Smart Telecom Support A Joke??

corcaigh2006

I have made several queries with Smart Telecom to find out when their service will be coming to my area and made several sincere suggestions on how they could improve their customer service.

Can anyone please recommend a good ISP besides eircom as I find them too expensive at 54 a month for 3Mb connection!

The Real B-man

I Like it!!

watty

Check out the Broadband forum. See if any good wireless packages available. Compare other ADSL bitstream resellers UTV, BT, Digiweb, Perlico.

eth0_

I think the title of this thread should be changed as it is totally unfair. Smart's support people are first class, the last (and only) time i've had a problem, one of the network engineers stayed late to fix my problem and kept me constantly updated. You wouldn't get that from BT or Eircom i'm sure.

Kensington

eth0_ wrote:

I think the title of this thread should be changed as it is totally unfair.

Well, their engineer guys are fantastic guys, the two I've had out have been extremely pleasant and very helpful. Unfortunately though, their actual front support (customer support phone service, forums) leave a lot to be desired at the best of times.

From personal experience, trying to get through to their phone support can be a challenge. And once you get through, trying to explain problems is quite difficult - first, they make you go through a list of troubleshooting methods (which is fair enough). Then, if they can't deal with the query there and then, they tell you they'll call you back - WHICH THEY HARDLY EVER DO. But, next time you ring up, you've to explain the problem once again in it's entiriety, and then go through all the troubleshooting steps once more, even if you've already gone through them and it hasn't made the slightest bit of difference. And that's only to be told they'll escalate it and they'll call you back! Which, as I said before, doesn't happen.

It would seem it's not just me either - hake a look at their support forums (here) and have a look at the considerable number of support threads with issues that are not answered or dealt with at all. Also, there are many threads complaining about the same thing as myself - trying to get through to CS, not being called back when told etc.

Urban Weigl

In fairness, the main reason for the delay to enable many exchanges is that the local loop unbundling process is farked. You can thank ComReg and Eircom for that one.

Was Smart "dumb" to want to launch into the Irish market? Should they not have believed the BS they were fed by ComReg? Perhaps, but that's a different discussion.

cgarvey

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and leave the thread open, because it is a valid point about Smart Telecom, however I won't allow you to spam this forum for your cause.

.cg

Cabaal

In fairness I don't think its fair to totally blame Smart on this one, Eircom have made it extremely difficult for them, imho once they roll out a exchange their services have been fine
Eircom are just bloody scared of LLU....bit like BT were years ago....but even more so

Kensington

Of course, but it doesn't excuse them for failing to at least updating customers - coming out and saying that they can not be definite for sure as to if/when they can update individual exchanges would be far better than making people hang on. At least then, they won't be peeing people off to the extent they are now, people who then go badmouthing smart, putting off other potential customers...

corcaigh2006

Cabaal wrote:

In fairness I don't think its fair to totally blame Smart on this one, Eircom have made it extremely difficult for them, imho once they roll out a exchange their services have been fine
Eircom are just bloody scared of LLU....bit like BT were years ago....but even more so

Fair comment about Eircom and LLU but Smart have been ringing me for the past year or so pushing for me to sign up to their telephone packages stating that they will bring broadband soon. Many people have signed up to them with similar promises and are now still waiting up to 16 months later.

They originally told me that they will be in my area sometime in 2005, which changed to early to 2006 and now its sometime in 2006. Surely they could list in better detail their network build program.

corcaigh2006

corcaigh2006 wrote:

I have made several queries with Smart Telecom to find out when their service will be coming to my area and made several sincere suggestions on how they could improve their customer service.

Can anyone please recommend a good ISP besides eircom as I find them too expensive at 54 a month for 3Mb connection!

My original thread has been completely editied for SPAM reasons that help my cause??

Everything I wrote / showed here was factual and could be verified by visiting Smart's support forum.

I will not repeat my orginal comments for fear that they will be editied again, but are mods normally that harsh on these forums??

I thought this was Ireland not China!

corcaigh2006

eth0_ wrote:

I think the title of this thread should be changed as it is totally unfair. Smart's support people are first class, the last (and only) time i've had a problem, one of the network engineers stayed late to fix my problem and kept me constantly updated. You wouldn't get that from BT or Eircom i'm sure.

Nice to hear your opposing opinion on my comment. Better to argue than delete.

I have been with BT and found them to be a complete joke for both technical and customer accounts support. In my experience, Eircom have been very good for both technical/customer support but their prices are way to high.

Sponge Bob

You used the word SUPPORT head.

Smart SUPPORT and the technology behind it and the price of the package is excellent.

