BT callers still face 30-minute wait for fault phone line

BT callers still face 30-minute wait for fault line despite firm’s bid to pick up phone within 60 seconds

Customers calling BT’s fault helpline still face delays of up to 35 minutes to speak to an adviser.

Earlier this month, Money Mail revealed how people had been left hanging on the line for an hour, which is almost double the current wait times. Last week this fell to 45 minutes.

In three calls to BT’s fault helpline yesterday at 10am, midday and 2pm, the average wait Money Mail found was 32 minutes.

Left on hold: Customers calling BT’s fault helpline still face delays of up to 35 minutes to speak to an adviser

This still far exceeds BT’s aim of answering telephones within 60 seconds.

Each time we joined the queue, our reporter was told it was ‘really busy at the moment’ and that she ‘may experience a delay’ — without any indication of how long this might be.

Money Mail is calling for new consumer protection laws to penalise big businesses if they fail to answer the phone within ten minutes, as part of our Pick Up or Pay Up campaign.

A BT spokesman says the average customer calling their fault line was on hold for less than ten minutes last week. 

Anyone calling during busy times can report and track their issue online or via text message. 

Calls in its non-fault queues were answered in less than 50 seconds on average.

l.purkess@dailymail.co.uk

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