More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

http://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/20...-in-gateshead/

I detest dealing with these idiots, much prefer talking to someone from the UK.

Re: More VM could be lost to the Philippines.
 

I have discussed this in the past with friends and family and this is the one thing that annoys me tbh about VM.

I think I may just leave VM simply being as it's bad enough atm trying to get through to a UK call center.

Re: More VM could be lost to the Philippines.
 

And tell me a company who doesn't do the same? They may have UK call centres but they are just a token gesture to may you think they have UK call centres exclusively.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

I find it disappointing that you call anyone simply trying to do their job an 'idiot'. In fact it is completely disrespectful.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

They are just doing their job IMO as my gripe is why are Virgin Media as a company not employing British workers fully.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Agreed !!

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

They cannot even come up with an excuse that makes sense ;

How does that mean you need to transfer the jobs to the Philippines :confused:

It may mean fewer jobs, but thats not the same thing at all.

(and who is dealing with all the online queries ?)

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Richard why would you call them idiots? They may not be up to the standard that you DEMAND but i'm pretty sure they are not idiots and please remember that they are simply doing their job and have families to provide for.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Many can hardly speak English and lack the most basic of intelligence. If you find me sharing my honest experience "disrespectful", then so be it.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Lack the most basic of intelligence? You make my blood boil with some of your posts.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Posts edited.

Wind it in, both of you, or the "Wrath of Admin" will descend further upon you.

(That goes for anyone else in this thread as well).

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Some of the frankly bizarre nonsense that they come out with has led me to this conclusion.

It's not only VM though, I rang Asda (Phillipinos) the other week and she kept going on about something I hadn't even queried and kept ignoring what I had actually asked!

I really don't think it's too much to ask to expect a sensible conversation when you call a UK company. I don't suppose that the 100 or so VM employees are that chuffed about it either.

---------- Post added at 01:15 ---------- Previous post was at 01:06 ----------

It's just corporate BS, in reality it's because they are cheap.

However, what these companies don't seem to take into account is that some customers will leave because of this practice.

Also, (according to a VM employee based in the UK that I spoke to recently) they lie and get things wrong which takes up a lot of their resources in correcting. He also told me that 95% of complaints were either about them or the errors that they make.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

I do not mean to offend anyone but this is just my opinion and experience with VM and call centers.

I do think being able to make yourself understood is necessary don't get me wrong I do feel sorry for them simply being it must be extremely for both parties when both parties cannot understand what each other is saying.

Maybe it's me and maybe I have a strong Scottish accent that they have difficulty with example if you have a strong regional accent then maybe they are going to have trouble understanding you as that seems to the problem I have.

I do wonder if they have difficulty with other regional accents or is just me?

I just feel most of the time when I get through to them we seem to be communicating in a different language to each other with very little understanding of how to rectify the problem due to the lack of understanding of both accents.

I personally find this extremely frustrating and tbh it is not very good for customer relations. I may be selfish but when I phone with a problem to customer services I do expect to get some sort assistance maybe I'm asking too much or being selfish here to expect this :shrug:

I do not think they lack intelligence nor do I think that they are idiots but what I do think is both parties must find the experience of not being able to understand each other fully, very frustrating and that is not good for both the customer or the business. I do find them very polite when they say sorry Mam I do not understand or Oh I'm sorry Mam that is not correct.

I fully appreciate that these call centers are needed at times but did it not use to be that offshore take the calls out of hours, plus any overflow during the day.

Lately it just seems impossible to get through to a UK call center that's all.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

How's your Phillipino? or do you lack the basic intelligence to speak it?

---------- Post added at 12:34 ---------- Previous post was at 12:31 ----------

The computers.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

I don't speak a word of it, but there again I don't need to as I aren't taking a Phillipino job whilst their own people are being made unemployed.

---------- Post added at 13:04 ---------- Previous post was at 12:55 ----------

I think that their poor command of the English language is a contributory factor (some are better than others), but a lack of common sense is too.

I don't suppose reading everything from a script helps either.

At one time, because I refused to deal with them, I had a special UK number allocated for me to call. Malones Liberty Global 'efficiency savings' put paid to that.

