Slingshot's Abhorrent Customer Service

sunshinenz on 27/02/2023 - 21:51

Our Fibre internet with Slingshot has been down for over a week. We're probably half an island away from Hawkes Bay so we can be sure this has nothing to do with the cyclone or flood. Partner is an IT geek and has tried everything to rule out modem/router problems.

Slingshot has done nothing but provided the most abhorrent customer service we can imagine: chat is not available, no response to emails, long waits on calls. Despite the long wait, we have called every other day, and every time we called we were told "we've lodged your issue, it's in the system, we'll get back to you when we have an update". On the second call I asked for an ETA they said they couldn't give one until the case is progressed. Perhaps to get me off their back they said they would send their team an email asking for an update and get back to me. They never got back to me. On the third call I got a bit impatient and demanded an ETA. They said it would be resolved in 36 hours. 36 hours lapsed, still not a peep. Strangely enough every time we call we get a new 'ticket number'.

In all calls I asked them to give us alternative means to access the internet, but they said they were unable to.

What can I do to get internet in the mean time? The Skinny's 100 GB deal was a godsend, but now we're back to our $16 plan which is plenty for us to use during the commutes but won't last a day at home. Suddenly we have almost no entertainment at home and working from home is not an option.

What should I do about Slingshot's terrible service? Should I report to the Telecom Ombudsman? In Australia this is one of the things that always get providers to escalate complaints, does it work like that here? We still have a few months left on our contract so can't switch provider without penalty. This is our first time ever with Slingshot. I can be sure I will switch out as soon as the contract ends, never to return. (I thought Vodafone customer service wasn't great, but Slingshot takes 'not great' to a whole new level.)

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Comments

  • AaronP on 28/02/2023 - 08:03
    +3

    email the ceo, youll get intercepted by his EA so make the email factual, and polite, outline the experience, express your frustration at no resolution path and no communication. make it easy for the EA to escalate internally.

    [email protected]

    • sunshinenz on 28/02/2023 - 22:59

      I haven't gone down this path but I wonder if Mr Callander was bombarded with emails today after some similarly frustrated customers saw this advice and took it.😁

  • corbettjms on 28/02/2023 - 08:11

    I've been having issues with them constantly billing me incorrectly and me having to spend a week trying to get in contact with support to reimburse me so you aren't alone. Just remember when you switch to give 30 days notice.

    • sunshinenz on 28/02/2023 - 09:31

      What email address should I send the notice to?

      • corbettjms on 28/02/2023 - 09:46
        +1

        I just sent it through via the online contact form. They have a section on canceling in their FAQ's

  • Toddy47 on 28/02/2023 - 08:20
    +2

    What is the issue? Are there lights on the ONT? Does it have optical? Depending on the issue, you may get a faster fix by swapping to another provider and then maybe dispute the contract penalty after that fact, if it's a fibre fault then they should have lodged it with Chorus.

    Refer to https://www.chorus.co.nz/q/model-type-200 and look at the Optical section to start with, for example if there is no optical you would probably get somewhere much faster by mentioning that to them.

    • sunshinenz on 28/02/2023 - 09:14

      The ONT lights are all fine. The router reports that theres a problem with the isp's dhcp. Slingshot say they can see traffic between them and out modem. We have tried a few different modems and they all have the same problem.

      • moona on 28/02/2023 - 09:33
        +1

        *router, not modem. See if you can get them to configure a static IP, sounds like a CGNAT issue.

        • sunshinenz on 28/02/2023 - 18:08

          When I referred to the equipment as router the customer service guy went out of his way to correct me it's a modem.

          • Alan6984 on 28/02/2023 - 19:33
            -1

            @sunshinenz: You (and the CS guy) are correct - it is a modem.

            It might also be a router as well (many, if not most, are nowadays), but the device that (mod)ulates and (dem)odulates your connection is a modem.

            The modem then feeds into a router (which, as above, is often physically in the same box), but could, in theory, just connect direct to an endpoint (which is what many people did back in the eighties / nineties), but that would generally be somewhat dangerous as that endpoint would then be directly on the internet (assuming the IP it gets is routable) and even if not, it might be visible to other people on the same subnet at the ISP.

