Smart Telecom Rollout Update

GarfieldConnoll

Anarchist wrote:

Garfield why has Peeter who has your BB only getting 1250kb/s d/l and how will your product be for gaming?

Not commenting on individual accounts; customer profiles are set on the DSLAM/ BRAS, copper quality and distances from exchange may affect customer experience. Catch all answer, but can't comment on individual customers.

As for gaming:

We're happy to work with customers to tweak interleaving to improve ping RTT for customers. I'm getting 10ms RTT to www.boards.ie and 20ms RTT to jolt.co.uk. Does that answer the question?

Garfield.

GarfieldConnoll

digitaldr wrote:

How come I keep getting calls from Smart sales people offering me telephony when I signed up for it months ago along with broadband neither of which have yet to materialize?

No idea. PM details and I'll try and get someone to look at it.

Garfield.

Sponge Bob

bumped that 8Mbit thread as a lil reminder

dub45

GarfieldConnoll wrote:

Because I'm busy. I couldd get somebody in this forum all day everyday, but like I said, they wouldn't be able to answer the questions, so I'd get accused of just drumming up business (like you've accused me of now). Get ONE list and I'll answer the questions.

Garfield.

Garfield you had no problem answering questions all over the place when you were drumming up business. Now your typical business instructing us to get one list. there are a few very basic questions you could at least beging by answering. Whey arent people being kept up to date with the progress on their exchanges? A group email surely would do that.
Why dont smart reps ring people back when they say the wil?

GarfieldConnoll

dub45 wrote:

Now your typical business instructing us to get one list. there are a few very basic questions you could at least beging by answering. Whey arent people being kept up to date with the progress on their exchanges? A group email surely would do that.
Why dont smart reps ring people back when they say the wil?

Exchanges are ping-ponging back and forwards on revised schedules. Exchanges about to be signed off, get delayed by interderminable amounts. Exchanges will longer lead times suddenly come up on the horizon much quicker. When exchanges go live, everyone will be contacted. If we have 'firm' dates, we'll start to issue them. However, they'll be caveated, saying dates may change. Sorry about that, but until the exchange is actually live, we just can't say when it will be live (we/ I've been 'burned' by that, especially on this forum).

Why don't they call people back? Don't know, will ask for it to be looked into.
One list would help. I'm logged into boards pretty much full time (joy of broadband), but if there are lots of posts and I'm short on time (which I am), then I typically look at the last post first, so I can miss questions. If there was an auditted list of questions, that might help everybody.

Garfield.

GarfieldConnoll

dub45 wrote:

Garfield you had no problem answering questions all over the place when you were drumming up business. Now your typical business instructing us to get one list. there are a few very basic questions you could at least beging by answering. Whey arent people being kept up to date with the progress on their exchanges? A group email surely would do that.
Why dont smart reps ring people back when they say the wil?

Dub45,

Regarding the drumming up business acquisation.........is it better that I'm here, or not? You can be brutally honest (you typically are).

Garfield.

GarfieldConnoll

Sponge Bob wrote:

bumped that 8Mbit thread as a lil reminder

My post in that forum:

"The 8Mbps was a line speed test. It's not the service being offered.
We consistently hit 6.5Mbps through today. Upload speeds were just under 1Mb (using technology as currently configured). Other flavours of DSL available for other requirements.
Now happy to have broadband at home (I previously failed the line test)."

Garfield.

Sponge Bob

will you promise us you will get Oisin in to answer all our questions ?

if so I will "audit" for ya , otherwise forget it

then there was that Smart Mesh pimping episode in April so I dunno if he should really

damien

Anarchist wrote:

I forgot to add that Garfield in my view did'nt give one decent honest answer as well

I think you'd be alone in thinking that. Garfield has answered quite a lot of questions in an honest and decent manner. He has not however answered every single question asked of him. There is a difference.

While Garfield has not answered every question I don't think it is fair for some to get so narky with him because of that, even if he seems to be the only employee willing to answer (some) questions. Go back over what he has answered and realise that he has answered more than any other telco employee on here, with the exception of that UTV chap, who never came back once their service turned to sh1t.

I don't know about you but I don't think it's Garfield's job to be accountable for the spin of his boss. (and there's been a formidable amount) The buck stops higher up not lower down the chain of command. I guess we should ask do people want a PR person on here answering questions, a salesperson or a techy ?

Garfield seems to try his hand at all three. Perhaps Garfield should just answer techy questions from now on. It might be safer for him.

There does seem to be a massive difference in the PR, Marketing and Sales part of Smart compared to the techy part. I've rung up Smart myself to be told I can keep my number AND get broadband and voice AND have no disruption. I know others who also rang and were told the same.

