If you have no interest in broadband in Ireland, please skip this post. It's not for you.
Since I've been in business, I've had several "experiences" with eircom. Each time, I wished that I had logged the sequence of events. When my broadband line went down on the 8th January, I just knew what was coming and decided to log every interaction with eircom.
This post is simply a recording of my experiences with eircom this month. I've had a broadband account for a number of years now. Until this month, I've not had any problems. The line has been pretty reliable. All except one of the individuals I dealt with were friendly and I believe were doing their best. eircom's management systems, though, need some attention. That's putting it mildly.
So here is my January 2007 experience with eircom.
Monday 8th January, approximately 1300.
My Eircom Broadband Internet Connection is down. Well that's happened a few times before, I'm sure it will come back in a few minutes. I decide to wait a while before I call Eircom Broadband technical support.
1500. Still no broadband. I have no choice but to call eircom Broadband technical support. I get a recent bill out and call the number at the top. Enter call system hell. 3 levels later (at each point encouraged to go online and sort my own problems out,) I am asked to press 1 for home something or other, etc until I get an option for "Broadband Business Starter", which is what my bill says I have. Finally. Someone answers and asks me for my account number which I provide. There is a pause...then, I hear " I'm sorry, you have a "Home Professional Account", I can't deal with your query, you'll have to speak to our residential team or words to that effect.
I'm sorry?? My bill clearly states that my account type is business and the broadband service is clearly labeled "Broadband Business Starter" The person on the other end of the line says I'm sorry but you have a Home Professional Account, and I can not check your line. I will have to transfer you.
I don't care what they call it, I just want to report that my eircom broadband line is not working. So if I have to speak to "Residential, then fine. So the person says, hold on while I transfer you...
Now if your experiences are anything like mine, when someone says they will transfer you, there is a 50% chance that you will be immediately cut off. And so it came to pass. I heard the dreaded "beep, beep, beep.
Bollocks. Bollocks. Bollocks. I have a bad feeling about this. The air is blue in my humble home office.
Monday 8th January, approximately 1515.
I call AGAIN, make my way through the three level menu AGAIN which AGAIN informs me three times that I can sort out my eircom broadband problems online. I arrive at the option to choose Residential or Business and this time I choose Residential. I provide my account number, the person on the other line asks some standard questions. Finally, they say there is a problem either in the local exchange or with the line between the exchange and me.
Fine, I replied but how long is this going to take to sort? The support person tells me that if its a problem with the exchange, it should be sorted in 24 hours, if its a problem with the line, then they will have someone check it out in anything from 5 to 10 working days.
WHAT? I say I really need to know when my broadband line will be restored. So the person on line tells me that if its a problem in the exchange he will call me. I asked him to call in either case as I need to know what the situation is.
Needless to say, he does not call back.
Tue 9th January.
I call AGAIN and AGAIN go through the three level menu system, time passes, press option for Business Broadband Starter as I'm thinking I do have a business account and perhaps business accounts get a faster response time. They take my account number and again, I'm told that I have a home professional account and that they can not deal with me. I read my bill to them, customer type business, package, business broadband starter. No joy. The person on the end of the line suggests that I speak to billing.
I hang up and call billing explaining my situation and the fact that the business broadband technical support will not deal with my case. The billing person checks my account and confirms that I am indeed a business customer. I ask her to call business broadband technical support and confirm my details. She won't do that but assures me that next time they will speak to me. I call again, and make my way through the three level menu which suggests 3 times that I sort out my problems online.
Business Broadband technical support are not moved by the fact that billing says I have a business broadband package. On their system I'm a home professional. I am started to get seriously pissed off now. I insist that the guy on the line calls billing and confirms for himself. A very long wait ensues and eventually he comes back on the line, says that he has checked with billing and I have a home professional account. Gobsmacked would not really capture my mood at this stage. Furious, I hang up and call billing again and speak to someone else, again explain what has happened and insist that they speak directly to business broadband technical support.
I'm told again that yes, I do have a business account!!!?????!!
More time passes, the billing person tries to contact technical support and eventually comes back on the line, admits that business technical support lists me as a home professional, but does not know why and decides that sales can sort the problem out. She transfers me to sales.
