Introduction to Our Company and Services
Genesis Telecom Limited has been formed with the basic objective of reducing business telephone call charges and providing a better-managed telephone service. Genesis Telecom Limited acts as a total call cost centre providing many unparalleled services to our client. In pursuit of this objective Genesis Telecom Limited operates under the following Code of Conduct, the purpose of which is to provide a clear framework to ensure good practice and responsive selling, and to help customers understand our service and the behaviour to be expected.
The Purpose of Our Code of Conduct
The Code informs you about our products, services, and to show you that Genesis Limited adopts responsible best-practice selling techniques when marketing our fixed line-telecommunications services;
- to help our customers and potential customers understand our services and the behaviour to be expected from our representatives;
- to show that we provide our customers with higher standards of protection than consumer law requires; and
- to set out clearly what is good practice in the sales and marketing of our services, as reassurance to our customers.
The Code applies to the sales and marketing of our services to small business customers and covers all aspects of the sales process. We aim to avoid mis-selling and misrepresentation and to ensure that you fully understand the services and the terms of the contracts we offer you.
All our sales and marketing staff and agents are briefed on this code and we routinely monitor compliance with it. If you feel that any representative of Genesis Telecom Limited has breached the terms of the code, please report your concerns to our compliance officer, Michael Hall :-
By email :- info@genesistelecom.co.uk
By phone :- 0843 504 4180
By letter :- The Managing Director,
Genesis Telecom Limited, 430 Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast BT4 3GY.
Copies of this code are available free of charge in various formats on request, including via our website www.genesistelecom.co.uk. The Code has been prepared in line with guidelines published by Ofcom, the industry regulator, on 15 th May 2006 .
Sales, Marketing, Advertising and Promotion
This code shall apply to all instances where Genesis Telecom Limited is involved in the sale or marketing of their Fixed Line Telecommunication Services, to small business customers. NB. Small business customer’s are those who employ 10 or fewer people.
Regardless of the way in which our sales and marketing activities are conducted we act responsibly and compliantly. It is acknowledged that some customers may not wish to be approached in some instances. Genesis Telecom Limited undertakes to respect the wishes of its customers and not to approach potential customers that have registered with any Preference Services including the Mailing Preference Service, the Telephone Preference Service, the Fax Preference Service and the E-mail Preference Service. Indeed we are pro-active in ensuring customers are aware of and registered if they wish with such relevant Preference Services.
We make customers aware of and promote our services by various methods. In all cases, we act responsibly and try to comply with relevant legislation.
In addition, all our advertising and promotional activity keeps to the principles of the British Codes of Advertising and Sales Promotion. We ensure that all advertising, promotional literature including our website is clear, unambiguous, accurate and fair, does not contain false or misleading information about price, value or service and does not denigrate other companies.
Staff – Recruitment and Sales Training
In recruiting sales staff Genesis Telecom Limited uses a unique technique. We believe we are an exceptional company and we only employ exceptional staff. Before offering employment, all our staff are fully checked. In additional to standard security checks (proof of identity, ie drivers license, proof of address and if appropriate visa status), each applicant must provide proof of NI number, and two references, which cannot be from relatives, from members of the same business or more than three years old. Whilst checking the references and backgrounds, previous employers are specifically asked if the potential employee has ever been involved in instances of mis-selling or if their behaviour has ever led to questions regarding their integrity being asked. Should any criminal convictions be highlighted during the checking process, the nature of these will be taken into account when deciding whether or not to offer employment.
Genesis Telecom Limited recognises that all sales staff are seen as the public face of the company and indeed the industry at large. As such, account is taken of each candidate’s behaviour and appearance. We also ensure that all our sub-contractors and agencies use equivalent selection and training procedures. We train our sales and marketing employees to ensure they have a good understanding of our services and of industry practice generally and do not give our customers inaccurate or misleading advice.
We also ensure that our sales staff are familiar with the relevant aspects of consumer protection law, the content and interpretation of this code and the benefits it provides to customers.
If visiting or meeting in person, they will show you their business card. Our representatives are trained to be courteous, to use appropriate language and to offer clear and straightforward explanations. They must offer only factual and accurate information about our services and contracts and must not misrepresent our services or those of other companies. They must check that if you enter into a contract you fully understand the terms and are sure that this is what you want to do.
Our representatives will cease contact with anyone who indicates that the contact is inconvenient, unwelcome, inappropriate or too long. At your request, the discussion will be ended immediately.
To help Genesis deal with any complaints or queries, all such records should clearly identify the salesperson(s) who made the call or visit.
