But surely Comreg or someone should have the power to get companies to get their customer service in order. I know that the company , in this case Eir, should be responsible for their own problems. But when the Company is not doing it then someone should step in and deal with it . Customers are paying dearly to Companies without having to come up with this nonsense.
Is eir the worst company in Ireland for customer service?
- Thread starter Thirsty
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Brendan Burgess
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Hi joer
Usually the market is what tells companies to get their affairs into order.
I simply don't know if ComReg or anyone else has that power.
Maybe they should.
Brendan
Usually the market is what tells companies to get their affairs into order.
I simply don't know if ComReg or anyone else has that power.
Maybe they should.
Brendan
The problem here is that the market does not work properly because the hold that Eir have over the physical network is such that many, many people (myself included) are very wary of moving to a different supplier.
Comreg have the power to loosen this hold but seem reluctant to use it - they issue bland statements from time to time asking Eir to treat every supplier equally when it comes to network access and repairs, but no more than that.
The physical network should NOT be part of Eir but owned separately, probably by the state, and then let the market forces work - as it does in the energy market where moving from one supplier to another is as easy and trouble-free as it could possibly be. Admittedly, more people should avail of the opportunity to move but given time they will.
Comreg have the power to loosen this hold but seem reluctant to use it - they issue bland statements from time to time asking Eir to treat every supplier equally when it comes to network access and repairs, but no more than that.
The physical network should NOT be part of Eir but owned separately, probably by the state, and then let the market forces work - as it does in the energy market where moving from one supplier to another is as easy and trouble-free as it could possibly be. Admittedly, more people should avail of the opportunity to move but given time they will.
Hello,
As a starting point, ComReg state that they are responsible for protecting consumers here:
www.comreg.ie
Its very clear to me that they are not doing this, when we look at how Eir treats its retail customers.
So, if people are getting paid to do a job and are failing to do it on an ongoing basis, they should be fired, in my view.
The legislation that establised and empowers ComReg, is also available on their website - here:
www.comreg.ie
Clearly, there's a lot in it, so it'll take time to read, but over time, it may clarify some of the other questions raised by Mr Burgess and others, here.
As a starting point, ComReg state that they are responsible for protecting consumers here:
What we do | Commission for Communications Regulation
ComReg have a wide range of responsibilities in telecommunications , post and spectrum management. We operate under Irish and EU Legislation in these areas.
www.comreg.ie
Its very clear to me that they are not doing this, when we look at how Eir treats its retail customers.
So, if people are getting paid to do a job and are failing to do it on an ongoing basis, they should be fired, in my view.
The legislation that establised and empowers ComReg, is also available on their website - here:
Legislation | Commission for Communications Regulation
www.comreg.ie
Clearly, there's a lot in it, so it'll take time to read, but over time, it may clarify some of the other questions raised by Mr Burgess and others, here.
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From the COMREG website linked to in @MrEarl's post above.
"Retail and Consumer Services are responsible for the following key organisational functions;
Consumer Engagement
The aim of the Consumer Engagement team is to protect and empower consumers to make informed choices by maximising the effectiveness of our consumer information and communication. We also aim to promote the interests of users within the community.
Consumer Policy
The Consumer Policy Unit undertakes measures to ensure consumer protection in the marketplace; the universal provision of telecommunications services and certain retail pricing responsibilities.
Consumer Care
ComReg’s Consumer Care team provides information to all consumers on communication issues and escalates complaints to service providers (electronic communications, postal and premium rate service providers).
Emergency Call Answering Service
ComReg’s responsibilities in respect of Ireland’s Emergency Call Answering Service (ECAS) include two key functions – to monitor the quality of service provided by the ECAS provider and to review the maximum call handling fee charged by the ECAS provider to operators.
Postal
ComReg’s regulatory remit includes ensuring the sustainable provision of a universal postal service, while providing all postal service users (consumers, small businesses, and large organisations) with the choice, quality, and innovation offered by a liberalised postal market.
Premium Rate Services
The Premium Rate Service (PRS) Section is responsible for carrying out investigations relating to the provision, content and promotion of PRS with the objective of protecting the interests of end users of PRS. The Section also develops and implements policies for the PRS sector including a Code of Practice and a Levy, which are relevant to licensed PRS providers."
This is Barbara Delaney's area of responsibility as director of Retail & Customer Services.
Please note the following waffle words:
"The aim ..." followed by more waffle. If they "aim" amd miss whatever targets are assigned, no fault no fee, they aimed and missed but did not fail.
Contrast this with giving them a "purpose" for existence. If they fail to miss any targets included in their purpose, a powerful, non-waffle word in OD terms, then they fail and must identify corrective actions. If they merely aim and miss, no corrective action is necessary.
