UPC - take 2

Infoanon

There are reports that UPC have recently undertaken a major 're connection with customer' programme in an attempt to restore customer confidence and naturally increase product uptake.

I received one of these phone calls and it got me thinking - what do UPC have to do to restore customer confidence and 'beat off ' the threat of Sky and Freesat ?

More Channels ? - which Channels ?
Introduce HD ?
Introduce interactive ?
Improve customer service ?

What do icdg members think?

raddo

Well being a MMDS subscriber, a good first step would be to offer the same channels on MMDS as are on cable!!
Signed up for Setanta, happy with it but on cable you will recieve NASN as part of the package, not so on MMDS no sign of it, not even on EPG.
Basically paying for something that isn't supplied!! Only one of many!1

s_carnage

They really would have to improve their customer service by a massive margin. At the moment it is atrocious. I would have changed to sky months ago only it just doesn't suit me at the moment but in all my years ringing helplines I have never encountered a more appalling customer service

Kensington

They really need to get more channels on their digital TV system. All of the UKTV network channels would be a start. VoD, or Video On Demand, could be a huge killer for UPC also if they implemented it (and implemented it right!). With a large movie and TV series catalogue, it would appeal to quite a lot of people. They also need to sort out their software on the boxes, particularly their DVR. They need to bring it up to at least sky+ standard and get rid of all the annoying bugs in it.

HD and Interactive are niche type services - I can't remember the last time I used interactive on sky digital. They also need to push triple play more, and make it worthwhile and tempting for people to do so price wise. For example, I have phone and broadband from them, but use sky for TV. It'd take a lot to make me move TV back over to UPC. If it'd work out cheaper to get TV from them instead of sky, I'd consider switching back.

@raddo: The MMDS and cable lineups will never be the same, unfortunately. MMDS just doesn't have as much bandwidth as cable does so the space for channels isn't there.

bk

1) Stop forcing people to pay by direct debit.
2) Get rid of the €10 downgrade charge.
3) Stop doing stupid things like above, which only pisses off customers,.
4) Finish upgrading the whole network for phone and BB.
5) Fix the DVR, series link, dual record and stability, needs to be as good as Sky+.
6) Vastly improve customer service, you shouldn't be on hold for more then a minute.
7) Ensure engineer visits are as scheduled.
8) Stop throttling p2p
9) Stop routing most traffic through Amsterdam, we are an English speaking country, traffic should be routed:
Ireland -> Ireland (peer with everyone through INEX)
Ireland -> US (direct)
Ireland -> UK (direct)
the rest can go through Amsterdam and for good sakes make sure you have enough bandwidth on all these links and enough capacity on your networking gear.

Basically no point in offering 20mb BB if the service doesn't give you anything like 20mb and doesn't work well.

10) HD
11) VoD like the cable companies in the US and UK have.
12) Use higher bitrates for SD.

Basically they just need to become more customer focused and give the customer what he wants.

A "'re connection with customer' programme" where they just ring you up to find out how you feel, is a load of bs, it won't change anything. Obviously they must be losing lots of customers to Sky.

Deedsie

Kensington wrote: »

@raddo: The MMDS and cable lineups will never be the same, unfortunately. MMDS just doesn't have as much bandwidth as cable does so the space for channels isn't there.

But do they intend to upgrade MMDS areas to cable areas? Wouldnt that be a better option? perhaps not for rural areas, but for large towns, above 5000 people cable service should be available.

Kensington

Deedsie wrote: »

But do they intend to upgrade MMDS areas to cable areas? Wouldnt that be a better option? perhaps not for rural areas, but for large towns, above 5000 people cable service should be available.

Good point, it's crazy that built up areas in Limerick and Tipp are still on MMDS when they could well be on cable systems. Guess we'll just have to wait and see will they upgrade them!

Deedsie

Kensington wrote: »

Good point, it's crazy that built up areas in Limerick and Tipp are still on MMDS when they could well be on cable systems. Guess we'll just have to wait and see will they upgrade them!

Ah its nuts. Nenagh and Roscrea are both along the N7 Portlaoise has it - Limerick has it. Baffles the mind. If they would just give an indication as to what towns are next in line. I can tell you Nenagh was recently dug up to lay broadband cables, wouldnt it have been great if they could have layed the necessary cables in one go.

Manc-Red

Obviously Customer Care has to improve greatly, they seem to be be slowly doing this - especially since UPC took over the reigns...

