Had another do with Orange/France Telecom while I was out there.

Now I've been a customer for almost 14 years, so the following disgusts me.

Internet went off on the Monday of our second week there. I checked, and my neighbour's was off too, she's with SFR, but via the FT/Orange line, ADSL, same as mine.

She rang and reported both, since I only then had a UK mobile...yeah, I know, shoulda, coulda.

So the repair guy turns up next day, refuses point blank to do anything for me since SHE reported it, despite agreeing that the fault is at the exchange, or on the line between us and the exchange. He was quite rude and really couldn't care less about me. Apparently SFR had negelected to pass on my report, and without a docket, he couldn't do anything.

So I ring them, and they agree to send someone else the NEXT day. No apology for matey's rudeness, and when questioned why he refused to do anything, they said, "we are a big company, that is how we do things".

Then the bombshell......€69 for an engineer to call, "in case the fault is in your house".

My argument that matey had ALREADY told me that it wasn't, cut no ice, and on questioning why I had to pay upfront, and that I'd NEVER had to before, and being told that if the fault turned out NOT to be in my property I could contact them again and discuss claiming it back, they then repeated, "we are a big company, that is how we do things." The person I spoke to was also quite rude, telling me, "OF COURSE you have paid before...." I hadn't. Ever.

I agreed to pay, since we had need of the internet for wife's job, and the NEXT thing is, I get asked for a phone number. My response being that without internet, no phone, a very impatient operator then asked for a mobile number. I gave her mine, quite reluctantly, but she refused it, saying they couldn't call that number as it wasn't a French number and, you guessed it..."we are a big company...."

When i told her I had no French mobile, ANOTHER argument ensued with her insisting I MUST have, SHOULD have, HAD TO have, or I couldn't have my intervention. And yes, again, "we are a big company...."

At that point, I'd had enough, and asked to be put through to billing and contracts.

After another 20 minute wait, I got ANOTHER rude person, who really didn't care about my problems and cancelled my contract when I mentioned that that was what I would have to do.

So after 14 years with them, and numerous problems, goodbye FT/Orange. FORTY minutes on a UK mobile for nowt.:mad;


The same day I went to a local guy and bought satellite broadband, installed it and it's up and running within ten minutes.

My only problem now is that I AM going to have to have a french mobile, at least a SIM only deal, since the TooWay broadband doesn't support internet voice protocol phone and my FT/Orange line is still no good...and now cancelled.

Last thoughts on this: the hamlet we live in is about 4km from the exchange and there's only three lines in. They have known for a while that ONE of them is unreliable, but now the other two are, they'd rather lose two clients than replace the whole lot. B@stards!

And a slight PS: my neighbour's line is still not fixed two weeks later, despite THREE engineers' visits, with a fourth scheduled. The first, rude guy went home at 5pm, after failing to fix it, saying to her, "that's my work done. Phone SFR again, you are their client, not ours."

So it's NOT just the Brits get the sh1te.

 

TLDR, but stop moaning.

 

I should be allowed to moan about that level of customer service, surely?

What do you want, that I only post happy posts about kittens, puppy dogs and bunnies? LOL

 

No. If you did that or posted some lighthearted parody thread, some half head who doesn't understand the essence of the thread will put you right and launch their vulgar remarks at you such as 'chat $h1t and get banged' No wonder that people feel put off and hardly want to post much here any longer.

Problem with this place is that some posters feel that they have higher intellect than yours and it's their birthright to bar your expression by their bitter objections, although they themselves have nothing better to post here. I'm not talking about James on you, I can see his point. If you talked God repeatedly on a number of threads, he'd be very happy with you.

I find your moaning quite funny tbh. If I were a film maker, I'd have a character like yours for a comedy in that.

On the topic, I agree with you. Customer services can be highly unsatisfactory all over the world, not just in the uk. Outside Europe, Egypt was the worst one for me. The argument I had on a beach towel with the hotel simply wouldn't go through the receptionist's head! I had to pay 10 quid for it, even when the daughter didn't pinch it but simply forgot to stick it in their washing bin. They even had it there on the reception but they fined the daughter regardless. I'm never going to that hotel again! Thompsons can f@@k off, too!

 

sadly you are all forgetting the people who you are moaning about, ARE NOT PAID ENOUGH TO CARE, minimum wage = minimum effort in my book

 

Agreed, but minimum effort ought to include courtesy.

And I highly doubt that the English speaking line at Orange/FT is manned by minimum wage bods.

 

I think all these big co's want make you buy the whole deal/package from them

if you show signs not doing so , no commission - youre as good as dirt

 

I HAD the whole package: internet and TV, plus free phone calls via the 'puter.

€30 pm.

I now pay €9 pm for my broadband, no phone, no TV

 

It surprises you that the majority of the french are arrogant???
Ive known this for years.

 

I don't find them so. The normal/everyday/man/woman-in-the-street French person is fine. Small business is great, can't help enough.

But big business? Forget it.!

 

The workers attitude may be down to their employment laws.I thought it was almost impossible to sack a person in France.Is this still true today?

 

Not far off, but it doesn't explain why local businesses are so polite and helpful.

 

My take on this would be that people working for a big business like Orange are likely to have adopted the same sort of disdain for lower mortals as Parisians have always had for anyone living in the provinces. If you're not in their special little club, you just don't matter at all.

 

Funnily enough, I've posted similar on a forum for people living, or thinking of living, in France.

The response I got was very mixed, from, "Yes it's awful, French customer service is nul", to, "If you don't like it go back to the UK......" a bit difficult, since I am already here. LOL