About the Eircom "cold-calling"

Savman

Just on the topic of people giving out about Eircom calling unsolicited etc there seems to be a lot of angry consumers venting here but I'm not sure its really all that bad.

I changed from Eircom to UTV last year and ever since I transferred line rental my monthly bills have been around €95 :eek::eek: with UTV. I got a call from sales dude in Eircom last week offering me such and such, so I let him have his 60 seconds (normally I tell them all to get lost). But I heard what he had to say and I ended up agreeing to transfer back. I'm a skeptic, but I'll give them another go.

I don't see what is wrong with a business contacting its ex-customers to try tempt them back with better offers. Isn't that the whole idea of introducing competition? To get Eircom competing for your business so much that they chase you rather than the other way round? Noone forgets the good old days when they held all the power, not so much these days eh...

I understand peoples sentiments about the cold calling aspects of it, but Eircom are no different to any other telecomms muppets who do it, I personally had trouble with Talk Talk, Imagine and another bunch of idiots I cant remember who. When you're pig ignorant to the staff on the phone I'm quite sure they think to themselves "f*** you" and don't remove your details from their database (probably just to piss you off).

I also signed up to Sky TV after a random sales call (meant for last resident) and I'm actually glad they called because what I was getting from Chorus was crap for the same money. So someone working for Sky and Eircom made some commission out of me, but what the hell do I care? I dont care who gets it as long as I'm getting what I'm willing to pay for...

I don't condone cold-calling, its a nuisance, but as I said I don't think the criticism is justified when a company who lost your business try and redeem themselves, as in all walks of life

Red Alert

I never saw Tesco trying to pull me into their shop because I go to Superquinn.

It is a waste of people's time and in some cases an invasion into their family meal / eastenders.

Hotblack Desiato

If I'm not happy with a service provider then I'll do my own research thanks very much.
I don't need people to tell me what's a good deal and what isn't, especially when it involves annoying me at home.
Eircom have a dominant position in the market and their aggressive 'winback' tactics are designed to ensure things stay that way. That can't be in the interests of consumers overall. There have also been allegations of Eircom abusing their position e.g. having access to ex-directory numbers.

gerrycollins

Savman wrote:

Just on the topic of people giving out about Eircom calling unsolicited etc there seems to be a lot of angry consumers venting here but I'm not sure its really all that bad.

I changed from Eircom to UTV last year and ever since I transferred line rental my monthly bills have been around €95 :eek::eek: with UTV. I got a call from sales dude in Eircom last week offering me such and such, so I let him have his 60 seconds (normally I tell them all to get lost). But I heard what he had to say and I ended up agreeing to transfer back. I'm a skeptic, but I'll give them another go.

I don't see what is wrong with a business contacting its ex-customers to try tempt them back with better offers. Isn't that the whole idea of introducing competition? To get Eircom competing for your business so much that they chase you rather than the other way round? Noone forgets the good old days when they held all the power, not so much these days eh...

I understand peoples sentiments about the cold calling aspects of it, but Eircom are no different to any other telecomms muppets who do it, I personally had trouble with Talk Talk, Imagine and another bunch of idiots I cant remember who. When you're pig ignorant to the staff on the phone I'm quite sure they think to themselves "f*** you" and don't remove your details from their database (probably just to piss you off).

I also signed up to Sky TV after a random sales call (meant for last resident) and I'm actually glad they called because what I was getting from Chorus was crap for the same money. So someone working for Sky and Eircom made some commission out of me, but what the hell do I care? I dont care who gets it as long as I'm getting what I'm willing to pay for...

I don't condone cold-calling, its a nuisance, but as I said I don't think the criticism is justified when a company who lost your business try and redeem themselves, as in all walks of life

i understand and agree with you that they are only doin a job,is it because we are all strung out and watching every cent is the cause for our reaction to these companies and their methods?

I did my research also and found out who was the best for me at the time and im happy but im always open to better offers to shave a few cents off my monthly bill and now im in a postiion where i can tell them what i pay "so better it please" and if they cant then conversation over bye end of story

Tesco do try to pull you into their shops by media advertising,in your face ads in newspaper, t.v, side of their lorries, billboards etc but some people dont pass any notice of them to see how much they can save just because "they are happy where they are", and its this attitude thats keeping prices high in this country,if we all go to the cheaper outlet the rest will follow(eircom are doin it soon)

Ps Red Alert just using your Tesco angle its not a personal attack on your choice of shopping outlets

Savman

gerrycollins wrote:

I did my research also and found out who was the best for me at the time and im happy but im always open to better offers to shave a few cents off my monthly bill and now im in a postiion where i can tell them what i pay "so better it please" and if they cant then conversation over bye end of story

Exactly. Surely it can't hurt that much to hear what they've got to say before dismissing it, it seems a lot of people do it out of spite or whatever but its this stubborn attitude that goes against the very idea of competition.

