"Ya prick; I'll kick the shít out of ya" - You will not believe this

GaryHuntley

The too-long-didn't-read-version: an eircom salesman took exception to my 100mb UPC broadband, called me a prick and threatened to "kick the shít out of" me.

So today I got a knock on my door, and a guy proceeded to ask me questions such as the following:

- do you have a telephone line in the house
- do you have internet and who with

These were all asked without him showing me identification of any kind.

I refused to answer any of his question because why should I answer a random person who knocks on my door. I proceeded to tell him that I "have no idea who you are so I'm prefer not to talk about it".

He then said "okay, I'm from Eircom, just let me tell you a bit about our deal".
So as not to be rude, I said okay and began to listen. He mentioned that Eircom have a new 8mb broadband and he "has a special deal for me today".

I proceeded to tell him that I have 100mb broadband so 8mb would be no use to me. This was when he got agitated and said in an angry tone "so your with UPC then yeah" with a smirky tone on his voice also.

He knew I was apprehensive (in fairness, random guy I do not know asking me personal questions about my house and services) and said "it's not like I'm asking for your bank account details" to which I replied "well that will probably be the next step won't it".

With this he called me a prick and began to walk down my driveway. Gobsmacked, I too, in fairness, called him a prick and told him not to knock back here again. He then said, and I quote word for word here, "...I'll kick the **** out of ya".

What the **** like?

He proceeded to knock on my neighbour's door (two doors away) and when he came back I asked him for his name/staff number. He point blank refused to give me this information, saying he didn't have to(I don't know the ins and outs; maybe they are not obliged to give this info).

I understand that these guys work for a company called CPM on behalf of Eircom. To Eircom I ask, why the hell are you employing hotheads like this? And I want something done about this.

This guy has a serious attitude problem. This here is a rough area, and there will come a time when he will be unlucky and get cheeky with the wrong person and get the **** kicked out of him. I explained this to him, which appeared to fall on deaf ears.

I rang Eircom, explained everything, and they said "can we just put you on hold please". I was then cut-off!

I look forward to hearing from you.

tonydude

he surely had a car, you should have gotten his reg number and reported him to the gardai

GaryHuntley

tonydude wrote: »

he surely had a car, you should have gotten his reg number and reported him to the gardai

Nope, all on foot, him and his friend (or maybe they parked the car a good bit away).

Solair

Eh, I don't think eircom's marketing department would be very impressed with his behavior.

I would suggest that you contact eircom's corporate HQ about that. It's not a customer service issue relating to their products, rather a serious complaint.

Ring them in their corporate HQ on (01) 671 4444 and ask to speak to the HR manager or someone in HR about it.

1901 is really just a customer support / helpline number. You are making a serious complaint about staff behavior and someone making threats to you.

eircom: Tony

GaryHuntley wrote: »

The too-long-didn't-read-version: an eircom salesman took exception to my 100mb UPC broadband, called me a prick and threatened to "kick the shít out of" me.

So today I got a knock on my door, and a guy proceeded to ask me questions such as the following:

- do you have a telephone line in the house
- do you have internet and who with

These were all asked without him showing me identification of any kind.

I refused to answer any of his question because why should I answer a random person who knocks on my door. I proceeded to tell him that I "have no idea who you are so I'm prefer not to talk about it".

He then said "okay, I'm from Eircom, just let me tell you a bit about our deal".
So as not to be rude, I said okay and began to listen. He mentioned that Eircom have a new 8mb broadband and he "has a special deal for me today".

I proceeded to tell him that I have 100mb broadband so 8mb would be no use to me. This was when he got agitated and said in an angry tone "so your with UPC then yeah" with a smirky tone on his voice also.

He knew I was apprehensive (in fairness, random guy I do not know asking me personal questions about my house and services) and said "it's not like I'm asking for your bank account details" to which I replied "well that will probably be the next step won't it".

With this he called me a prick and began to walk down my driveway. Gobsmacked, I too, in fairness, called him a prick and told him not to knock back here again. He then said, and I quote word for word here, "...I'll kick the **** out of ya".

What the **** like?

