Someone please help!

David Jones

We have since April tried to get Eircom to connect us to phone and broadband and we are still waiting. Engineers came out in may and said they would return but some digging would be required to connect that house (a new build in 2006 off a private lane) I heard nothing for 2 weeks and when I phoned I got through to the rudest least helpful individual I have ever come across in any customer service area. He informed the reason I hadn't heard anything was that I was responsible for hiring contractors to dig from the nearest manhole to my property. I questioned this and he basically implied I was stupid and wasting his time. I phoned again and got through to a very nice girl and I explained I wasn't happy with the way I had just been spoken to or the information I was given. She took note of my complaint and assured me that Eircom would be taking care of all the connection/digging etc and she wasn't sure where the previous guy I spoke to was coming from. She said my complaint would be processed and someone would call me. She said my date for connection would be the 26th of June 2013.
No one called and the 26th came and went. I emailed to question why nothing had been done and I got a reply thanking me for my email and telling me the query had now been resolved! 
I phoned earlier this week and after 4 people passed me round I spoke to someone in complaints who assured me she would find out what is happening. She said my lodging of a complaint about how I was treated was NEVER filed! She did manage to be someone to call me the next day who informed me Wicklow Co Council had to give permission for works to be done (this is a private lane by the way) and that was the delay. 
No mention of complaint against their customer service guy and no reason given as to why I was told the 26th June as the delivery date.


You are an appalling company to deal with Eircom. You can't get through to anyone who actually can help you. It is a crime that you have the monopoly on phone line installation. The above would simply not be tolerated in the UK or abroad. This is 21st century Ireland and its a simple request to become one of your customers and I live 15 miles from city centre and 1.5miles from a big telephone exchange. The Eircom manhole is 10ft from my gate where the pipe and connection are already set up.
It surely can't be in your interests to treat customers so poorly?

tibolt

Hi David,

Welcome to the crazy of Eircom. From my own experiences with them, I've dealt with some excellent reps. and engineers that go out of their way to help. Unfortunately they also seem to employ quite a lot of pretty useless reps. as well.

One of the  Eircom reps will probably respond to you tomorrow, but I wouldn't hold much hope of getting your problem resolved here -  I hope I'm proved wrong. You might be better continuing to deal with the Complaints Dept.

Eircom actually have a Customer code of practice and a Customer Service Guarantee tucked away on their website. You can find it here: http://support.eircom.net/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBCGI.EXE/&/?St=49&E=0000000000068958510&K=7041&Sxi=4&Case=obj(11630)

Eircom should not have a monopoly on land lines. (I'm assuming they still do.)

Incidentally, according to their report Eircom lost 24 thousand phone customers in the first 3 months of this year - no doubt in part because they treat customers so poorly.

T.

David Jones

Thanks T. I just can't fathom how bad the communication has been from a company that deals in communication. I now know why they dont have an official Facebook page, they would be inundated with dissatisfied customers. After more than 3 months I have no illusions on anyone competent contacting me with a definite date of installation, but I guess if you say there are competent and intelligent individuals working in eircom there is always hope. I do know if I did my job as badly as some if those I have dealt with I would be in court and then prison.

eircom: Tracey

Hi David Jones,

I am very sorry to hear of the bad experience you have had.

Can you please PM me your details and I will look into this for you?

Thanks

Tracey

David Jones

Pm sent. Thanks.

eircom: Tracey

Thanks, I will look into this and come back to you with an answer.

Thanks

Tracey

David Jones

I wouldn't want people thinking this was sorted.
Copy if Pm sent today
Hi Tracey,

Coincidentally there was an eircom technician at our next door neighbours today dealing with a fault. He still can't believe our job is outstanding. The job number is *******  and my wife tries talking to eircom today with this information, I have given up, and she has been informed our line is apparently active and I am currently being charged line rental???!!!
I cannot believe how bad this whole process has been, if I did
my job as inefficiently I would be in court.
Please can you see if you can speed up this process.
My wife has been passed around 6 people in the phone already today. It's simply unacceptable.

eircom: Mark

David Jones wrote: »

I wouldn't want people thinking this was sorted.
Copy if Pm sent today
Hi Tracey,

Coincidentally there was an eircom technician at our next door neighbours today dealing with a fault. He still can't believe our job is outstanding. The job number is *******  and my wife tries talking to eircom today with this information, I have given up, and she has been informed our line is apparently active and I am currently being charged line rental???!!!
I cannot believe how bad this whole process has been, if I did
my job as inefficiently I would be in court.
Please can you see if you can speed up this process.
My wife has been passed around 6 people in the phone already today. It's simply unacceptable.

