1G Iphone Plan no longer offered (Edit: Online)

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › 1G Iphone Plan no longer offered (Edit: Online)

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VFNZPaulBrislen

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#148246 15-Jul-2008 19:28

The plan is still available - the plan is proving to be very popular and is now available on other phones beyond the iPhone. Now it's available on any device that supports it.

cheers

Paul

Paul Brislen
Head of Corporate Communications
Vodafone

http://forum.vodafone.co.nz

Yuutamichael

9 posts

Wannabe Geek

#148320 15-Jul-2008 21:58

Okay PaulBrislen, I call your bluff. What are numbers? What percentage of iPhone users have signed up for the $250 a month plan? How many non-iPhone users? If it's such a popular plan how come it has been scrubbed from the Vodafone website?

My next question for you is this: Vodafone users who have signed up to one of the 3 iPhone plans, when the inevitable better plans are announced will their plans be upgraded or will they be stuck on these ridiculously low data plans for the next 2 years? The plans are named after the amounts of data they receive so I'm guessing not. That's going to be a lot of angry customers.

Also, your curt reply here about the lack of customer service is telling. Too busy selling iPhones? How come when I went to the Vodafone shop at Albany mall they didn't seem very busy at all but were incredibly rude with my basic questions about the iPhone? Why is it that the staff seem more interested in sitting and talking to each other than even approaching customers?

Vodafone has walked in to a PR disaster these past two weeks and the brazenly tone deaf responses from the company and you on this message board aren't helping. The sooner Vodafone admits that there's a problem with the plan pricing, beefs up customer service and reigns in people who speak for the company to note make silly posts like your the sooner it will restore it's public image. Or perhaps it will be too late and another company will swoop in to take away Vodafone's disgruntled customers.

freitasm

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#148336 15-Jul-2008 22:26

Yuutamichael: Vodafone has walked in to a PR?disaster?these past two weeks and the brazenly tone deaf responses from the company and you on this message board aren't helping. The sooner Vodafone admits that there's a problem with the plan pricing, beefs up customer service and reigns in people who speak for the company to note make silly posts like your the sooner it will restore it's public image.

While I agree in many points regarding the company, personal attacks such as this are not welcome here, ever.

The next time a ban wil be imposed.

Torque

379 posts

Ultimate Geek

#148350 15-Jul-2008 22:41

NadNailer: Actually they're not selling iPhones since they are all practically sold out.

And while we're on the subject of tardy Vodafone store customer service, the Lambton Quay retail outlet could do with some training in basic decency and politeness. On the two occasions that I entered that store asking for an iPhone, I was met with first a smarmy laugh, followed by a "hahah, you're too late. All gone.". Upon which I asked "when might you be getting some more in?", I got an equally smarmy "dunno". I ask "well, does someone know?" -> "Nope". "can you call and find out?" -> "nah". I ask "will there be an announcement as to when they are available?" -> "dunno".

If this is the Vodafone flagship store you are talking about (the others are franchises owned elsewhere - the only actual "Vodafone" storeup the far end, next to Dymocks Bookshop / Willis St end) I had the complete opposite experience.

Smiling, helpful, friendly staff, who've always taken the initiative (where possible) to assist me. When I was in there yesterday, they did have a list going for people to leave their details so that they could be contacted when the next shipment comes into the store.

Yuutamichael

9 posts

Wannabe Geek

#148410 16-Jul-2008 08:43

Sorry about that Freitasm, a combination of late night writing and anger at Vodafone's spin definitely put that post over the top. You can see where my grammar breaks down and I start foaming at the mouth. That last paragraph started out as being PR advice to Vodafone, working in PR for several years and having worked for tech companies that made even bigger mistakes than Vodafone is making now. My intention was to say, get ahead of this already, up the quality of communication to customers because they can sense the spin. I've been frustrated by the attitude displayed by nearly every Vodafone rep I've seen on TV or spoken to in shops and I could see that it was harming their long term image to customers. So seeing it displayed again here at Geekzone, after months of lurking, I decided to jump in and let off some steam. Clearly I stumbled in that, I'm sorry. You're right to admonish me.

Nevertheless, I hope this doesn't diminish the importance of the questions I've asked.

What's the number of users that have taken up the plan so popular that Vodafone dare not speak it's name? If it's so popular why has it been scrubbed from the website?
What will happen to users who have signed up for the current plans when new, better plans are released? Will they be upgraded or will they be stuck with the terrible plans they have now? Or are these the best plans Vodafone has to offer for the next 2+ years?

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
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#148411 16-Jul-2008 08:47

Yuutamichael: My intention was to say, get ahead of this already, up the quality of communication to customers because they can sense the spin. I've been frustrated by the attitude displayed by nearly every Vodafone rep I've seen on TV or spoken to in shops and I could see that it was harming their long term image to customers. So seeing it displayed again here at Geekzone, after months of lurking, I decided to jump in and let off some steam.

I know.

Back on topic - I hope you get the answers to those questions.

NadNailer

9 posts

Wannabe Geek

#148439 16-Jul-2008 10:50

Torque:
NadNailer: Actually they're not selling iPhones since they are all practically sold out.

And while we're on the subject of tardy Vodafone store customer service, the Lambton Quay retail outlet could do with some training in basic decency and politeness. On the two occasions that I entered that store asking for an iPhone, I was met with first a smarmy laugh, followed by a "hahah, you're too late. All gone.". Upon which I asked "when might you be getting some more in?", I got an equally smarmy "dunno". I ask "well, does someone know?" -> "Nope". "can you call and find out?" -> "nah". I ask "will there be an announcement as to when they are available?" -> "dunno".

