Vodafone rep says to go to Telecom for service

Forums › Vodafone New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › Vodafone rep says to go to Telecom for service

combers

9 posts

Wannabe Geek

#29150 26-Dec-2008 10:56

Hi,
This is my first post here after having lurked for a while. I really appreciate the valuable comments and information that people post on the forum.

I have just had an experience with Vodafone that has prompted me to post - not to be vindictive, rather to find out if there is anything I can do to fix the situation.

By way of background, my vodafone phone number was transferred from me to my employer, and now that I have left that employer I was getting the number transfered back. It has taken three weeks to get to the stage where vodafone has got the disconnection sorted. That included delivering the paperwork to their stores in person twice, and sending it through electronically several times. All frustrating, but not surprising given I was dealing with two large bureaucracies.

The vodafone rep I was talking to in one of the vodafone stores in Wellington told me that once the number was disconnected, all I would have to do TODAY was go into one of their mall stores which were open, and it would be possible to get the number re-connected on my own account.

I went into the mall store, and was told that they couldn't do it today because the people who do that sort of thing were not working until tomorrow. I need my phone today, so asked if there was anything that could be done to get me a working phone today... the response I got blew me out of the water - "you can either buy a prepay card, sign up for a contract with a new number, OR GO ACROSS THE ROAD TO TELECOM".

While it is immensely frustrating to not have the phone number working today, none of these options really works for me (for obvious reasons). But I can't comprehend why a vodafone rep would send a customer to telecom? To me, this sums up the service that I have had from vodafone throughout my entire 3 week effort. Is there anyone in the organisation who will actually pay attention if i bring this up with them?

regards

Sean

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#186141 26-Dec-2008 11:50

Mabey your best bet is to go with telecom. If your number has been completly disconnected then telecom should be able to port it to them.

freitasm

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Geekzone

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#186144 26-Dec-2008 12:20

Good luck with that. You can only port a number that is on your account and this one obviously is not.

If the number is not working it may have been removed from the company's account but not added to yours.

Call Vodafone and ask for this to be actioned. I am not sure stores can do it.
Also ALWAYS ask for a case number and note all contacts - Vodafone CSRs are known for not acting on customers' requests - at least this is the most of the complaints I hear.

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combers

9 posts

Wannabe Geek

#186154 26-Dec-2008 13:57

thanks for the input guys. The number is currently stuck in limbo, somewhere between the company account and my account. I spoke to a very helpful chap in Cairo who told me that everything had been set up, it just required a call to a certain department within vodafone and they would be able to transfer it across. Only issue is that it is a holiday and that department is not working (fair enough - who wants to work on Boxing Day!)

It is a shame that it has taken so long, and an even larger shame that so many vodafone staff have revealed their "defered achievement on customer service and product knowledge" over the past three weeks.

I'll be amazed if this is completely sorted before 10 January!

JoeBloggs

355 posts

Ultimate Geek

#186176 26-Dec-2008 16:58

Hi Combers

The number is just reserved (and not allocated to anyone at present) and unfortunately it seems that our channel support is closed today. I believe they're back up tomorrow (though I can't confirm right now), in which case a simple phonecall to the store you originally filed the paperwork with should have your phone back up and running within minutes.

Their response also seems fair, given your request. Those are the logical choices if you simply had to have a working phone TODAY.

I'm curious, were you not told of the possible 15 working day turnaround time for number transfers?

Regards
Joe

combers

9 posts

Wannabe Geek

#186185 26-Dec-2008 18:57

Hi Joe

Thanks for the input...I hope you are right that it will simply be a matter of making a call on the next day that particular department is at work. I was told it might take as long as 15 days. But that was 22 days ago. Not a bad effort, even allowing for the Christmas holidays.

I can say that in my profession, if I told a customer to go to the opposition (in the manner in which I was told to), I wouldn't have a job for very long. Clearly a different culture exists at vodafone... but then, I guess there are muppets in all professions. It's a shame, as 98% of the time I am very happy with the service that I have had from the company.

Again, thanks for the help and advice.

Sean

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#186191 26-Dec-2008 20:07

I presume that was an actual VF retail store and not a digital mobile etc 'reseller'. If that was a true retail store, oh well, maybe you're right about VF having a weird almost arrogant culture. That is sad to hear about.