As far as content on there various mediums goes - For me it has to be HD, I'm a user of HD via satellite (foreign) - and for those who have not used it, trust me its outstanding.

d8player

bk wrote: »

1) Stop forcing people to pay by direct debit.
2) Get rid of the €10 downgrade charge.
3) Stop doing stupid things like above, which only pisses off customers,.
4) Finish upgrading the whole network for phone and BB.
5) Fix the DVR, series link, dual record and stability, needs to be as good as Sky+.
6) Vastly improve customer service, you shouldn't be on hold for more then a minute.
7) Ensure engineer visits are as scheduled.
8) Stop throttling p2p
9) Stop routing most traffic through Amsterdam, we are an English speaking country, traffic should be routed:
Ireland -> Ireland (peer with everyone through INEX)
Ireland -> US (direct)
Ireland -> UK (direct)
the rest can go through Amsterdam and for good sakes make sure you have enough bandwidth on all these links and enough capacity on your networking gear.

Basically no point in offering 20mb BB if the service doesn't give you anything like 20mb and doesn't work well.

10) HD
11) VoD like the cable companies in the US and UK have.
12) Use higher bitrates for SD.

Basically they just need to become more customer focused and give the customer what he wants.

A "'re connection with customer' programme" where they just ring you up to find out how you feel, is a load of bs, it won't change anything. Obviously they must be losing lots of customers to Sky.

Well said BK!!! For me it really boils down to VOD, Series link and double recording. I haven't gotten a HD tv because there's no signal so maybe the availability of that will finally persuade me.

lensman

I'm getting pestered by UPC for over a year now, the call me every few weeks trying to get me to take up their phone service,..one agent called me about 2mths ago & tried some sneaky tactics,.he started by telling me that they have just finnished upgrading the cable network in my area & I should notice a big improvment in my BB & Digital TV, when I told him I don't have their TV service only their BB he said that they would like to send me a free gift of a phone, I said that I did'nt want any free phone as I have VOIP phone service from Blueface, he then said that was fine but they are just sending these phones out as they have 1000's to give away free, I asked was there any strings attached ? he said no & I did not even have to use it & I could throw it in the bin if I wanted to,..his words,........a week later at 9:30pm I get a call from a UPC tech asking me for directions to my house, when I asked why he said I had ordered a phone installation & he was calling to install it,...needless to say I put him right on this one & he was quite taken aback at the sales tactics used & said he would report the issue to his supervisor,..2 days later I get a call from a supervisor seeking clarifaction on the mixup as she called it,..no mixup I said just your sneaky sales team trying to pull a fast one on me,..she finaly apologised for the inconvience caused & said that should not have happened,... now here's the real nugget,..as we finnished up talking she actually tried to get me to subscribe to their shaging phone system:mad::mad::mad:

Rosser

In no particular order...

1) Yes more channels:

France 24 / Fox / MSNBC / US CNN Feed / Al Jezera
Sky Arts 1 & 2 in HD. ITV 2, 3 & 4. Sky 3
All the UKTV channels and Watch

2) Yes HD (Although prepared to wait for more content to come on stream)
3) Interactive (all that press red button stuff!)
4) On demand
5) Series link
6) Improve their call centre
7) Keep improving the BB & Phone offers

If they did that they'd really be able to put it up to sky

Rosser

lensman wrote: »

I'm getting pestered by UPC for over a year now, the call me every few weeks trying to get me to take up their phone service,..one agent called me about 2mths ago & tried some sneaky tactics,.he started by telling me that they have just finnished upgrading the cable network in my area & I should notice a big improvment in my BB & Digital TV, when I told him I don't have their TV service only their BB he said that they would like to send me a free gift of a phone, I said that I did'nt want any free phone as I have VOIP phone service from Blueface, he then said that was fine but they are just sending these phones out as they have 1000's to give away free, I asked was there any strings attached ? he said no & I did not even have to use it & I could throw it in the bin if I wanted to,..his words,........a week later at 9:30pm I get a call from a UPC tech asking me for directions to my house, when I asked why he said I had ordered a phone installation & he was calling to install it,...needless to say I put him right on this one & he was quite taken aback at the sales tactics used & said he would report the issue to his supervisor,..2 days later I get a call from a supervisor seeking clarifaction on the mixup as she called it,..no mixup I said just your sneaky sales team trying to pull a fast one on me,..she finaly apologised for the inconvience caused & said that should not have happened,... now here's the real nugget,..as we finnished up talking she actually tried to get me to subscribe to their shaging phone system:mad::mad::mad:

Jesus why does every thread end up side lined in to a personal complaint? We all get that they're crap at customer service and that they're years behind sky but for once can a thread stay on topic. Let's have thread where we believe that they might listen and one day get their sh1t together, let's get a little bit Obama - Yes We Can!!