Their sales and customer service departments are less so .

Your original post said

They have the most disgruntled customers / potiential customers I have ever come across

Their customers, on balance , are absolutely ****ing delighted with them as you know perfectly well . Their crabbid potential customers should email phil.nolan over in eircom and ask why he dragging his arse on facilitating the unbundling of their exchange.

kaizersoze

corcaigh2006 wrote:

Fair comment about Eircom and LLU but Smart have been ringing me for the past year or so pushing for me to sign up to their telephone packages stating that they will bring broadband soon. Many people have signed up to them with similar promises and are now still waiting up to 16 months later.

To add insult to injury, if you sign up to their telephone package while you're waiting then Eircom will refuse to unbundle your line. You would have to transfer everything (line rental and calls) back to Eircom to facilitate unbundling. Then cancel your existing BB service and wait about 2 months or more to get Smart setup.
All of that mess is caused by Eircom but it's definately wrong for Smart to be pushing their call packages on customers awaiting their BB when they know full well that the whole thing will have to be undone to get their BB.

cgarvey

corcaigh2006 wrote:

My original thread has been completely editied for SPAM

Your only contribution to boards.ie at the time was a picture depicting Smart Telecom using their branding. Even if it was legal (and I'm not sure it was, but I'm not taking the chance, thank you), it was removed because of the

As such, we would ask that posters remain respectful in their opinions when discussing organisations or their employees

in the charter. A decision I stand by. You don't have to like it, but you can PM me/the other mod, or take it up in the Feedback forum if you want to persue it (so that we can keep this thread on topic).

corcaigh2006 wrote:

are mods normally that harsh on these forums??

Depends on which forum, and the circumstances. I can be fair sometimes, for example.

Welcome, and you do have a valid point, like I said already.

corcaigh2006

cgarvey wrote:

Your only contribution to boards.ie at the time was a picture depicting Smart Telecom using their branding. Even if it was legal (and I'm not sure it was, but I'm not taking the chance, thank you), it was removed because of the in the charter.

Thank you for the update but I would like to clarify that NO Smart Telecom branding or name was used in the image I posted whatsoever. I would like to clarify that it was a parody of such company named "dumb telecom" and the word smart was never used. Take it from me, I work for a magazine, there was nothing illegal. I have seen far worse pictures online for campaigns and I cannot believe that a so called "activism website" would edit something so small.

I am delighted that you are getting great service from smart in your area but it annoys me having smart reps knocking on the door or calling on the phone with their great packages and not telling customers that they may have to wait up to 16months or more to avail of broadband.

eth0_ wrote:

I think the title of this thread should be changed as it is totally unfair. Smart's support people are first class, the last (and only) time i've had a problem,

Overall each of their departments should have better communication and I do not believe that their Support website is sufficient to advise potiential customers. Also, the fact that one of their online support employees passes jokes against potiential customers shows inadequate customer support training on the company's behalf. (Reason for title - Smart support a Joke?? which was mentioned and explained the title in my pre-edited version).

Also, some of their reps are not too forthcoming in letting their potiential customers know that they will have to change their telephone numbers. A few friends of mine didnt know this after signing up and reverted to eircom immediately as they didn't want to change their numbers.

I agree with you that Eircom have a lot to blame for this, but it is poor customer service of Smart if they are getting people into contracts without letting them know of such long delays and by not fully disclosing the fact that their numbers will change (i know it is in the small print but not one of my friends who signed up read them).

Sponge Bob

Lookit, had you been posting here a while it would/could have been different. You could work for O2 for all we know .

Liam Byrne

Anyone here can understand how frustrating it is to have to wait, and wait, and wait for broadband; in that respect, you have my sympathy.....

Personally, I just find it odd that you've singled out Smart Telecom for the rant; while I too had to wait for a while before they let me know it was available, I'm STILL waiting for eircom to do the same - and they're the ones in control of the network!

From what I have seen, as soon as eircom enable an exchange and allow LLU, Smart are in there; if eircom are dragging their heels and not notifying Smart, then Smart can't plan (wonder who that situation suits best :rolleyes: )

So, if you want to rant at anyone, rant at eircom and comreg.

And, BTW, if and when Smart do get around to enabling your area, PLEASE don't come on the boards complaining that Smart are another joke because your phone number has to change.....that, too, is an eircom imposition.

For the record, I have no dealings with Smart other than as a satisfied customer, and the only reason I am a subscriber of theirs is that no-one else was capable of offering me anything.....and then it turned out to be the cheapest and best; if someone else comes up with a cheaper equivalent or better, I'll consider switching, but in the meantime there's no contest.