Eircom loose customer focus
One thing that never fails to shock me is bad customer service from large pubic companies. There’s no faster way to loose customers than to cause problems for them and then do every thing you can to annoy them instead of resolving them.
This morning a collegue was “over quota” on his e-mails, so i rang the person responsible for my account in Eircom only to be told by an answering machine he’s on holidays for two weeks. No call someone else who’s looking after his clients, just he’s on holiday for two weeks so leave a message. The blood warms.
I ring customer support. After two minutes of automated talk which is clearly a technology not yet fit for use in business as it takes three times longer than touch tone call direction, the machine tells me to turn off and then turn on my computer – Then HANGS UP. (The fault is with their system) The blood starts to simmer.
I try again, this time i get through to someone – who gives me a different number for “that” kind of support – no i’ll direct your call, just go ring someone else. Bubbles start to appear in the blood stream.
So i ring someone else, more annoying super slow voice direction – which needs to clarify every answer i give. “Thanks for calling Eircom… Oh for “that kind of support” you’ll need to ring 1530…. Blood Boils. Look there is no way i’m ringing a premium rate number to fix a problem you have caused, can you please give me the direct line. “What do you mean sir?” Look i’m already paying for a service and your not delivering so you wont be profiting (75c a min) from your mistakes.
So the guy decides maybe he will try to help. Well Sir your “over quota” so thats why your mails wont deliver – he says in an informative way as if he had dignosed the problem rather than just regurgitated word for word my complaint and hope the problem would also suffice as the solution. The blood starts overflowing, my PA silently leaves the room, don’t get me wrong i’m not shouting or outwardly angry at the person on the phone (she just knows when i’m inwardly mad) – the blood boils at the fact Eircom is a somewhat successful company. They hire consultants etc and no one told them – hey why not offer a good reliable service?
So i try to figure it out for the guy – “well is there a package upgrade so we can still get e-mails” – “there could be one in a few months time. In the mean time just don’t go over quota again.” I think – you mean just try not to opt for Eircom again. Honestly they could put ads for Digiweb/Irish Broadband on their hold music and it wouldn’t increase the number of people that leave Eircom due to Customer Focus Issues.