Hi David Jones


I spoke to Tracey and she advised she sent an escalation to our operations department (on the 09/07/13 & the 15/07/13) to try and get an update on the license request pending.

I sent another follow up today.

As far as I have been made aware work needs to be done on both private / public land so we need official written confirmation before proceeding with the work.

As soon as we have a response we will get right onto you.

Mark

David Jones

Hi Mark,
Could you clarify who needs to confirm and what? There is no public land involved, the connection is on a private lane and the owner says he has not been contacted by eircom and would phone if he thought it would speed things up. 

Can you clarify if we are actually being currently billed for line rental as we were told on the phone today, I can't recall which of the six incompetents it was who told us that. But billing for a non existent product is surely a new low if true. 

Kind regards

David

eircom: Mark

David Jones wrote: »

Hi Mark,
Could you clarify who needs to confirm and what? There is no public land involved, the connection is on a private lane and the owner says he has not been contacted by eircom and would phone if he thought it would speed things up. 

Can you clarify if we are actually being currently billed for line rental as we were told on the phone today, I can't recall which of the six incompetents it was who told us that. But billing for a non existent product is surely a new low if true. 

Kind regards

David

Hi David,

That is the brief outline I have been been given to date.


No line rental or service charges are applicable until the line is connected and the account is up and running.

I will keep pushing our operations team and let you know as soon as there is any update.

Mark

eircom: Mark

David Jones wrote: »

Hi Mark,
Could you clarify who needs to confirm and what? There is no public land involved, the connection is on a private lane and the owner says he has not been contacted by eircom and would phone if he thought it would speed things up. 

Can you clarify if we are actually being currently billed for line rental as we were told on the phone today, I can't recall which of the six incompetents it was who told us that. But billing for a non existent product is surely a new low if true. 

Kind regards

David

Hi David,

I got an update from the operations and they are hopeful they can start the work on the 02/08/13.

I will follow up with you next week to insure everything is on track,

Thanks, Mark

David Jones

Thanks for the update Mark.

eircom: Mark

David Jones wrote: »

Thanks for the update Mark.

No problem.

Mark

David Jones

Up early, didn't sleep much with the excitement that something might be done about phone and broadband today. Not holding my breath. No official contact from anyone.

eircom: Mark

David Jones wrote: »

Up early, didn't sleep much with the excitement that something might be done about phone and broadband today. Not holding my breath. No official contact from anyone.

Hi David,

The operations department advised that they started the cabling work yesterday. They are still working on it today.

So it may be next week before we get a definite appointment date (when we get an update / confirmation).  We will let you know.

Mark

David Jones

Hi Mark, 
That sounds a little vague. Nothing has happened outside my house nor at the eircom connection across the lane. I realize its a bank holiday Friday but there has been no visible sign of work here.

David Jones

It has been 67 working days since my order.

eircom: Alan

David Jones wrote: »

It has been 67 working days since my order.

Hi David Jones

We have been keeping you up to date with details however I have no further update available at this moment in time. I have requested an update from operations and as soon as they get back to me I shall let you know.

Al

David Jones

Hi Al,

While I appreciate that so far the responses on here have been quicker and appear to be more knowledgeable than those you get when you contact Eircom by phone. An update on nothing doesn't really count as an update. 3 posts up implies cabling work has begun when it hasn't. Both neighbours on my left and right have eircom lines, I can see the eircom manhole from my gate, nothing has been done, that is the only true update.

It looks like the updates you get from "operations" are about as helpful and true as the ones I received from phoning customer services over the last 3 months.

eircom: Alan

David Jones wrote: »

Hi Al,

While I appreciate that so far the responses on here have been quicker and appear to be more knowledgeable than those you get when you contact Eircom by phone. An update on nothing doesn't really count as an update. 3 posts up implies cabling work has begun when it hasn't. Both neighbours on my left and right have eircom lines, I can see the eircom manhole from my gate, nothing has been done, that is the only true update.

