A new form of slavery

This week's Independent News & Media Irish regional newspapers' column.

Michael Commane

Two weeks ago a friend of mine related to me the hoops that she had to go through to make a small simple change on her phone account. She is a wise calm and articulate person who seldom gets annoyed or frustrated. But her ongoing problem with her phone provider had certainly frustrated her. 

What was annoying her most was that she found it impossible to get them to listen to her and then take action. ‘It was impossible to get speaking to a human voice at the other end of the phone. And I still have not heard from them,’ she said.

It seems we are all subjected to a new form of slavery. These global corporations are holding us to ransom and we are allowing them get away with it. In the meantime, they are making millions on us. 

They seem to have the power, money and ability to wear us down. And the sheer brass-neck too.

Only last week Conor Pope told a story in his column in ‘The Irish Times’ of the appalling treatment a passenger received at the hands of Ryanair.

My friend’s saga with her phone provider and Conor Pope’s story remind me of my own personal saga with Eir.

Indeed, I wrote about it in this column in mid-March and the problem has not yet been resolved.

I am not going to bore the reader with a detailed account of my running row with Eir. But it is a frustrating and seemingly never-ending saga.

I was a customer with Eir for 30 years and my parents before me for another 30 years. One thing is certain these corporations place no importance or value in loyalty. ‘Back in the day’ we placed great importance on loyalty.

My current skirmish with Eir has clearly demonstrated that loyalty counts for nothing.

And then the PR speak they use in an attempt to fob off the customer.

On one occasion Eir emailed me informing me that I had written to the wrong department and gave me a phone number which would deal with my problem. On phoning the number, I was asked for my account or phone number. When I told them that I had closed my account I was told via a recorded message they could not deal with my problem.

On March 1 I wrote a hard copy letter to Eir and so far they have not had the good manners to reply. I have a file of silly PR-speak, meaningless emails from Eir.

Since late February I have been asking Eir to give me a breakdown on the account that I have closed. Not a word from them and it seems they have no intentions.

Is this the company to whom our government is going to pay millions to use their infrastructure in the rolling out of broadband to rural Ireland?

After my experience with Eir I’d be slow to ‘phone home’ ever again with them.

I may well over the years in this column have criticised State-owned companies but these days I am beginning to think when it comes to customer service, efficiency and simple good manners they are light years ahead of many of the large private corporations who are making millions on us.

On a train from Dublin to Galway on Friday I observed a member of Irish Rail staff organise a ramp for a wheelchair passenger. All done with friendliness and at no extra cost. And the train arrived on time at Galway Ceannt Station.