Red Alert wrote:

I never saw Tesco trying to pull me into their shop because I go to Superquinn.

Are ye for real? Tesco are one of the biggest spenders when it comes to advertising in this country, I should know I do some promo work for them on occasion. They literally throw hundreds of thousands of euro at each campaign, most of which includes indiscriminate junk mail to every household in sight. That's far more aggressive than an occasional call from eircom.

If you're happy paying more without even listening to what else is being offered, fair enough I guess :rolleyes:

parsi

Savman wrote:

They literally throw hundreds of thousands of euro at each campaign, most of which includes indiscriminate junk mail to every household in sight. That's far more aggressive than an occasional call from eircom.

It isn't. Unless the postman hammers on your door until you open it to accept the junk mail. Face it - cold-calling means that you are pestered during your leisure time. I get cold called at work and I let them give their spiel because we're both at work and sometimes you may find out something new.

However when I get home I don't want my leisure time interrupted by someone droning on about phone bills. I once asked one of them could I ring them back when they got home and they were shocked at the idea...

Idleater

parsi wrote:

It isn't. Unless the postman hammers on your door until you open it to accept the junk mail. Face it - cold-calling means that you are pestered during your leisure time.

And that just about sums up the wrongs of cold calling.

I have no problem with ads in the newspapers and on TV or the radio, or in busses etc. Because I make the choice whether or not to be taken in by them. Cold calling is illegal (if you have requested to be removed from "the list") and whether it is done by eircom or anyone else for that matter is of no concequence.

Thankfully, since that piece of legislation was brought in by comreg I have not had cold callers.

L.

Marksie

Yeah.. i would look at the packages myself and weigh up the pros and cons... also gives me time to look at the small print.

I think that what did it for me was a couple of years ago in the uk:

My brother had just buried his son. We were back at the house with the guests
He got a cold call and the guy on the end in broken english said hello we are calling xxxxx we have great offers.
He replied: i have just buried my son
Reply: OH... but we do have great offers would you be interested.
Needless to say he went ballistic.

Though not necessarily deliberate, being a matter of bad timing..but shows that they just press ahead :mad:

Savman

I've already said I don't condone cold-calling, but anything said about Eircom in that regard has to be said about the rest of 'em too. They're all equally as bad when it comes to forcing the issue. The point I'm trying to make is that if they (and Sky) didn't call me, I probably wouldnt have bothered in ringing them to changeover. I want to get the best deal available on phone bills & internet and if Eircom say they'll do me a better offer, I call their bluff.

At least now they know that if they make a balls of it, like before, they'll lose me faster than they won me back. That gives consumers all the power which is the way it should be. I was offered a similar broadband package thats €15 per month cheaper. That's €180 less each year before we even get into calls.

It's gas that people will drive 20 miles out of their way to save a few cent at the petrol pumps but in contrast adapt such a hard nosed approach to someone offering them what could be a money saving deal. Phone companies used to ring me all the time, instead of me seeing red I learned to calm down. As soon as they say "Can I tell you about our company's current offers?" I would just reply with "No thanks I'm happy with my current bills". Usually they get the message if you make it clear and remain polite. Shouting at them to "get my name off your database and dont call again" usually results in a hang-up and the task never gets done so a formal email or letter to the company usually does the job. That way it usually ends up with the people who are more likely to adhere to your request as they'd be in a lot more trouble if they didnt (you have a record of the communication for possible data protection enforcement later).

The only small difference is that we were all Eircom at one stage and gradually we've all left for better phone bills, its reasonably safe to assume Eircom still have everyones contact info on a database somewhere. It's not illegal because we never asked to be removed from it, most of us never thought the once-mighty Eircom would have to lower itself to "winback" tactics but times change and they're now just another name in a crowded telecomms market.

It's just a phone line ffs, whoever can give it to me for best price wins!

muffler

I can see where you're going with that argument Savman and I agree......slightly.

There is enough advertising by the various telephone providers without cold calling. However if that one call can save you money there is no harm in that at all. The problem is that its not just one call in most cases. Some of them wont take no for an answer and keep calling back.

Wouldn't it be great if each of them were allowed to call you once, log the date of the call and prohibited from calling back for 6 months from that date.