Entering into a Contract
We check that the person entering into a contract with us is authorised to sign a contract for services and be responsible for bills at the premises in question.
Our order forms and contract forms are designed to ensure that you understand that you are entering a contract, and each document states this immediately next to where you sign.
We will tell you that you have the right to change your mind during the switchover period and that there is no cost for cancellation during this period.
In all cases we will give you the following information:
confirmation of our company’s identity and full contact details; a description of the service you have chosen, including how it works, the cost and payment terms; arrangements for providing the service, including how we deal with the order and, as accurately as possible, when it is likely to start; your right to cancel and how to use it; how long the charges will remain valid; and the minimum period of contract, and minimum contract charges, if any.
Our representatives have a full summary of our tariffs, which you can ask to see.
Where our representative meets you in person, they will give you the information in writing. When you sign an order form, or enter into a written contract, you will also get a copy of the order form or contract, as well as information about any after-sales services or guarantees and arrangements for ending the contract.
You will get this information at the same time as you sign, or within 5 working days, unless you received it in writing before signing the contract.
Orders placed with us by distance-selling methods (such as phone, fax or internet) comply with distance-selling regulations. As with order forms, our telephone scripts are designed to ensure that you understand that you are entering into a contract and will be sent the information detailed above.
In the case of internet orders, a well signposted and easy-to-see hyperlink to this information is prominently displayed and the information is readily available for downloading and printing.
Regardless of our method of selling, you may cancel orders and end contracts by telephone, in writing, by fax or by e-mail to:-
Contract Review
Our standard procedures minimise the risk of errors or mis-selling on our part when taking orders or making contracts during face-to-face or telephone selling.
We confirm orders by sending a notification of transfer letter to the customer in accordance with the industry-agreed process. The letter, which is clearly dated, gives details of the transfer, including the date of transfer, and information on any services and features which may be affected by the transfer. The letter also provides contact details for any questions.
We contact all customers entering into a new contract to confirm that you understand that you have entered into a contract, are happy to proceed with the contract and are content with the way in which we conducted the sales and marketing.
This check is generally incorporated into the order confirmation letter but is always completed not more than 5 working days after a contract is agreed. Where we contact you directly, this is done by a person not involved with our sales and marketing activities, who will tell you who they are.
The letter may be sent electronically if you have applied online and have confirmed online that you wish future correspondence to be sent electronically.
We will terminate the contract without charge or other penalty to you if we find that you did not understand the contract or it was not what you intended or if it was finalised before the expiry of the switchover period, and you wish to cancel. We keep our contract procedures under review and take steps to prevent the recurrence of any problem identified through audit (see below).
Legislation
Genesis Limited will, at all times, endeavour to comply with all relevant legislation and fulfil our legal obligations.
Audit
As part of our continuing commitment to provide an efficient service, all contracts will be audited prior to processing. They will be checked for errors and to insure that the contract was properly entered into. Additionally regular audits of systems, procedures and documentations will be carried out.
If errors are identified both parties have the right to make good the mistakes or cancel the account.
Customer Complaints Procedure
Genesis Telecom Limited is committed to ensuring that this code is followed at all times. However, should a customer wish to make a complaint about our sales and marketing activity, we can be contacted via the details set out above, to the Compliance Officer.
Genesis Telecom Limited’s aim is to investigate and resolve complaints within three months after first receiving notice of the complaint. However, if the customer is not satisfied with the outcome of investigation they can ask for the matter to be escalated to a senior manager. If they are still not satisfied with the way Genesis Telecom Limited have dealt with the complaints, the customer may be able to refer the matter CISAS. CISAS are an independent body who provide an alternative dispute resolution service to our small business customers. Contact details are found later in the publication.
Any complaints about any level of our service will be dealt with in accordance with our Code of Practice for Complaints. All staff and representatives are not only aware of the existence of this code, but are also trained on the details of it, and will inform customer of the existence of this code, a copy of which is available to all customers on our web site or on request a hard copy will be provide free of charge.
This code is designed to comply with Ofcom regulations relating to Telecom: Direct Sales and Marketing, as required by the Communications Act 2003. All providers who engage in sales and marketing for fixed line Telecom Services are required under General Condition 14.3 to establish a code in accordance with Ofcom guidelines and comply with the provisions of the code.
- Compliance of the codes does not guarantee compliance with any legal requirements. Also non-compliances with the code do not affect the validity of any contract between the parties, unless otherwise provided for by law.
Copies of this code are available free of charge in various formats on request, including via our website www.Genesisuk.com. The Code has been prepared in line with guidelines published by Ofcom, the industry regulator.
