rushtoe:

 

quickymart:

 

That's an idea - could Vodafone do live chat, a la Spark? Surely it's just an addition to their website? (note I'm not an HTML developer, so not 100% sure).

 

 

@quickymart @networkn @cyril7

 

 

 

We have been doing Live Chat since 2018.

 

Live chat can be accessed through our Help and Support pages and more recently via our chatbot TOBi. if TOBi doesn't know the answer yet, a Live Chat agent is ready to help.  We have thousands of customers who use & enjoy this service every month.

 

 

 

Check it out here:

 

https://www.vodafone.co.nz/help/?initializechat=bot&initquestion=src%3Dtxt

 

 

 

If you have any feedback or comments about our Live Chat service please don't hesitate to send me a DM

 

 

 

When I was a VF customer I gave the live chat a go a couple of times, what a waste of my time it was, there was very little they could do beyond simply looking up account information.

I think that's where Spark has an advantage - I've found their live chat to be useful and actually get things done (ie, change plans, etc). Not much use in just looking up account information if I can do that myself.

Where are those chat queries handled, btw? Onshore or offshore?

Edit: just tried the chat. I was asking about upgrading my mobile (the bot didn't understand my question) so I requested to chat to an agent. It took ages to connect so I walked away from the computer for a moment, with the speakers on loud while waiting. There's absolutely no audio warning whatsoever (I think Spark has a "ding" or something when it connects to an agent) and I returned about 5 minutes later to find the chat had ended as I hadn't responded - but I had no idea the agent was there, otherwise I would have come back to chat with them.

richms: That's a #fail for me.

TOBi is a chatbot

MadEngineer:

 

...

 

TOBi is a chatbot

 

...

 

We should put him in touch with PeterReader.  Once this Covid thing blows over they could hang out together.

floydbloke:

MadEngineer:

...

TOBi is a chatbot

...

We should put him in touch with PeterReader.  Once this Covid thing blows over they could hang out together.

Yabanize:

 

The new Vodafone TV launched late 2017, although it had its fair share of issues along the way (As did T-Box when It launched) It's a pretty good box now, aside from the way licensing works for recording / catchup...

 

(You can't record EVERY show like T-box but you can most of them, and you can often just 'catch up' on shows you didn't record) and then there's all the other apps on it.

 

T-Box launched in 2010, That's a 10 year old product, do you understand that they would rather move people on to their new platform rather than continue supporting an old one? (and all the back end equipment it requires)

 

..

 

I think if your 'elderly relative' did get Vodafone TV, SoHo would be free on the new Sky packages.

 

I think we also saved about $30 per month on a new package (broadband, landline) too.

 

Not sure why you put elderly relative in in quotes, they are a real person, I'm not just hiding behind a fictional person 😛

My point is, this info should have been provided at first contact, rather than the request going into a black hole for weeks. I'm not sure if you have access to an elderly relative to test, but switching them from a T-Box they have 10 years experience with to something completely new that can record most stuff, but not some other things, but it's ok because they can often catch up on shows, is a nightmare for a 70 yo.

Anyway, they are happy now on fibre with 2degrees and MySky for telly, so it all worked out in the end.

quickymart:

 

What made you decide to move to Vodafone, just out of interest? Price?

 

3 years ago I was in an apartment block in Newmarket and was having a little bit of a tussle with Spark, Vodafone looked like a good deal, and they were okay until I had to deal with their Indians-who-barely-speak-English Customer Support, and their nightmare of a billing system.

Called Spark last Friday and I'm getting out of this sorry excuse of a service provider. If I need to pay a bit more money every month to talk to a human capable of understanding English and performing their task up to standard, then so be it.

antonknee: Vodafone not off to a good start... my mum’s been on prepay with 2degrees for ages but burning through the data. Figured we’d switch her to an endless data plan. An ongoing saga yet to be resolved.

Someone from a Vodafone retail store started looking into it - but is now on leave. Sales call centre not sure how to help, put us on hold. Got disconnected. Rang back - “oh yes I can see notes here, let me check something”, on hold again and then call randomly transferred to someone else. Rang back a third time - “hmm not sure, I’ll do a whole new order, call you back later”. No call so far.

How hard can it really be? Number is currently parked on a Vodafone prepay SIM so can receive calls but not make any calls or send messages.

Doesn’t bode well for my upcoming switch (an online order which has been processing for days- I’m told there was a system issue on the 29th and 30th which caused orders to fail. In fairness, it’s also quite hard given the circumstances of lockdown, but it sounds like these sorts of things are pre-lockdown with Vodafone.

@jasonparis you asked to be alerted if things were going astray. I know you monitor this thread, but in case you are flat out and can get someone else to help :)

networkn:

 

antonknee: Vodafone not off to a good start... my mum’s been on prepay with 2degrees for ages but burning through the data. Figured we’d switch her to an endless data plan. An ongoing saga yet to be resolved.

Someone from a Vodafone retail store started looking into it - but is now on leave. Sales call centre not sure how to help, put us on hold. Got disconnected. Rang back - “oh yes I can see notes here, let me check something”, on hold again and then call randomly transferred to someone else. Rang back a third time - “hmm not sure, I’ll do a whole new order, call you back later”. No call so far.

How hard can it really be? Number is currently parked on a Vodafone prepay SIM so can receive calls but not make any calls or send messages.

Doesn’t bode well for my upcoming switch (an online order which has been processing for days- I’m told there was a system issue on the 29th and 30th which caused orders to fail. In fairness, it’s also quite hard given the circumstances of lockdown, but it sounds like these sorts of things are pre-lockdown with Vodafone.

