READERS' FORUM:Have your say
Readers got in touch with good and bad reports about UPC this week. First the bad. Jim Harding’s TV lost signal recently so he called the company. “The first thing I had to do was enter my UPC account number through the telephone, UPC then verified that I have an account and it is fully paid,” he writes.
He then requested the fault report service. “After a short wait of a few minutes (which is much improved from the previous wait of up to one hour), I was then asked for my UPC account number, my name and address, and my telephone number. I do not understand why it is necessary for me the give that information a second time as the telephone log-on system has already identified me as a paid-up customer,” he says.
He asked for the reason he needed to give the information a second time and was told that it is for “protection under data protection regulations. I cannot understand how me reporting a fault can in any way promote a risk to my data as held by UPC. I could understand these extra measures being taken if I were asking for my account balance, or asking for some other details relating to me or my account,” he says.
He says the company should understand that if someone is attempting to report a fault they may already be annoyed because what they were watching was interrupted possibly at a critical moment such as a penalty shootout.”
Now the good report: Finn Ryan moved house earlier this month and advised UPC who provided his TV service, and Vodafone who looked after his phoneline and broadband about 10 days in advance.
“On the day we moved, UPC were at our new house at 9.30am to install our TV connection – this was after two phone calls from them confirming they would be there.
“Vodafone had made no record of our original request to move the phone line/broadband and then advised it would take 21 days before we could have these services moved. We contacted UPC who connected us to their wire-free phone line and broadband within four days – again phoning us to confirm their expected time of arrival,” he writes. “A big thank you to UPC for exceptional service but isn’t it a pity that we are surprised by good customer service?”
Missing the Tesco deal because of no side dish
Louis O’Flaherty from Drumcondra in Dublin was in his local Tesco recently when he saw a “dine in for two” deal. It offered wine, a main course ready meal, a dessert and a starter for €10 – a considerable saving compared with the price of all the items separately.
“I picked up a few bits and pieces but there were no side dishes on the shelf. I said to myself that I did not need it and bought the rest to the checkout,” he writes. He was less than pleased when he was charged the full whack for the four items and even less pleased when he was told he couldn’t have the meal for two because there was no side dish in his basket.
“I said that there were no sides on display and the conversation became quite heated. I couldn’t see the logic so the young person on the till sent for a manager. He told me the same story. I said there were no side dishes on display and asked him to get me one to buy but I was told there were no sides in stock. We had a roundabout argument that went nowhere and I ended up walking out and leaving my shopping behind.
We contacted Tesco to see what it had to say. In a statement we were told that the Tesco’s Finest meal deal “offers customers the widest choice of any meal deal available and all items are subject to availability. In any given week customers can choose from a selection of 3 starters, 5 main courses, 3 desserts, 4 wines or 2 juices. Occasionally, certain items do prove more popular and can sell faster than the other options. “
The spokesman for the retailing giant went on to say that Tesco “would like to apologise to the customer concerned who should have been offered an alternative dessert from our Finest Meal Deal Offer thereby allowing him to avail of the deal.”
