What is it with BT these days? Have they forgotten their customers? Have they forgotten about customer service? And how does a telecoms company sleep at night, when they are keeping customers on hold for over 45 minutes. Madness? I think so!

I had a problem the other day with my BT Broadband connection. This seems to be a recurring fault that every week, for whatever reason, insists on rearing its ugly head and to make things worse, it always seems to be when you have submitted your work to a website... and it gets lost in the realms of the Internet forever. Another hour or so wasted!

So, I thought I had put up with it long enough and it was time for those nice chaps and chapettes over at BT to offer an explanation. How foolish was I for thinking I could ever get round to speaking to a human?

Having sat on the phone for well over 45 minutes, I had spoken purely to automated voice services and myself. I was completely frustrated at this point and although I wanted to hang up, I sat it out for another few minutes and eventually, I got what can only be described as a complete pillock on the end of the line.

To say I was shocked at the service was one thing.... to say I was even more shocked at this prat's inability to see things from a logical point of view was something completely different. He was an absolute gorm!

Having a background in IT and networking, I believe I am quite capable of using a telephone. However, the gorm on the end of the line insisted on asking me if I had the phone plugged in correctly (well, yes you twat... im talking to you on it!!) and if my phone handset appeared to be working ok (hmmm.. ok, thats just foolish the second time!). After I reassured him that my phone was indeed working fine, and I could hear him and he could hear me, he decided it must be my line at fault! No shit Sherlock!

I explained that the fault occured more in the damp weather than when the weather was dry, which typically indicates a damaged underground cable. I was assured the cables were fine as they had been replaced approximately 3 weeks before.... hang on... that was  almost EXACTLY the time these faults started!! Maybe BT had installed the cable incorrectly? I cant imagine that for one minute... cue the sarcasm!

The conversation ended with me suggesting it was possibly better for me to move to cable for my internet.... and it was only then that the guy replied "Oh... its a problem with you internet? You need to call this number.....0871 *** ***"   it was at that point I hung up the phone. I just couldnt stand the incompetence any longer. Id rather suffer a shite connection than listen to some 16yr old teaboy trying to play "Mr Technology" down the phone whilst not having a clue what the hell he was on about.

In short.... use Cable or Wanadoo for your ISP, if you want a reply from a human... and indeed, if you want to talk to a human, instead of some pock-faced knob down the end of the line!!