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Story URL: http://networks.silicon.com/telecoms/0,39024659,39124462,00.htm

NTL customers told to "f*ck off and get a life"
Honest approach to customer service, or the work of a malicious employee?

By Will Sturgeon

Published: Tuesday 28 September 2004

NTL is reeling from an embarrassing and potentially offensive howler which meant callers to its customer services helpline were told to "f*ck off".

According to newspaper reports, the company is attributing the message that replaced its usual recorded greeting to a malicious hacker or a disgruntled employee.

The message in full, which contained a flurry of four-letter words, said: "Hello. You are through to NTL customer services. We don't give a f*ck about you. We are never here. We will f*ck you about, basically, and we are not going to handle any of your complaints. Just f*ck off and leave us alone. Get a life."

The potty-mouthed wordsmith reportedly spoke with a Geordie accent, suggesting it was somebody local to the North-East call centre.

NTL customers may have been offended by the message, but some may have been tempted to joke that it displayed some refreshing honesty. NTL has regularly been accused of poor customer service and recently was named as the second-worst company for dealing with customer queries and complaints by management consultants TMI, which compiled the 'National Complaints Culture Survey'.

In October 2001 one disgruntled NTL customer was so incensed with the level of service he received from the cable firm that he penned a now notorious letter of complaint - published in full on silicon.com at the time.

In the letter the customer complained about an "inadequacy of service which had not previously been considered possible, as well as ignorance and stupidity of monolithic proportions".