Complete lack of customer service

[Anonymous]

I have been an O2 Business customer since November 2008.  My account has always been paid by direct debit.  This week I have been trying to add an additional connection to my account for a new employee and this has proved to be an absolute catalogue of appalling customer service which, as of now, has resulted in no new connection and an employee without a company mobile phone.

It started with me trying to phone and then, after being on hold for 21 minutes, going for live chat as well.  Eventually having got through to someone on live chat we discussed my needs and they recommended the Business Essentials plan.  I accepted this proposal and they went through taking the order and eventually, after about 45 minutes, that everything was sorted and that I would receive the phone the next working day.  Everything seemed ok at this point.  Then I got an SMS message saying that there was a technical problem with the order and asking me to phone 8002 to speak to someone.

I phoned 8002 and after 45 minutes on hold, finally got to speak to someone who, after about 20 minutes, said that everything was ok and I would receive an email within 10 minutes to confirm the order and give me a code that I would need to use (following) the instructions on the email to complete the order.

After half an hour no email had arrived so, not wanting to spend another 45 minutes on hold, I went for the live chat again and was told that the agents on live chat couldn't place an order for Business Essentials - that I would have to phone 8002 again.  Having got quite frustrated by this point I vented my frustration at the agent and he told me he was going to speak to his supervisor.  He came back and told me that someone from O2 would phone me at an agreed time the next day as they accepted that my frustration was justified.

Guess what?  No phone call the next day.

Today I tried to place the order online and everything seemed to be going ok.  I got an email confirming that someone would phone me within the next 24 hours to complete the order.

Tonight I got a phone call to complete the order however I was told that my account was showing an overdue amount so the order would be rejected.  I explained that the company pays by direct debit and there was plenty in the account to cover the £4.18 that was showing as overdue and there was nothing showing from my bank about any direct debit payment being declined so therefore O2 must have not attempted to collect it (I strongly suspect that this was something to do with me changing my phone to a SIM only account on 12th August).  Anyway, the woman I was speaking to said she would transfer me to customer service so that I could sort out the overdue payment with them.  She did something to transfer me which resulted in the connection being cut off.

So far I have spent about 3 hours of lost customer contact (and billing) time,which has cost my company a lot of money.  This 3 hours has been spent trying to spend more money with O2 and all I have received is appalling customer service and no new phone for my employee.

I am now on the verge of requesting a PAC code and moving to another provider because loyalty counts for nothing - especially with a company that does not even have the most basic understanding of customer service.

[gindygoo]

Hi there, it sounds like a lot of hassle that you've been through.

If you call cs early in the morning it's the least busy time and you're more likely to get through quickly.

[Cleoriff]

Hi @Anonymous.How frustrating this must be...

If you want to stay with O2 and are a business customer you need to keep ringing 8002

Live Chat wont be able to help in this instance.

They are open till 5pm today and from 9am to 5pm tomorrow

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your reply however having learned, after being a customer since 2008 and always paying my bill ontime by direct debit, that O2 have a policy of not collecting direct debit payments of less than £5 (my last bill was less than £5 because I changed plan in August)  

This policy has meant my account has an "overdue" amount (which is only overdue because O2 chose not to collect the payment) and because of this I'm not credit worthy enough to add a connection today - but I will be on 1st October when the next DD payment has been taken.

Given the experience that I've had this week, I have no interest at all in staying with O2.  They have very successfully lost my business and as soon as I am out of contract I will port my number to a new provider.

Meanwhile I will get my new phone from another provider immediately, I guess, without the hassle of trying to get it off O2.

[Cleoriff]

Ok @Anonymous then I wish you all the best with your new network..

[Anonymous]

Thanks

[gindygoo]

Ah I'd be making the same decision if in your situation @Anonymous it's always best to go where you feel that your interests are best served.

Wish you luck with your new provider and am as always, sorry to see anyone leave O2.

Charlie.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Charlie.

All they had to do was say "oh I see what's happened and the overdue is our fault not yours so we'll process the order now". But no - they're practically impossible to contact and when you do eventually get to speak to them they just keep apologizing and saying that they understand my frustration but then they can't do anything about it.

It's cost me so much in time that I could have been billing to my customers that I could have bought several phones outright.

Basic fact here is that O2 don't care about their customers at all.

I'm not sure any other provider will be any better as telecoms companies are all much of muchness but they certainly couldn't be any worse.

[gindygoo]

You're right in that other telcos won't be any better though. It's just something I think we've all learned to live with.

Anyhoo, you've definitely made your dissatisfaction known, but we really are all fellow customers who'll mostly have all experienced crappy service at some point from O2.

I really do sympathise with your situation but as a customer that's all I can really do.

Charlie.

[Anonymous]

You would actually think someone from O2 would be monitoring this forum 😞