It wasn't free like 150, but was worth every penny to be able to speak to someone and have a normal proper conversation; I remember people asking, almost begging me for it, but I had been given strict instructions not to divulge it.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Your command isn't so great either.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

I'm sure my degree will get me through.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

I last called VM CS about 3 months ago. I spoke to two well spoken people who sorted out my issues with no problem and no misunderstandings. Was I just lucky?

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

I suspect not. I have never had much of an issue when ringing CS.
Then again, I dont ever recall getting someone who I could not understand, or understand me - maybe we are both lucky.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Offshore agents are poorly trained, poorly paid and tightly monitored/scripted - so if you think they're idiots, think again.

And FYI, I've spoken to plenty of dumb onshore agents. I've also worked with quite a few.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Some companies do spend a lot of time and money training overseas agents and many of them, especially in India do need good qualifications even just to work in a call centre.

Most of the time the barrier is language as English may not be their first language and so do struggle but get taught basic English and ways to try and interact with customers.

some companies do send UK staff over to help as well, I have seen it many times. talking to agents overseas everyday in South Africa and Egypt mainly they are lovely people, trying to do a good job and earn a living just like everyone else.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

I spent 6 weeks with our planning team over in Bangalore last year doing some training and i can assure you they are not idiots. A lot of them had degree's in planning and hit the ground running and they are still doing a bloody good job for us.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Poorly paid compared to our wages, which is why companies like VM use them. It's probably decent pay in their own country.

But they are taking away the jobs of people like yourself, whilst UK customers tend not to like dealing with them.

The salient point of creating this thread was to show that slowly but surely they are taking away more and more UK based VM jobs.

I doubt that there are many VM employees who are as enthusiastic about them, they probably have the poem 'And Then They Came For Me' in their mind.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Bangalore Cannot do my job as it involves customer Visits and route walking. They do all the admin stuff for us.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

That doesn't mean they've got a good standard of living, or that there aren't better paid jobs again. From speaking to a trainer who was sent over to Pune to train agents, what he described was that the majority were switched-on, bright and intelligent people. However, the best agents wouldn't hang around for long and get better paying jobs elsewhere. That age-old issue where underpaid (For their ability) workers move on.

They're not the ones taking away jobs from people, they are taking a job that is offered to them because why wouldn't you take (what you just claimed was) a well-paying job? They're not to blame for taking the job, VM are the ones to blame for moving the job.

And that's where your issue lies - you're seeing it as "dey took ar jaaaaabs" when really they are just playing the hand they are dealt.

I used to work for VM, I have had my fair share of run-ins with useless offshore agents, I wouldn't call myself "enthusiastic" at all. I just don't blame them individually for the failings of the company that employs them.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Well said that man :clap:

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Never said that I blame them as individuals, I said that this is why companies like VM are doing this.

I agree that if you pay peanuts you get monkeys and as you say, any decent staff will be doing it as a stop gap until they find something better.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Yes you were . With virgin since cabletel so to speak and never ever got any sense from overseas CS.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

The pay may seem peanuts to us, but it is the equivalent of a professional middle-class income in their countries.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

It's a worrying trend. As well as the people who have lived here for years, asylum seekers, EU migrants, economic migrants etc needing employment, we are also losing jobs abroard without them even setting foot in the UK. At least immigrants and their employers pay NI and tax.

On top of this automation isn't that far away where a huge amount of jobs will be lost.

How are we to pay for the NHS, the welfare state and other public services? We are letting foreign people into the country, letting jobs leave the country to foreign countries, still allowing many tax loopholes.

When automation takes hold there will be massive job losses, but how will the unemployed (of all nationalities) be looked after?

It's time that the politicians took this on board and prepared for the future.

---------- Post added at 01:28 ---------- Previous post was at 01:23 ----------

Well, it's alright for those of us of a certain age who own our own home and have pensions, investments etc- especially if our jobs aren't likely to be lost either to other countries or due to automation, but what about younger people?

I'd hate to be starting out in today's world as it is now.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

...and there was me thinking the unemployment rate was currently the lowest rate for over 40 years.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Simply another figure that has no relation to the people who are actually 'unemployed' but not eligible to go onto the database as being 'unemployed'.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

You mean, because they are lazy so and sos and refuse to go for job interviews? The jobs are there if people want them. Full time, part time, flexible zero hours contracts, whatever. If you don't want to work but want to appear hard done by, these people are running out of excuses.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

I can't believe you posted that on an internet forum. Think of all the messenger-boys you've put out of work!