It looks like the updates you get from "operations" are about as helpful and true as the ones I received from phoning customer services over the last 3 months.

Ok David Jones

I understand this is fustrating however we can only offer you information that we have available to us.

Al

David Jones

68 working days  : update no sign of work being done

David Jones

Day 69 : Update:No progress from Eircom.  Have contacted Comreg, Conor Pope, Department of Communications specifically their broadband section and even Joe Duffy. "Switching to Eircom couldn't be easier" adverts on 3 or 4 times this morning. Clearly false advertising. 

David Jones

Day 70 : Update : No Progress. Another week gone by though. Thanks Eircom!

Flibbles

They've stopped responding to me as well. Surely outright lying to a customer is a crime?

Incidentally, ComReg are up to their ears with complaints in the last 6 months.

David Jones

Nothing seems to be against the law for a company with an unwarranted monopoly on line installation. I have had nothing but exemplary customer service as a Superquinn and Marks and Spencer customer over the years. Those 282 people who are losing their jobs are more deserving of employment than the 17 (yes 17!) different people I have been passed around on the phone since April. Irish society rewards and tolerates incompetence.

David Jones

71 working days or Week 17 begins, no doubt more lies and being fobbed off await. 

David Jones

72 working Days since order. No progress, yet more lies of "I'll get back to you". 

David Jones

Hi David,

The operations department advised that they started the cabling work yesterday. They are still working on it today.

So it may be next week before we get a definite appointment date (when we get an update / confirmation).  We will let you know.

Mark


This was on the 2nd of August. It's lies clearly, no cabling has taken place and no appointment date has been forthcoming unless you mean the one that came and went on the 26th of June with nothing happening?


DAY 73 : let me guess no one knows anything and there are no updates on my order. You guys should now take the rest of the day off.  

WildSaffron

This is appalling.

eircom: Alan

David Jones wrote: »

Hi David,

The operations department advised that they started the cabling work yesterday. They are still working on it today.

So it may be next week before we get a definite appointment date (when we get an update / confirmation).  We will let you know.

Mark


This was on the 2nd of August. It's lies clearly, no cabling has taken place and no appointment date has been forthcoming unless you mean the one that came and went on the 26th of June with nothing happening?


DAY 73 : let me guess no one knows anything and there are no updates on my order. You guys should now take the rest of the day off.  

Hi David

I totally agree that this has gone on a very long time.

I can assure you I am chasing your order daily and doing my best to find a resolution to this.

THanks

Al

Flibbles

David Jones wrote: »

Hi David,

The operations department advised that they started the cabling work yesterday. They are still working on it today.

So it may be next week before we get a definite appointment date (when we get an update / confirmation).  We will let you know.

Mark


This was on the 2nd of August. It's lies clearly, no cabling has taken place and no appointment date has been forthcoming unless you mean the one that came and went on the 26th of June with nothing happening?

I have to say, it takes real balls to claim you have staff working on someones land when they are able to look out the window and see they are not.

RangeR

<follow>

OP, has any money come out of your account?
Or have you received a bill?

David Jones

My last phone conversation with Eircom resulted in being passed around 8 different people, one of whom informed me I was being charged line rental since April when I placed order. I laughed at them and have since confirmed they were an idiot or having a senior moment and I'm not yet having to pay for a service I'm not getting.

David Jones

Day 74 : no progess to report. While I don't hold the reps on here personally responsible for this debacle as I said to Al yesterday they are unfortunately on the customer service frontline of a company that has them constantly apologizing for customer policies that are clearly outdated and not working. 

eircom: Alan

David Jones wrote: »

Day 74 : no progess to report. While I don't hold the reps on here personally responsible for this debacle as I said to Al yesterday they are unfortunately on the customer service frontline of a company that has them constantly apologizing for customer policies that are clearly outdated and not working. 

Hi David Jones

I'm doing my very best to get this resolved and as soon as I have good news I will get on to you straight away.

Thanks

Al

David Jones

Day 75 end of 17 weeks of no progress. Will there be good news today?

eircom: Alan

David Jones wrote: »

Day 75 end of 17 weeks of no progress. Will there be good news today?

