Why I wouldnt use 11850 again.

Run_to_da_hills

Last Saturday I needed a number of a particular retail outlet in South Dublin. I thought I would give 11850 a go as the last time I used the service it was a flat rate.

After dialing the number a "non local" voice answered my call almost immediately. I had to repeat several times to the person the business that I wanted and when I got the number I was then asked "did I want to be connected", I distinctly said NO, I then heard the dialing tone of which I hung up immediately, after all this "confusion" the bill came to over €2 when I checked my credit, it could have been worse if I was unaware of the extra connection charges and didn't hang up.

These services now operate on premium rate so you are charged the longer you stay on so I think it could be intentional that they employ people that are trained to "drag on" the conversations. It wouldn't surprise me if these companies are also outsourcing their administration.

Jip

I never understand why anyone would use these services, particularly if you're at home and have the internet at your fingertips. I can understand using it when out alright but then I still use my data plan on my phone as it's still cheaper.

stellarartois

So you're annoyed that they charged you for a service you asked for?

Jip

If you read his post you will see that he said he didn't want to be connected but the operator went ahead anyway and he got charged for that, something he specifically said he didn't want.

stellarartois

Thats what he says but he did ring them in the first place.

Run_to_da_hills

Jip wrote: »

I never understand why anyone would use these services, particularly if you're at home and have the internet at your fingertips. I can understand using it when out alright but then I still use my data plan on my phone as it's still cheaper.

I rarely use them myself, and would only in extreme cases where I would be away from home away from Net access.

stellarartois wrote: »

So you're annoyed that they charged you for a service you asked for?

I'm annoyed that they employed someone that was unsuitable for the job Ie someone from the far east.

It was not an insurance company that I was ringing but a premium rate service of which I expected the right people imployed to do the job Ie someone that can understand dialect and have a knowledge of the city.

stellarartois

Are you racist?

gcgirl

tinternet mate!

Run_to_da_hills

stellarartois wrote: »

Are you racist?

I am not racist and don't bring that into this topic.

I don't have a any problem talking to my 3 Mobile account or Dell which both are outsourced to India but at the same time I am not paying them 40C per minute.

jor el

stellarartois, I would suggest if you have nothing to add to the thread, then don't add anything at all.

In the two times I've rang 11850, neither was a positive experience. The first time they gave me a wrong number, then 2nd time they hung up before giving me the number.

Unless there was absolutely no other option, I wouldn't ring any directory assistance. I have used 11811 a couple of time, and had no problem. As long as you don't get them to connect you, the charge should be reasonable enough.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

I'm annoyed that they employed someone that was unsuitable for the job Ie someone from the far east....

After dialing the number a "non local" voice answered my call...

Sorry Mods but that is blatantly racist!

I've used 11850 and 11811 and had not major problems with either. 11811 were quicker and seemed nicer to deal with but it wouldn't be a deciding factor for me.

dudara

Actually Srameen, I don't see know that is racist.

I don't think it's unreasonable when you ring directory inquiries that you talk to someone with local/Irish knowledge. It's a failing on the part of directory enquiries not to have english-literate people employed.

Additionally, the operator didn't do what the OP asked for, which would be a fail regardless of nationality.

Biffo The Bare

Destiny Creamy Hoof wrote: »

Sorry Mods but that is blatantly racist!

I've used 11850 and 11811 and had not major problems with either. 11811 were quicker and seemed nicer to deal with but it wouldn't be a deciding factor for me.

No its not racist. For example, I called up with a query to a well known software company last month, and ended up with someone in an Indian call centre. I couldn't understand a word he was saying and he couldn't grasp my problem either.
When you call up an Indian call centre, even though they are speaking English, their accent and tonation in many cases is such that communication is impossible.
Its not racist to voice an opinion about a particular service being offered.

kona

Destiny Creamy Hoof wrote: »

Sorry Mods but that is blatantly racist!

Typing racist in black, the irony.:rolleyes:

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

kona wrote: »

Typing racist in black, the irony.:rolleyes:

If you look carefully you'll see it's all in black. :rolleyes:

I think the word that escapes you is Bold

dudara wrote:

...would be a fail regardless of nationality.

My point exactly. Irrespective of nationality.

Biffo The Bare

Destiny Creamy Hoof wrote: »

If you look carefully you'll see it's all in black. :rolleyes:

I think the word that escapes you is Bold




My point exactly. Irrespective of nationality.

Destiny Creamy Hoof has got Willie O'Dea syndrome, still trying to defend something he said thats indefensible. Its extremely offensive to call somebody racist for pointing out something thats blatantly nothing of the sort.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

.

Bye.:rolleyes:

Miaireland

I have used both 11811 and 11850 and can't say I have had a problem with either.

Run_to_da_hills

Miaireland wrote: »

I have used both 11811 and 11850 and can't say I have had a problem with either.

