Problems getting through call centre menus

[jbackerdirks]

We have recently switched from a BT Hub to EE Hub and our landline phone is now fully digital.  We have found that some call centres and stores that we call on our landline which have a menu to get to the desired team ("Press 1 for Sales, Press 2 for Billing", etc.) don't "hear" the menu option we press on our handset.  For example, Axa Insurance on 0330 024 1235.  EE Tech Help team are aware that some customers have this problem (one of their colleagues had it too) and they suggested we upgrade our handsets to the latest fully digital complient BT handset, the Alexa enabled "Home Phone Plus".  So we bought two of these handsets, but no change so we are sending them back.  I have searched the internet and this appears to be a widespread problem with fully digital lines, not just in the UK and not just EE customers but many people in the U.S. and many with other digital providers such as Sky and Virgin.  Interestingly, most call centre menus are fine and they do "hear" the options we press.  So far it's only 5 call centres we have found that have this problem.  Has anyone else had similar problems and have any advice?  Thanks!  Jules BD.

[JimM11]

@jbackerdirks The Digital Home Phone section of the Home Services above is a better place for the read, but yes it is reported many many times regarding various routers, phones, DVA, the only apparent none issue is when the landline is plugged into the back of the Router, then all services work fine, everything else is up in the air.

If important call, then have a phone plugged into the router and go from there.

[jbackerdirks]

Hello JimM11,

Thank you for your kind response. Our current cordless twin landline handsets are about 5 years old and they were at the time BT's "Advanced Home Phones". One of the handsets sits in a base station that is next to our new digital EE hub and it is physically plugged into the 'Phone' port at the back of this Hub.  Without this line connection, it doesn't work. So I think that means it is as 'plugged in' to the Hub as these phones can be.  I notice that you refer to the Router - I presume this is the same as what EE refer to as their Hub. The latest BT phones we recently tried out, the Alexa enabled fully digital "Home Phone Plus" handsets have only a power cable going to their base station and they are wirelessly paired to the EE hub, so no possibility of physically plugging them into the hub. I fear this may mean that your suggestion does not work in our case, but I am always grateful for any advice or ideas you may have.

[JimM11]

@jbackerdirks Take a look and run the U Tube video that EE Have will guide you through what needs to be done click on the link below The EE Smarthub+ is the Router. Will take a look through the Digital Home Phone section but do not recall anyone having issues with that particular model designed by EE/BT to not work correctly, but you just never know. If i see anything will post it back.

How to set up your Digital Home Phone - The EE Community.

[XRaySpeX]

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@jbackerdirks wrote:

One of the handsets sits in a base station that is next to our new digital EE hub and it is physically plugged into the 'Phone' port at the back of this Hub.  Without this line connection, it doesn't work.

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That's right! It won't! Standard phones with a cord originally intended to be plugged into a phone socket now need to be plugged into the Phone socket on the back of the router (or a DV adapter). That's what @JimM11 was telling you.

What EE calls Smart Hubs are routers.

[jbackerdirks]

Hi Jim, I followed that video when I first got my new EE hub.  I watched it again, and everything it says is what i have done.   It goes through 3 options, old-fashioned corded handset, wireless non-digital handset, and wireless digital phone handsets.  I have actually tried all 3 options.  My current phone phone is a wireless non-digital handset, for which the base station is plugged into the green 'phone socket.  The new phone I purchased from EE is the fully digital handset and that was paired with the hub.  In desperation, I even borrowed an old-fashioned corded handset from a neighbour and plugged that into the green phone socket at the back of the hub.  But none of these options worked with the Axa Insurance phone menu system.  I should stress that 99% of everything works fine, we make calls, receive calls, navigate through stores' and call centres' menu systems fine, it is just a few call centres (such as Axa Insurance) which do not hear the menu option we press on any of the phone connection I mentioned above.  I believe the problem is that none of these handsets, including the latest BT Alexa enabled digital handsets is fully DTMF compliant (Dual Tone Multi-Frequency).  This apparently helps with the digital signal coming out of a digital router to be recognised by both digital and analogue listeners.  Looking at similar posts on some U.S. forums, this seems to be at the crux of the problem.  Again, it is only a few call centres' menu systems, our phon works fine with the vast majority of call centre menu systems.  This means that there is something about the technology used by these few call centres that is different to others and is incompatible with VOiP signals.  EE Technical Help also said that the whole digital technology, which is being aggressively pushed by the UK Government, is not fully ready yet, things are still changing, and it will take some years before customers experience no problems.

I would love it if someone with a fully digital EE hub and VOiP line could confirm that they can get through the Axa Insurance menu system on 0330 024 1235.

Thanks for all your suggestions, really much appreciated.

Jules BD

[jbackerdirks]

Hi XraySpeX,

Thanks for your post.  Regarding your suggestion "Standard phones with a cord originally intended to be plugged into a phone socket now need to be plugged into the Phone socket on the back of the router (or a DV adapter)", this is of course what I have done.  If you read my first post, I explained this. But thank you for your suggestion, much appreciated.

Jules BD

[XRaySpeX]

Yes, you did this but you never said it didn't work. So I inferred that it did work. All you said was it didn't work when you disconnected the cord from the router.

[JimM11]

@jbackerdirks Have had a look through the Digital Home Phone section regarding the latest digital advanced phones and could find no reference to those not working with the tone push menu, but that is not to say it does not happen. Would suggest that you post a request as before with the specific to test dial the Axa number and then the option as you would do, see if someone would be kind enough to test for you, i would but did not take DV for all off the reason's you are finding.

The Router FW is being updated currently, with the aim to try and fix a few DV faults that EE are aware off but it is not published in anyway what. Posting in that section may have some what better focus.