I've been a loyal customer of Tiscali for my broadband for over 4 years. Recently we have experienced 'challenges' with the service that Tiscali disputed was their problem. Many expensive phone calls later with their technical team, who were about as much use as a chocolate teapot, I made the decision that it was time to take my business elsewhere.
Fortuitously Martin Lewis, http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/ was on GMTV this week and he raised a really valid point ... it does not pay to be loyal to our suppliers whether it is utilities or banks! What he said is that they are relying on us not noticing the new deals that they are offering to new and switch customers.
I realised that whilst I had been extremely loyal to them, they certainly had not been to me. It would be nice if when I called and gave them my details I was thanked for the years of being a loyal customer (delusions of feeling valued!).
I called Tiscali to advise that I wanted to cancel my contract and was offered many incentives to stay;
a) they would reduce my monthly fee
b) upgrade my internet speed
c) cover the cost of my recent calls to technical service
d) add two months to my contract at no cost (an interesting one as it would have not been paid in advance but available when I cancelled again?!)
It was too little and too late. I wasn't expecting the first born child of the young lady I spoke to in customer services but did, as I explained to her, expect that someone at Tiscali accept accountability in their technical team when it wasn't working. Instead of insisting that we attach the yellow lead (in four years we have never had a yellow lead from them) it would have been more appropriate for them to admit that things have changed in four years so they will send out a new modem and lead. It is the simple things that would have made the difference.
I would not even have looked at competitive offers in the market place if I had been happy with the service, I am a lazy consumer and typically once I have a service for as long as it is working I can't be bothered to look further.
This experience has really made me consider all the other services I subscribe to and now that I appreciate the quickest way of getting attention is telling them that you want to cancel the contract you can be sure I shall be reviewing them all!
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