            If your endpoint had a firewall itself, then it might be safe(r), but I would not go there myself. A NAT router is inherently a great packet prophylactic unless there happen to be holes in it :-)

            • moona on 28/02/2023 - 20:10

              @Alan6984: Not really worthy of an argument, but no.. it is a router. OP is talking about their fibre connection here, no modem involved. They have an ONT that carries out the job of converting fiber optic signal to ethernet to be used by a router. There is no modulation/demodulation required, it is not a DSL technology.

              • Alan6984 on 28/02/2023 - 20:15
                -1

                @moona: Except that, if you ask Chorus, they will tell you that the ONT connects to a modem, which is what they were referring to above.

                • moona on 28/02/2023 - 20:31

                  @Alan6984: I mean it's trivial really in the grand scheme of the issue OP is having.
                  Their terminology is used incorrectly, if anything they should call the ONT the modem.. ha!

                  It's just carried through from older DSL tech and stuck. Those all in one devices that can do both Fibre and the aforementioned I guess are a modem/router device so maybe where they have hung onto the word.

                  • Alan6984 on 28/02/2023 - 21:02
                    -1

                    @moona: Not really - an ONT is not a modem.

                    Your ONT connects to your modem, which (almost always) then connects to a router.

                    The modem and router are usually in the same physical box, but don't have to be. If they are, then I would probably call it a 'modem / router' myself.

                    Whether or not the nomenclature is strictly correct, those are the terms that Chorus (and ISPs) will most likely use, and therefore it is best to stick with those when talking to your ISP as it will facilitate the discussion (and hopefully a solution, but that seems to be a whole 'nother matter for the OP!)

                    • moona on 28/02/2023 - 23:21

                      @Alan6984: Well aware.. it was a joke in the sense that an ONT and a modem have similar roles as conversion devices for their respective technologies.

              • ace310 on 28/02/2023 - 20:18

                @moona: Totally agree to this. Was gonna say similar but this is way better than what I would have said.

      • NedFlanders on 02/03/2023 - 13:43
        +2

        Ex- Employee here, I handled all their brands.
        If the issue is post the ONT hence they can't blame a third party and have to resolve it in a timely manner themselves.
        If it's taking more than 3 business days then you're within your rights to ask for credit but the problem is that they will count the days you were without internet and will credit that amount to you which is pennies compared to the inconvenience.
        Try escalating the issue and find a senior person to talk to, Ask for at least one free month if your issue is not fixed by the deadline he gives you.
        I remember giving free data to customers who also had a mobile with them.

  • mycomputer on 28/02/2023 - 09:30
    +3

    Interesting that you say this. I have had the worst experience with them (probably worst customer service experience ever for me), had the online chat argue with me, people promise to call back for months and they didn't etc. I made a formal complaint to the TDR and not joking had the Customer Care Manager Matthew Carr respond within 15 MINUTES!

    Had a formal apology, offers of reimbursement (amounting to $150) and explanations. Crazy how quick they wanted to resolve this and how fast he read my complaint in full and also responded. I initially decline an offer of $50 reimbursement and said I would continue with the TDR process which they then tripled to $150 and I settled and accepted.

    Totally worth making the complaint as they seem to get escalated immediately. Let me know how that goes

    • rkl on 28/02/2023 - 10:08
      +2

      Same here, had some pisspore service from them (and spark recently too)
      One email to TDR and had both sorted the same day

  • MattNZ on 28/02/2023 - 09:35
    +1

    Move providers every contract term. Telcos put significantly more money into enticing new customers rather than retention. Source: me as I work at a telco… Not YOUR telco but a telco.

  • sunshinenz on 28/02/2023 - 18:04

    Thanks everyone, in a few hours you guys have helped me more than Slingshot in a week.

    Update : out of the blue Slingshot closed the case saying it has been resolved, but it hasn't. I hope the TDR will be as helpful as some of you have found.

