h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I agree there's no point in shouting at the adviser on the fault line. In my experience of losing our phone service about every six months for just over three years, there's no point in doing anything much. I always use ACE to report the fault. On the most recent occasion I took the option to run an automated test. After some time the automated voice told me my line couldn't be tested and I would have to talk to an adviser. Then a voice said that it would take a very long time to answer my call and maybe I'd prefer to use the automated service or the internet. After a very long call on my mobile without getting through I used the internet to report the fault. This is a good option if you can find a place to connect (I used my mobile phone but it's very expensive). The only drawback with this is you can opt to have calls diverted using the internet - only report the fault.

I take issue with the comment that "BT is a private company, not a public service, so they exist to make a profit by providing good customer service, not to deliver the world in a crystal bucket to you." BT is a private monopoly provider (where I live) of a service I can't easily do without in the modern world. It is responsible for maximising shareholder returns just like any company with shareholders, and if that conflicts with provding a service guess which suffers? Bt has no incentive to keep me happy or charge a reasonable price since I don't have any alternative.
My last two quarters bills with BT total in excess of 1200 GPB and yet I can't get a reliable service.
This isn't all BT's fault - it's the environment in which they are allowed to be a private company with no competition and therefore no incentive to improve.