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Brains behind O2 customer service?!!

Anonymous
Not applicable

Hello all,

 

I don't know whether you may have had the same problem as my partner but all day today she has been trying to get through to up grade her phone (not for iphone5) as set out in her contract wioth O2. Well we all know it's hard enough on a normal day to get through but today is even harder due to another iPhone release which is basically the same as the previous one just a little bigger!

 

Well my question is this? If O2 knew the phone was coming out today why on earth did they not spend a little of that money they have and set up a seperate number or add an extra choice to the automated message, preferably being the first choice, to request that all iPhone5 customers press X so that they can direct all of these sad people off to another call centre to be served and let them wait for an hour and a half and they could have even added some form of chat room so they can all talk to each other whilst waiting for their new phone! And if they didn't go through to this other call number their call would not be dealt with, this way the customers who didn't want an iphone5 could then at least have their call dealt with without having to wait in line for an hour and a half to talk to someone who are only really interested in talking to them if it's about an iPhone!!! Any answers?

 

O2 if you are are out there please read this and then next time you may actually care about other customers!!!

Message 1 of 18
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Anonymous
Not applicable

@Anonymous wrote:

Feel free to assume :).

 

 


Then if you are management or in customer service, you have provided us with the definitive answer.

Message 11 of 18
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Anonymous
Not applicable

Not that it really matters where in the company I work.  I'm here to give my opinion from the point of view of an O2 staff member.  At the same time, and as my signature points out, my views are my own and not reflective of the company (and shouldn't be taken to be).

 

So while I'm here I'm mostly trying to help.  I'll defend the company a bit when I beleive the criticism is unfair, and I'll criticise where criticism is due.  I was a long term customer well before I started working here.

Message 12 of 18
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jonsie
Level 94: Supreme
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I worked in O2 customer service for 3 years and know exactly how much training is needed to advise on so many different aspects of various makes of mobiles.

 

To think you could train someone just for the release of a new iphone for a matter of a few days is crazy.

 

Some of the comments on here are laughable and made with a completely unreal view of the real world.

 

I

Message 13 of 18
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Anonymous
Not applicable

Nail on the head, jonsie!

Message 14 of 18
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Anonymous
Not applicable

@Anonymous wrote:

Hello,

 

agree with you comment however when you have been tied for two years into a contract because the state of the economy dropped and operators couldn't offer an upgrade every 12 months its a bit of a nightmare....if she had phoned yesterday they would have said no phone back tomorrow so why should she wait, because they are unable to sort their on mess!!It' disgusting and a complete embarrassment that a company of this size doesn't have the capabilities to deals with a few phone calls!!


I'm not sure where to start with the absurdity of this reply.  Quite clearly you have no understanding of how modern customer service centres are run.  As such, you have no idea about the logisitcs involved in:

 

- recruiting a thousand or so extra staff with the expectation that they work only one week

- fully training a thousand or so extra staff in facilities that would hold, maybe 20 training positions across perhaps 5 sites

- funding the training and salaries of a thousand or so extra staff for an investment of 1 week

- providing additional workstations, with associated hardware, software and licenses, furniture and facilities - which would be redundant after 1 week

etc etc

 

...all because one person couldn't wait to upgrade.  Does this not seem absurd?

 

I can assure you, they would receive many more complaints if they funded such a silly notion at the expense of their customers through increased tariff prices.

 

Surely the most sensible option, given that she was out of contract, would have been to either go to an O2 store - or gone elsewhere?  If I was moved enough to deem something "disgusting" based on a company's performance (or whatever), I certainly wouldn't be hanging round - even for a minute to post a rant on that company's community pages.

 

Horses for courses I guess.  But a little perspective might also be useful.

Message 15 of 18
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jonsie
Level 94: Supreme
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Anonymous
Not applicable

Rookie and Pablo....you are quick to assume people don't know how call cnetres work but I do understand the one very important reason "IS TO ANSWER THE PHONE!!!" been on hold now for ten minutes.

 

You both really have a blind very on what is good customer service and what isn't.

 

Rookie again you mind is very clouded to it is hard to move on to a new operator as you have to cancel your contract first with the original supplier!!!! but if you cant get through on the phone then how do you? Think before you speak...both of you!

 

Also here is also, just to let youknow with some sneeky tactics we managed to get through to someone who said that my partner could up grade for the iPhone 4 however she would have to pay £99 on a £37 per month 24 month contract what a laugh.....having to wait 2 years for an upgrade and then to have to pay it in a two year contract as well, you can imagine what my response to that was....pratts!! especially if she can get the iphone five on a two year £41 per month and only pay £49 for the new model!!!

 

Owe and if any wants to know how to get through to a human being to actually get to speak to someone instead of listening to their rubbish music just call the home broad band number and demand to be put through to the retentions and not be put on hold!!!!!

 

Also Rookie and Pablo why would O2 need to recruit 1'000s of temps when they don't even have that many full time staff, they could have easily set up a call center with 200 people to take the calls and it wouldn't have taken long to train people on th echaracteristics of the hand set as they wouldn't need to know it's not like people are phoning up to say "Hey can you tell me how the phone works" every one already knows as its the same as the iPhone4s and the 3s!!!!

Message 17 of 18
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Anonymous
Not applicable
Pablo / Jonsie

If you do work in CS, then you'll no doubt be aware there's a whole industry providing event based call centre support. Both outgoing and incoming call centre services can be managed this way (and don't even have to be at the same location as the existing call centres), and typically are managed this way to address peaks in demand around major product launches or sales campaigns.

The fact that some of us had to call in literally scores of times over three and four day periods, go through multiple half-hour plus holding periods, often not to get any service at all, indicates nothing more than either bad planning or misplaced cost savings or both.

Message 18 of 18
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