E-mail from Aer Lingus regarding geographic alternatives
| August 17, 2011 | Posted by admin under Uncategorized |
This interesting (in parts) e-mail came from the seemingly unhelpful people in Aer Lingus regarding a geographic alternative number published on this site for their customer service 0818365000 number.
With regard to the listing below. Please ammend it as it is inacurate.
0044 208 234 4333 is London Accounts Dept only. We cannot and do not help with Customer Service & Reservations. We just ask them to redial the correct number.Aer Lingus Customer Service and Reservations 0818365000 – Call Instead 00442082344333 (this is a UK number, so use on Skype or if you have UK minutes bundles)
It’s worth noting two particular things here:
1. Aer Lingus make money whenever their Irish customers have to call this 0818 customer service number. You’d almost think it was in their interest to provide a crap customer service just so they can make more money on the phone calls.
2. UK customers of Aer Lingus aren’t forced the inconvenience of having to call such a premium rate number – they get their own geographical alternative number.
Great to see an Irish business looking after tourists and visitors to Ireland – it’s just a pity they’re shafting us here in Ireland at the same time.
I have responded to the person who sent me this e-mail asking why they don’t give the same courtesy to Irish customers that they provide UK ones, so we’ll see if there’s any response.
I sympathise that it is frustrating to find that an alternative that we thought was suitable is not, but the quoted e-mail quite clearly says that the number +44 20 8234 4333 is the wrong department for customer service and reservation enquiries.
We do not list this number on SAYNOTO0870.COM and the only number we have for Aer Lingus is what I understand is the main switchboard at the Dublin office: 01 886 8880.
I called the UK 0871 number and the Irish 0818 number and they both go through to the same recorded announcement. With this in mind, I suggest that they are both answered in Dublin by the same team, and thus that the alternative for one will also be an alternative for the other.
I see the purpose of the database of alternative numbers at SAYNOTO0870.COM as being a way to avoid the premium charges of the published non-geographic numbers.
There are different classes of alternative:
1. The most preferable are those that are answered in the same way as their counterpart published numbers.
2. Then there are those that are answered by different people but who can deal with the same type of enquiries as on the non-geographics. For example, a retail chain that publishes one number that is answered at its call centre, rather than individual numbers for its stores. We might list (perhaps otherwise unpublished) store numbers where staff will deal with calls from customers.
3. And there are numbers where the caller has to ask to be put through to the required department, e.g. a main office switchboard number or sales line (where calls are put through to customer services).
In the case of classes 2 and 3, it might be the case that employees are forbidden to deal with calls directly or forward them on. They might be told that they must just give out the non-geographic number. In which case, such numbers aren’t alternatives.
If SayNoTo1890 continues to list a number, knowing that callers are not served, then the site is not just there to provide alternatives; it has extended to causing a nuisance to those receiving calls and waste the time of both callers and receivers.
Perhaps where this is the case, numbers should be flagged, so that those who are simply looking for an alternative can avoid calling.
I think it’s fair to say that organisations’ telephone numbering policies are set at high level. If the author of the e-mail does not hold such a position, then the only response the site owner could hope to receive is a simple statement on the Company’s position.
It could be that the author’s personal position is in agreement that customers should be able to make contact without incurring a premium charge, but he or she can hardly say so.
The reason for the communication probably came about because numerous calls were being received from customers who indicate that they have taken the number of this site. The people taking the calls are just trying to do their jobs, which do not extend to taking reservations and customer services calls.
In direct response to point number 2, looking at Aer Lingus’ contact page, there is only the 0871 number for UK customers to call. I cannot see any alternative referred to and would appreciate it if the site owner could provide it so I can list it on SAYNOTO0870.COM.
I believe that it is also important to be mindful that alternatives are not the be all and end all. Customers can only dial an alternative if they know what it is. If it’s not widely publicised then they will invariably be “forced” to ring the premium number.
For Aer Lingus its even worse. When abroad even if you have roaming enabled many phone providers block ‘premium’ rate numbers while roaming so even (as in my case) I couldnt dial the 0818 number from outside Ireland. (I did get thru via a UK number the 0871 one). It is really crap service from Aer Lingus as I had a problem that genuinely could not be fixed via their website.
This works for phoning Aer Lingus in Dublin from the UK:
+353 818 365044.
I use my prepaid First Telecom account, at 2.1p per minute to an Irish land line.