 

@jasonparis you asked to be alerted if things were going astray. I know you monitor this thread, but in case you are flat out and can get someone else to help :)

 

 

 

Thanks for pinging the big chief 😊. I actually email Jason yesterday and got passed on to Martin who has been immensely helpful and very nice to boot. Looks like we might be more or less sorted now as well, so a good turnaround.

Of course it's less than ideal it needed to go to the CEO's office in the first place, but at the same time we know JP and Vodafone are working on the wider issues.

Vodafone's like a fruit tree that kept on giving, this one even when it has been uprooted.

Terminated Fibre service on March 27th. Was billed again yesterday for April-May cycle, no reimbursement for March-April cycle either.

What a f*cking joke.

Trying again... @JasonParis

antonknee: “hmm not sure, I’ll do a whole new order, call you back later”. No call so far.

I'ma keep posting this:

Vodafone

will

not

call

you

back

Latest episode in Vodafone drama series:

K: Hi, my name is K.
Me: Hi K
K: Hello there
Me: I'm contacting you RE: broadband bill for a service that was cancelled on March 27th
Me: I have not been reimbursed for March 28th to April 24th, yet I am being billed again for April and May
K: I will locate your account and check details.
K: Could you please help me with your Vodafone account number?
Me: 45xxxxxxx
K: Thank you for account number.
K: Please allow me time to pull account.
Me: no problem
K: Thank you for your patience.
K: For account security reason and verification purpose, could you please help me with your full name and 4 digit PIN of your account.
Me: <first> <last>, xxxx
K: Perfect, That matches with our record. Thank you for verification.
K: Could you help me, internet services for address <current address> you are looking for cancellation.
Me: it should have already been cancelled
Me: I have switched to Spark since March 27th, 2020
K: As, I check account notes you are looking for new fibre connection with address <old address> and <old address>
Me: no
K: This is note in account 20/03/2020
Me: I moved out of that address almost a year ago
Me: your account notes make no sense
K: Have you raised request from cancellation from your side regarding service cancellation?
Me: no, I would assume that when Chorus switch over service from Vodafone to Spark
Me: they would have notified Vodafone to cancel the service
Me: that's what happened the last time I switch to Vodafone
Me: I didn't need to TELL my old ISP that I am cancelling their service
Me: Chorus would have notified them
Me: unless Vodafone can't process a notification from either SPARK or Chorus
K: In notes it was mentioned that you want to continue your service in your address <current address>. Our team send you e-mail for new order which was raised for fibre mx.
K: max*
Me: your notes make no sense
K: Any other provider not contact other provider for cancellation.
Me: in February I raised a request to upgrade the Fibre200 to FibreMax for the <current address>
Me: your Indians put up an order to install FibreMax at the <old address>
Me: then in March I told them to cancel that stupid order
Me: because I no longer live on <old address>
K: Customer contact current provider from their end for cancellation.
Me: and leave my <current address> service alone so I can deal with it
Me: seriously
Me: your Indian service centers are so bad
Me: maybe you want to listen to the call records
Me: for all the calls I had with your representatives
Me: because I'm at such loss for words about your service right now
K: Our team work as per details share by customer and after getting confirmation from customer.
Me: your team doesn't understand English
Me: that's what they do
Me: I'm chatting to you
Me: so I can have definitive proof
Me: because I can't record 2 hour long phone call with your Indian call centers
Me: so
Me: I just want you to verify with Chorus
Me: that I have not been using Vodafone's service at <current address> since March 27th 2020
Me: and I want the money I paid for last month's service reimbursed
Me: and this month's bill cancelled
Me: is that not simple enough for you?
K: Your contract is for 12 months and your contract end date is 26/02/2021. I will cancel your but you will be charge early termination fee.
Me: what contract?
Me: my contract with Vodafone ended in March 2020
Me: there is no new contract
Me: the order to upgrade to FibreMax was cancelled
Me: because your Indian call centers booked it for Nile Road
Me: and I moved out of that place almost a year ago
File attachment upload has started.
https://imgur.com/rAm47z7
K: I will raise request for cancellation of your services from our side.
K: In next invoice you will able to see all adjustemnt.
Me: so I will not be paying this month's bill
Me: is that correct?
K: If you have to pay the current invoice. In next invoice you will get credit.
Me: you didn't answer me correctly
Me: and no, I'm not paying for a service I don't use
Me: we can go to small claims court if you wish
Me: I don't mind taking Vodafone there
K: You have to pay your recent invoice bill. You will get credit amount for number of days you not use your services.

After cancellation you will receive full and final bill.
K: It is not your full and final bill.
Me: well it is not my full and final bill because of Vodafone's failure
Me: not mine
K: So, in next invoice you will get all amount in credit.

Cancellation request need not raise by other provider. Customer need to contact for cancellation request.
K: Spark or Chorus not contact Vodafone for cancellation.
Me: last month after I switched to Spark
Me: I chatted with one of your people
Me: and they said I didn't need to do anything and this month's bill will be full and final
Me: now you're giving me a different answer
K: So, you will get credit from month you not use your services. All details will reflect in your next invoice.
Me: okay so I have to pay for a service I don't use?
K: The regular billing period is for one month advance. you just need to pay current invoice.
The adjustment will be reflect in your next bill.
Me: I don't trust your billing system
Me: I'll take this to TDR
Me: making a copy of this chat
Me: thank you and goodbye

SO I have a question, do I need to pay this bill or should I just go straight to TDR and deal with Vodafone through TDR?