Sky Good afternoon, Sky.
Mktg I want to talk to someone about Andy Gray and Richard Keys. Would that be you?
Sky No. Do you want to make a comment about it?
Mktg I want to know how the issue is going to be dealt with.
Sky We haven't been informed on the switchboard. You need to speak to customer services. (Gives number and Mktg calls.) Good afternoon, this is (name) at Sky, how can I help?
Mktg I was thinking of subscribing but I'm disturbed by the reports I've read about Andy Gray and Richard Keys.
Sky What's going on is politics; I don't know what the reason is.
Mktg It's not politics, it's about these people being sexist.
Sky That's the first I've come across it. Is it something recent?
Mktg It happened over the weekend.
Sky Oh, OK. A lot of stuff in the news is not real, it's made up.
Mktg No, this is real. It's the guys from Sky Sports.
Sky Oh yeah - the guys who said stuff about the referees.
Mktg It seems really sexist. What's going to happen?
Sky I'm not sure. With regard to Sky Sports, that's all done down South in London.
Mktg So you're not Sky?
Sky I am Sky, but I just take subscription orders. It's those higher-up who deal with Sky Sports.
Mktg I was told to call this number. So who do I talk to?
Sky I will find out. (Marketing is put on hold.) Hello. You have to put it in writing.
Mktg Are you saying I can't speak to anyone and that I have to put it in writing?
Sky Andy Gray probably works for an agency. What he said was wrong, but Andy Gray has nothing to do with Sky.
Mktg But he works there.
Sky Not for the Sky company itself. What he said was wrong. It probably will be pursued further, but it shouldn't make a difference to subscribing to Sky.
Mktg Well it does. It says something about the organisation.
VERDICT
A confusing experience all round. The call-handler seemed to believe Andy Gray could not be disciplined because he didn't work directly for Sky. However, he sympathised with me and was patient. Sky clearly had not briefed its customer-care service on this story, so the call-handler had to improvise.
Note: this call was made before Andy Gray was sacked and Richard Keys had quit Sky.
SCORE 5/10.