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[lukewild1982]

My handset has developed a problem. I have an iphone 3gs and the mute button on the top left has developed a fault. I called the customer service number to discuss what can be done about it as I have not had the phone very long.

I was told that I would need to take it into a vodafone store and they would deal with it. That is not really a solution to the issue I have but its a step in the right direction.

I wanted answers to other questions concerning the issue and things I should generally expect. She claimed she could not get my account up as her system is down. I asked to speak to the manager as she was not listening to my questions and kept giving answers that were clearly scripted and nothing to do with what I had asked. She told me her manager could not help as he was "useless". I demanded to speak to the manager again and she put me on hold till I was eventually cut off.

Is this what we should expect from Vodafone, once you get is in a contract you basically give up caring and give no useful help or advice apart from a bunch of preprogrammed responses and of no real help in the real world.

I am absolutely shocked at the level of customer service you give and can categorically say that I will not be renewing my contract with vodafone and will take my business elsewhere.

[AnnS]

As has been mentioned on previous posts here on the forum, if you have an iphone which has developed a fault, take the handset into an Apple Store where your will receive expert help and advise.  Apple stores have the correct tools and software for their products and will have your iphone repaired as soon as possible.

Apple are very keen to protect the credibility of their products and, since your phone is not very old, you could well be walking out with a brand new iphone in your hands.

If you cannot get to an Apple Store, take the phone into a Vodafone Store, but since Vodafone would only send your iphone to Apple for repair, you will get a faster service taking the phone direct to Apple. 

[lukewild1982]

thank you for your response Ann. I will take it to an Apple store and appreciate the advice to cut Vodafone out of the loop.

My complaint is not really with the issue of a problem with the phone, I fully understand that no matter how quality a product maybe when you produce it on the level that the iphone has been then there will be minor problems from time to time.

My complaint is with the way I was dealt with by the inept customer service call centre worker and her unbearably rude attitude and lack of abilty to listen to my question and give me a thoughtful answer. She was clearly reading scripts off a screen in front of her and repeated one statement FOUR times word for word and it bear absolutely no relevance to the question I had put to her.

Also if you have a genuine reason to talk to a manager/supervisor I do not want to be advised that they are "useless" and then cut off so that she obviously did not get in any trouble for her complete lack of ability.

Customer service plays a massive part in my profession and its something I pride myself on. I can not tolerate people who do not do their best to listen to a problem and solve it or at least make it clear that they had done everything in their power to solve the problem.

Customer service is what keeps customers coming back and Vodafone today have made it very clear to me this is not a priority of theirs so they can never expect to receive a renewal from me again. I have had a pretty bad experience with Vodafone from the moment I set up with them and today has just confirmed everything that I had experienced from day one. There are many huge blue chip companies in the world that despite the epic amount of customers they service they still manage to do the best job they can for them, Vodafone are not one of these companies.

[AnnS]

I can quite understand what you are saying about Customer Service at Vodafone.   It happened to me and I wondered if I was even talking to Vodafone Customer Service, but I just happened to get a grumpy advisor who was having a bad day and probably wanted to go home. 

I called back with the same question, which was a enquiry with the email address on my online account  and the person I spoke to was so helpful and pleasant.  Solved the problem and even called my back to let me know she had solved it and I should not have any future problems.  

I am sure a moderator here on the forum will prove to you, that Vodafone Customer Service does care.

[lukewild1982]

no responce from one in three hours, would you call that good customer service???

[AnnS]

Dont worrry Luke, the admins would have seen your post, and will be along as soon as they possibly can.

They work posts in the order they have been received.

[Catty]

I too, have experienced very poor customer service, having bought a faulty Sure Signal unit at the beginning of the year. It's too long a story to tell here, but suffice to say that the letter I wrote when I returned the item has not been replied to, and neither has the letter I followed that up with, complete with a whole run down of everything that had happened, been replied to either. On the 19th February I did however receive a TEXT, would you believe, from V/fone, telling me this was being looked into, and they would contact me the next week - I am STILL waiting. I have had no further texts, no reply by mail or email, nothing. So you have my sympathy regarding the poor customer service from Vodafone. Or should I say LACK of....?

[Mr_Yusuf]

I'm going to wade into this discussion with my annoyance at Vodafone. I'm not at all impressed with Vodafone itself as opposed to the customer service I've received, which has been quite reasonable. I am aware Vodafone have on occasion price matched with other networks, however they refuse to do this with me and other 'sim' only users as cost margains are too small as they put it?!?

So this company that apparently have saved millions though tax 'technicalities' refuse point blank to give it's customers who have been with them for a while some savings back, absurd!

