Oct 13 2006

TalkTalk, ListenListen - blogs need comments.

Published by James at 5:20 pm under Web2.0

I talked a couple of weeks ago of the ’s decision to designate an ‘official’ . The chap they chose, Jonathan Roberts, hasn’t enabled comments on his Blog.

Which is a shame. Because if he did, I’d have been able to ask him there whether the person he’s calling a ‘prat’ is

(a) Ian Hyslop, Senior Lecturer at UEL,
(b) Ian Hyslop, the co-founder of ‘My Life, My Legacy’, or
(c) Ian Hyslop, the proprietor of “Sydney’s best ever gay sauna and sex spot” (scroll down, it’s worth it).

Or perhaps it’s Ian Hislop.

Carphone Warehouse’s Charles Dunstone doesn’t allow comments on his all-too-infrequent blog posts either. Again, a shame, albeit perhaps understandable given their current customer service issues.

If he did, I’d like to ask him how he intends to go about integrating TalkTalk and AOL to form the UK’s third-largest ISP, and improve customer service at the same time (and when I’m going to get the 8 meg service I’m paying for). Or maybe how his business is going to stack up if he loses Orange as well as Vodafone …

Point is, credible blogs need comments, dialogue and constructive criticism, otherwise we’re just talking in a vacuum.

7 Responses to “TalkTalk, ListenListen - blogs need comments.”

  1. # Leo Bottaryon 13 Oct 2006 at 6:00 pm

    I don’t read blogs that don’t offer space for comments (whether I care to leave a comment or not). To me, they’re not even blogs. It’s like being invited to someone’s house and having them slap tape over your mouth when you walk through the door. That’s not a conversation.

  2. # Dave Barneson 27 Oct 2006 at 11:28 am

    Hi,

    I have numerous problems with TalkTalk.
    I signed up with TalkTalk for my business. They did not make me aware that they were not providing a business service. However, they were happy to take the money from my Business account and to sign me up in my Business Name.
    I was told I would go live in September 2006. They cut off my existing broadband (with BT) in June 2006 with no notification to me. I spent several days trying to talk to someone to get my business up and running. This eventually happened and they sent me their equipment and devices. Since then my broadband has failed at least 6/7 times a day, I have had to reboot my machine 3/4 times a day and have spent most of my working day getting broaband to work or being on the phone trying to contact them.

    This month (October 2006) I again had problems connecting and was without service for 10 days, several days of which I had no phone service either.

    For the last 2 days I have had brief access to my broadband and again have no ppone service either. TalkTalk’s attitude to customer service is appalling. Their standard response is we will get around to it within 30 days as per our terms and conditions.
    I am now having to look at a switch of providers that will offer a good service. Yes it will cost me more, but, quality of service will be better.

    I am having very little joy in getting TalkTalk to “Talk” to me.

    I shouldn’t have to reboot my machine 3/4 times a day, the line should not drop 7/8 times a day.

    Their Customer Service should be Customer focussed not TalkTalk focussed.

    Regards

    Dave Barnes

  3. # Ann Gordonon 30 Oct 2006 at 4:58 pm

    Endorsement for Dave Barnes…..
    Since talktalk (allegedly) ‘upgraded’ their network to ‘improve your service’ on Oct 23rd we have had no landline and no broadband. Good eh?? And not a word from them despite hours (literally) spent hanging on for recorded messages in a carphone warehouse showroom.
    Like Dave Barnes, I find it impossible to get anyone from Talktalk to ‘talk’ to me!!
    Ann Gordon

  4. # Dan Dillonon 11 Dec 2006 at 10:15 am

    I think having a comments block on your blog is good because you can than get feed back on your clients. Customer support is highly important in this business, like one of the companies I host with, [url edited out by James], they have fantastic customer support.

  5. # Rizzleon 18 Jan 2007 at 9:27 am

    Your Ian Hislop dig was pathetic. So he mispelled it…so what?!

  6. # Jameson 18 Jan 2007 at 9:36 am

    I think “pathetic” is a bit strong. It was a slightly petty dig, yes, used in context as illustrative of the wider importance of comments to the credibility and dialogue of a blog.

    Comments are important. The point I was making above, perhaps a little too obliquely for you, was that for the Labour party to designate as its ‘official Conference blogger’ a blog that didn’t (at the time) allow comments seemed perverse - see Leo’s comment above for the reason why.

    Jonathan Roberts allows comments now, so that’s all good. Charles Dunstone still doesn’t, though.

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