He proceeded to knock on my neighbour's door (two doors away) and when he came back I asked him for his name/staff number. He point blank refused to give me this information, saying he didn't have to(I don't know the ins and outs; maybe they are not obliged to give this info).

I understand that these guys work for a company called CPM on behalf of Eircom. To Eircom I ask, why the hell are you employing hotheads like this? And I want something done about this.

This guy has a serious attitude problem. This here is a rough area, and there will come a time when he will be unlucky and get cheeky with the wrong person and get the **** kicked out of him. I explained this to him, which appeared to fall on deaf ears.

I rang Eircom, explained everything, and they said "can we just put you on hold please". I was then cut-off!

I look forward to hearing from you.

HI GaryHuntley
Not sure what to say here. This is a very serious matter. Would you mind PM'ing me your own telephone number or even what street this happened on and when. I will escalate this immediately.
I apologies that you would have this experience with anyone representing eircom or eircom services.
I appreciate you may not wish to divulge your details, especially after this encounter, however it will aid me in tracking this incident.
Tony
eircom moderator.

GaryHuntley

eircom: Tony wrote: »

HI GaryHuntley
Not sure what to say here. This is a very serious matter. Would you mind PM'ing me your own telephone number or even what street this happened on and when. I will escalate this immediately.
I apologies that you would have this experience with anyone representing eircom or eircom services.
I appreciate you may not wish to divulge your details, especially after this encounter, however it will aid me in tracking this incident.
Tony
eircom moderator.

Hi Tony,

Thanks. I've PM'd you my phone number.

Would appreciate if you could give me a call now, that would be great.

All the best.

GaryHuntley

Just to update people here -Tony has called me, and is now looking at this. Thanks again Tony for your help.

UrbanSea

I'd imagine he's getting on to this fairly rapid. No company wants to hear that,especially trusting an external company to sell their services.

TeddyTedson

Tops off to Tony

opinion guy

TeddyTedson wrote: »

Tops off to Tony

Indeed fair play to Tony

GaryHuntley

Hi Tony,

Do you have any update here please?

eircom: Ant

GaryHuntley wrote: »

Hi Tony,

Do you have any update here please?

Hi GaryHuntley,

Tony will be back in the office tomorrow. I'll check this with him and update you with any further information.

All the best,
Ant

eircom: Tony

GaryHuntley wrote: »

Hi Tony,

Do you have any update here please?

Hi GaryHuntley
Have some more info and would like to get your opinion so far, PMing you now.
Tony

surferdudz

I had a similar experience recently, when two ladies from "eircom" asked for information about our service provider, and asked to see my bill (!), as they had some special deals ...

I said it wasn't a good time, but was tempted to give the leading lady some advice on her approach...........which I describe as "ballsy", and arrogant. No ID in place either..........

eircom: Tony

surferdudz wrote: »

I had a similar experience recently, when two ladies from "eircom" asked for information about our service provider, and asked to see my bill (!), as they had some special deals ...

I said it wasn't a good time, but was tempted to give the leading lady some advice on her approach...........which I describe as "ballsy", and arrogant. No ID in place either..........

Hi surferdudz
Again sorry to hear this, but you were correct to ask for ID. It is unusual for anyone representing eircom or eircom products to refuse to produce correct identity.
Tony

pat13wx

Good heavens, that was scary. I have been with eircom for years (as bad as they are, eh) but have never seen or heard any of them speak that way. The worst that happened to me was an operator hung up on me rather than deal with my query, but that was about 5 years ago. Anyways, well done to Tony for dealing this appropriately. One up for eircom!

Geekness1234

You should have popped a cap in his a$$!

dudara

Geekness1234 As you are still a relatively new poster, I wold advise you to read the forum charter and only post where relevant.

dudara

Khorne_Dogg

I used to work for CPM as a door knocker (Different client not Eircom) so I find it very hard to believe that one of their employees would behave that way. The training process is very rigorous and one of the first thing you learn is always show your ID.

Guess there's a bad apple in every barrell

kildare.17hmr

Khorne_Dogg wrote: »

I used to work for CPM as a door knocker (Different client not Eircom) so I find it very hard to believe that one of their employees would behave that way. The training process is very rigorous and one of the first thing you learn is always show your ID.