Does having an "aim" as distinct from a "purpose" tie back into the supporting legislation? This is a jobs-for-the-boys-and-girls set-up and I think we agree it is doing nothing for consumers, whether with eir or any other provider.
"Retail and Consumer Services are responsible for the following key organisational functions;
Consumer Engagement
The aim of the Consumer Engagement team is to protect and empower consumers to make informed choices by maximising the effectiveness of our consumer information and communication. We also aim to promote the interests of users within the community.
Consumer Policy
The Consumer Policy Unit undertakes measures to ensure consumer protection in the marketplace; the universal provision of telecommunications services and certain retail pricing responsibilities.
Consumer Care
ComReg’s Consumer Care team provides information to all consumers on communication issues and escalates complaints to service providers (electronic communications, postal and premium rate service providers).
Emergency Call Answering Service
ComReg’s responsibilities in respect of Ireland’s Emergency Call Answering Service (ECAS) include two key functions – to monitor the quality of service provided by the ECAS provider and to review the maximum call handling fee charged by the ECAS provider to operators.
Postal
ComReg’s regulatory remit includes ensuring the sustainable provision of a universal postal service, while providing all postal service users (consumers, small businesses, and large organisations) with the choice, quality, and innovation offered by a liberalised postal market.
Premium Rate Services
The Premium Rate Service (PRS) Section is responsible for carrying out investigations relating to the provision, content and promotion of PRS with the objective of protecting the interests of end users of PRS. The Section also develops and implements policies for the PRS sector including a Code of Practice and a Levy, which are relevant to licensed PRS providers."
This is Barbara Delaney's area of responsibility as director of Retail & Customer Services.
Please note the following waffle words:
"The aim ..." followed by more waffle. If they "aim" amd miss whatever targets are assigned, no fault no fee, they aimed and missed but did not fail.
Contrast this with giving them a "purpose" for existence. If they fail to miss any targets included in their purpose, a powerful, non-waffle word in OD terms, then they fail and must identify corrective actions. If they merely aim and miss, no corrective action is necessary.
Does having an "aim" as distinct from a "purpose" tie back into the supporting legislation? This is a jobs-for-the-boys-and-girls set-up and I think we agree it is doing nothing for consumers, whether with eir or any other provider.
Eir will not be the worst Company in Ireland because Leo, (the other one,) has been tearing strips , sorry, talking to them........
I dunno, I suspect he's less pedantic, and that may not be a good thing dealing with them!
Well that didn't last long! Last Tuesday 17/11/2020 the eir supplied TV service disappeared and the broadband download speed fluctuated from a low of 200KB/s to in or around 3MB/s - I usually get around 4MB/s.
I eventually got through to "Customer Care" on Wednesday afternoon and agreed to be available at home for a tech call-out between 08:30 and 12:30 on Friday 20/11/2020. Noone called to the house but I did get two calls on my mobile from an unidentified caller that morning. Like most of the rest of the world, I left these calls unanswered.
By some miracle I got through to "Customer Care" about 18:00 on Friday to ask about the no-show. I was first told that that someone had called at the appointed time but no-one answered the door. I disputed this as I had waited for knocks or doorbells and heard none. I asked if the technician who had called noticed anything in response to his/her visit and was told "No". I knew that was a lie as new callers to my home always notice the canine choir that sings from the back yard when they don't know the callers threatening their front door. I was then told no-one called because I didn't answer my phone to take the COVID-19 quiz from the technician, so they cancelled the call-out. I said this was the first mention of a COVID-19 quiz I'd heard about either from the web-site or from the talking head when I'd booked the call or when I received the text-message confirming the date and time. I was told they'd arrange another visit for Tuesday afternoon. I pointed out that would be the first visit and if nothing happened before Tuesday I'd be an ex-customer. We agreed on Monday afternoon, today.
Just before the appointed time the broadband speed dropped to abysmally low levels so I could't even watch RTE lunch-time news on the web, then the phone rang. No caller-id. I rejected the call. A few minutes later a big green eir van pulled up outside and the door-bell rang. Cue doggy operatic performances and no COVID-19 quiz from mask-wearing technician. I donned mine at the door after retrieving it from the car.
After about 40 mins swapping set-top boxes and plugging in diagnostic tools to my home network, the technician reinitialised the eir-branded home plugs from my modem/router and bingo! An update to the set-top box firmware started. TV service restored but since the tech left, the home plug downstairs is acting up. The messages I get on the TV screen every hour or so say "set-top box disconnected from network" and then almost immediately "connected via Ethernet" and service resumes again. It's very annoying. Through all of this Netflix on the Sony smart TV has continued to work flawlessly. More emails to eir CEO with demands for arrangements for credits and replacements for the home plugs that lose their minds and settings spontaneously, to the extent that they baffle techs who have seen their own home plugs fail.
