So, I’ve been having problems with my broadband. Problems significant enough that I would suggest that the Dept of Comms actually think through the potential reliance on Fixed Wireless solutions for Ireland’s broadband deficit. More on that another time.
What annoys me in the immediate sense is the level of customer service that people seem to think is OK. I had my FWA antenna removed from my house today. I found out about it when I looked out the window and saw the van from my provider in the drive way and the legs of a ladder going up the side of the house. I expected a binglybong on the door bell to let me know what was happening, but nowt. I was working so I couldn’t rush out to talk to the man. By the time I’d finished the work stuff he’d vanned away again.
I’d complained to my provider in writing back in May about some issues. I got a nice email addressing part of my complaint and bugger all else. After this morning’s visitation I emailed them to find out what was going on.
Apparently they’ve tried to contact me “numberous” [sic] times over the past month to talk to me about the problems I was having.
Checked email… nowt.
Checked spam filter… nowt.
Checked missed calls on phone… nowt.
Checked the drawer in the kitchen where all the things that look like bills get hidden… nowt.
I know I had no voicemails from them on the phone as I would have remembered it (and I would have downloaded the voicemail from the webmail service provided by my mobile service provider -betcha didn’t know you could do that did you, unified messaging almost – and put it in the folder of documents/evidence I am compiling to go with my inevitable ComReg complaint).
Apparently the only contact information they have for me is my mobile number. Apart from the fact they’ve sent me emails to my email address and a man-in-a-van could find my house, where letters also go. And I included all of that information again on my complaint letter.
So the lack of a follow up email, or a letter responding to my complaint or a friendly binglybong on the doorbell from the man in the van to fill me in on things were all beyond them, because they didn’t have the information. Which they, errmmmm, had, for the reasons mentioned above.
So that thing about only having a mobile number to contact me is a… [mistake] [lie] [cop out] [failure of internal processes to properly manage customer information]… (select one or more options as appropriate).
It would seem it’s all my fault I didn’t know what was going on. I should have felt the disturbance in The Force, as if a small call centre of people suddenly cried out as one and then suddenly felll silent. Curse my failing and fading Jedi skills.
At least that’s how I’d feel if I wasn’t so peeved at the whole thing. I think that once I’ve updated ComReg with the nonsense I’m dealing with I’ll send my ex-provider a request for all personal information they hold about me (electronic and paper file, and ip and traffic logs etc. ) under the terms of the Data Protection Act. ‘Coz I am fond of my regulatory frameworks and codes of practice etc.
Notice that I’ve not named the service provider or discussed the specific issues here. That would be unfair to my (it would seem former – at their initiative) Broadband Provider. However, they are exactly the type of organisation that DCENR seems to be pinning the Great Broadband Hope on.
The good news is that the Vodafone broadband dongle I have for using while commuting and which has been my main tool for getting on line at home recently – even though it is just 2G around these parts, picked up a 3 3G network last night. Couldn’t connect to it but knew it was there. So that’s got me thinking….
Comments
One response to “How not to handle a customer…”
My name is Rui Medeiros.
On December 17th 2008 I went to the Carphonewarehouse in Tralee to buy an O2 modem, they didn’t have them at that time but Anthony McCarthy who dealt with me said he had a long list of phone numbers to ring the following day when they were expected to receive the modems and that he would phone me too so I gave him my phone number and he promised to phone me the following day.
But I got no phone call – went to shop Anthony lied to me saying he did try to phone but never got through – this is a lie as I would have got a missed call etc… I though it strange that Anthony discriminated me but then I also thought he might have been too busy – he said the modems had arrived that day and he sold one to me – however when they got my details they said o2 declined and Anthony said that I’d be better off to buy the three modem but NOT (although they did have 3 modems as I checked) from the carphonewarhouse, Anthony said I should go to the Three shop to get it – again I thought that strange as they are there to sell – strange they sent me to a different shop but thought nothing of it really at that time.
It was only when I got a letter from 02 welcoming me and ACCEPTING my bank account details and informing the Direct Debit had been accepted and was in effect that I though there was something very wrong in that Carphonewarehouse in Tralee. I rang O2 to confirm and they said it was a mistake by the Carphone shop, that I should go there and demand my sim card back and have it activated! I phoned carphone and asked to speak to Anthony McCarthy – again he promised me he would contact o2 and phone me back in 30 min – that again did not happen so i phoned the manager of tralee carphone – he said i should go there the following day to activate the simcard, he also told me what time anthony was there and guaranteed he’d be there – when i arrived Anthony wasn’t there and the manager had just left – he was just outside the shop when i asked him could i speak to him for a minute – he hunted me he said he had finished work – i thought strange that a manager should have such bad manners and that he would leave at 4pm leaving his team alone until 9pm… Anthony was not there either so i asked the other guys for help – i showed them the letter from o2 accepting my direct debit bank details but again they declined to help me and to activate my card… i did not like the way i was treated as i was right to be very upset and the guy behind the counter was rude and wanted me out of there – this is not customer care, he just showed he did not care! and this is just a few weeks after RTE revealed the type of customer care Ireland has – I have mind to write to RTE as well as some of Kerry media as I feel discriminated, I feel that in Ireland, especially in Kerry people are racist and that is surely the
reason why I was not treated with the same respect as any other Irish customer, because I am a foreigner.I think they owe me an apology.