Guess there's a bad apple in every barrell

have to agree with this, i worked for cpm in residential for aircon for a long time and would be very surprised if someone like that got through! Not callgin the op a liar i believe it, im just amassed that that lad got through the interview and training!

Jumpy

Erm, is there a reason why the OP was banned?

That is he has "Banned" under his name.

Polygon_window

i had serious problems with the eircom mobil internet support, to the point where i recorded the conversation the next time i called, the same guy i got and was more or less shouting at me and quite demanding - and i was the business customer, quite bizarre support almost like they want you to close the account - which i will be doing once i get the green light!!!!!

MajorMax

A good few years ago a mate of mine got a knock on his door, there were 2 lads in shirts & ties standing there, they proceeded to ask him for a copy of his eircom bill as they were "carrying out spot inspections in the area"

He asked for ID, they produced 2 very nice id cards laminated with photos and a big eircom logo on it.

He handed over his bill, they took some notes, asked a few questions and went on their merry way. A week or so later he got a letter from eircom saying they were sorry that he was leaving them.

Turns out the little beggers were from another telephone company (I won't name & shame) altogether and they'd hit nearly everyone on the street with this little scam.

I'm not a huge fan of Eircom's but at least you know who you're dealing with

opinion guy

Jumpy wrote: »

Erm, is there a reason why the OP was banned?

That is he has "Banned" under his name.

Yeah whats happened here ? Was the OP and his story not legit ? Mods ? Eircom guy ?

djrichard

opinion guy wrote: »

Yeah whats happened here ? Was the OP and his story not legit ? Mods ? Eircom guy ?

Maybe he actually works for UPC and this is all a fantastical story to diss the competition! hahahaha

Ive heard good things about CPM and their training. If there is any truth in the OPs post, then chances are its just a rogue agent who has managed to slip under the radar. If the complaint is proven, he will be gone instantly. The last thing any company want is their name dragged through the mud on a public forum because a sales agent was abusive while on the doors.

It also makes the job harder for legitimate Eircom sales agents trying to sell in the future. Im sure they are suffering enough as it is with the UPC 100mb product. If I worked for Eircom, Id insist on working only in areas where UPC didnt offer 100mb, at least then I have a leg to stand on!

Keyzer

Something fishy going on here.

I know door to door can be a little pushy sometimes - I had a guy try to get me on a milk round before and he was visibly disgusted when I told him I could get my milk for half the price in Lidl.

That said, I would be utterly astonished if this indicent actually took place. If I'm wrong then I'll put my hands up but behaviour like this is highly unlikely. Sure whats the stop the OP from going straight to his neighbour after the sales guy leaves and telling her the entire story??

Up2NoGood

djrichard wrote: »

Maybe he actually works for UPC and this is all a fantastical story to diss the competition! hahahaha

Ive heard good things about CPM and their training. If there is any truth in the OPs post, then chances are its just a rogue agent who has managed to slip under the radar. If the complaint is proven, he will be gone instantly. The last thing any company want is their name dragged through the mud on a public forum because a sales agent was abusive while on the doors.

It also makes the job harder for legitimate Eircom sales agents trying to sell in the future. Im sure they are suffering enough as it is with the UPC 100mb product. If I worked for Eircom, Id insist on working only in areas where UPC didnt offer 100mb, at least then I have a leg to stand on!

" You would insist.." WTF Dude, if you work for a company that does door to door sales, your job is to sell. You don't get a say. Hows the dole workin for ya.

djrichard

Up2NoGood wrote: »

" You would insist.." WTF Dude, if you work for a company that does door to door sales, your job is to sell. You don't get a say. Hows the dole workin for ya.

Yes, I would insist. I do work for a company that operates door-to-door sales. Ive been training people how to sell both door-to-door and on the streets for over a decade. Of course someone would have to knock the doors in all areas, Eircom would expect that. But I assure you, if I was working for a company that was commission only, without a basic, then I would indeed insist on having a say in where I worked. Any good sales company will look after their high hitters. No point in wasting doors and annoying your staff. Each sales person has their own individual strengths and weaknesses. Some people hate working in rough estates such as the one mentioned by the OP, and others hate working in higher demographic areas as they cant raise their game to meet the standards and questioning they face when dealing with lifes more succesfull people. You have to match up the areas with the sales person to get the most from the areas.

