Having a nightmare trying to upgrade

[Anonymous]

to explain, i am at the end of my contract and would like to upgrade, i quite like the new iphone model (not very original i admit but its good why shouldn't i) and would like to get one.

you would think my complaint would now be that they are hard to find.

well they are not most apple stores have loads which is where i went today they are great and very helpful and you can upgrade there, also o2 have them when you phone.

except for me that is as o2 have kindly put me on what they describe as the old billing system which means the only option open to me is the o2 stores and frankly they never have them and when they do there mates get them first so they never hit the stores anyway. i cant even use the website system as my number isn't recognised.

phoning o2 results in a hour long call being passed on from person to person trying to find someone who can access my account because guess o2 have decided that not all of there CS can access it what and after today's ridicules situation in the apple store i am really upset about the way i have been treated as a customer since 93 it really makes me consider leaving the person in customer services i spoke to in the apple store even made it sound as though it was my own fault and the apple store man couldn't believe the stupidity of the situation its really out of order that i have to suffer for frankly the laziness of a company

[Anonymous]

Its not the old billing system, its the system primarily used for business customers but there are still consumer customers on here. O2 are moving customers over, but what you have to realise is it is an arduous task to do so, it requires writing to customers and getting their permission (because they will lose service)and then each one has to be manually moved over because 9 times out of 10 it will fail. I can pretty much guarantee you that if an advisor went through your notes that they would see loads of failed migration attempted where it has tried to do it automatically.

Also you have to realise the vast amount of customers that need to be moved over, if o2 tried to do this all in one go then the systems would just implode so they can only do a couple at a time, the fact your account hasn't been moved over isn't due to laziness I can assure you.

Now, unfortunately it seems the retailer at Apple wasn't selecting the correct options when he phoned, if he got through to dealer upgrades who he should call in the first instance, then he would have been told in the first call that it isn't possible for third party companies to upgrade on this billing system, this is because the code the upgrade system for this billing system generates cannot be understood by their till systems so they can't give you the phone. Although I would have thought the retailer would have known this as they were all trained up on this not so long ago.

When you do get the phone this will be when you will be migrated to what is now used as the billing system for consumer customers as Iphone customers are made priority.

You say o2 have it in stock, why not upgrade through them? While you're waiting for delivery the account would be migrated over ready so you can start using the phone straight away rather than having to wait 2 days.

[perksie]

Good grief! 😐

[Anonymous]

i would love to upgrade through o2 and have tryed speaking to a few of the very helpful staff but have been told twice now it isn't possible as all upgrades on these accounts are rejected and it can only be done in-store which as i have already pointed out unless i am a family member of one of your staff is a waste of time as it just isn't possible.

as for the apple retailer he was in the same situation i am in every-time i call CS in which once connected to an advisor, was told the number didn't exist and that he would be transferred to someone who could help and then passed on a few ties till someone who had both systems could help at which point he was told this he did know from the start i was on the old system but hadn't been informed there would be an issue, and i must point out i was advised to go to the apple store by CS as they always have stock which the o2 stores never do

[jonsie]

That's all way to complicated for me 😐 I'll try to get my head round it tomorrow 😐

[Anonymous]

Its not the old billing system, its the system primarily used for business customers but there are still consumer customers on here. O2 are moving customers over, but what you have to realise is it is an arduous task to do so, it requires writing to customers and getting their permission (because they will lose service)and then each one has to be manually moved over because 9 times out of 10 it will fail. I can pretty much guarantee you that if an advisor went through your notes that they would see loads of failed migration attempted where it has tried to do it automatically.
Also you have to realise the vast amount of customers that need to be moved over, if o2 tried to do this all in one go then the systems would just implode so they can only do a couple at a time, the fact your account hasn't been moved over isn't due to laziness I can assure you.
Now, unfortunately it seems the retailer at Apple wasn't selecting the correct options when he phoned, if he got through to dealer upgrades who he should call in the first instance, then he would have been told in the first call that it isn't possible for third party companies to upgrade on this billing system, this is because the code the upgrade system for this billing system generates cannot be understood by their till systems so they can't give you the phone. Although I would have thought the retailer would have known this as they were all trained up on this not so long ago.
When you do get the phone this will be when you will be migrated to what is now used as the billing system for consumer customers as Iphone customers are made priority.
You say o2 have it in stock, why not upgrade through them? While you're waiting for delivery the account would be migrated over ready so you can start using the phone straight away rather than having to wait 2 days.

