Posted by Gregory
1 commentI just emailed this to the Vodafone CEO (personal details removed):
Mr. LawrenceRe: order number [redacted], [redacted]
Recently I signed up for a preorder Google Nexus One phone and have suffered systemic failure after systemic failure which I would like to share with you.
My blog http://labby.co.uk covers my main issues, but I would like to give you a full summary in the hope that something can be done to prevent the errors reoccurring in the future.
Issue 1:
I preordered the Nexus One on the day the prerelease opened and was promised delivery on the release day.
The next day I received an email from yourselves telling me the Nexus One was out of stock and I would not be receiving it for at leat 7-10 working days.
I contacted the number on the email (0844 854 0430, please see issue 2 below for my problems with this) and spoke to one of your agents who told me that you were indeed out of stock and could not give any sort of delivery timeline at all.I blogged about the email I received at http://labby.co.uk/2010/04/vodafone-nexus-one-preorder-out-of-stock/ and the story was rapidly taken up by the Metro newspaper and became a featured story on MSN Tech http://tech.uk.msn.com/news/articles.aspx?cp-documentid=153203392 as well as countless other blogs and tech sites.
I started a thread on the Vodafone E-forums http://forum.vodafone.co.uk/topic/58308-vodafone-online-store-confirmation-needed-for-email-i-received/ to see if there was anything that could be done and one of the moderators on there informed me that it appeared to be in error even though the person I spoke to directly told me the email was correct.
After much going backwards and forwards I received an email telling me the original email was indeed in error, but the situation definitely removed the pleasure I had thinking about the phone I would be receiving soon.
Issue 2:
The email I received in issue 1 above gave me 2 options for help – the 0844 number or the info@ email address. I wanted the matter resolved speedily so I called the 0844 number.I was waiting for over 20 minutes simply for someone to pick up the telephone which I find completely unacceptable – especially as it is a local rate non geographic number meaning that I would be charged for the cost of the call.
At the end of the telephone call I told the agent about the fact that I had been on hold for a very long time and it was unacceptable, her flippant reply was that I should have just called 191 and it would have been free. I told her that the email made no mention of calling 191 (“If you have any further queries please contact us on 0844 854 0430 or email info@v-store.co.uk, quoting your order number as your reference.”) and she agreed to credit me for the call charges involved once I received my telephone bill.
Issue 3:
The delivery address had been entered incorrectly instore when I preordered ([redacted] rather than the correct [redacted]). When I realised the error I called Vodafone and was told that web orders cannot be dealt with via the 0844 number (see issue 4 below).
I returned to the store and the store manager emailed your info@ address with me CC’d into the email asking for the address to be altered and for me to be informed when it was done. To this day I have received no reply regarding this, and after several attempts at trying to get the address changed both instore and via the telephone I was eventually told by a sales agent instore that the address had been successfully changed.The phone was still delivered to the wrong address which is a clear systemic failure.
Issue 4:
As far as the customer is concerned it makes no difference whether an order is placed online, instore or using smoke signals. When a customer wishes to discuss issues with an order the last thing they expect to hear is that the person at the other end of the phone cannot do anything (“We don’t have access to that system”), they expect Vodafone to be able to deal with their account queries.Issue 5:
Vodafone stores should give their contact numbers out as a matter of course.
I called the 0844 number and asked for a contact telephone number for the store I made the purchase from and was told that they could not give store numbers out.
I thought you were a Phone company, surely it makes sense to give store numbers out to resolve problems.The above has been posted to my blog and I await your reply.
In good faith
[redacted]
The following is unaffiliated with labby.co.uk
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