I restarted the Mac Pro in the upstairs "office" and for the first time ever, it refused to boot as normal so I did an emergency startup from my USB key. Strangely, it showed a ROM date of 2/11/2020. I reinitialised the eir home plug that it uses to connect to the network and tried a regular restart and again bingo! It started up fine. So not alone can these defective eir branded and supplied devices wreck TV reception, they seem to mess with Mac firmware. Very annoying and very, very worrying. All Huawei of course.
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Brendan Burgess
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Prime Time has just broadcast a report on it.
According to Com Reg, in the last three months(?), they have received the following complaints:
Eir :1062
Vodafone: 183
Virgin:88
Sky: 44
eir claims that their average waiting time for answering the phone is 10 minutes, but it's longer on Mondays. The reporter called and it took 40 minutes to get through.
They made operating profits of €222m in the last quarter.
The regulator was interviewed and said that ComReg can't fix it, only eir can fix it.
The problem was caused by their efforts to bring the customer care inhouse.
The Central Bank, from time to time, stops brokers who can't handle their work, from taking on new customers. eir should do the same. No new customers until they have solved the problems of existing customers.
Brendan
According to Com Reg, in the last three months(?), they have received the following complaints:
Eir :1062
Vodafone: 183
Virgin:88
Sky: 44
eir claims that their average waiting time for answering the phone is 10 minutes, but it's longer on Mondays. The reporter called and it took 40 minutes to get through.
They made operating profits of €222m in the last quarter.
The regulator was interviewed and said that ComReg can't fix it, only eir can fix it.
The problem was caused by their efforts to bring the customer care inhouse.
The Central Bank, from time to time, stops brokers who can't handle their work, from taking on new customers. eir should do the same. No new customers until they have solved the problems of existing customers.
Brendan
I really hate Eir. Iv had a torrid year with them teying to sort things out at different times. In the end i managed to get shot of them...i think....its been 3 weeks so we ll see whether a bill or something hits me from out of nowhere.
Awful customer service, impossible to contact, they lie to you, their staff dont care either.
If more and more people left them then they would have to sit up and take notice but in reality theu are CREAMING IT BABY
Awful customer service, impossible to contact, they lie to you, their staff dont care either.
If more and more people left them then they would have to sit up and take notice but in reality theu are CREAMING IT BABY
They are one of the worst companies I have ever dealt with. I've been with O2, Vodafone, Meteor, 3, NTL/UPC/Virgin over the years and while you would get the occasional bad service from them Eir is the only one that you would be guaranteed would raise your blood pressure.
As a student they took over €500 out of my account in error when they were supposed to have refunded me €350. I was broke as a result and it took me 3 months to get the €850 back during which time they inexplicably cut off my service but continued to bill me for it.
I gave them a chance again a few years ago but left a soon as the contract was up. They were still billing me for months after the account closed.
Don't get me started on how they treat older customers.
As a student they took over €500 out of my account in error when they were supposed to have refunded me €350. I was broke as a result and it took me 3 months to get the €850 back during which time they inexplicably cut off my service but continued to bill me for it.
I gave them a chance again a few years ago but left a soon as the contract was up. They were still billing me for months after the account closed.
Don't get me started on how they treat older customers.
PaddyBloggit
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They have made the news:
https://www.rte.ie/news/primetime/2020/1124/1180226-eir-customer-service-complaints-broadband-phone/
The sob story:
https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2020/1124/1180275-eir-committee/
https://www.rte.ie/news/primetime/2020/1124/1180226-eir-customer-service-complaints-broadband-phone/
The sob story:
https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2020/1124/1180275-eir-committee/
I listened to Carolan Lennon CEO of Eir on last night's Primetime television programme. Her advisors went to much trouble over the last 3 years to pin point problems at the "Customer Contact Centres." And from Tuesdays the waiting time for callers is less than 14 minutes, but there are spikes on Mondays which can have people waiting 40 minutes. Dr Goebbels couldn't have come up with better.
All Carolan had to do is read some of the posts here for more exact and truthful information. She is being duped and blames Covid for Eir falling down on the job. A new "Customer Contact Centre" was opened in Sligo in 2019 staffed by people with fresh attitudes many of whom were employed in retail in a previous life and consequently being Customer focused before they even started. Of the 120 that started she said 100 are still with Eir.
Sorry, Carolan 40 mins waiting time on Mondays and 14 mins waiting time from Tuesdays. Your advisors appear to me to be not informing you of true facts. And Carolan, you sound sincere but I've seen nothing in your interview to fill me with confidence that Eir "Customer Contact Centres" will perform sufficiently well. going forward.
The overriding issue in that interview (to me) is that Carolan's management (I'm not talking call centre Team Leaders, I'm talking management from above that level) are nowhere near the mark where they should be. I wonder how many of the call centre operators ever even saw this level of management. Worse again, how many of this level of management ever saw the inside of a call centre?
