Friday, February 20, 2004
T-Mobile - an exercise in customer engagement to produce record churn?
Buying a new mobile phone should be a fun experience, especially if you're one of the more valuable contract customers with a decent monthly spend and international usage. So how can phone companies, im theory so keen to get our business, get it so wrong? I relate the sad but true tale of Tina, my partner, as a prime example.
She went into Carphone Warehouse yesterday to upgrade her phone. She had previously been told that she could change her current phone for free, hence the browsing of catalogues and eventual choice. An O2 customer, they went through the discussion and she was then told that it would cost about £30 to upgrade. "But I had been told it was free" said Tina. "Ah", said the assistant, "we've only been told to give it to you free if it looks like you'll be leaving O2". When pointed out that Carphone Warehouse promises to get you the best deal, and yet was trying to sell her the phone when it knew that it could get it for free, the assistant promised to talk to O2.
"Bit of a problem", she reported. "Their Customer Service division that does upgrades is closed to incoming calls, and so is the disconnections department. They're busy". What? A communications company with a CLOSED customer service division that is supposed to keep customers with them? As an O2 shareholder, I'll be writing to them about that.
"Fine" says Tina, "I'll leave O2 then." After a discussion on what networks have what coverage where we live, she settled on T-Mobile. In retrospect, this was an even bigger mistake than trying to leave 02. She gave all the details, and after a bit of hassle when the system couldn't find our house (they have changed the postcode and some systems struggle initially) she was passed through the credit check and duly signed the contract. When she finally got in, late at night after another long day, there was an answerphone message. Excited at having a new phone, she put it on to charge, and then listened to the message.
"T - Mobile here. You've been connected to our network by mistake. An administration error. Please take the phone back to Carphone Warehouse. Sorry. Thank you." No name, no contact number, no explanation. Just an assumption that because they seemed to make a mistake, she should run around after them. And, thankfully, we don't live right next to a Carphone Warehouse, so it will mean a specific trip.
But why should she return the phone? Legally, the contract has odd clauses in it that mean they can cancel it if she gives false information (she didn't) and in a box which she didn't sign it suggests that there may be another credit check - but as that part of the contract is not signed it seems not relevant. But morally, surely they should come and collect it, at least?
According to the number for T-Mobile on the back of the Carphone Warehouse documents, there was a number to call - 7am to 10pm though, so too late for that night.
Today dawned bright and early - Tina brought the phone into the bedroom so I could hear the conversation with T-Mobile.
"Press 1 to ask about your bill, Press 2 to upgrade". No-one to talk to about administration errors. So she tried 1. "But I do billing" said the assistant. "But I want to talk to someone about my connection and immediate disconnection" said Tina. "Oh, well, you can talk to me then" the assistant replied.
Tina explained the problem. "Yes, administrative error, sorry", she was told. "Can't tell you why you have been refused, you'll have to write in." Well, that was useful. Can't talk, can talk, can't get any information.
I decided I'd write about it in my blog, and thought I'd ask T-Mobile for a comment. Their press office doesn't have email, so I used the Customer Service contact form on the website. It crashed. So that doesn't work either. On the failure page, there was an email address for the webmaster, which I send a copy of my message to and a note that their page was failing in it's customer support role.
"Dear Dr Blake" started the response. Strange, as there's no Dr Blake here, and I can't work out how to type Beale and get Blake. The rest quoted the Data Protection Act and suggested Tina phone them. It was an unsigned email.
I replied that she had, and asked for a general response to the overall issued raised by dire customer service. The next response (admittedly, they at least replied quickly) said "Neither would a general statement be satisfactory, since each case is dealt with on its individual merits."
So you can make your mind up about them yourselves, I guess. Customer service seems to insist that you can't get anything useful over the phone (you need to write in) and if you email them they ask you to phone. And all because they messed up in the first place and want us to run around after them. Strange way to treat users, I think.
Buying a new mobile phone should be a fun experience, especially if you're one of the more valuable contract customers with a decent monthly spend and international usage. So how can phone companies, im theory so keen to get our business, get it so wrong? I relate the sad but true tale of Tina, my partner, as a prime example.
She went into Carphone Warehouse yesterday to upgrade her phone. She had previously been told that she could change her current phone for free, hence the browsing of catalogues and eventual choice. An O2 customer, they went through the discussion and she was then told that it would cost about £30 to upgrade. "But I had been told it was free" said Tina. "Ah", said the assistant, "we've only been told to give it to you free if it looks like you'll be leaving O2". When pointed out that Carphone Warehouse promises to get you the best deal, and yet was trying to sell her the phone when it knew that it could get it for free, the assistant promised to talk to O2.
"Bit of a problem", she reported. "Their Customer Service division that does upgrades is closed to incoming calls, and so is the disconnections department. They're busy". What? A communications company with a CLOSED customer service division that is supposed to keep customers with them? As an O2 shareholder, I'll be writing to them about that.
"Fine" says Tina, "I'll leave O2 then." After a discussion on what networks have what coverage where we live, she settled on T-Mobile. In retrospect, this was an even bigger mistake than trying to leave 02. She gave all the details, and after a bit of hassle when the system couldn't find our house (they have changed the postcode and some systems struggle initially) she was passed through the credit check and duly signed the contract. When she finally got in, late at night after another long day, there was an answerphone message. Excited at having a new phone, she put it on to charge, and then listened to the message.
"T - Mobile here. You've been connected to our network by mistake. An administration error. Please take the phone back to Carphone Warehouse. Sorry. Thank you." No name, no contact number, no explanation. Just an assumption that because they seemed to make a mistake, she should run around after them. And, thankfully, we don't live right next to a Carphone Warehouse, so it will mean a specific trip.
But why should she return the phone? Legally, the contract has odd clauses in it that mean they can cancel it if she gives false information (she didn't) and in a box which she didn't sign it suggests that there may be another credit check - but as that part of the contract is not signed it seems not relevant. But morally, surely they should come and collect it, at least?
According to the number for T-Mobile on the back of the Carphone Warehouse documents, there was a number to call - 7am to 10pm though, so too late for that night.
Today dawned bright and early - Tina brought the phone into the bedroom so I could hear the conversation with T-Mobile.
"Press 1 to ask about your bill, Press 2 to upgrade". No-one to talk to about administration errors. So she tried 1. "But I do billing" said the assistant. "But I want to talk to someone about my connection and immediate disconnection" said Tina. "Oh, well, you can talk to me then" the assistant replied.
Tina explained the problem. "Yes, administrative error, sorry", she was told. "Can't tell you why you have been refused, you'll have to write in." Well, that was useful. Can't talk, can talk, can't get any information.
I decided I'd write about it in my blog, and thought I'd ask T-Mobile for a comment. Their press office doesn't have email, so I used the Customer Service contact form on the website. It crashed. So that doesn't work either. On the failure page, there was an email address for the webmaster, which I send a copy of my message to and a note that their page was failing in it's customer support role.
"Dear Dr Blake" started the response. Strange, as there's no Dr Blake here, and I can't work out how to type Beale and get Blake. The rest quoted the Data Protection Act and suggested Tina phone them. It was an unsigned email.
I replied that she had, and asked for a general response to the overall issued raised by dire customer service. The next response (admittedly, they at least replied quickly) said "Neither would a general statement be satisfactory, since each case is dealt with on its individual merits."
So you can make your mind up about them yourselves, I guess. Customer service seems to insist that you can't get anything useful over the phone (you need to write in) and if you email them they ask you to phone. And all because they messed up in the first place and want us to run around after them. Strange way to treat users, I think.
(c) 2003-2005 Russell Beale
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