What is the purpose of the Code?
This Code of Practice is designed to aid our customers by providing information about their relationship with UK Telecom Ltd as their major communication supplier.
All of our services are subject to availability and may be modified from time to time.
UK Telecom Ltd € who are we?
UK Telecom Ltd is a UK based, Pan European provider of communications services and products.
Data Protection
UK Telecom Ltd may use your personal information together with other information for providing telecommunications services, marketing, administration, and training. We may disclose your information to service providers and Agents for these purposes. We may also keep your information for a reasonable period of time for marketing purposes in order to contact you about our services, but you can choose not to receive such marketing material at any time by notifying Customer Services in writing.
What are our products and services?
We offer voice and simple data services in France, and voice, data (ADSL and other types of Broadband) services in the UK. We supply, install and maintain a variety of phone systems and equipment in the UK. Voice services in France are delivered by Pre-Select. Services in the UK are delivered by CPS. We also deliver non €geographic services in both markets, with prices dependent upon individual requirements.
What is our pricing policy?
We aim to ensure that all of our customers receive excellent value for money. We do not have hidden charges and try to ensure our prices are as transparent as possible. We do not have complicated tariffs that are aimed at confusing our customers and, in many cases, do not benefit them. At UK Telecom Ltd we aim to make sure that what you see is what you get, and that our prices are as low as possible. At UK Telecom Ltd we try to design specific products for specific markets, so that the customers in those markets receive the best value that is possible.
Where do we list our charges?
We provide a service that enables you to call any destination in the world. Naturally the list of destinations is very long, so we publish details of the most frequently dialled destinations together with the costs on our web site. This includes the costs of calling mobile phones as well as land lines.
A full list of charges to all destinations is available by writing or emailing us at the addresses at the end of this code.
How do we bill for our services?
UK Telecom Ltd only bills by email. There are no exceptions to this and every customer must have a valid email address, which can be changed by the account holder at any time without penalty.
Every customer receives a fully itemised bill, showing all their calls, which details the call destination, the time and date of call, the length of call and the cost of the call. There is also a summary sheet showing number of calls, their duration and cost to various destinations. Any additional items are included on the statement page generally as line entries.
All the bills are currently produced in English, with VAT charged at the appropriate rate.
Who are our Customers?
UK Telecom Ltd has very specific target customers. Unlike the majority of companies we do not try to be the panacea of telecoms, we aim to supply our products and services to specific sectors in both the UK and French market places.
Our products are designed with these specific customers in mind, who in the main are either individuals or micro businesses. The products meet the needs of these customers and are not designed for the general populations of both countries, or for the majority of business customers in our markets.
We design our services around the needs of these markets and our sales and support are geared to supporting our target customers.
We do not exclude customers from other sectors of the marketplace but we do not alter our services to accommodate them.
How do we market our services?
UK Telecom Ltd has very specific markets, and we use advertising in media that targets our markets to generate interest in our services. UK Telecom Ltd sells through its Agent sales force, who sell directly to their customers, and through direct marketing.
Our Agents are trained and have all the relevant information to hand, and can explain why UK Telecom Ltd has the ideal products for the market place. The Agents follow up any leads and can speak directly to the customers, face to face if required. They also generate their own sales wherever possible. They are able to give help and advice post sale if required, and are the face of UK Telecom Ltd in their locality.
What do we expect from our Agents?
Where UK Telecom Ltd sells through Agents, it is important that they are competent, clear and personable. Our Agents€ role is to sell UK Telecom Ltd services to our market places, with back up from our Sales Support team, and have access to information covering UK Telecom Ltd€s unique selling points.
All of our Agents are expected to be polite, punctual and reply to queries within realistic timescales. They are not telecoms experts and the majority are not former professional sales people, but individuals who have seen UK Telecom Ltd and believe that the company can deliver what it promises.
Most of all our Agents must be honest and if UK Telecom Ltd is not right for a customer then they are expected to say so.
What don€t we expect from our Agents?
Our Agents do not have targets to hit; there are no penalties for few sales and they cannot be fired for €poor sales figures€, but we do expect our agents to sign up a minimum of ten new customers each year to maintain their agency.
Also, we don€t expect our Agents to be pushy, or to try any €hard sell€ tactics. Any Agent behaving dishonestly will be removed, and all complaints are followed up in the shortest possible time.
Any agent who mis-sells our services will be removed immediately. UK Telecom Ltd does not tolerate activities of this kind and will enforce this rule categorically.
What support do we give to our customers?
Our customers are supported in a number of ways. They can contact their local Agent, especially for service and tariff queries, who will be able to explain how UK Telecom Ltd€s services compare and how they are delivered.
Customers can email or call the office in the UK with any queries regarding billing or Service Level Agreements. All queries are given a high priority and we aim to respond within one working day.
If there is no immediate resolution then the query can be escalated within the UK Telecom Ltd complaints procedure outlined below.
In the first instance contact will be by email unless specifically requested otherwise by the customer, customers can email: queries@uktelecom.uk.net
Our Customer Service team is available from 8.30am to 5.00pm business days.