Your argument is based on the mistaken belief that there is a fixed amount of work to do. There isn't. As jobs are replaced by automation or off-shoring, the economy grows, and new and hgher-value jobs are created.

Despite all the automation and off-shoring that's already happened, UK employment is at an all-time high.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

I don't see why. We have full employment now and young people are offered apprenticeships instead of benefits to help them get a foot up the ladder.

Virgin Media is not a social service anyway, it is a business. Using foreign call centres saves money, and that helps to ensure prices don't go up even higher. People keep moaning about price increases and then people moan again when the company tries to do something about it. They can't win.

The generalised comments I am hearing sound to me as if they betray a bit of a racist attitude. I have received good service from all of Virgin's call centres. I had an Indian gentleman dealing with a computer problem I had about three years ago, and although it was a little difficult to understand him at times, he was very patient and about 20 minutes later he had solved my problem.

I keep hearing these stories from the usual suspects on here, and yet not once have I come across a problem of rude or unhelpful people at Virgin Media, whether I've dealt with a call centre based in the UK or one based in India. I have not yet dealt with a call centre in the Phillipines, so I can't vouch for them.

My advice to anyone who is always getting the response they say they are getting is to examine their own behaviour before blaming anyone else for not getting satisfaction.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Agency work (zero hour contract) and Part Time. . . you are classed as working full time (and therefore not eligible for the benefit) if you do 16 hours or more paid work per week.

Could you survive on £120 a week?

All I'm saying is that the unemployment figures are skewed by how they are arrived at

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Well, the consequence of choosing a part time job is that you get paid less. What would you expect, seriously?

If everyone was paid the same whether they worked full time or part time, then wouldn't everyone choose to work part time?

I'm sure that would do wonders for the economy!

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Entirely agree OB, I'm not arguing against that. But if zero hour is all you can get . . .

Re: More VM could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Every time I have called Sky I have spoken to someone in the UK, with a UK accent and could understand them.

Think they must have a call centre t'up north as it's an Ant and Dec kind of accent :)

Re: More VM could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Vodafone are currently in the process of expanding their UK call centres as they will eventually stop using oversea call centres.

Re: More VM could be lost to the Philippines.
 

It's cyclical, insource - outsource - in source - outsource.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

We don't have full employment and never will again. The Government is going to have to do something about the massive job losses caused by automation, companies using foreign cheap labour and immigration policy.

As others have said, the increased employment is due to people having to take part time, temporary and zero hours contracts (whilst being told that they cannot take another job with another employer to boost their hours/income).

Zero hours contracts do have a place in society, I myself am now on one as I cannot guarantee that I will be able to work due to my brain damage.

The vast number of unemployed people want to work, in addition do you really think that one can just walk into a Jobcentre and claim benefits without having to prove that you are available for and active seeking work?

If you still think that they are all lazy, have a chat to some of these people:

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...3698667&page=3

Take a look at Osems thread about automation:

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...php?t=33705674

I wondered how long it would be before the R word was brought up, someone once said to me that criticising black people was a racist act! None of us is above criticism.

I acknowledge that some of them are capable of doing the job as I have had experience of this too, but have had far more bad experiences of ridiculous and bizarre conversations eg one didn't even know what a V6 was!

Employing cheap foreign labour doesn't keep down prices, it increases profits as VM will charge the maximum that the market (or individual customers) will stand.

Nobody has thus far made any mention of rudeness or anyond being deliberately unhelpful, it appears to be down to their lack of ability to speak English well enough.

How on Earth can any cases of poor English causing problems be the fault of any customer :confused:

---------- Post added at 17:38 ---------- Previous post was at 17:34 ----------

You make a good point, but in the future I believe that a growing economy will not be able to make up for the forthcoming job losses due to automation, extra requirement for jobs as our population increases ever more and the outsourcing of jobs overseas (whether or not they are capable of doing the job to an acceptable standard).

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

I kind of feel like this discussion has gone way, way past what Virgin does and is now much more about dealing with automation in future - which is something well beyond Virgin.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Well, VM have started automation already. When I recently rang them with a fault the system took my details, took me through security and then checked my services.

