Virgin Media UK to Give Customers Real-Time Engineer Updates

Cable operator Virgin Media has announced that their broadband ISP and TV customers will “soon” be able to keep track of exactly when their technicians (engineers) are due to arrive for an appointment, which will be done via real-time updates on their smartphone, tablet or computer.

Under this system anybody booking a service appointment should receive a unique link to the real-time tracking system, which will display the technician’s name, estimated time of arrival (down to the minute, including traffic conditions) and a live map so customers can track the technician’s progress when they’re on their way.

The new service, which has been developed alongside location platform company Glympse, will also send out an appointment reminder the day before the event. A demonstration of all this can be viewed here, which looks similar to the sort of tracking system that many parcel delivery companies have been using for the past few years.

Neil Bartholomew, Executive Director of Consumer at Virgin Media, said:

“We know that waiting at home for a technician can be frustrating, even more so when you don’t know when they will actually get to you. Customer expectations are always increasing and this powerful new tool will provide clear, simple and transparent information to help our customers plan their day better and make it as easy as possible to get on with their busy lives.”

The service will initially go live around Liverpool, Guildford and the Cotswolds, although the full roll-out is due to take place this autumn 2018. It’s hoped that the system will both reduce customer uncertainty and also cut down on the number of missed appointments (e.g. when a customer is otherwise engaged or pops out to the shops).

Virgin claims that the new technology can reduce the number of missed appointments by up to 10%, which might not sound like much but that’s a noticeable cost saving.