Oisin has been on the radio and in newspapers and has been over-generous with his statements on what an actual customer can get speed wise as well as actual live customers and live exchanges. What worries me is that he could get away with that even if everyone here kicks up a fuss and cries shenanigans but he also has to go against the PR muscle of eircom and BT who so far have been pretty tame and left him get away with it. I can understand why adam and others are so pissed off over this but I still don't think that Garfield should take the brunt of all our frustrations.

I think a lot of frustrations could also come from the fact that people really want to see the eircom goliath taken down, they really yearn for a genuinely real alternative and now when the promise of one is failing to arrive on time and messages about a delivery date are so mixed they are becoming quite bitter for being disappointed once again.

One last thing, even if this whole venture falls flat on it's face it already has benefitted us by doubling or quadrupling our download rate. Much as I'd like IrelandOffline to take credit for it.

Damien.

Anarchist

I Was On About Tonights Questions.

dub45

GarfieldConnoll wrote:

Dub45,

Regarding the drumming up business acquisation.........is it better that I'm here, or not? You can be brutally honest (you typically are).

Garfield.

Garfield,

You are the one who chose to be here initially. No one asked you. I presume you represent Smart as such so criticism is aimed at Smart rather than you personally

You used that opportunity to drum up business for Smart and in the process probably got more than you bargained for in terms of of the questions you were hit with. But you did excite people with the promise you held out. But when the rollout began and the difficult questions arose they were answered far less freqently than before. Is it any wonder that people wonder where has Garfield gone?

Now I believe that you should either be here consistently or not at all.

Even if things are not always going well for you you can be honest with customers and they appreciate that. If you are busy then tell people you will post exchange updates say every week or 10 days or whatever. But keep to that schedule.

A company that promises to call back customers and does not do it loses credibility very quickly. You should be glad to have that sort of issue highlighted for you and make sure it is attended to.

And I cannot understand why Smart has not grouped people together on an exchange basis so that they can be kept up to date with the minimum of effort through an email.

Attention to some of those basic issues would remove a considerable amount of the criticism that they are generating.

crawler

It was slightly daft of Smart to think that they could just do it all without any technical, political or legal hitch - BT fought this to the death and eircom will do the same ( as would I if it were my Business ).

In fairness Oisin is a financial man and his job was to release capaital based on customers pre-signing, he has done this quite successfully. This is how some of his more Complex fund raising activites were structured. It's a risky game though because it does give high expectations on something that is in many ways non existant...in particular in the fickle residential market.

Garfield has taken the honest 'injun approach and has suffered the wrath of doing that ( normal ) while at the same time trying to toe the Company line - he's a good bloke and means well and while he has some technical knowledge he is not going to have all the answers himself, more the means to get them - this leaves him in a postion where he is dependant on others, who can let him down.

Regardless of what you think of Smart it would be bad for both the telco industry and indeed investment into the telco industry if they failed.

As for IOFFL - you can certainly have a slice of the pie..I suppose....

dub45

crawler wrote:

It was slightly daft and of Smart to think that they could just do it all without any technical, political or legal hitch - BT fought this to the death and eircom will do the same ( as would I if it were my Business ).
...........

Regardless of what you think of Smart it would be bad for both the telco industry and indeed investment into the telco industry if they failed.

.........

Nobody wants them to fail and perhaps that contributes to the extra frustration vented at Garfield. But apart altogether from the technical issues when you read yet again of some of the nonsense people are reputedly being told over the phone it is very hard not to believe that Smart is going to be just another isp with lousy customer service with a get as many is as possible attitude.

crawler

dub45 wrote:

Nobody wants them to fail and perhaps that contributes to the extra frustration vented at Garfield. But apart altogether from the technical issues when you read yet again of some of the nonsense people are reputedly being told over the phone it is very hard not to believe that Smart is going to be just another isp with lousy customer service with a get as many is as possible attitude.

I am not defending them and your points are valid, people who signed up just want the service

In fairness I would imagine the CS people are finding it hard in there.

As for what will happen...who knows....but any competition is ultimately good for the consumer in the long run...only time will tell...

dahamsta

GarfieldConnoll wrote:

Get a list (one list) of all questions and I'll batter through them.

Which is exactly what you said in the PM Garfield. "Which questions need to be answered?" "All of them." You're repeating yourself, you've answered all the lowball questions and now have to resort to avoidance tactics, smart-arsed answers and just plain rudeness to get away from the difficult ones.

Is the forum better off with or without you? Without imho, if you're going to take that attitude, both for consumers and your own benefit. Either stfu and just answer the questions, or piss off before you annoy everyone else.

Don't join? You must be joking. I'd sign up with Eircom before I'd go anywhere near a snakeoil outfit like Smart. Genesis Europe cubed.

