I can exclusively reveal that On Digital Media (ODM) is gearing up for full-on crisis control mode for its wholly insufficient and completely understaffed TopTV pay television customer care and call centre service.
After two weeks since it became operational on May 1, TopTV's customer care call centre on 08600 86788 is battered and bruised by the unexpected onslaught of thousands of subscribers overloading and flooding the call centre which is still being deluged with subscriber calls, installation activations and enquiries. I reported this morning RIGHT HERE about subscribers who bought TopTV decoders on the first day and who have still not been helped.
Now I can tell you that TopTV is massively expanding and beefing up their customer care call centre AGAIN for the third time. Because the TopTV call centre is still dealing with a massive backlog of voicemail, dropped calls, unanswered calls from subscribers who simply can't get through and installation activation requests, TopTV will add another 100 trained call centre people on Monday. The call centre is also upgraded yet again to now be able to handle 270 telephone calls at any time.
Because TopTV's insufficient, overloaded and buckling call centre seems to be the biggest problem in terms of getting new subscribers to just get through, I can now tell you that TopTV has just introduced a new SMS line as well. Subscribers can SMS their name, decoder number and the store where they've bought it to 40004. TopTV promises to call the subscriber back within 24 hours. ''That will probably help to alleviate and bring down some of the tremendous call volume to the TopTV call centre,'' a TopTV insider tells me.
Also, TopTV is now asking subscribers to please make sure that when the installer has done the installation of the cable and satellite dish, to please implore the installer to - and to make sure that it happens - SMS the smard card number to 40008. Installers are aware that they need to do this, but some apparently forget. This is to activate the service. A lot of subscribers then jam the call centre trying to get their TopTV service activated.
ALSO READ: TopTV's messed-up electronic program guide (EPG) ''is a complete joke''.
ALSO READ: TopTV continues to have massive problems dealing with subscribers.