If this is the Vodafone flagship store you are talking about (the others are franchises owned elsewhere - the only actual "Vodafone" storeup the far end, next to Dymocks Bookshop / Willis St end) I had the complete opposite experience.

Smiling, helpful, friendly staff, who've always taken the initiative (where possible) to assist me. When I was in there yesterday, they did have a list going for people to leave their details so that they could be contacted when the next shipment comes into the store.

Yes, it was the 'flagship' store next to Dymocks. Maybe I caught a bad apple there (no pun intended!), but it really was like how I described. My wife and I were appalled. It just smacked of some geek working there who felt quite important and decided that he held all the cards.

And behind that smug individual is Vodafone who haven't exactly been much better at answering a simple, non-provocative question such as "when will there be more iPhones in stock". I don't expect them to necessarily know. I don't expect to be treated like royalty either, but there is a basic courtesy with which to treat customers. I want to give Vodafone my custom - why make the experience sour for me?

I'm not here to bag Vodafone. I'm disappointed with how they're handling the whole introduction of the iPhone. From top down, I feel like I'm viewed as nothing more than a source of revenue, rather than customer who has a need that Vodafone can fulfil.

Kind of like what Telecom used to be like when they were complacent?

Wise

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Geektastic

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#148505 16-Jul-2008 14:04

It is interesting.

I travel a lot and I have to say that NZ is not even close to the top of the list when you look at the way customers are treated in shops and restaurants.

It's all a bit too casual and there is not much service ethic.

I recently spent a month in Canada and was blown away by how glaringly obvious the difference was.

VF stand out as even worse than the usual, to be honest - I have rung 777 so many times in the last 2 years only to have to wait on hold for an eternity - and even to be automatically disconnected on some occasions!

My experiences in their shops are very much as described by others here too.

No idea yet why that plan was removed when allegedly offered on all devices - and WHY do I have to go to a shop? We don't all live a short bus ride from Queen St you know, VF!! It is a 250 km round trip to my nearest VF store!

Peppery

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#148612 16-Jul-2008 19:38

Geektastic: I tried ringing a retail store to find out - in Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland!

Not a single one of them answered the phone at 1600 on a work day. Does anyone in that company know what customer service actually means?!

I share your pain. I've made about 8 calls to the Vodafone Queen Street store since last Friday and all of the times it's gone to voicemail after failing to pick up in time. I tried twice again today and did get someone the second time who was incredibly rude to me. Poor customer service on the staffs part.

Yatey

284 posts

Ultimate Geek

#148846 17-Jul-2008 13:26

I cant wait for a reply to Yuutamichael's question

Jordan, Auckland University.
“Design is so simple, that’s why it is so complicated.” - Paul Rand

Yuutamichael

9 posts

Wannabe Geek

#148862 17-Jul-2008 14:24

Tumbleweed bounces by.

Torque

379 posts

Ultimate Geek

#149025 17-Jul-2008 22:25

Yeah, but its quite possibly commercially sensitive.

allsteve

19 posts

Geek

#149137 18-Jul-2008 12:50

If this is the Vodafone flagship store you are talking about (the others are franchises owned elsewhere - the only actual "Vodafone" storeup the far end, next to Dymocks Bookshop / Willis St end) I had the complete opposite experience.

Smiling, helpful, friendly staff, who've always taken the initiative (where possible) to assist me. When I was in there yesterday, they did have a list going for people to leave their details so that they could be contacted when the next shipment comes into the store.

I have to agree. Every time I have been into the Lambton Quay 'Flagship' Vodafone store one particular staff member has been more than happy to answer my questions to the best of her ability. In my experence the retail assistants are doing their job very well. As for Vodafones higher ups, they leave more to be desired. As a Vodafone customer I would express my opnion that the External Communications Manager and the Head of Marketing have done more to exacerbate my disapointment at Vodafone NZ's initial pricing, and lack of options such as prepay, in the iPhone plans than anything else.

downhill

56 posts

Master Geek

#149326 18-Jul-2008 21:45

NZ is well known for 'less than optimum' customer service in a number of areas, telecommunications and VF stand out as real problem areas to me.

I am moving back to Asia (Singapore) at the end of the year where I look forward to once again enjoying genuine competition, great mobile calling and data prices and a customer service centre that you can get hold of and get answers/resolutions from 24/7. Maybe when I am back (for the 2nd time) in DEC 2009 New Zealand will have more than a Duopoly and maybe I will be able to afford mobile data on 2-3 times the average NZ wage!!

VF had an opportunity to hook NZ'ers into using mobile data (addictive as it can be) with the iphone and iphone 3G but unfortunately they have not grabbed the opportunity by simply outpricing everyday NZ'ers...

I love my iPhone but I seriously limit my data use (and thus dependency) to when I am within WIFI range... VF mobile data pricing should be <$20 for 2Gb per month (casual not on account) and I would be hooked.

selamat malam

DonkeyKong

115 posts

Master Geek

#149335 18-Jul-2008 22:17

I had to use the iPhone customer service today for a technical issue with my 3G connection and I spoke to a fantastic woman on the phone, who was really helpful and knowledgeable although while we were speaking on the phone she advised me to switch off 3G which terminated the call.

But the she called me back within about 5 sec and apologised and advised me how to resolve the problem.

So a big thumbs up!!!

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