Hi David Jones


I've no further update. I wish I had but I can only offer the information available to me from operations. I would like to assure you that I would really like to have positive news for you and I'm requesting info on this everyday as you have been enquiring to this every day. As soon as I have more info I will let you know.


Thanks

Al

David Jones

76 working days since my order, the start of week 18 of a process I no longer wish to be involved in but have no choice due to your landline installation monopoly. Please pass my worst wishes to the inappropriately named "operations" department. 

The act of functioning or operating....they do neither. 

RangeR

Maybe push ComReg again?

David Jones

I have response from ComReg which says they will be in touch but are inundated with complaints about Eircom. However that was over a week ago. The regulatory bodies in this country are so inefficient that it lets cowboy corporations away with treating customers like they are nothing. 

eircom: Mark

David Jones wrote: »

I have response from ComReg which says they will be in touch but are inundated with complaints about Eircom. However that was over a week ago. The regulatory bodies in this country are so inefficient that it lets cowboy corporations away with treating customers like they are nothing. 

Hi Dave,

I have a record of your complaint REF: 1084083 . I will send another follow up to see if I can get any further updates just to push it from here as well.

Mark

David Jones

Day 77 : no updates, no progress. Will I reach 100 working days with an unfulfilled order? Seems very likely. 

eircom: Mark

David Jones wrote: »

Day 77 : no updates, no progress. Will I reach 100 working days with an unfulfilled order? Seems very likely. 

Hi Dave,

I got in contact with the operations manager and as soon as he gets back to me I will update you straight away.

Mark

David Jones

Day 78 : I guess the "operations" manager had no update either. 

David Jones

Now as if to highlight the need for improved inter-department communications in Eircom. A subcontractor has arrived unannounced with a mini-digger, they will put in the piping but the wiring will be Eircom's responsibility. I hope that it won't be a further 78 working days for that. 
Seriously though could the operations manager not have made you guys aware of this yesterday? 
That would have been the best update yet.
It will be interesting to see progress made today. 

eircom: Mark

David Jones wrote: »

Now as if to highlight the need for improved inter-department communications in Eircom. A subcontractor has arrived unannounced with a mini-digger, they will put in the piping but the wiring will be Eircom's responsibility. I hope that it won't be a further 78 working days for that. 
Seriously though could the operations manager not have made you guys aware of this yesterday? 
That would have been the best update yet.
It will be interesting to see progress made today. 

Hi David Jones

Yes the ducting is done through a contractor. Apologies we did not get confirmation of the call out today to give you advanced notice.

I will get straight back onto operations.

Mark

David Jones

Day 79 : Update is that I have a manhole put in by sub contractors yesterday. Eircom now are responsible for putting in the wiring etc. I sincerely hope that wont be another 79 days. But a small bit of good news is welcome.

eircom: Mark

David Jones wrote: »

Day 79 : Update is that I have a manhole put in by sub contractors yesterday. Eircom now are responsible for putting in the wiring etc. I sincerely hope that wont be another 79 days. But a small bit of good news is welcome.

Hi Dave,

Operations have confirmed the received the completed works order from the contractors. The order has already been assigned to an eircom engineer today. I will check the order again tomorrow and get back to you to see if there is a definite completion date.

Mark

David Jones

Day 80 : end of week 18 : A completion date would be very welcome at this stage. 

eircom: Mark

David Jones wrote: »

Day 80 : end of week 18 : A completion date would be very welcome at this stage. 

Hi David Jones


I have confirmed the technician is due to to call out on Monday. He will do his best to complete the connection on Monday. However we just need to make you aware it may need a follow up call out.

I will get back to you on Monday to follow up.

Mark

David Jones

81 working days since order. Whilst I await the technician, is there any chance the modem could be dispatched so I can test it as soon as the technician has completed his work? The whole point of this long drawn out process was to get broadband, and I have a record of an online conversation that states if the broadband doesnt work then I dont have to sign up for anything ie a cooling off period. I have Eircom's assurances that I can get 10mb always on broadband, not exactly rocket speed but better than dial up.

In the meantime I will await the technician.

Regards