[GB]Complaints to OFTEL about BT ISP QoS

zz03

OFTEL receives three times as many complaints from customers about BT ISP services compared with the next worst ISPs (NTL and Demon).

Numbers adjusted on a per 1000 subscribers basis.


http://www.oftel.gov.uk/publications/consumer/comp0603.htm

flav0rflav

That's damn good work by OFTEL, I'll look forward to similar from comreg.

As regards the numbers, if you look through the common complaints the one that pops up across all categories is that the supplier doesn't listen to the customer complaints.

zz03

Originally posted by flav0rflav

As regards the numbers, if you look through the common complaints the one that pops up across all categories is that the supplier doesn't listen to the customer complaints.

They need to read Ricardo SEMLER's "The Seven-Day Weekend" and then deploy the philosophy.

He was interviewed on RTE Radio 1 about two months ago.

The way every company should be run!

zz..

http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/0712677909/

aidan_dunne

God, I love this bit on that link:

A new way of work is needed. A new way of working has emerged at Semco of which the tell-tale signs are: hammocks where people rest during the day; Retire-a-Little plans; the end of the head office; and the abolition of control and boarding school mentality.

It sounds just like Globex Corporation's way of working in "The Simpsons". Remember, the episode where Homer goes to work as the head of the nuclear reactor division of Hank Scorpio's take-over-the-world corporation?

Homer: Okay team, it's the bottom of the fourth quarter. God gave us the atoms and it's up to us to make them dance. Hey, what's wrong? If Tom Landry's hat doesn't motivate you maybe I should just quit right now.

Nuclear Technician: I'm sorry sir. It's just that we're tired from working so hard to get this reactor online.

Homer: Tired, eh? You know what you guys need? Hammocks!

Later.....

Hank: Uh, hi, Homer. What can I do for you?

Homer: Sir, I need to know where I can get some business hammocks.

Hank: Hammocks? My goodness, what an idea. Why didn't I think of that? Hammocks! Homer, there's four places. There's the "Hammock Hut", that's on third. There's "Hammocks-R-Us." That's on third too. You got "Put-Your-Butt-There." That's on third. "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." Matter of fact, they're all in the same complex. It's the hammock complex on third.

Homer: Oh, the hammock district.

Hank: That's right.

Pure class!

zz03

Originally posted by aidan_dunne
God, I love this bit on that link:

The book is full of fundamental logic.

When you get it(!) you will read how they are big into picking the customers brains and using the feedback to grow the business and keep the customer satisfied by making sure they get what they want.

They are also into getting rid of people who don't love their job and letting the people who love their job do their own thing.

They have a few other good practices, but if I suggested them here in the context of eircom, they might look libelous!

Get the book!

zz..

aidan_dunne

Originally posted by zz03
.....using the feedback to grow the business and keep the customer satisfied by making sure they get what they want.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH........ DEEP BREATH......... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!

Oh God, stop it. Can't..... breath. Sides..... hurting..... from laughing..... too..... much..... thinking of that sentence...... in regards.... to..... eircom! HAHAHAHAHAHA!

zz03, that has just made my day! Thanks for that laugh. I needed it!

Seriously though, eircom could never be run like that. Certainly not in it's current form of an overstaffed, lumbering, pig-headed-refusing-to-change dinosaur. It would take a massive change in the way of thinking by everybody within eircom for that to happen. I think a lot of people are disappointed with Philip Nolan, myself included. When he came on board it looked like the old boys management structure was gone forever and Phil was going to completely restructure the company, making it leaner, meaner and more willing to play fairer in the marketplace. Certainly I remember posting here when he was appointed saying that I hoped this would be the case. Unfortunately, it never seemed to happen. Oh yeah, sure, things are slightly better but most times we can still see the eircom dinosaur lumbering on slowly with no willingness to change and even strongly opposing any change.

What will it take to change all this? Most people say competition but it's starting to look like even that won't make any difference. When you've got the second biggest telecommunications company in the country (Esat) happily giving up the fight, it seems, and willing to settle for a duopoly with eircom you have to wonder what hope we have of ever seeing change in eircom.

Or maybe that's just me being my usual pessimistic self, I don't know.

zz03

Originally posted by aidan_dunne
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH........ DEEP BREATH......... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!

>>>Seriously though, eircom could never be run like that. Certainly not in it's current form of an overstaffed, lumbering, pig-headed-refusing-to-change dinosaur.

Of course not. A fundamental change is required from the top to the bottom and from the bottom to the top.

>>> When you've got the second biggest telecommunications company in the country (Esat) happily giving up the fight

Ireland is in a worst case scenario really. BT = eircom. Same mentality. No other European country that I can think of has an ex state owned incumbent from another country in a similar position. Add to that eircom’s financial engineering games.

>>> What will it take to change all this? Most people say competition but it's starting to look like even that won't make any difference.

Perhaps eircom needs to be broken up on a regional basis? With the new entities encroaching on each others territories – as is happening in the US after the break-up of the baby bells. Some might think the market too small. Europe has lots of smaller states than Ireland with good local phone companies.

Or they could try and entice Ricardo Semler to give up the nice warm Brazilian climate and move to Ireland and spend his seven day weekends at eircom locations around the country. (Executives in his company don't have offices - they are either mingling with the staff or customers or at home or swinging on the hammock).

Page 76 of “the book”:

"Former GE CEO Jack Welch once told a store manager who was curious about the dead wood removal plan: “Yes, you should indeed fire two out of 20 salespeople immediately.” This makes sense to hard-nosed executives: Watch out for competition, it’s a tough world out there, let’s get moving. But it’s really just fear as a management technique. It spawns a regime of micro-terror and veiled threats: Stay busy, keep your numbers up, or we’ll have your ass.”

Words with a familiar echo?

zz..