They are fine if you have a straight foreward request.

Our man in Havana

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

They are fine if you have a straight foreward request.

Indeed. Anything off script will throw them.

I have had some annoying experiences with them in the past. Once I called up they answered "what do you want?" rather than give their business name and welcome spiel.

With the internet available I would never use them again unless absolutely stuck.

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

Walshie

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Last Saturday I needed a number of a particular retail outlet in South Dublin. I thought I would give 11850 a go as the last time I used the service it was a flat rate.

After dialing the number a "non local" voice answered my call almost immediately. I had to repeat several times to the person the business that I wanted and when I got the number I was then asked "did I want to be connected", I distinctly said NO, I then heard the dialing tone of which I hung up immediately, after all this "confusion" the bill came to over €2 when I checked my credit, it could have been worse if I was unaware of the extra connection charges and didn't hang up.

These services now operate on premium rate so you are charged the longer you stay on so I think it could be intentional that they employ people that are trained to "drag on" the conversations. It wouldn't surprise me if these companies are also outsourcing their administration.

I never use these services as I don't see the point with the wa wa wa. However I was driving and in a rush so I got my co-pilot to call.

I had the same experience yesterday and spent almost six minutes on the phone! They couldn't understand me and their call centre is now based in the Philippines. I am emailing a complaint as we speak and will expect a full refund.

Apparently 11890 is the only provide with call centres in Ireland - Galway and Dublin.

Our man in Havana

It is cheaper to simply use the internet on your phone and look the number on golden pages or eircoms own phonebook.

Faith+1

Why does Race always come up in these forums??? Who cares!?

Our man in Havana

Faith+1 wrote: »

Why does Race always come up in these forums??? Who cares!?

It has nothing to do with race.

These companies seek to save money and maximise profits by moving their call centres off shore to places like India etc. The companies they outsource to do not provide a good service to their clients in Ireland. That is not racist, it is fact.

Caught

My friend has called companies like these on numerous occasions, and I don't see why she bothers.
Everytime she rings, she asks for, lets say, the Rotunda's number. Everytime they then say "Okay, we'll text you the number back in a minute"
I think out of about seven times, once she has gotten a number texted back. And it costs about a euro to ring too.
She claims she'll never use it again - but she will.

Miaireland

Caught wrote: »

My friend has called companies like these on numerous occasions, and I don't see why she bothers.
Everytime she rings, she asks for, lets say, the Rotunda's number. Everytime they then say "Okay, we'll text you the number back in a minute"
I think out of about seven times, once she has gotten a number texted back. And it costs about a euro to ring too.
She claims she'll never use it again - but she will.

My friend is the exact same. She will ring 1811 or 11850 for every number requirement. It makes me laugh when she does it while sitting at her computer or near a phone book. She must spend a fortune on them.

wayhey

Walshie wrote: »

Apparently 11890 is the only provide with call centres in Ireland - Galway and Dublin.

I always use 11890. 11850/11890 are shockingly bad in comparison, in terms of service and cost and you always get really friendly Irish people on 11890-every call you're supporting Irish jobs!

Greyfox

Faith+1 wrote: »

Why does Race always come up in these forums??? Who cares!?

One of the reasons it comes up is because sadly some Irish people don't like having to deal with someone who does not have English as a first language even when the person dealing with them has very good English, when this happens it's been raceist

Run_to_da_hills

Greyfox wrote: »

One of the reasons it comes up is because sadly some Irish people don't like having to deal with someone who does not have English as a first language even when the person dealing with them has very good English, when this happens it's been raceist

I wouldn't blame them if they are expected to fork out up to €2.00 a minute to chat to them. :rolleyes:

There is also a big difference between someone who is born and bred here that speaks English fluently than someone born halfway across the globe who speaks English fluently but stumbles at the Irish dialect.

Again at €2.00 a minute I would rather speak to an Irish individual

Greyfox

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

I wouldn't blame them if they are expected to fork out up to €2.00 a minute to chat to them. :rolleyes:

There is also a big difference between someone who is born and bred here that speaks English fluently than someone born halfway across the globe who speaks English fluently but stumbles at the Irish dialect.

Again at €2.00 a minute I would rather speak to an Irish individual

Ah so your ok with some people been a little racist, I'm Irish and have worked with Polish, Hungarian, Indian and French people who could do their job better than me and were much more helpful, but yet some members of the public believed they had the right to descriminate befor they even gave a foreign person the chance to deal with their query.

I accept your point about Irish dialect but at the end of the day when a company hires staff to answer phones they make a decision on wheter or not the person they hire has good enough english to do the job and if a company has decided someone is good enough I don't think it's fair for the public to be questioning this befor they have even dealt with the person

Run_to_da_hills

Greyfox wrote: »

Ah so your ok with some people been a little racist, I'm Irish and have worked with Polish, Hungarian, Indian and French people who could do their job better than me and were much more helpful, but yet some members of the public believed they had the right to discriminate befor they even gave a foreign person the chance to deal with their query.