When it found a problem it said that it was sending some sort of signal down to try to rectify it and that I should call back after 10 minutes if the fault hadn't been rectified. Not once did I speak to a human being.

I'm sure that VM aren't alone in seeking to cut costs with automation where possible, supplemented by cheap foreign labour when human intervention is needed.

Then we have all this tax avoidance on top.

If something isn't done to deal with this I cannot see how we can continue to function as a society.

I'm glad that I'm gearing up towards retirement, it's the younger people that I feel sorry for and for selfish reasons I hope that things can carry on for a bit longer before my life expectancy is up.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Not sure why the tax avoidance issue impacts on our ability to function as a society. Its been going on for donkeys years, what makes me laugh is how people go on about the rich doing this but then pay their plumber cash in hand for work carried out.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

I don't and I suspect that I know a lot of people who also hate the off shore taxes and jobs issue who wouldn't pay cash in hand..That's the way of cowboy builders.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Similar for me Maggy but I also know a few who would. Tax avoidance takes place all over the place though, just yesterday I stopped off at some motorway services and went to get a sandwich from Greggs, the shop assistance asked the chap in from of me wether he was eating in or out, he said out and then went and sat down and therefore he avoided paying vat. Small scale compared to the value of some of the rich folks avoidance but if a number of people do the same thing its still a fair chunk of money.

In Richards post I don't get why he thinks this issue affects our ability to function as a society as its been happening for years?

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

It has, but at one time tax was 90%.

Governments in more recent years have believed that taxing the rich less brings in more overall revenue overall, so have lowered it. Despite this, they are still participating in eleborate schemes that aren't in the spirit of the law to pay even less. Raw greed IMO.

They could do the right & moral thing and pay up whilst still enjoying a lavish lifestyle, but instead they would rather have even more for themselves at the expense of public services and the most vulnerable in society.

You're right in that some lower income people do the things you describe, but there's a world of difference between someone on a modest income carrying out petty evasion/avoidance and what these people are doing.

In days gone by the rich have got richer and taken an ever increasing portion of the cake, whilst the average person has been happy with a enough crumbs to buy an average house & car, raise a family and go on holiday for two weeks a year.

The trouble is that the rich now want to even keep some of the crumbs for themselves too which is causing allsorts of problems and anomalies as awareness & resentment increases.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

I have never resented rich folks who have come from humble backgrounds and have done well for themselves but I do not like some of the rich who have inherited their money.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

I agree with you about those who just happened to get lucky, but believe that even those who have achieved wealth through their own efforts should share a reasonable amount of their income to help those less fortunate.

Whilst having a good career or owning a successful business can very often involve risk, hard work, long hours, personal sacrifice etc a lot is simply down to good luck (of course, good luck can simply mean not having any bad luck!)

Good luck can involve having a good upbringing, being born with a decent level of intelligence, being born with some sort of extraordinary marketable talent, not being born with any kind of debilitating illness or disability, etc.

I know many successful business people and some just happened to be on the right place at the right time, conversely, I know many who have worked really hard and who have had excellent business acumen, but have failed simply due to bad luck of reasons out of their control.

I also think that if you view life as a race where we all start at the starting line, those able to run fast and progress quicker than the others have a moral duty to help pick up anyone who stumbled and falls on the way or even help to carry those that are unable to even move from the starting point through no fault of their own.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

What a strange post. I'm looking forward to your thoughts on the compensation culture and people who milk the system for all its worth.:rolleyes:

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

I don't understand what you mean by that, could you explain more clearly please?

I think that as these offshore people are costing the UK in terms of lost income tax, employer/employee National Insurance Contributions, possible increased benefit payments and disposable income is being lost that there is a case for companies that indulge in this practice to be taxed in the same way that robotic 'employees' is being suggested.

It would discourage it and at least share the (alleged) economic benefits of this practice.

---------- Post added at 12:18 ---------- Previous post was at 12:00 ----------

Excellent news, I may change to Vodafone in support when I get a new smartphone.

I'm sure that Vodafone must have looked at this holistically before reaching this decision and realised that commercial benefits extend beyond the simple fact that they can on paper save money by using foreigners as a means of cheap labour.