  • Nythic on 28/02/2023 - 21:08

    Reminds me of my experience with Skinny support. Couple of times was escalated to their manager, who was supposed to call me but never did. Got it sorted by leaving Skinny. But I don't really understand how they can treat their customers so bad.

  • spam on 01/03/2023 - 09:14
    +1

    About to switch broadband provider to either Slingshot or 2degrees and reading all these makes me thinking thrice now.

    Considering I can continue paying $72/month for a no frill connection, I might consider continuing with Now since they've been awesome for support though I rarely call/email them.

    Not sure if a saving of $100 worth shaving my lifespan over unresponsive customer support…

    • bigcheese on 01/03/2023 - 09:49

      I have found 2Degrees awful in terms of wait times in the past when I was with them.
      However, as I hardly ever called them, and it sounds like you're the same, then it might still be an acceptable trade-off.

      Still can't believe that these call centres don't offer a call back facility - it would save a lot of customer frustration.

      • spam on 01/03/2023 - 10:13

        who are you with now? Any good with your existing provider?

        • bigcheese on 01/03/2023 - 10:17

          I changed to Skinny a few months back - it was on a three months free deal.
          No problems whatsover so far and the changeover was smooth.
          Only early days though but happy at the moment.

          • spam on 01/03/2023 - 10:20

            @bigcheese: Did look at joining skinny too, but there is no BYO modem option?

            Given that their modem is a rental that need to be returned I don't want that hassle at the end of the contract period (I believe that is the case based on the T&C that I read yesterday)

            • bigcheese on 01/03/2023 - 10:44

              @spam: I just went with the Skinny modem/router.

              With 2Degrees it did take a few attempts to get the return courier bag to send their modem back but when I finally got it everything was straightforward.
              Post Paid courier bag so it didn't cost me anything to return.

            • Pedro on 01/03/2023 - 11:21

              @spam: I moved from Skinny to Contact a few months ago. They never asked for the modem back so it's still being used at the moment.

    • AleBeerenhoff on 01/03/2023 - 09:59

      I have been with 2D now for many many years and happily renew year after year to whatever their latest offer on the table is - ie they seem happy to extend new customer incentives to existing customers (coming off contract). Call centres are shocking with pretty much every supplier I interact with - insurances, banks, teleco's - I have not found 2D to be any worse or better, but often get a better result if I am able to place the call outside of what might be peak times. But also worthy to note that I have probably had to speak to someone for an actual issue once in the last decade lol

      • spam on 01/03/2023 - 10:13

        in the 3 years I've been with Now, the only problem I had was setting it up on the switchover day but that was Chorus issue as they listed my ONT as my neighbour's.
        And the time that I call them is asking when my contract ends, extension of current promotion or upgrade/downgrade the speed.

        Seemed like it might worth jumping to 2D for cheaper broadband then.
        Just a bit nervous as wife is now WFH fully, so she might bite me in the end due to unstable connection/issue setting it up.

  • Grandma on 01/03/2023 - 13:08

    Here's my slingshot story.

    We signed up with stuff fibre who were bought out by slingshot and we were mirgated over.

    After about 14 months (2 months after the contract ended) I messaged them on facebook because I had nothing slingshot related that I could log in with and asked if/how I could cancel the account. They confirmed the address and cancelled it then and there. Which was… just weird… because it was from a facebook chat with no confirmation other than the address.

    that's all. I still have the router they gave us

  • saxasianguy on 02/03/2023 - 14:36

    Orcon is also pretty bad. Had three consecutive internet outages around the same time (between 12:42-12:48am) in Feb last month. Then it happened again this morning (12:46am).

    2 years ago they upsold me a mobile bundle to add to my broadband package. The first sim they sent didn't work. I called their tech support and they sent another one. The second one also didn't work so they sent a third one. It still couldn't activate for some reason, called tech support again and said there's nothing they can do - they couldn't see anything wrong on their end.

    Two weeks later, Orcon called me back and said their tech support forgot to activate the sim card before sending it out to me. Way to go! Blame the customer first then find out it was your own tech supports f up.

    Just realised Orcon is part of Slingshot so that explains it

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