I have no problem with foreign call centers with my motor insurance, Dell computer and current ISP, However I am not paying premium rates for communicating with them and as you say these people are polite and try their best at the job.

Greyfox wrote: »

I accept your point about Irish dialect but at the end of the day when a company hires staff to answer phones they make a decision on whether or not the person they hire has good enough English to do the job and if a company has decided someone is good enough I don't think it's fair for the public to be questioning this befor they have even dealt with the person.

If it takes an average of 20 seconds less to hold a conversation on a home based directly inquiry service I would rightly use that service.

Its not a question of being racist but a matter regarding the back pocket.

I think I have got the message quite clear now.

Dinkie

I use 11890 now.

I went through similar things to you. Sometimes I'd get through and then would be cut off or else I would be given the wrong number and I'd have to ring them back again.

I don't mind the odd wrong number - but it happens a lot! I would ask for the a shop in Roscommon and get the phone number for a completely different place in Kerry! It used to drive me crazy.

Run_to_da_hills

Dinkie wrote: »

I use 11890 now.

I went through similar things to you. Sometimes I'd get through and then would be cut off or else I would be given the wrong number and I'd have to ring them back again.

I don't mind the odd wrong number - but it happens a lot! I would ask for the a shop in Roscommon and get the phone number for a completely different place in Kerry! It used to drive me crazy.

For all they know about the Irish Geography, Roscommon could be a small village in Co Kerry, just another reason for avoiding outsourced premium rate call centers.

Anthony Walsh

I don't think it racist to prefer having an irish person on the other end of the phone. I rang up one day and it took nearly a minute to explain i was in Ennis in Co.Clare, which to be honest is just not good enough. Any Irish person would have understood that after 10 seconds at most, because they have a knowledge of the geography and can understand the dialects (to be fair some are fairly hard to grasp). Secondly it took even longer to explain the place I wanted the number for. I was standing down the back of an old car park andof after a few minutes explaining a guy heard me say the name once and told me it where it was. As easy as that.

mowhawk

It is most certainly not racist to expect that the person at the other end of a premium telephone service, that is costing lots of money per second, has the ability to speak and understand the local dialect of English. After all the customer is paying through the nose for the service not for the privilege of teaching English (the local version or otherwise) to the person on the other end of the phone. Given the price of these rip-off services I feel that is the very least that one can expect. I am Irish and married to a Kenyan woman and when we visit Kenya it is very easy to reduce people to tears of laughter by simply telling them what passes for 'racism' in Ireland with some people.

It would seem that with a lot of ignorant people that any legitimate criticism of a non-Irish person is automatically racist.

As an example the other day I went into a local convenience shop and when I returned to my car I found it blocked in by another car which was double parked. After waiting about five minutes all the time debating whether I should call the Garda or not a West African woman arrives and without even a hint of an apology proceeds to open the door of the offending vehicle. Seeing her attitude of total unconcern for the inconvenience that she had caused me I called her an inconsiderate b***h. She immediately began to berate me very loudly as a 'racist' for daring to speak to her thus. I proceeded to explain to her that it was irrelevant what colour her skin was, where she was born, what religion she was or even what sex she was but she just got into her car and stormed off. The fact was and remained that she was a totally inconsiderate and selfish b***h. I was left defending my position to a squeal of tyres and the high speed departure of the 'discriminated against' party.

Oh, yeah! The Irish are institutionally racist alright.

I would honestly consider that woman to be the racist as she clearly used the fact that I was white to justify her transgression but no doubt the do-gooders would tell me to dry my eyes, remind me that I was a big boy now and get on with my life.

Imagine if the boot were on the other foot however.

k123456

It certainly isnt racist to expect someone at the end of the phone , providing a costly service geared to Irish customers , to have
an understanding of Irish place names
can understand an Irish accent
and can deliver answer in a clear and understandable (to an Irish customer) manner


I would suggest that some posters here on this thread should take a short, yet productive time out to understand what the word racist means or invest in a dictionary

watch12

i have to say i agree with the last two posters... people really need to think before they form ill judged opinions... also agree with the sentiment regarding the mentioned directory services..

LimeFruitGum

Many call centres in India and the likes have British/American culture and diction lessions. It would appear that they haven't done the same for Hiberno-English because the market is much smaller and not really worth the bother. It is poor client service, but money talks after all.

Mind you, having been a call-centre drone myself, they're probably just sitting there on the calls wishing they could feck off out and never come back!

dana leordean

2014 Happy New Year -Resolution :
NEVER CALL 11850 .....In your LIFE...they just charged me €15 for a CALL!!
Shame on THEM!!!

dudara

Zombie thread - closed

dudara