I remember reading a report about this 20 years ago, but never thought that companies would be stupid enough to do it to the extent that they are doing today.

There's an advert on TV that reinforces the fact that they have UK based call centres, not sure if that's Vodafone or another company like a bank.

Hopefully the tide is turning.

I caught a repeat of fonejacker the other day and thought of this thread :D

https://m.youtube.com/results?q=inte...jacker%20&sm=1

Whilst it is funny, there's a serious message in there because many people, especially the elderly and vulnerable, such as those who are mentally impaired find these people impossible to deal with.

Also, there was a documentary series about a man who formally had a business in Wales who tried out this offshore lark:

https://m.youtube.com/results?q=nev%...0india%20&sm=1

It was so farcical that it was more of a comedy.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

There is a difference paying cash in hand to someone whose done a small job for you and doing it on a large job to get a "discount" knowing that it's done to avoid tax.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Both are done to avoid tax, so there is no difference, other than value.

Re: More VM could be lost to the Philippines.
 

I take it all back just ordered a new mobile and came up with a problem when trying to sign the new contract agreement. I phoned VM and I got put through to a off shore call center and I gave it chance, instead of doing my usual and hanging up at the first hurdle or I'm sorry Mam I don't understand.

I must say the lady was so nice and extremely helpful sent me a new link to my email and spoke myself through the whole process, she even stayed on the line to make sure it went through smoothly, to say I'm very pleased with the service that VM provided is a understatement.

The language barrier was a slight problem at times example saying passwords etc but saying that I sorted that simply by speaking slower, so maybe all that is and was needed is for myself to remember this is there 2nd language and that with a little patience on both sides the problem can be fixed.

Today's experience getting through to a off shore call center was indeed a pleasant surprise but like I say I spoke more slowly and was far more patient than usual, all in all it was a far better experience and I shall be doing this for now on.

Re: More VM could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Good on you, weenie. :clap:

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

When I'm wrong I do sometimes admit it ;)

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Some are good, but it's a lottery as to who you get.

Also, as I found with a fault the other day, even when they are giving out correct information I am wary of them because of their poor comprehension of English & because they tend to just read off prompted scripts.

I have a feeling that some do this job partly to better their English as some want to have a chat too! The other day one was asking what the weather was like, who I lived with and if I liked soup!

---------- Post added at 17:47 ---------- Previous post was at 17:32 ----------

What's the compensation culture got to do with anything :confused:. Who is milking what system?

I'm not sure what you mean, but it could be me as my brain injury has affected my cognitive skills. If you mean those who need to be carried in my anallergy, I meant those unable to work at all due to things like disability or caring responsibilities.

Those who need to be helped up after stumbling refers to those temporarily unable to work due to temporary sickness or a period of unemployment whilst seeking work.

I wouldn't say that any of those groups were freeloaders. In fact, carers save this money billions of pounds in return for £62.70 a week:

https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance

If you meant me personally then I've done some sort of work since I was 12 years old and still go into work as and when I can on a zero hours contract.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Its a lottery no matter if they are in England, Wales, Ireland or Scotland as well. Nationality has nothing to do with companies employing the occasional idiot.

They get a job to earn money and many in India having a degree is part of the job requirements! Nothing to do with learning English as they all can speak it.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Been saying this for years now. Many people aren't declaring there income ECT

---------- Post added at 20:19 ---------- Previous post was at 20:10 ----------

Speaking a language is one thing but have they been taught the language properly or have learn't it?

Pronouncing the words properly, pauses ect when speaking with many people from India for example they tend to speak in one long sentence similar to how they speak there language. Simple words we would use to explain many situations are not common to them so this can also lead to frustration and anger. Older people do struggle understanding them.

So to say they can speak English is enough, isn't enough at times.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Indeed.

I've also encountered some who can barely speak English (the call centre that Asda use are atrocious).

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Bloomin' Yorkshire folk. :)

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Lol, it's in the Philippines now :D

Re: More VM could be lost to the Philippines.
 

