One of ours has just graduated and following the trend, moving back home. I paid for her broadband connection which we wanted to stop when she vactated her flat. Thought it odd that I hadn't heard anything. Why? 'Sorry, our system doesn't seem to recognise your Post Code...' after the usual row and debate with a 'supervisor' - I now have a 'special address'. Oh good. Whole transaction was with an Indian Call Centre! This is supposed to be BRITISH Telecom - can't we do anything in UK?
They also insisted I needed a 12 month contract - really two months more than necessary - I've now discovered our Newbury home grown one - via Vodafone is just as cheap, more effective and pay as you go!
One of ours has just graduated and following the trend, moving back home. I paid for her broadband connection which we wanted to stop when she vactated her flat. Thought it odd that I hadn't heard anything. Why? 'Sorry, our system doesn't seem to recognise your Post Code...' after the usual row and debate with a 'supervisor' - I now have a 'special address'. Oh good. Whole transaction was with an Indian Call Centre! This is supposed to be BRITISH Telecom - can't we do anything in UK?
Are you sure it's the postcode, I have had problems in that their system is set up for 6 figure telephone numbers. We in Newbury (a lot of us anyway) have 5 figure numbers and they can't get past their first screen.
If your query isn't on the call centre operative's script, push to talk to their supervisor and then his/her supervisor and you then invariably get someone in the UK.
Virgin offer great speed if you are on one of their cable streets.
I must be lucky as I always get a British based call centre when I ring BT and have never had problems with them. I do get frustrated when on line forms don't recognise my phone number though.
I always put an extra "0" on the end of the phone number where an 11 digit number is required. It makes no difference when someone rings you as, once the correct number has been dialled, all following number/s are ignored, and the phone will connect as usual.
I always put an extra "0" on the end of the phone number where an 11 digit number is required. It makes no difference when someone rings you as, once the correct number has been dialled, all following number/s are ignored, and the phone will connect as usual.
Really good advice thank you. Have been trying to fill a form in that kept telling me I had the wrong number, the extra 0 worked.
I always put an extra "0" on the end of the phone number where an 11 digit number is required. It makes no difference when someone rings you as, once the correct number has been dialled, all following number/s are ignored, and the phone will connect as usual.
This problem originated in 1975 when STD (subscriber trunk dialling arrived in Newbury). Prior to this, Newbury had a manual telephone exchange. Theoretically on the change over, every subscriber with a 4 digit number should have had their number preceded by 2 extra digits. Unfortunately at the time this did not happen for reasons that I cannot remember. Instead existing numbers were only preceded by one extra digit. This situation has never been rectified.
Prior to this, Newbury had a manual telephone exchange.
The old manual exchange was expanded over the years until the board (or the mult as it was called) got so large that unless they started employing 7ft telephonists they wouldn't have been able to handle the calls.
Newbury was one of last big towns to get STD.
In those days the numbering system started from 1
Telephone number 1 was allocated to Dreweatt Watson & Barton
The digit "4" was added to the front of all 4 figure numbers and I think 40 was added to the front of 3 digit ones. My wife's parents, when alive had Newbury 5678 which became 45678.
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