City venue 'loses thousands' after BT error blocked calls

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Opera restaurant Bel Canto estimates it has lost tens of thousands of pounds of business. The venue, which opened in Minster Court in September, had been drawing in crowds with its opera-singing waiting staff.

Manager Tatiana Sanglade received scores of emails from customers and suppliers who thought the company had collapsed over Christmas. BT told the company the error happened because a customer service operator in India "misunderstood" Ms Sanglade's request on 23 December to divert calls to her mobile over Christmas.

Instead BT first put a message on the line asking callers to phone the mobile number rather than redirecting them. Then on 13 January the line was cut off.

Ms Sanglade said: "We've lost so much money. I've phoned BT more than 100 times. Customers and suppliers think we went under."

Ms Sanglade said BT only explained what had happened and apologised last week. The line was then reconnected on Saturday.

Bel Canto has demanded BT compensate it for loss of earnings.

A BT spokesman said: "We apologise for any problems we may have caused. Our engineers did everything they could to ensure a full service was restored."

A RESTAURANT in the City says it is struggling after a British Telecom error blocked customer calls for 26 days.

Bel Canto., which opened in Minster Court in September, estimates it has lost tens of thousands of pounds of business.

Manager Tatiana Sanglade had asked to divert calls to her mobile over Christmas. Instead, BT put a message on the line asking callers to phone the mobile, and on 13 January the line was cut off. It was reconnected on Saturday.

Bel Canto has demanded that BT compensate it for loss of earnings. BT apologised for any problems caused.