EE are also now advertising "all calls answered in the UK & Ireland". A few years ago this was an EE Business USP, now it's consumers as well.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

I do hope that this is a sign that the tide is turning.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

I had to call Sainsbury's once and they used an offshore call centre. The call was fine and it got sorted, but the woman said she would "get that issues correctified" and even though that's not a real word, I now wish it was.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Lol! I'm surprised that Sainsbury's have gone down this route, you'd expect this sort of thing fom the lower end of the market.

Mind you, their English staff were pretty dim at times. I bought a Freesat box from them, found that the iPlayer was due to stop working and so asked for a free alternative streaming box or a refund and for them to stop advertising them as having it available.

The response was "We cannot help you as we don't sell Freesat boxes"! I kid you not, where companies find such people I really don't know.

Our solicitor had to threaten legal action before they'd play ball and also involved the Advertising Standards Authority to get them to withdraw their false advertising.

This was about two years ago, so it looks like their customer service had already been going down before we stopped using them.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

A question, if I may - did you do a cost/benefit analysis on the cost of using lawyers vs the cost of the freesat box, as it’s rare for a solicitor to charge less than £100 per hour (and that’s for a junior or paralegal)?

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Richard doesn't bother about such minor details.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Aside from the fact that if it was only "due to stop working" then it was still workig at the time he bought it, and therefore not false advertising.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Richard, has any company ever had staff that have met your needs? Do you ever consider that the people you call, dim, useless, thick, idiots, waste of time, lacking in basic intelligence, can’t speak English etc etc are actually human beings trying to make the best of their time on earth that they can?

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

I get free legal advice as part of the deal with our company legal people, otherwise, yes, it wouldn't be worth it (the STB only cost £50). I guess that companies realise this and that's how they manage to fob most people off, even when they have a legitimate case.

Yes, plenty. I expect people to be able to do the job that they are being paid to do in a competent fashion, or they shouldn't be doing it. I personally think that it's ridiculous to complain to a company about a product and be told that they don't sell them!!!

This includes myself too, the fact that my brain injury prevents me from giving 100% is the reason why I have discharged many of my duties on the grounds of disability and now only work part time.

---------- Post added at 20:06 ---------- Previous post was at 20:01 ----------

The legal bods (and the ASA) said that as it was known that the iPlayer was due to stop working, that this was not mentioned in any advertising or product description prior to purchase and that this advertising was still taking place that it was false advertising. I was awarded compensation and a free Now TV box to enable me to continue using the iPlayer.

Sainsbury's decided to stop selling them rather than amend their advertisements.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

I look at it this way. We are paying for a service - no matter how much you pay.

You should get that service - 95% service, no one can supply 100%.

I have quite often called customer care agents and got a lot crap. Vodaphone supply the same CS as VM. And that is total crap. I have spoken with agents with VM and what they have, sorry l couldn't understand a word he was saying. He was speaking so fast. I told him to slow down.
I spoke with VM overseas call centre, they gave me a lot of twaddle. So l just put the phone down.

The CS is very poor. But this is the cheapest way VM want to operate. Big problem is that they don't put the 'cheap' wages onto us. They put our prices up.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Free to you, not the company - they lost the "opportunity costs".

If they were doing it free for you, they weren’t doing something that added value to the company that paid their wages.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

If Richard's employed by a company that's probably one of the benefits alongside a pension, private healthcare etc. Nothing's free so he probably pays for it. The deal works because not everyone will use the legal service so those who don't use it will subsidise those who use it a lot.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Out of the last two of those that tendered, there wasn't anything between them. They were both asked if the Directors could have free legal services thrown in. One said no and the other said yes, so we obviously went with the one that did.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

Can you ban someone from a shop for any reason or no particular reason. I just wondered cause if I was a shop owner I`d ban awkward customers.

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

TANSTAAFL*

Also, even though they didn't charge for this, it would have a perceived value that would need to declared in Directors' Emoluments as a benefit-in-kind, thus being taxable.

(*Robert A Heinlein)

Re: More VM Jobs could be lost to the Philippines.
 

In the main, yes. Shops can ban anyone they like, although they can't do it on the grounds of disability, race, sex etc.

They mostly do it after persistent theft.

Just doing it to people that you perceive to be awkward eg excercising their consumer rights would be commercial suicide though. Anyone who has had to deal with the public will know how exasperating they can be, but professional businesses will always deal with this appropriately.