More frustrating experiences with companies that don't pay enough attention to the needs of their elderly customers.
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@andypiper Raise a complaint with their ADR if you can. Also your neighbor is entitled to compensation - £8 per day according to the code of practice.
@tony thanks - will also write to our MP
Reader, it did not work by midnight. Another day without a phone line for a vulnerable older person. Appalling.
Now escalated to BT complaints, their chief exec, and our MP.
Unable to go to the Communications Ombudsman (yet) because *checks notes* there’s a mandatory 6 week wait for resolution of the complaint, or need for a “deadlock letter”, before I can do that.
Six weeks. For a 90 year old person. In the middle of an unseasonal heatwave. So, no, I don’t think I’m waiting.
@andypiper It may not be appropriate for you in this case but maybe something for the future - I have found that if there is a telecare device registered on the line BT tends to give better support (IIRC I got transferred to a specialist telecare team).
Of course this has been complicated by the move to digital phone lines (which older telecare devices can't work with) and also that some of the telecare devices use the mobile network (but using old 3G/2G/international/roaming sims /smh/); YMMV
@sw1nn yeah - once the OpenReach guy clocked that the telecare device wasn’t on the landline he just got on with the fibre part and hopped off. It’s still zero excuse for the way this has been executed. Honestly if I wasn’t next door, the closest family are ~100 miles away. Complaint has been rocket launched!
@andypiper Historically I’ve escalated things to the Chief Exec by emailing them directly and they have been very good at responding, passing it on to the Executive Escalations Team and resolving things. I hope it works for you too.
Also. BT hung up on me earlier when I called to escalate, because I wasn’t physically in my neighbour’s house while calling about her account.
I’m usually a somewhat calm person. I’m not feeling calm right now.
@andypiper Sorry to hear of these frustrations. Thank you for mentioning this idea of a "deadlock letter", though. Putting this one in my back pocket wrt current apartment management company frustrations.
@andypiper so many companies assume every one has a smart phone nowadays . I don’t have cell coverage at home and wife doesn’t have a smart phone. We have a POTS for phone service and their support is horrendous!
@andypiper absolutely understand the pain.
My mum is mid 80s, techno capable, but is now getting scared of technology, because they keep changing things so often on apps and websites. 1 of n
@andypiper she's with BT and has a v old email with Plusnet.
Outlook has now broken because of that, and when the inevitable move to digitalphone comes, her current isp DOESN'T support phone, so she'll have to move to complete new provider.
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@andypiper this will kill the email address she's had for 20+ years.
I've spent the last 3 months trying to change all her subscriptions and t banks , utilities etc.
I'm an IT professional (apparently) and it's almost broken me.
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@andypiper
BONUS
She's scared of Amazon because she's accidentally subscribed to prime 3 times because of the shit interface.
So she buys off Google suggestions instead, and that hasn't ended well several times. #scams