Sorry Lensman this isn't exclusively directed at you;)

lensman

Rosser wrote: »

Jesus why does every thread end up side lined in to a personal complaint? We all get that they're crap at customer service and that they're years behind sky but for once can a thread stay on topic. Let's have thread where we believe that they might listen and one day get their sh1t together, let's get a little bit Obama - Yes We Can!!

Sorry Lensman this isn't exclusively directed at you;)

no offence taken..I know I did rant on a lot as to the wish list above, good luck..

Rosser

lensman wrote: »

no offence taken..I know I did rant on a lot as to the wish list above, good luck..

I don't think there's that much luck in the world

BendiBus

1) More channels - the obvious missing ones as listed by Rosser
2) Series Link
3) Record 2 programmes at once
4) Faster EPG
5) VOD

coylemj

This probably beats everything you've already heard about UPC customer 'service'.

After having no cable or satellite service for a couple of years, late last October I decided to signup with UPC, I was previously a customer and their cable passes along my road in the Eircom ducts, a throwback to the time when Cablelink was owned by Eircom. So all that's necessary to get me back in action is for an engineer to lift a manhole, connect me up, install my DVR and away we go.

I went to their website, I filled in all the forms, told them which channels package I wanted, gave my bank details and a suggested date for an engineer to call. I got a confirmation e-mail with all the details present and correct, they had my office number, my mobile number and they said that they'd try to match the suggested date but to wait for someone to call me to confirm that the engineer would indeed call on that date which is what I understood from the Ts & Cs on the website. Nothing could go wrong...

Apart from two marketing letters in early and late November sent to my specific address, I haven't heard a dickie bird since and that's three months ago! Think I'll do what all of my friends are telling me to do and that's sign up for Sky.

bk

Rosser wrote: »

In no particular order...
ITV 2, 3 & 4.

The ITV channels aren't there because of legal problems between ITV and TV3, same reason they aren't on the Sky EPG, NTL use to carry these channels until the legal problems.

coylemj wrote: »

Think I'll do what all of my friends are telling me to do and that's sign up for Sky.

Or you could try picking up the phone and ringing them. Of course for TV Skyis much better, but UPC is very good for phone and BB.

deanh

"a throwback to the time when Cablelink was owned by Eircom."


A.F.A.I.K., Cablelink was never owned by Eircom, so there may be some confusion between yourself and U.P.C. as to what services are available in your area.

Rosser

bk wrote: »

The ITV channels aren't there because of legal problems between ITV and TV3, same reason they aren't on the Sky EPG, NTL use to carry these channels until the legal problems.

I'd happily trade TV3 for the ITV's infact I'd nearly trade TV3 for Buzz

lensman

deanh wrote: »

"a throwback to the time when Cablelink was owned by Eircom."


A.F.A.I.K., Cablelink was never owned by Eircom, so there may be some confusion between yourself and U.P.C. as to what services are available in your area.

correct, an RTE subsidiary came first, (RTE Relays), I am old enough to remember RTE relays calling to the house & getting my parents to sign up, in those days every area had their own mast feeding the locality, the improvement in picture quality was amazing compared to the old rooftop aerial.

DingDong

deanh wrote: »

"a throwback to the time when Cablelink was owned by Eircom."


A.F.A.I.K., Cablelink was never owned by Eircom, so there may be some confusion between yourself and U.P.C. as to what services are available in your area.

Cablelink had Telecom Éireann as as it major shareholder for a number of years. It was the main reason the network fell in to such a state as they never invested an funds in improving the network or service. They only bought the company up for fear of an outside investor buying the company and developing voice services.
As for what coylemj said about the joint duct this may be the case as Telecom Éireann did allow cablelink to use some of it infrastructure(Most of this has now been separated ). New development built during Telecom Éireann ownership tend to have joint ducts. Is there a cable from the manhole into your home or even a tap in the chamber?. Did you ring 1908 and to find out what is happening with your order?.

icdg

deanh wrote: »

"a throwback to the time when Cablelink was owned by Eircom."


A.F.A.I.K., Cablelink was never owned by Eircom, so there may be some confusion between yourself and U.P.C. as to what services are available in your area.

Only strictly true in that the sale by Bord Telecom Eireann plc of its shareholding to NTL Inc, took place just before or around the time of the rebrand of Bord Telecom Eireann plc to Eircom plc.

The ownership of RTÉ Relays / Cablelink / NTL Ireland / UPC Ireland:

1970-1990 - wholly owned subsidary of RTÉ
1990-1999 60% Telecom Éireann, 40% RTÉ
1999-2005 - wholly owned subsidary of NTL Inc.
2005-present wholly owned subsidary of Liberty Global Inc.