# Worst Company to contact by phone?



## DirtyH2O (15 Jan 2007)

I've had two awful experiences contacting companies by phone in the last week and was wondering if this is typical or if they are amongst the worst services provided.
I contacted BOI and each person I was transferred to put my call back onto the main Business online menu. I was eventually told to call the branch, which was how I contacted them to begin with.
The next day the system was down so they couldn't help although I did get a direct number so I can avoid every using the main phone service again.

Our NTL cable service has been down all week so I called to report on Saturday.
It took eighteen and a half minutes in the queue before being connected to an operator. I had the phone on speaker and had lunch and read the paper before being put through.
Are BOI and NTL sub standard or is this the normal level of service in Ireland?


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## Purple (15 Jan 2007)

I spent my 3 months, 8 phone calls and a total of 3 hours and 44 minutes (I counted) on hold trying to get Eircom to sort out my broadband. All I wanted was someone to call out can fix it. I was willing to pay whatever their rates were and told them so. In the end I gave up and moved to a different phone and internet provider. So Eircom are far and away the worst company, indeed organisation of any sort, that I have ever had the misfortune to call.


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## fobs (15 Jan 2007)

I think in gerneral custoer service has deteriorated in the past while and only if you are a new customer will your call get answered quickly. Found BT to be the worst where trying to sort out our Broadband problem was on hold for 30 mins,55 minutes,1.5 hours and 1 hour 20 minutes. This was the worst experince we have had with a service provider but actually once we got through to the relevant person they did deal with our problems just a pity about the long wait!


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## Glenbhoy (15 Jan 2007)

Eircom customer services by a mile - now try calling their sales end of things and you'll get through in a few mins, it took me over 50 mins to get through to customer services one night - i have since left them.


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## Thirsty (15 Jan 2007)

Eircom, by a mile.

Before I abandoned them as service providers, I spent 10 weeks (yes, ten) trying to get an answer from them on a billing issue (money was debited from my a/c but wasn't appearing in theirs - wouldn't be the first customer this has ever happened to I'm sure).   

For the last 3 weeks of that famous 10 week period, I contacted them every working day either by phone, email, fax or posted letter.  It got to be a standing joke in my workplace at the time.

I finally wrote to the head honcho copied all 14 (doubled-sided) pages of correspondence and told them to sort it out or the next fax was going to the Joe Duffy show (doubt that it would have been very interesting radio mind you!).

I got a phone call back and problem was sorted 2 days later.

I switched providers by the end of the week and wild horses wouldn't drag me back.


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## Purple (15 Jan 2007)

Kildrought said:


> I switched providers by the end of the week and wild horses wouldn't drag me back.


 Same here. If their CEO arrived at my house with a hamper and a promise of free phone and Internet for life I'd tell him to shag off.


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## Past30Now (15 Jan 2007)

Whilst not defending eircom for a second - I am very surprised that NTL (NT Hell as they are known by their staff) aren't first on everybodies list of worst company to deal with.  It is now over three years since I stopped dealing with them, anytime I hear mention of dreadful customer service I think of them, even replying to this thread gives me a small knot of anxiety, I thank God for Sky.

The thing is they might have improved their customer services a hundred fold since I last dealt with them, but I would do without television rather then ever go back to them.


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## oopsbuddy (15 Jan 2007)

Only in MY OWN experience, eircom wins hands down, but I've never had to deal with NTL. However, when trying to get through to eircom, just keep pressing the wrong key, eventually out of exasperation " the voice" should transfer you to a customer service representative. Good luck after that!


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## HelloJed (15 Jan 2007)

I recently had a problem with NTL - I called them three times, each time I called I was placed in a queue for roughly 25-30 minutes and then was disconnected. I never spoke to a soul. Luckily the problem seems to have resolved itself!

