on contacting them with a minor problem i was hit with the spill of ” What type of box do you have, how long has it been installed, is it multiroom ” etc , etc . Once he was informed it was Two years old i was quicky informed the Insurance did not cover my box.
I have presently an ongoing complaint with Sky TV as to how this and other companies are obtaining Sky Customer details and harrassing us for business. The answer is quite obvious Sky TV are selling our details ,and if you want to complain as my friend has just pointed out there is to direct number to call just an address to write to . So may i suggest the next time Sky TV contact us , we should politely suggest they too put it in writing and piss them off greatly !
It’s unfortunately reassuring ti hear others with ongoing issues as I have suffered since I moved home on 16th Dec.
The telephone advisors I’ve dealt with have been courteous however the actual service offerred when ongoing issues are experienced is appalling.
I have tried booking a home mover service for telephone, broadband and tv since mid November. Was told it couldn’t be done due to it being a new build and the telephone line not being active. 2 days before my move date and many phone calls later a manager processed the tv aspect of my move. However due to the time taken to process an engineer couldnt attend my home until 5 days after I moved in. My little girl was delighted as you can imagine.
1 day after installation, sky stopped (no signal message). I reported and eventually got an engineer booked for 2 days later.
Engineer turned up, fixed problem and 24 hours late (xmas eve) I had the exact same problems. I contacted sky and they said they couldnt get another engineer until first week in Jan so no tv throughout xmas period. I questioned this and was told I would be better contacting an engineer myself as the process sky uses isn’t as quick as me lifting up a phone. So in short, I pay £100 per month yet I can provide a better service myself.
After sitting on this for a couple of days I contacted sky to speak to a manager who informed an engineer was actually booked for 31st Dec, yet no-one had actually informed me of this. I asked if there was any way to escalate or prioritise customers who experience ongoing issues and was told there was not and to try each day for a cancellation.
Engineer then attended on 31st december and 2 days later, same problem experienced with ‘no signal’ message. On contacting sky they said that an engineer can attend on 16th Jan.
And I still don’t have telephone or broadband services.
And i’ve just discovered today that i’ve been charged £30 to contact sky on my mobile as they have been unable to provide me my telephone service that i’m still paying for.
I’ve sent my complaint in and I’m pretty disgusted with the service that sky have offerred. I’m living in a new area with no virgin cable service yet i’m still considering cancelling sky. Depending on the response I receive I probably will. Perhaps I might even give BT vision a try!!
Yuk.
Craig, I have to say, I don’t think we’re going to see any improvement in customer services from any of these service providers – the trend is increasingly towards the ’90% don’t have problems so screw the few that do…’ method of customer service.
I expect that it’s cheaper to lose the minority of customers who have frustrating problems than to provide the infrastructure necessary to process and handle their problems. Think about it.