Yeah, sucks big time. The earliest they can do is the 7th October now 🙁
Though it is a morning appointment.

Just means that it will now cost me another month of my JohnLewis FTTC connection (£40~), which is a pain.

In reply to a post by Grimers:

That sucks, man! I spoke to an Openreach engineer who was working nearby, yesterday. He said that it would be highly unlikely that a contractor would be doing our install. Also, we have an AM appointment, so there shouldn't be any time issues. Maybe make sure that the next appointment you have is an AM one. Good luck!

It's irrelevant if it's an AM or PM appointment.

OpenReach engineers are paid a salary.
OpenReach contractors are paid per job.

Any job that's going to take 3-4 hours is dropped like a hot stone by OpenReach's contractors.

They simply cannot make a living by doing 4 hour long jobs. They would manage 2 jobs per day and that would make their job very low paid.

The contractors are literally told to leave the complicated jobs. They are reassigned to OpenReach engineers.

The contractors get a lot of stick. Some of them do deserve it.
Their pay is structured in such a way though that they don't get paid to spend 4 hours doing a complicated installation or to go fault finding at every junction on an FTTC circuit.

In reply to a post by j0hn83:

In reply to a post by Grimers:

That sucks, man! I spoke to an Openreach engineer who was working nearby, yesterday. He said that it would be highly unlikely that a contractor would be doing our install. Also, we have an AM appointment, so there shouldn't be any time issues. Maybe make sure that the next appointment you have is an AM one. Good luck!

It's irrelevant if it's an AM or PM appointment.

OpenReach engineers are paid a salary.
OpenReach contractors are paid per job.

Any job that's going to take 3-4 hours is dropped like a hot stone by OpenReach's contractors.

They simply cannot make a living by doing 4 hour long jobs. They would manage 2 jobs per day and that would make their job very low paid.

The contractors are literally told to leave the complicated jobs. They are reassigned to OpenReach engineers.

The contractors get a lot of stick. Some of them do deserve it.
Their pay is structured in such a way though that they don't get paid to spend 4 hours doing a complicated installation or to go fault finding at every junction on an FTTC circuit.

Yeah...I didn't blame the guy for not doing mine. It was 16:15 on a Friday afternoon...and I knew it wouldn't be a simple job, but it seems OpenReach didn't bother to do the initial site assessment (as I was told they would).

The issue I now have is OpenReach's failure to sort it out in a "reasonable" timeframe.

I've been in touch with OpenReach's help account on Twitter, and they have put notes on my order about how to escalate. I'm now on hold to TalkTalk to ask them to follow it up, because they're the ones who have go to call OpenReach's Service Management Centre to escalate on my behalf.

Edit: it seems OpenReach have been quick to escalate. I'm now told they are coming on Wednesday 22nd September (in the afternoon 🤷🏻‍♂️).
We'll see how this one goes!

Edited by MilesR (Sat 18-Sep-21 14:45:35)

If TalkTalk gave you a date for the start of service* and they have failed to do so you are entitled to automatic compensation https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-interne... - it may be worth reminding them of this.

* this may not be the same as the engineer appointment date, for a 1-stage install it should be.

In reply to a post by tdw42:

If TalkTalk gave you a date for the start of service* and they have failed to do so you are entitled to automatic compensation https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-interne... - it may be worth reminding them of this.

* this may not be the same as the engineer appointment date, for a 1-stage install it should be.

Thanks, all they provide is the OpenReach installation date...not a service start date 🙁

I've just read the details of it, I think I would be entitled to it.
If they don't install on Weds 22nd (which is the originally agreed installation date), then I think it will be £5.04 a day.
Thanks for bringing it to my attention!

Not completely irrelevant, a PM slot, especially at this time of year, could be cut short. That's a shame, though. Fingers crossed that Openreach turn up on Wednesday (for both of us).

Edited by Grimers (Sat 18-Sep-21 18:51:15)

I hope you do better than me @grimers!
I've just been told that the info I was given on Saturday afternoon was duff.
My appointment is now 7th October 🙁

I raised the issue of compensation, given the initial install date was supposed to be today. Was told that it should be valid for £5 a day until provision of service commences.
At least that covers the additional costs I face with keeping my FTTC connection active for a while longer.

Hope yours is going / goes well!

Oh, no! Sorry to hear that, Miles. Well, as you can see for my signature, all went well. We got Openreach and they bent over backwards to install. I really cannot fault them, they're a brilliant company!

In reply to a post by Grimers:

Oh, no! Sorry to hear that, Miles. Well, as you can see for my signature, all went well. We got Openreach and they bent over backwards to install. I really cannot fault them, they're a brilliant company!

Excellent, pleased to hear yours is working. Enjoy the new found speed 🙂