also just for clarification the term old system was given to me by CS i had no idea of what system i was on and why should i. it would be nice if o2 were to contact the customers they have deemed fit to be on this system to warn them that upgrading is going to frankly be an arse and that its just tough luck

[Anonymous]

That's all way to complicated for me 😐 I'll try to get my head round it tomorrow #### 😐

fairly simple really o2 at some point have set-up a new billing system, and not bothered to migrate all the customers over, and also haven't bothered to inform the people on the older system that due to some cost cutting exercise they are to be treated as some kind of leaper but that's there own fault really as they have been with the company since the 1990's and not are as cool and trendy as our new people who have joined recently.

or maybe that's just what it feels like

[perksie]

How is a customer supposed to get to terms with all this?

Try and speak to someone in an elevated position who really should be able to sort this mess out for you.

Failing that I think you should write in to the Complaints Department, as you seem to be considered as an O2 customer who does not exist. 😐

What nonsense!

Please post your problem here:

http://getsatisfaction.com/o2

It might get looked at. :robotsad:

[Anonymous]

sorry firstly thanks for the reply and to go through some of your points with a less stream of conscious angry lilt.

1 why would a new system be designed which is incompatible with existing systems and then seemingly just ignore the customers on the existing system and then deem these customers not important enough and thus place them in a situation where the simplest of tasks are impossible this to me seems unfair and frankly worrying

2 the apple retailers have clearly not been informed of this issue. today i spent almost two hours at the reagent street store (the flagship store in the UK) and not one of the eight staff on duty had ever been informed of this situation. the gentleman serving me even tried to raise a complaint about this fact with CS (this is after being passed on after his first call as the CS "couldn't log into that system as my password doesn't work") so training needs to be looked at as it isn't happening.

3 and yes i can phone up to upgrade but i have been told twice now ( and i am grateful for the honesty) that on my system i can only upgrade in-store (to the product i want i must add)

Its fnaot the old billing system, its the system primarily used for business customers but there are still consumer customers on here. O2 are moving customers over, but what you have to realise is it is an arduous task to do so, it requires writing to customers and getting their permission (because they will lose service)and then each one has to be manually moved over because 9 times out of 10 it will fail. I can pretty much guarantee you that if an advisor went through your notes that they would see loads of failed migration attempted where it has tried to do it automatically.
Also you have to realise the vast amount of customers that need to be moved over, if o2 tried to do this all in one go then the systems would just implode so they can only do a couple at a time, the fact your account hasn't been moved over isn't due to laziness I can assure you.
Now, unfortunately it seems the retailer at Apple wasn't selecting the correct options when he phoned, if he got through to dealer upgrades who he should call in the first instance, then he would have been told in the first call that it isn't possible for third party companies to upgrade on this billing system, this is because the code the upgrade system for this billing system generates cannot be understood by their till systems so they can't give you the phone. Although I would have thought the retailer would have known this as they were all trained up on this not so long ago.
When you do get the phone this will be when you will be migrated to what is now used as the billing system for consumer customers as Iphone customers are made priority.
You say o2 have it in stock, why not upgrade through them? While you're waiting for delivery the account would be migrated over ready so you can start using the phone straight away rather than having to wait 2 days.

[perksie]

Exactly, I was just making a précis of all that.

I wish you luck with getting a positive response and a solution to this rather silly problem, which is not of your making.

Personally I have had good experiences with O2, and have found CS to be polite and helpful, but I do not feel a customer should be dropped into a "Catch 22" situation they cannot escape from by following normal procedures.

You are showing a lot more patience than many would in this situation.

Good luck.