| Topic: | I worked in and around BT helpdesk for the last 16 years | |
| Posted by: | Jamie Carless | |
| Date/Time: | 28/02/13 14:38:00 |
| Just wanted to add an insiders perspective. I worked for BT for 16 years (17 actually as i was a temp for 1 year)and left this time last year. All of my career there was spent either: 1) working on a helpdesk 2) training Helpdesk people 3) managing Helpdesk people 4) Building Software for Helpdesk people I have my own gripes with them as i am about to take them to court as i cannot get them to pay me for some freelance work i did for them last year, so please don't imagine that i am a total partisan. The people at the very top of BT and the people at the very bottom who deal with the public have a great deal in common. For the most part they genuinely really want to do ANYTHING that they can to make your life easier. ( without the company losing money obviously) The people in between these 2 groups are where the problem often lies and a lot of career building goes on that gets in the way of the other 2 groups achieving their joint goal. Here is something practical that may help: In BT people are encouraged to take 'Ownership' and they are targeted on this and penalised if they don't. This means that if it is 'within their power' they are meant to work with the customer and be involved in the issue until the end. For helpdesk people ( and this depends on where they are within the structure) this will usually only cover getting all the relevant information from the customer and passing them to the relevant team who can help. That said - they are not meant to just transfer you, they are supposed to: 1) get the right number 2)Speak to the person who answers and confirm that they can help and pass on all the info about your issue. (NOTE: BT uses numerous different databases and this is why you often have to repeat yourself. Most likely - the people you have dealt with ARE capturing your issue but when you are passed to another team - they may not have access to what was written) 3) Stay on the line in case they are needed further. Now as training as really been sacrificed in many areas of BT over the years not everyone will have been told that they should be doing this so... ASK THEM TO! If the person on the phone says that they can't do this - ask to speak to a supervisor. This should NEVER be a problem with people who are manning the phones. ( It will be different for engineers who turn up at your house.) If the supervisor gives you grief ask them if they can take 'OWNERSHIP' of your issue and get you through to the right person. The other thing that BT people are encouraged to do and are targeted to do is to find: 'What they CAN do'. Sometimes customers do ask for things that cannot be done: No the CEO cannot come round and troubleshoot your connectivity issues, but i know a man who can. Again if you are not getting satisfaction ask what the person on line CAN do for you. This will also be a powerful thing to do when speaking to supervisors. Finally, India. In know a guy who is very high up in the Indian part of the organisation. I have worked for him and he is brilliant. i have no doubt that he is doing what he can out there to try to create a great service for BT customers. The big problem that they have now is turnover as there is no end of competition for staff based in India. It is also getting expensive and many teams are being disbanded and the jobs are being brought back here. Please don't vent your anger at the people on the phones, yes i have worked with some lazy good for nothing utter cretins but the vast majority of BT helpdesk staff really want to help. Please do trying Asking for the things i have mentioned above it should help, particularly when you get to supervisor level. : ) |