But it's not just their customer service. A mate of mine wanted to sign up with NTL in November. She was put on hold several times before being disconnected. When she did get through to someone, she was passed from department to department and given three different installation dates each time. (her place already had an NTL connection that had lapsed - not sure why they couldn't switch it on remotely) After being messed around for two weeks without being told anything definitive, she went to Sky. She would have gone with Sky earlier but her landlady wasn't keen on the dish.

I wonder how they're making money if their sales service is that bad, let alone their customer service.


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## jprender (16 Jan 2007)

Eircom for the title.


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## SlurrySlump (16 Jan 2007)

Back in the 1980's when NTL were known as Cablelink you couldn't get through to them either. Back then my three worst companies to phone were Cablelink, Eircom and PMPA.  Some things haven't changed. At the moment the company that is giving me hell is Mercer, not trying to make contact but trying to receive responses.


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## daithi (16 Jan 2007)

Eircom, by the proverbial country mile...BTW, I have found both bt broadband and BOI quite easy to deal with over the phone but then again maybe they were just better when compared to eircom...

d


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## 892896 (19 Jan 2007)

Eircom -Dreadful


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## Purple (23 Jan 2007)

So who's the best? 
I find Vodafone business support to be superb.


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## Newby (23 Jan 2007)

NTL without a shadow of a doubt. It is a faceless compassionless organisation that sucks the soul out of you by way of hold music and lack of accountability. The ironically named Customer Service department must surely be the most useless in the world never mind Ireland.


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## pnh (23 Jan 2007)

Newby said:


> NTL without a shadow of a doubt. It is a faceless compassionless organisation that sucks the soul out of you by way of hold music and lack of accountability. The ironically named Customer Service department must surely be the most useless in the world never mind Ireland.


Could not have put it better myself-and believe it or not they have recently got even worse -I am waiting almost 3 weeks for a response to an email about their digital service which at times is unwatchable due to stalling etc.I long ago gave up trying to phone them.


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## Newby (24 Jan 2007)

Purple said:


> So who's the best?
> I find Vodafone business support to be superb.


 
I guess the smaller the organisation the more likely you are to get the answers you require. I have a mortgage with a small branch of EBS and i find them excellent. Prompt callbacks, if question not answered immediately and if they cannot answer the question they will contact the head branch on your behalf and call you back. I wouldn't use anyone else. (No connection with EBS apart from my mortgage)


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## polaris (24 Jan 2007)

Just got of the phone with Bord Gais Energy Supply; my call was answered within 3 rings and my query dealt with promptly and efficiently.


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## fobs (24 Jan 2007)

Never really had a problem with eircom (apart from their charges!) so thought that BT were worse by a mile to answer the phone and also didn't have anyone to answer queries at weekends.

When we used to have chorus a few years ago found them pretty dire and they never answered the phone when there was a problem (which was often)

SKY are another crowd who won't answer their phone but there service is reliable to don't have to ring them too often.


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## elefantfresh (24 Jan 2007)

just talking to dublin corpo waste desposal department. very helpful and sorted out everything i needed sorting efficiently and promptly. pleasantly surprised.


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## DirtyH2O (24 Jan 2007)

Have to agree that I find EBS very reliable.

Not so sure about the corporation, I phoned them about a water supply problem in my area, they took my number and I started receiving calls the next day from other people who had been given my number by the corporation as the contact point. I saw the funny side but still.


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## Newby (24 Jan 2007)

DirtyH2O said:


> Not so sure about the corporation, I phoned them about a water supply problem in my area, they took my number and I started receiving calls the next day from other people who had been given my number by the corporation as the contact point. I saw the funny side but still.


 
Not sure I would. The corporation were handing out your number as the man who could fix their problem. That is not right on so many levels.


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## SlurrySlump (24 Jan 2007)

When a person takes a query from someone they should retain ownership of that query until it is resolved. Passing the monkey on to someone else's shoulder is a great way of dodging work.


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## DirtyH2O (25 Jan 2007)

I suspect the people in the Corporation thought it was the number for their works engineer based on what they told the people who rang me. She gave me the right mobile number for the engineer.
It must be chaos in there for that to happen, the post-it filing system!