Involuntary autocorrect in operation on mobile device. Apologies in advance.

richms

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#186220 26-Dec-2008 23:37

The vodafone guy in the store when I was wanting to change my mobile broadband to prepay was very sheepish when I said that they were basically forcing me to move to telecom, so I dont think that its their culture to suggest it as an option.

Richard rich.ms

combers

9 posts

Wannabe Geek

#186244 27-Dec-2008 09:44

Credit where it is due. The chap at the vodafone store called me this morning, said that the account had been switched over and things seem to be working now.

I'd still like to talk to someone in the company about the "Go to Telecom if you want service" comment

zocster

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#186265 27-Dec-2008 14:43

combers:

I'd still like to talk to someone in the company about the "Go to Telecom if you want service" comment

I'd personally take note of their name on the badge, and the store, report it accordingly to Paul B on a PM (forum rules don't allow names as such on here). See how they'd actually like to go across the road themselves and work for Telecom if they get fired from this particular store.

freitasm

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#186266 27-Dec-2008 15:00

Remember that not all Vodafone-branded stores are actually Vodafone owned.

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stagnant16

187 posts

Master Geek

#186294 27-Dec-2008 19:07

zocster:
combers:

I'd still like to talk to someone in the company about the "Go to Telecom if you want service" comment

I'd personally take note of their name on the badge, and the store, report it accordingly to Paul B on a PM (forum rules don't allow names as such on here). See how they'd actually like to go across the road themselves and work for Telecom if they get fired from this particular store.

Sounds like good customer service to me. Many times I've recommended a compeditor because we couldn't help a customer!

So whats the big deal again?

combers

9 posts

Wannabe Geek

#186295 27-Dec-2008 19:15

what's the big deal?? you're obviously not reading or comprehending.
if someone representing a company says "if you want service, go to our competitor", particularly in the tone in which I was told to do that, then that person is not representing their company in the way that many (most) service based companies want to be represented.
feel free to disagree. you'd be wrong though.

JoeBloggs

355 posts

Ultimate Geek

#186298 27-Dec-2008 19:32

Hi Combers

Glad it all worked out. I presume your indignation lies more upon the tone and inference of the CSR than the suggestion itself. Obviously VF"s CSR's are meant to convey care and maturity in their dealings with customers, so apologies that this didn't happen. I'm still not sure it's fair to claim error on the CSR's part with regards to actually suggesting Telecom. This was a viable option and usually all the more credit to a sales person character to recommend an option which, rather then netting them the maximum commission, actually benefits the customer more. As a customer myself, I would greatly appreciate a competitor being suggested to me if it meant I could buy a product cheaper or have a service delivered more efficiently. You're correct in that sales people are discouraged from doing so, however.

Regards
Joe

zocster

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#186303 27-Dec-2008 19:52

Hmm personally I have had no problems with Vodafone, with their CSR over the phone or going to a store. I am surprise this sorta things are happening though as I read different threads on Geekzone with various experiences that folks are having. May be one needs to reflect in finding out what is good customer service is, ownership of a problem and don't tell me advising someone to go to the competitor is good advise. In this day and age, in this economic climate, customer retention is important.

At the end of the day, it's all done in the back office. A flick of a switch for that matter. It is not a matter of giving someone 50C and telling them to call someone who cares.

My 2c.

stagnant16

187 posts

Master Geek

#186309 27-Dec-2008 20:19

combers: what's the big deal?? you're obviously not reading or comprehending.
if someone representing a company says "if you want service, go to our competitor", particularly in the tone in which I was told to do that, then that person is not representing their company in the way that many (most) service based companies want to be represented.
feel free to disagree. you'd be wrong though.

My 2 cents worth would be if your tone used towards me was anything like the tone you used with the Vodafone CSR, maybe you deserved that responce.

Sometimes there are situations outside your control and times you can't supply a service / product then from MY point of view there is nothing wrong with recommending a compeditor. What comes around goes around!

Oh, and I was reading and comprehending thanks, but obviously not to your standard where I'm allowed to comment!!

But hey what the hell it's XMAS!!

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