More great CS from Vodafone

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Overclocker01

176 posts

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#39136 10-Aug-2009 11:40

Went into the Albany mall vodafone shop today to find out the outgoing mail server settings.

The first guy i talked to just looked at me blankly when I asked what is the outgoing mobile mail server........... Real helpful

The second guy I talked to told me to use smtp.vodafone.co.nz.......... Wrong

Solution:
Ring 777 at the vodaofne store and get put through to the the iphone team (really helpful KIWI guy) who advises me that the settings are smtp2.vodafone.net.nz

The annoying part of this is that I had to spend $1.00 to find out the answer to my question because the Vodafone employees are idiots

Rant End

cranz

675 posts

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#244714 10-Aug-2009 14:13

FYI this information can also be found for free online in the Vodafone Help & Support section...

Buttonmash

361 posts

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#244725 10-Aug-2009 14:38

Or if you'd used a 3rd party mail provider it would also be free...

nate

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#245196 11-Aug-2009 14:26

Overclocker01: Went into the Albany mall vodafone shop today to find out the outgoing mail server settings.

Is this really fair considering a. it's probably not covered in their training and b. the reason it won't be in training is it very rarely gets asked?

A vodafone shop would be the last place I'd think of asking.

DrCheese

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#245200 11-Aug-2009 14:33

I occasionally have questions about vodafone products, and more often than not, receive incorrect answers from store staff. Is there a list of fair and unfair questions posted somewhere? I don't want to ask unfair questions and put them in a difficult situation.

freitasm

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#245207 11-Aug-2009 14:44

I think it is fair. You may know how to search or which website to look for information but many people don't and those stores have big red signs showing Vodafone in front of them.

cranz

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#245247 11-Aug-2009 16:02

Plus there is nothing stopping the store rep from searching the Vodafone website to get the answer for a customer..

Overclocker01

176 posts

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#245263 11-Aug-2009 16:33

cranz: Plus there is nothing stopping the store rep from searching the Vodafone website to get the answer for a customer..

Then why dont they do it :)

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Overclocker01

176 posts

Master Geek

#245266 11-Aug-2009 16:37

nate:
Overclocker01: Went into the Albany mall vodafone shop today to find out the outgoing mail server settings.

Is this really fair considering a. it's probably not covered in their training and b. the reason it won't be in training is it very rarely gets asked?

A vodafone shop would be the last place I'd think of asking.

'

Stupid me i suppose, it is a dum idea to go to your service provider retail store and ask about settings on there network.... my bad.

nate

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#245294 11-Aug-2009 17:55

Overclocker01: Stupid me i suppose, it is a dum idea to go to your service provider retail store and ask about settings on there network.... my bad.

So everyone retail should know the answer to a reasonably technical question?

Vodafone has plenty of other sources of information, including 777 and online. Consumers need to savvy up, and use the right source for the right question.

freitasm

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#245296 11-Aug-2009 17:57

nate:
Overclocker01: Stupid me i suppose, it is a dum idea to go to your service provider retail store and ask about settings on there network.... my bad.

So everyone retail should know the answer to a reasonably technical question?

Vodafone has plenty of other sources of information, including 777 and online. Consumers need to savvy up, and use the right source for the right question.

No they don't have to know the answers. But they should know to point customers in the right direction. A simple "I don't know but you can call 777" or "I don't know but visit www.vodafone.co.nz for more information" should suffice.

People don't have to be walking encyclopaedias. But knowing where to find the answer is half of answer.

Ragnor

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#245358 11-Aug-2009 20:36

They wouldn't be working in sales if they were smart enough to know how to find the answer to technical problems :)

insane

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#245453 12-Aug-2009 02:19

nate:
Overclocker01: Stupid me i suppose, it is a dum idea to go to your service provider retail store and ask about settings on there network.... my bad.

So everyone retail should know the answer to a reasonably technical question?

Vodafone has plenty of other sources of information, including 777 and online.? Consumers need to savvy up, and use the right source for the right question.

Well I worked part time at DSE the whole time I was at uni and even back then I knew what their smtp server setting had to be set to. Countless customers with smartphones came to DSE to get them setup as the vodafone staff didnt know so they would take the hike up the three levels of stairs and ask us.

There was no internal training for it, and certainly none provided by Vodafone, but as part of good customer service I did a google search the first time I was asked, and found the answer on a forum of all places :) I then wrote it down on my 'vodafone cheat sheet' for the other staff members.

I'm sure vodafone staff would have been asked the same questions 10x / month, and with the amount of time they spend instore surfing the net on their laptops while ignoring customers they could surly also search their own knowledge base for the answer.

But thats just me, maybe I'm just 'special'.

ahmad

1937 posts

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#245528 12-Aug-2009 11:29

Mauricio hit it on the head - if the retail store staff IMO are responsible for good advice.

Whether they know the answer or not, they have some duty to ensure the customer can get the *correct* answer for their question. How they pass that knowledge on is up to them - be it from memory, their knowledge base, or referring on to technical specialists.

Guessing or passing on the wrong information is not acceptable IMO.

muncher12

90 posts

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#245533 12-Aug-2009 11:33

i work in retail i often set up customers phones for their exchange server or pop e-mail.

davide

214 posts

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#245654 12-Aug-2009 15:45

+1 for what Mauricio said. There's nothing at all wrong with not knowing the answer to a question, especially a fairly technical one such as in the OP's example. Provided, of course, you know where to go or who to ask to find out. If you just don't give a stuff, though, there's no hope.

I used to work for a large national electronics style retailer, and often I feel we were expected to know some things, without actually being trained on then. Most customers will be fairly understanding, provided you do actually find out for them.

But I also agree with Nate... people need to stop expecting to be spoon fed information. Nothing like going out and doing a little bit of research for yourself, if only so you can say to that person in the shop "I need to know XYZ, I've checked place F and the website for place G, they couldn't help me... can you?"

:)

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David Elsbury
Freelance Lighting, Sound and AV Technician
"Technician like ninja... live in shadow, move in silence"