All Carolan had to do is read some of the posts here for more exact and truthful information. She is being duped and blames Covid for Eir falling down on the job. A new "Customer Contact Centre" was opened in Sligo in 2019 staffed by people with fresh attitudes many of whom were employed in retail in a previous life and consequently being Customer focused before they even started. Of the 120 that started she said 100 are still with Eir.
Sorry, Carolan 40 mins waiting time on Mondays and 14 mins waiting time from Tuesdays. Your advisors appear to me to be not informing you of true facts. And Carolan, you sound sincere but I've seen nothing in your interview to fill me with confidence that Eir "Customer Contact Centres" will perform sufficiently well. going forward.
The overriding issue in that interview (to me) is that Carolan's management (I'm not talking call centre Team Leaders, I'm talking management from above that level) are nowhere near the mark where they should be. I wonder how many of the call centre operators ever even saw this level of management. Worse again, how many of this level of management ever saw the inside of a call centre?
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Brendan Burgess
Founder
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I thought that the name Carolan Lennon was familiar. She is a non-exec of AIB. Probably helping them with the Prevailing Rate redress programme. That is why it's so efficient.
With such problems, the directors should not be doing any outside work.
Brendan
With such problems, the directors should not be doing any outside work.
Brendan
Its a joke that she is blaming covid for eirs problems. An insult in fact.
Eir were as atrocious before covid as they are now.
Either she is being duped and is misinformed or more likely imo she is trying to sugarcoat, lie, assign blame, deflect and effectively dupe us the public
Eir were as atrocious before covid as they are now.
Either she is being duped and is misinformed or more likely imo she is trying to sugarcoat, lie, assign blame, deflect and effectively dupe us the public
Somehow I think Carolan Lennon probably will read the posts here. If she doesn't, things at Eir are worse than she said last night or even what we thought. No company is perfect, but a good place to start re improvement is Customer Service. Customer Service is mostly about listening to the customer, resolving the query or at least forwarding the query onwards if necessary and keeping the customer informed. Eir does none of that. But, I bet they're paying dearly for such advice and it's money wasted from where I sit.
Here is some advice for Carolan Lennon - a customer (the guy who's paying her wages):-
1. Listen to the customer's complaint. [Effective Training is of the essence here]
2. Give the customer the name of the Eir person who will see the complaint through to the end. [Customer Service Contact and Owner of the problem]
3. Advise the customer of the approximate length of time it will take to resolve the issue.
4. Resolve the issue. If there are delays, advise the customer.
5. Advise the customer after the issue is resolved.
6. There may be a refund of rental or refund of call charges or even some sort of compensation. Advise the customer accordingly and when the credit will appear on the bill.
7. Back up call to customer later confirming that service is now good and refunds issued. This goes a long way in restoration of confidence in Eir's service.
Ms Lennon did say that the rate of pay for call centre operators was favourable compared to other such companies and that there is a pension scheme in place. Previously, I have invited anybody working in an Eir Call Centre to post here. Todate, |I've heard nothing. I think we deserve to hear the story from the Call Centre's Operator point-of-view. I bet Ms Lennon would too!
Here is some advice for Carolan Lennon - a customer (the guy who's paying her wages):-
1. Listen to the customer's complaint. [Effective Training is of the essence here]
2. Give the customer the name of the Eir person who will see the complaint through to the end. [Customer Service Contact and Owner of the problem]
3. Advise the customer of the approximate length of time it will take to resolve the issue.
4. Resolve the issue. If there are delays, advise the customer.
5. Advise the customer after the issue is resolved.
6. There may be a refund of rental or refund of call charges or even some sort of compensation. Advise the customer accordingly and when the credit will appear on the bill.
7. Back up call to customer later confirming that service is now good and refunds issued. This goes a long way in restoration of confidence in Eir's service.
Ms Lennon did say that the rate of pay for call centre operators was favourable compared to other such companies and that there is a pension scheme in place. Previously, I have invited anybody working in an Eir Call Centre to post here. Todate, |I've heard nothing. I think we deserve to hear the story from the Call Centre's Operator point-of-view. I bet Ms Lennon would too!
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I had a phone call and two emails from eir before 9:00 this morning. One email from Carolan Lennon saying she'd referred my complaints to her complaints guru, Nicole. The phone-call was from Nicole telling me they were sending me replacement home-pugs to fix my WiFi and set-top box problems and that she would follow up with a call to ensure they were working satisfactorily and arrange credit for the loss of service. The second email was from Nicole with her full contact details, confirming the arrangements we discussed.
I subsequently got a text from eir fulfilment confirming a delivery in the next 24/48 hours.
I subsequently got a text from eir fulfilment confirming a delivery in the next 24/48 hours.
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You too ??