I have to start from the beginning again as I launch into my long and increasingly detailed story. The sales person checks and says that I have a business account and that broadband business support must deal with my issue. I ask her to contact them directly for me and tell them. She will not do that but will put me through to them. NOOOO, I say don't do that, they'll just tell me to bugger off again. She replies that it will not happen this time as she has added a note to my account and to ask them to read the note to the account and all will be well.
Well, you know whats coming don't you. Same story, after getting my account number, I'm told they can not deal with me. Hold on, I reply, read the note on my account and you will see that I am a business customer. Sorry, can't help you.
fulxjxxxxxxxxxxxxx. is all I can respond with. I give up before I succumb to a heart attack.
Wed 10th January.
I decide that I don't need this level of stress and to go mobile with my laptop for a few days until the problem is sorted. I know that there are a number of eircom hotspots around Dublin city center and that as a eircom broadband subscriber, I can get a hotspot account for an additional €10 a month. Seems like a good deal, so I get to the web site and sign up. eircom tell me I will receive my account details within two working days. Cool.
Wed 17th January.
Still no broadband. It's time for a progress report. I don't mess about this time, decide to play along with the home professional bit. I just want a progress report. It's been over a week and I've had no contact from eircom. A guy tells me that he has no way of checking progress. They just report the fault and only hear back when the problem is sorted or an engineer wants to contact the customer.
He claims that they have no way of contacting the technicians/engineers dealing with the issue. I express incredulity at this. But he insists. He suggests that if I have a problem with this that I make an official complaint and gives me a number to call.
I call the official complaint number. I am put on hold for a very long time and eventually get a message to say that due to some kind of difficulties, they can not take my call!!!
The message provides an email address. I use it to send in a complaint and get a canned message back to say that most complaints are dealt with within 10 working days. I am seriously getting nowhere here.
Friday 19th January.
Still no broadband. I call eircom broadband technical support again, again go direct to the home professional option. I insist that they contact a technician to find out what the situation is. The guy on the line replies that he has no way of contacting the technicians to get an update or progress report.
I insist that there must be a way. He tells me to ring the 1901 number and ask for the engineering department. I tell him I am more than familiar with that number and that there is no option for an engineering department on the phone menu. He replies by saying that a customer service agent will put me through.
I try. Again, lots of time on hold. I speak to a customer service agent, explain my long and detailed problem. He has no way of putting me through to any engineering department, but that he can put me through to sales who will be able to call a technician. I tell him this is not going to happen as I am an existing customer, not a new one, but he insists that this will work and transfers me.
Again, I launch into my long and increasingly detailed story. Of course the sales guy says he has no way of contacting engineering and will transfer me to broadband technical support. I tell him not to bother. I've had enough of the eircom broadband comedy.
Friday 19th
I receive my account details to use eircom hotspots, nine days after I ordered it. Not, you will note two working days. I send an email to eircom broadband technical support again asking for an update. I receive an autoreply saying I will have a response within 24 hours.
Tuesday 23rd January
I have not received any reply either to my email to complaints dated the 17th or my email to broadband technical support dated the 19th. I'm going to be out of the country for the rest of the week and decide I can't face any more until I get back.
Friday 26th January
I get a message on my voicemail just after 3 o clock in the afternoon saying that my broadband is now working. No apologies, no other comments. 3 weeks without broadband. Is this a good response time? I hear afterwards about a line being down for three months.
Not forgetting the thousands of Irish people who would bite off my right arm to have the broadband access that I do have.
Wednesday 31st January.
I have not received any reply to my complaint emailed on the 17th.
Yes indeed. eircom broadband bundngles for Liam and his family.
Comreg, do you have any overview of service standards?
Rex, you've had your feet under the table for a few months now. Is this an acceptable level of service?
P.S. If you are looking for free wifi in Dublin, I strongly recommend the Morrison Hotel and Bewleys Hotels. Thanks, both of you.
Udate: Just when you thought it was all over. February 13th 2007
I received a reponse from eircom broandband to my email dated the 19th January.
"..Thank you for contacting eircom net broadband support with your e-mail
dated 19/1/07. We apologize for the delay in responding to your query.
As we see from our records your recent fault on DSL line has been
cleared.."
Almost a month to repond to a support request email?
