It's not the money ... it's the principle ...

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › It's not the money ... it's the principle ...

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JoeBloggs

355 posts

Ultimate Geek

#160315 28-Aug-2008 00:10

1) It is possible.

2) I've heard of the Egyptian CSR's claiming that it isn't, so you need to be assertive if this happens.

3) You will not be refunded the $1. According to Paul they are refunding "at their discretion" and from many accounts they simply don't refund under any circumstance. My criteria would include an error of some type, rather than a selective deactivation of an account feature (GPRS). Again, if you feel this is something you should be entitled to do without paying $1 then be assertive, but you are not entitled to the refund.

davide

214 posts

Master Geek

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#160536 28-Aug-2008 20:32

Well, it's not really a problem for me anymore. I ported my contract number over to Telecom Prepay. Will make another post after I get back from being away from the weekend, about just how easy it was. Got a cheap Telecom handset and was sorted.

I never thought I'd vote with my feet, but it's happened :)

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ajobbins

5052 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#160577 28-Aug-2008 22:10

PaulBrislen:
But imagine going to New World and finding every check out operator is dealing with a queue 100 people deep all of whom are asking "what time do you open" and "where can I find the cat food" and "can you tell me how much the cat food costs" and "why don't you sell more cat food" and you can't get to the check out with your groceries.

That's what the call centre's been like. We get millions of calls a month and of those, 95% are legitimate, but the remaining 5% are customers asking questions that they simply don't need a customer rep to answer. If we eliminate, or radically reduce, those 5% we will free up a significant number of call centre reps and their time. Time that's better spent answering questions that you can't find through other means, questions that need to be answered by a person.

The price, one dollar per call, is purely and simply there to be a barrier to stop the pointless calls. It's not a money-making scheme - the call centre rep's time is worth more than that per minute and typically calls last a lot longer than 60 seconds.

That's why we're pushing self service. Most of our customers are quite happy using self service through the website, through the voice prompts and now through the Forum as well. And when you do need a customer rep, you'll get through in less than 45 minutes and the rep will be able to spend the time to get it right first time (our new metric - no more average call handling time but rather a qualitative measure based on getting the problem solved in one call).

Hope that helps, and thank you for posting a question instead of just venting... there's been a bit of that on other forums lately!

Cheers

Paul

Having worked in a supermarket in my high school days I can tell you that workers get alot of the questions you have mentioned. Can you imagine if they wanted to charge you to show you where the cat food was (Case in point - Where the hell is ANYTHING in Chaffers New World Wellington these days?!?)

So Paul, what you are saying is you are penialising the 95% of your customers with legitimate queries because of the 5% of those who are too lazy or whatever to find the info themselves?

Keep on spinning Paul

ajobbins

5052 posts

Uber Geek

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#160578 28-Aug-2008 22:15

Geektastic: Unfortunately with the current labour market as it is in New Zealand it is not possible to simply increase staffing numbers to address increased demand for customer services and the introduction of a service fee will hopefully improve service across the board for all customers.

ROFLMAO!!!!!!

Perhaps you just don't pay enough.

Oh and Paul, I'm not sure what the NZ labour market has to do with your Cairo Call Centre?

cat-mince

242 posts

Master Geek

#162651 6-Sep-2008 15:55

HAH! Based on what VFNZ Call Centre Ops get paid i'm sure they could afford to employ a few more, surely it has to be cheaper than srtting up a call centre overseas, training the staff etc :/

I like cats... they taste like Chicken

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
79250 posts

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Geekzone

Lifetime subscriber

#162652 6-Sep-2008 16:11

These comments actually don't add anything to the discussion, and don't help solve the problem, except for making the whole thing confrontational and make Vodafone shy away.

novembre

1 post

Wannabe Geek

#164022 12-Sep-2008 16:17

I have a similar problem - different principal though. I just arrived back into NZ and grabbed a Vodafone pre-pay SIM card from the Airport. I received a few spam txt messages which I considered annoying but simply harmless spam (stuff about ringtones etc). I didn't know that a 5 digit phone number meant pay, lesson learnt. Anyway after I burned through my $20 credit I received several messages saying I couldn't receive my pay service because I had no credit.