Any good salesperson, such as myself, will never be unemployed, there are companies DESPERATE for staff such as myself and others I know. Just check out the job websites and you will find advertisments all over.

The reason they are always seeking new staff, isnt because its a bad job with bad conditions, its because its an unbelievably difficult job for the average person, only the very elite can survive as they find it quite easy. Often people look down on salesmen, but the reality is that without sales people, there would be no business being done anywhere at all. All the service industry jobs are there because someone sold something to somebody and they are servicing those sales.

The guys going door-to-door are generally just starting out in the sales field and if they manage to survive even 6 months doing it, they have proven that they have a resolve and commitment that few others have. If you are applying for a job in the future and you have on your CV, a record to show you were able to sell door-to-door for a length of time, it will be very favourable for you. Many big companies such as Ebay, Paypal & Google actually target people with such a proven track record because they have recognised the specific skillset a succesfull door-to-door sales person has. If you compare that to someone applying for the same job straight out of education with no real sales experience...well I dont have to explain who is more likely to get the job. Experience counts for an awful lot these days.

You say you dont get a say in what you do if you work for a company that sells, what are you basing this on? Hearsay or your own experience?

thebullkf

so was gary telling porkies?

Up2NoGood

djrichard wrote: »

Yes, I would insist. I do work for a company that operates door-to-door sales. Ive been training people how to sell both door-to-door and on the streets for over a decade. Of course someone would have to knock the doors in all areas, Eircom would expect that. But I assure you, if I was working for a company that was commission only, without a basic, then I would indeed insist on having a say in where I worked. Any good sales company will look after their high hitters. No point in wasting doors and annoying your staff. Each sales person has their own individual strengths and weaknesses. Some people hate working in rough estates such as the one mentioned by the OP, and others hate working in higher demographic areas as they cant raise their game to meet the standards and questioning they face when dealing with lifes more succesfull people. You have to match up the areas with the sales person to get the most from the areas.


First, I have to acknowledge your point that a person on commission only should be able to choose their market, but through my own personal experience that is not the case.
Any good salesperson, such as myself, will never be unemployed, there are companies DESPERATE for staff such as myself and others I know. Just check out the job websites and you will find advertisements all over.

The reason they are always seeking new staff, isn't because its a bad job with bad conditions, its because its an unbelievably difficult job for the average person, only the very elite can survive as they find it quite easy. Often people look down on salesmen, but the reality is that without sales people, there would be no business being done anywhere at all. All the service industry jobs are there because someone sold something to somebody and they are servicing those sales.

The guys going door-to-door are generally just starting out in the sales field and if they manage to survive even 6 months doing it, they have proven that they have a resolve and commitment that few others have. If you are applying for a job in the future and you have on your CV, a record to show you were able to sell door-to-door for a length of time, it will be very favourable for you. Many big companies such as Ebay, Paypal & Google actually target people with such a proven track record because they have recognised the specific skillset a succesfull door-to-door sales person has. If you compare that to someone applying for the same job straight out of education with no real sales experience...well I dont have to explain who is more likely to get the job. Experience counts for an awful lot these days.

You say you dont get a say in what you do if you work for a company that sells, what are you basing this on? Hearsay or your own experience?

I understand your point in regards to the commission scale, you should get to choose your market, but.... that is never the case through my personal experience.

eircom: Tony

Hi Guys
I notice this post is getting slighly away from original issue. The OP has chosen to deal with this through PM so I cannot really comment further on this.
I think that everyone would have to agree that selling door to door is an extremely difficult job and demands a lot from the people involved. Unfortunately door to door sales gets a bad rep and is an easy target. I think that djrichard's post explains the role very well.
The point is that no-one should be exposed to abuse in their workplace, their own door step or on the street.
Last point, I am afraid I cannot say why the OP was banned, I did not request this action.
Thanks to all of you who have posted.
Tony
eircom moderator