Making you welcome
All of our customers receive a welcome email when we receive their order. This confirms their details and lets them know we have received the order. If there are any issues with the order then, in the first instance, the Agent will be contacted to provide the answers. Once the order has been processed and all changeover dates agreed, UK Telecom Ltd sends another email to the customer confirming all changeover dates.
Fault / Repair Reporting
UK Telecom Ltd takes responsibility for any fault on the service, and aims to provide a fix within 1 working day. However, where the fault lies outside of UK Telecom Ltd€s ability to provide a direct fix, such as an incumbent line fault (e.g. a fault on a customer€s BT or France Telecom line) then UK Telecom Ltd will endeavour to provide the customer with the appropriate information regarding repair times as delivered by the incumbent.
UK Telecom Ltd will email responses in the first instance unless otherwise requested by the customer (in the case of line faults a suitable communication method will be agreed by UK Telecom Ltd and the customer).
How do you pay for our services?
UK Telecom Ltd has a very simple policy of expecting customers to pay by Direct Debit (DD) or its equivalent.
Customers are billed in the country of origin, so a customer in France will be billed in Euros. A customer may pay for their services in either Euros or Sterling, where Sterling is requested the bill is produced in Euros and a conversion into Sterling takes place. UK Telecom Ltd uses the Post Office Tourist rate www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/foreignexchange, the rate is taken on the day of billing at 9am UK time.
Customers are invoiced monthly by email, normally around the 8th of the month and the normal DD payment rules apply. The payment is usually deducted via the DD fourteen days after the invoice is sent. This provides you with an opportunity to examine your invoice and approve it prior to the payment being collected. In the event that you have a question on your invoice and it is raised with us prior to the payment being collected, this is addressed before any DD is made.
Questions on invoices should be emailed to: billing@uktelecom.uk.net.
Late payment and disconnection policy
The customer has a duty to pay for the services they have received. If payment is late or a DD transaction fails then UK Telecom Ltd will charge a penalty for this. If the payment is still not received UK Telecom Ltd will endeavour to contact the customer to inform them that service may be disconnected. UK Telecom Ltd will of course use its best endeavours to ensure this does not happen, and will aim to help all of its customers wherever possible. However disconnection will be applied if no satisfactory resolution can be found.
What is our complaints procedure?
Whilst we strive to ensure a fantastic service for all our customers, we realise that sometimes this may not happen and we may fall short of our own high standards.
Customers may contact us via the normal routes:
Email: enquiries@uktelecom.uk.net
Phone: UK: 01483 833 795
France: Freefone € 0805 631 632
Fax: 0044 (0) 1483 833 794
Post: UK Telecom Ltd
William House
Bury Fields
Guildford
Surrey
GU2 4AZ
UK
More detail can be found about us on our web site: www.uktelecom.uk.net
All complainants will receive an email confirming the nature of the complaint, and UK Telecom Ltd will aim for resolution within 5 working days.
If the complaint cannot be resolved within agreed timescales, then it will be escalated to the Director responsible, who will respond within 3 working days.
The final escalation is to a quorum of Directors (minimum of 2) who will respond within 3 working days.
If the matter is still in dispute then a mutually agreed independent ombudsman may be appointed, or the matter can be forwarded to the relevant body at any time by either party (OFCOM in the UK).
How do you cancel our services?
UK Telecom Ltd simply requires 30 days notice to cancel the standard voice services. To cancel the service, simply inform UK Telecom Ltd by email, letter or phone (your password will be required for this method). Other services may have term contracts, which will be subject to penalty clauses as agreed at the time of signing contracts. Other services may be subject to different cancellation periods.
Terms and Conditions
The contract you sign to request our services has the terms and conditions detailed on the reverse of your copy, otherwise they are supplied on a separate sheet. If for any reason the sales person does not leave you a copy, one can be obtained from the Customer Services Department, or via our web site www.uktelecom.uk.net
The Terms and Conditions describe the general legal and contractual obligations between our customers and UK Telecom Ltd. The details of the terms and conditions will vary depending on the kind of service we offer. They may also be varied from time to time, and when this happens you will be advised by an announcement in your invoice, which will give 30 days notice of the change.
Copy of Code of Practice
You can obtain a copy of this Code of Practice by contacting our Customer Service Department, or by downloading it from the web site.
How do you contact us?
Email: enquiries@uktelecom.uk.net
Phone: UK: 01483 833 795
France: Freefone € 0805 631 632
Fax: 0044 (0) 1483 833 794
Post: UK Telecom Ltd
William House
Bury Fields
Guildford
Surrey
GU2 4AZ
UK
OFCOM
For services provided in the UK this Code of Practice, which has been approved by OFCOM applies and will be reviewed and updated as and when required. OFCOM can be contacted as follows:
Office of Communications (OFCOM)
Riverside House
2a Southwark Bridge Road
London
SE1 9HA
Phone: 020 7981 3000
Fax: 020 7981 3333
E-mail: contact@ofcom.org.uk
Website: www.ofcom.org.uk
OFCOM is the main regulator for the UK communications industry.
Services in France
Customers should use the same procedure for raising any complaint.
In the event that the problem has not been satisfied customers should contact the French regulator, ARCEP (L€Autorit€ de Regulation des Communications €lectroniqies et des Poses:
Mission Consommateurs
7, square Max Hymans
75730 Paris cedex 15
