A 95-year-old lady lost contact with the world outside, leaving her unable to call for help in the event of a fall. Her upset kin, named Jim, reached out to Pricewatch, expressing serious concerns over her distressing situation. Jim’s aunt’s phone had stopped operating a little over a week prior. Jim had informed Eir, the telephone service provider, of the issue who indicated a solution would be found within a span of 48 hours. However, it took an additional five days before Jim approached us.
Jim explained that the elderly woman uses her phone not just as a link to the outside world, but importantly, she wears an alarm connected through her phone line. If she falls, an incident that has occurred numerous times before, she can press the alarm and assistance will be sent. If she is devoid of this alarm, a severe fall could have fatal consequences.
Upon explaining the situation, Eir pledged to send a technician within a two-day period, a response that Jim regarded as unacceptable, given the vulnerability of his aunt.
Minutes after we received Jim’s email, we reached out to Eir and received an immediate response. Within the hour after raising the issue, we heard back from Jim, who informed us that a high-ranking executive from Eir had organised for technicians to urgently tackle the issue.
However, the technicians failed to offer a solution as the problem arose from internal wiring within the house, not the telecommunications network. Eir’s resolution team subsequently made contact, establishing a temporary solution until permanent repairs could be made by the landlord of the property. Eir expressed understanding of the crucial role the phone played in the elderly woman’s safety, apologized for the emotional distress caused, and committed to continue cooperating with the customer until a permanent solution could be found.
Eir also highlighted its supportive service, Age-Friendly Care, which provides specialised customer assistance for its senior clientele along with their families or appointed authorised users. The trained team addresses queries and provides much-needed support.