Dear British Telecom
We need to talk. Sure, we’ve had some good times but I feel like I’ve moved on as a person. It’s not me, it’s you and I’m sorry but…there’s someone else. I’ve been seeing another telecoms supplier.
At first it was just carrier pre-selection, I thought it might add some spice to our relationship, but soon I realised it was more than that. All you did was take…and I have so much less to give.
But seriously…
About 4 months ago I finally left BT and decided to start getting my line rental, broadband and calls from a different supplier. Financially, paying £11 a month for a line I only used for ADSL, along with £23 for the DSL service (it was an old old Pipex package) while getting my calls through TalkTalk was becoming untenable.
So I switched, to TalkTalk for the lot, at just over £16 a month, it represented a pretty decent saving. Now, I know that TalkTalk aren’t the best of suppliers. In fact their customer service is regularly slated. But, given that i’d phoned the other suppliers less than 3 times in the past 6 years I figured I could cope. Sadly, the by all accounts excellent O2 broadband wasn’t available in my area at the time.
Apart from one slightly painful off-script conversation with the TalkTalk offshore call centre it was all pretty smooth and has been fine ever since…
Apart from one thing, BT won’t leave me alone.
I’ve closed my account and severed all ties. Which has sent their Direct Marketing department into overdrive. Now, I work in advertising and we sometimes use DM (not often!) so it would be hypocritical of me to blindly rant against DM as a concept.
BT, however now send me a letter at least once a month if not more often, in a variety of different sizes and shapes all telling me how useless my new supplier is, and how I’d be much happier with them, and that they’d be more than happy to welcome me back with open arms.
The tone of voice is slightly condescending suggesting that, aw shucks, we all make mistakes. It’s as if they’ve hired Michael Sophocles from The Apprentice to do their marketing, with his by turns, bullish, hectoring and the finally pathetic wheedling as an approach.
I’ve had partners that were less needy, BT are like the nasty ex who sits in the corner of the local bar sniping sotto-voce that your new partner has an ugly nose, and you could have been so happy together.
So, BT, let go, move on. We’re both different people now. I wish you every happiness…just not with me.
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