(For the record, I said before I'd like to Smart succeed if only to introduce competition to the market. That remains the case, but I don't see how it can happen if the company continues to be run in the way it is. Stop bullsh*tting people and maybe I'll change my mind.)

adam

Sarsfield

Why do people think they have a right to all the answers here? Just because someone from the company paid a visit? This is a chat board. If you met Garfield in the pub and he told you a bit about the Smart service would you give him such a hard time for not answering ALL your questions.

Incidentally, I see a lot of issues with Smart, but I think the approach taken by some people here is absolutely ridiculous. This is not the Smart customer service board. It's just a broadband board. People should be free to contribute as much or as little as they like. That includes people in the business (except for pimping).

If you don't like Smart, say so once, and don't sign up!

dahamsta

Bonus for missing the point Sarsfield, go to the top of the class. The fact that Garfield only answers the lowball questions is only a part of the problem, the major issue I have - and I'm assuming others have - is that Garfield said he would answer them, but didn't. In my case he said he'd answer them twice. Sponge Bob reckoned three times yesterday. That other person at least once.

If he just fessed up and said he didn't want to answer them, then yes, we'd draw conclusions, but at least we could move on. If it just happened to one person we could write it off as silly oversight. But he hasn't fessed up and it's happened often enough to look like he's just trying to weasel his way out of the difficult questions.

Like I suggested in my last post, I agree with damien.m and (indirectly) Sponge Bob, he should just fess up that he's not going to answer them and stick to tech answers in future, cos he's probably making the muppets in the PR department cry with his behaviour.

adam

steve-o

dahamsta wrote:

I'd sign up with Eircom before I'd go anywhere near a snakeoil outfit like Smart. Genesis Europe cubed.

That comparison seems more than a little unfair to me. Yes, the marketing seems to have run a bit too far ahead of the reality, and the rollout schedule seems to be a little unrealistically agressive given the many problems they are likely to encounter at every exchange. But people are being connected (slowly).

I completely understand the frustration - you think it's just you getting the run-around until you read the boards and see it's a more widespread problem. I'd probably still be waiting to be connected if Garfield hadn't intervened for me. But he shouldn't have needed to do that - there is a clear problem in how pending orders are being tracked and how Smart is communicating with what were previously enthusiastic early adopters (who should by now be saying good things about Smart to all their friends), but are now clearly very p1ssed off and likely to be badmouthing the company. That's a marketing disaster.

Garfield - if I were you I would be raising this at the highest level in Smart. Getting customer service sorted should be an even higher priority than progressing the rollout, or you might end up with lots of live exchanges and few people taking up the offer.

Steve.

dahamsta

Point taken about GE, at least Smart would seem to be getting some customers hooked up. However they'll need to accelerate the arse out of it and get the process automated if they want those 100k customers hooked up before, you know, Jesus comes back and starts asking questions.

I agree 100% on the CS point btw. Shoddy CS is what killed WOM marketing for UTV, which is what made them in the first place. I don't care what the middle managers and cost cutters say, good CS is major factor in customer growth and retention.

Treat customers like sh*t and they won't just quit, they'll tell everyone else not to join too. Ads will negate that to a degree, but why flush the money down that toilet when you can get it for free?

adam

Moriarty

Next person I see throwing insults around the place gets a two week ban. Just so you all know.

beller b

I agree Steve,
I know I have vented a lot over the last couple of the days, mainly due to the frustration of not knowing whats going on. Yes ,I put it up to Garfield on a number of occasions & in fairness to him he had the balls to come on & respond ,abit a bit sarcastic at times,(I wouldn't blame him with what was waiting for him) I think the last few days have been a learning process for Smart, they have realised the error of thier ways, & that keeping the customer in the picture can save everyone a lot of grief. I got not 1, but 2 emails from Smart today explaining & apologising for the delays & giving iddications of the end of May ( Although not making the same mistake of commiting themselves).. Hopefully things will move along & Garfield will keep in touch & keep us informed.....
Anyone else receive mail today

Anarchist

Wow that was some climbdown lol, Mori tie u up and whip you?

beller b

Ah now don't be getting me excited!!!!!..... I know, but I have always said the most frustrating is the not knowing... Lets be happy again & see how it goes.....

crawler

beller b wrote:

Ah now don't be getting me excited!!!!!..... I know, but I have always said the most frustrating is the not knowing... Lets be happy again & see how it goes.....

Folks - this is hardly constructuve....Mr Mod, time to lock me thinks?

Giblet

I see this thread going around in circles.

If you want questions answered, make a list of them and PM them to Garfield, I'll reopen the thread if he has answers and PM's me.

I don't advise signing up for any service if you don't have all the answers you need, so I wouldn't go blaming Garfield for skirting any issues you have, he's not forcing you to sign up.