Contact us: how to speak to a real person

[FiftyOner]

When I ring the contact number ie 0800 800 150 or 03301234 150  I am given a number of options. Which do I select in order to speak to a real person ????I keep being referred back to the website. Aaaaargh!

[QueenAfyn]

Hi,

The questions the robot asks are used to get you through to the right team. If you try and jump through it without answering the questions you'll likely get through to someone who can't do anything to help you and then you might get transferred half a dozen times through various queue's before reaching someone that can. Just answer the questions it asks and it'll get you where you need to be. Remember the lines are pretty much only open between 8am and 9pm so if you call outside those hours it'll likely direct you to other help such as the website. If its a broadband issue you've got you could also try the SMS system to get one of BT's people to call you instead. 'Text HELP to 61998'

-Jade

[FiftyOner · Accepted solution]

Thanks for that Jade. HELP sent me down another rabbit hole ... but silver lining, a fault was discovered on my broadband (had no idea)  and Openreach came up trumps. I still needed to talk to a real person  so set my alarm, rang at 8.01h selected 1 then randomly 1. Result!  

[Neilyboy72]

The BT customer service is horrendous. You call the number, it tells you you’ve been sent a text to a chat. I want to speak to someone, no option for ‘anything else’. Went into webchat, person took 55 mins to send me an adapter for digital voice. It’s a horrific experience from a customer perspective. 

[Kodikid]

Someone mentioned getting though to the "right team"...is that even possible?

[JMB]

What large organisation's customer service line is not 'horrendous'?

But you have think of the type of calls they get. I know from speaking to friends in TV repairs with many it was a case of "have you plugged in the TV". The equivalent with BT is probably "are you speaking into the right end of the telephone"  😀

[Neilyboy72]

Tesco - get through pretty quickly, to a UK contact centre, problems resolved to customers satisfaction. And they have 33m customers a week coming through their doors. 

[JMB]

But how many Tesco customers ever feel the need to contact someone?  Most just go to supermarket, buy something and leave with it.  If any problem, they speak to someone in the store.