BT chief pledges to upgrade services

UK telecoms giant BT CEO Peter Bonfield has vowed to users that the telecoms company will improve its customer service levels and reduce the high turnover of account managers.

One user, listening to Bonfield's keynote speech on the opening day of the annual Telecommunications Managers' Association conference in Brighton, told the BT chief he felt 'lucky' to have had only six account managers and four service centre changes in five years.

The UK's company service levels have been criticised by users who believe BT is too concerned with products and technology, to the detriment of customer service and relationships.

Under its Personal Commitment Programme, BT will work towards users' timescales rather than its own. It will notify users of account management changes six weeks ahead. Delivery dates will be prioritised and faults on services that are key to customers' businesses will receive priority.

Bonfield said: 'We're talking to 9,000 businesses monthly and the message is that you need flexibility from us in providing and maintaining service.

We're continuing this survey to make sure we understand your needs.'

But some managers were unconvinced. One TMA member said: 'I couldn't help feeling we've heard of this customer-facing focus strategy mission statement before. Why haven't similar statements in the past produced a better relationship with customers?'

BT is keen to reassure users that it will be different. Included in Bonfield's pledges, the telco will help users ensure customers take advantage of discount schemes and aim to solve customer problems by tailoring services to fit.

He said: 'We're trying to change the spirit of BT ... to make a situation where people experiencing delays and unhelpful attitudes find we're saying this is unacceptable.'

According to a survey of 1,500 members of the TMA published earlier this year, 57 per cent did not consider service quality to be a key strength of their main supplier, while 36 per cent said this area should be improved.

In the survey, BT was ranked fifth in the UK for their service levels after Colt, MFS, Kingston and WorldCom.