User Generated Outcomes

The Adam and Jane series of ads for BT have been an unusual one. They have always felt a little cliched, an attempt to shoehorn modern day lives into the Gold Blend formula of the 80s. Yet thanks to the writing and casting they have always come across with a warmth that makes them work. (They wouldn't have ran this long if they weren't connecting right!)

Always a great case study for the unspectacular, I also enjoy seeing a creative idea being allowed to develop and grow like this. They won't win any Gold Lions but the audience has time to become attached to the idea and the characters.

With the campaign coming to a close, the public have been roped in to vote for what they want to happen at the end. A pointless excercise in many respects, as I can hardly see "They all get run over by a Virgin Media lorry" winning, it will of course be happy schmaltzy ending or faux-meaningful seperation. But maybe that's okay, when a campaign has connected with people in this way; it's better to end on a cliche than leave everyone wondering 'what the hell just happened?!' - See Renault Clio and Nicole).

It will be interesting to see how many people vote and what comes out as the winning choice, but I won't expect a surprise.




Oh and My Family is still shite.

BT Part Two

Well. I bought a phone and plugged into our line and guess what, there is a dial tone. I rang the test number and it came back with a phone number for the line.

So what has actually happened is that they have the address or number down wrong. The charge is for reconnecting at the exchange, and clearly that line already has a connection.

Happily I did get to speak to a guy called Glen, who appears to be the only person anywhere within BT who actually wants to help. He couldn't fix the problem, but he gave me lots of info on what was wrong and how/who to get it sorted.

On we go.

BT Screwing us Over?

So. BT want to charge me £125 to reconnect our phone line after it was switched to another provider and then disconnected.

Except it wasn't.

The previous owner was with BT.

I told BT, and they said: Openworld decided to disconnect the line, and BT have to pay them to get an engineer to reconnect it.

Ok. Except Openworld is part of BT. They have disconnected a BT line from a rented flat, to which I have to pay to reconnect it..

WHY?

It's not like the numbers are needed for someone else. Like there is a shortage of lines for people. They have paid an engineer to take out a line for no actual benefit.

Can anyone please give me one decent reason why BT should disconnect that line apart from screwing money out of me.

Virgin Media Update, Sky, BT

Frankly this just gets more and more ridiculous. Though I should do this in stages.
Not sure how interested anyone is in customer service, but I need to rant so I can finish my lunch and work...

Virgin Media

I was impressed by how someone was scanning blogs to pick up complaints like mine, and took action to get my query moving. The actual front end appeared to be the problem, with the head office staff all to willing to help, but engineers taking their time meant it still took far too long really.

Is it not possible to get a national map of where the cable is and add it to Google Maps? (They sent me a small map of where it was near me?) That would solve half this trouble easily.

No cable for me though. *sigh* Which leads me to:


Sky

Previously disappointing with internet support, but on moving tv across they were quick, polite, extremely helpful and sorted everything perfectly. 3 days later I have Sky again. Well done.


BT

Bastards.
Because someone 'allegedly' changed the phone line to another provider and it got disconnected... I now have to pay £125 to get it reconnected. A figure which can handily be discounted if I take BT's services.
Bastards.
Bastards.
Bastards.

Right... back to work.