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## Newby (25 Jan 2007)

DirtyH2O said:


> I suspect the people in the Corporation thought it was the number for their works engineer based on what they told the people who rang me. She gave me the right mobile number for the engineer.
> It must be chaos in there for that to happen, the post-it filing system!


 
Maybe its just me but i would be livid. 

Firstly, they gave out your number without your permission - i imagine breaking a few data privacy laws along the way.

Secondly, when receiving your complaint they took the Homer Simpson approach to listening. Marge "I'm just going out". Homer "I'll do it tomorrow". They just heard the word problem and must have added the words "This guy is the solution to all our" in their head. Wonder if that call was recorded for quality purposes?

Still at least you got someone to call you back eh?


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## Purple (25 Jan 2007)

DirtyH2O said:


> I suspect the people in the Corporation thought it was the number for their works engineer based on what they told the people who rang me. She gave me the right mobile number for the engineer.
> It must be chaos in there for that to happen, the post-it filing system!



You should have made a load of appointments to see them


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## TarfHead (25 Jan 2007)

I phoned ntl on Monday and was on hold for 80 minutes before I hung up.

Tried again today and then gave up (i.e. hung up) after 90 minutes on hold.


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## orka (25 Jan 2007)

TarfHead said:


> I phoned ntl on Monday and was on hold for 80 minutes before I hung up.
> 
> Tried again today and then gave up (i.e. hung up) after 90 minutes on hold.


 
Same problem for me with NTL - 90 minutes this morning and about 25 mins again this afternoon - no reply but their website 'guarantees that  service will improve next week' - and that was in December!  I sent a cancellation letter by registered post in December but, shockingly, received my bill and direct debit notice today for Feb/Mar.  Sent an email this afternoon but still fully expect them to incorrectly debit my account next month - not a happy camper!


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## HelloJed (26 Jan 2007)

Tarfhead and orka: I feel your pain!

Does anyone know of a way to skip the queue or to speak to someone quickly at NTL? I'd usually try the sales department but like I said previously, a mate had problems with their sales recently.


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## SlurrySlump (26 Jan 2007)

So what happens now?  NTL couldn't give a toss about their customers it appears from reading the above. When a company reaches this standard of service, what do you do?  Walk? Picket? Get the Ceo's email and send him what not? Turn up at the AGM? Contact Joe Duffy?


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## HelloJed (26 Jan 2007)

Usually I'd go elsewhere but that's not an option in my case, I live in an apartment so I can't have a satellite dish and we're all hooked up to NTL. In fact, NTL is the only cable/digital service available to me which is a pain. If a company won't talk to their customers, the best way to let them know you're fed up with them is to switch providers in droves!

I just get the impression that NTL reckon they've got their corner of the market all sown up, and their customers can just like it or lump it. (And as I'm not prepared to give up my cable tv, I guess I'll have to do the same!)


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## battyee (29 Jan 2007)

It took me over 6 months of regular & expensive call times to Expedia U.K. apart from e mails & snail mails. Even when I got somebody to address the problem of overcharging they denied the content of the original call which led to my credit card being ripped off. I am still trying to talk to somebody in Management & my next step may have to be to present myself at their U.K. office as they just don't do phone calls.
I have had really bad experiences with NTL & Eircom but Expedia beat them all.


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## Tubbs (1 Feb 2007)

SKY have been the worst for me. Lots and lots of phone calls. On hold, people promising things that never turn up, then turn out to never have been sent. Engineers coming and going and telling lies.

SKY card turning up, then not working as they had reports of it being stolen/missing so they cancelled. And No of course we can't uncancel a card ! Then second card sent to wrong address....and on and on.

Charging me wrong amounts, then promising to credit me with this that and the other and crediting the card that was cancelled.....

I ordered Sky in Jan and got it 3 months later ! 

Its been perfect since but dread the day I have to phone them again.

The only reason I didn't tell thme to go away was the fact that Chorus are just as bad.


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