I topped up, paid my $1 and enquired with Customer Service as too what service I had bought. They told me I had subscribed to a pay service, which was obviously incorrect (new SIM) and I challenged them to prove it.

I didn't know the number (I hada new phone now) so I was advised to wait until I received /another/ message and then pay my $1 and call back again to give them the number. (that was call back, no advice to use the IVR). Apparently they couldn't look at my billing records to identify the message origin even though I had many text messages from Vodafone saying that many pay messages were waiting for me. And it was the only pay message I would have received.

I was then informed I couldn't be credited back because Vodafone did not send me the text. I suggested that perhaps they could take some responsibility for the Brand New SIM I was sold by their store and maybe show empathy on the way. I thought it blatantly unfair I was now financially responsible for the SIMs history, the CSR wouldn't agree so I asked to escalate the call. She went to get a manager but said no one was available but someone would call me back within two days...

Two days have passed, I obviously got spammed again, no managers return call. I called Vodafone again ($1) with the number and was told that I can now send a text message at my expense to cancel the service. I raised the credit question, same argument. This CSR concluded that I was simply unlucky to have bought this SIM card, no guarantee it won't happen again - no resolution for me other then pay and hope it doesn't happen again.

I went down the manager path again, I was placed on hold - at which point I got disconnected. I went to find something to destroy and unfortunately I missed the CSRs return call a moment later which said "Sorry we disconnected please call 777 to speak with a CSR (and pay $1 muaha)". But I guess well done for trying to raise me.

Its Friday afternoon and I'm giving up for now. Its not the money - it isn't a large amount but the frustration is Epic. For me its Vodafone not putting their hand up and taking care of this. Am I being unreasonable? Oh and it is the money. I'm scared to move to a contract and my new landline and broadband sure won't be Red if this is the standard. Anyway, rant over. Vodafone customer service Fail.

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Kitanai

81 posts

Master Geek

#164062 12-Sep-2008 18:06

Wow novembre you got stuff around worse than me!

I'd highly recommend walking into the Vodafone office in central Auckland and ask why you're being charged for that, that way you get to talk face to face to a person that knows the laws here that protect you.

JoeBloggs

355 posts

Ultimate Geek

#164246 13-Sep-2008 17:17

I've seen a few issues with those 'vampirisitic' text message services. Usually customers sign up for the service without reading the fine print (which is oh so fine). However these companies keep sending the texts even after the number has been recycled. As Vodafone holds the account and credit, they are responsible for allowing this credit to be drawn and paid out. To deny liability or responsibility is a cheek but that is the stance for now. It's easier to make the customer follow up with said company. You are entitled to your money back, novembre, but how you go about it is in question.

paradoxsm

3000 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#164267 13-Sep-2008 19:20

Why such rubbish services are even allowed to operate is just a scam in it's own right and there should be some scrutiny when they apply for the code in the first instance.

stagnant16

206 posts

Master Geek

#165927 21-Sep-2008 10:07

Ok, here's one to chuckle at..

Got my Vodafone Prepay put on credit roaming late last year for a trip to oz and Thailand.

The contract clearly states Credit Roaming is only valid for 90 days after the date shown on the contract (in this case Dec 07).

Partner takes the phone to Sydney last month, used about 60$$ of prepay and then a bill for a further 40$$ of roaming arrives?? Go figure. Ring Vodafone on my contract phone as I wasn't going to pay the $1, and made the following points.

You can't send me a bill on a prepay plan if I don't have contract relating to roaming (reponse you have credit roaming)
No I don't that has expired. (It doesn't matter)
Prove to me I havn't been charged for these calls from my prepay a/c. (You havn't and if you want details your'll need to request those call details from the Police because your on prepay?!?!?

End of the day the only answer the CSR would come up with was "Go back to the shop you signed the credit roaming up with".. And that was that.

Reguardless of the fact its a good hour drive away he refused to help and probably couldn't but at the end of the day is's Vodafones name at the top of the Bill and they should be able to sort it.

Maybe I am trying to screw them for $40, but they would sure as hell try if the shoe was on the other foot.

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