Unless I get some sweeteners it will be a very quick disconnection!

[Woody]

Hi lukewild1982,

I'm really disappointed to hear of the service that you were provided. This is not what you should expect from us and not the normal experience that our customer service gives.

Has the issue with your phone been resolved now? One of our stores would be able to send this away for you, but it may be quicker for you to nip into an Apple store if you have one near by. If you haven't then please take it in to one of our stores. You can also find more information on this in our Popular Vodafone Questions thread.

Hi Catty,

I can understand your frustrations with this and would really like to get this resolved for you as quickly as possible. I have emailed you asking for a few quick details. If you can reply to that for me, then we will get this investigated as soon as possible.

Hi Mr_Yusuf,

I have passed your details  on to our Web Relations team. They will try and find you the best possible deal for you.

Woody

eForum Team

[Catty]

Hello Woody,

I see you posted your message 3 hours ago saying you had emailed me but it has not reached me. I have checked my spam folders and there was nothing from Vodafone in there. Please would you send it again? Many thanks.

Catty.

[Catty]

Have received it now, thank you!

[lukewild1982]

Dear Moderator,

My phone has been replaced by Apple, it took 25 minutes from me walking in to the store to walking out with a brand new phone.

I am extremely pleased with Apple for their unbelievable levels of customer service. On a midday Wednesday I could have taken my pick of no less than 35 helpful and friendly apple employees to solve my problem. In the grand arcade in Cambridge I entered the Apple store, which coincidently is pretty much opposite a Vodafone store. The apple store was brimming with customers and happy workers. Your store had one person sat by a raised desk looking as bored as bored can be. You tell me who is getting it right? I only wish apple supplied a phone network to go with their stunning product so they could put all you money grabbing conglomerates out of business. Apple have made a fortune doing what they do, they are a massive company that does not fear being in the shadow of Microsoft anymore. Do you know why they do so well, because they have pride in their products and dedication to their customers. You have none of this and it shows in everything you do.

Now I shall go on to rant further about your unbearable and quite ridiculous levels of customer service. Can you explain to me why after a lengthy phone call to customer service and rudely being cut off then have to post a extremely angry rant on here and then be advised to go to apple myself??? You replied nearly 24 hours after my initial remarks, do you consider that good enough? Also do you think you have done all you can to help me. I think you have put some remarks on a forum that mirror pretty much what I was advised to do by a member of the public 16 hours before you said it. Good enough? I do not believe so. Nobody from vodafone has contacted me in anyway or form apart from your pitiful attempt at help. You seem to fail to understand that I am so furious that I spoke to a rude foreign call centre worker who failed to listen to my issues so much that she failed to inform me of the option of simply going to Apple myself as that is all you were going to bloody do anyway?????!?!?!?!

I can absolutely guarantee you that I will not be continuing my business with Vodafone when my contract ends and may even go to the lengths and expense of canceling my contract early, as ridiculous as you may think that is I am genuinely so shocked at you lack of help and awareness of the options available to me. I will do this unless I get a phone call apologizing for your lack of service. I am not asking for money back/recompense/remuneration, all I have ever wanted was to be treated like a valued customer and a human being. At every opportunity to please me as a customer or help me vodafone have fallen flat on their face. I have looked into canceling my contract and estimate it will cost me somewhere in the regions of £220. Due to my ability in my job to listen to my customers and run my store to the best of my ability and solve issues as best I can, I earned £780 in commissions and management bonuses. I consider it a small price to pay to take a chunk of that very hard earned money to rid myself of your company.

Not only will I end my relationship with vodafone but my finance will also end hers and I can absolutely guarantee that I will bad mouth Vodafone to every person I know and urge them to not touch you with the longest of long barge poles. I am a formula one fan and I think I have even developed a distaste for my beloved Mclaren F1 team because your logo is plastered all over the car. Thank god you don't sponsor Man Utd anymore as I may have hung myself to have to see that as well.

You have my contact details and I expect a phone call from someone to simply apologize for your actions, I am asking so very very little, lets see if you can actually deliver this request, I believe you can not and think you will prove me right in everything I have said on this forum.

[AnnS]

Hi Luke

I helped you with a reply earlier in the thread.

I have just read your last post and to be honest, I was really surprised at Woody's reply to you.  He should have certainly done better than to simply give you a generic reply like he has done.  Its like he simply didnt care, and was certainly poor customer service.

I hope you get the reply you deserve and should have to restore your faith in Vodafone Customer Services.

[Dave]

Hi Lukewild1942,

I can only apologise at this point for the poor service you feel you have received - that certainly isn't our intention.

We answer all posts on a first come first served basis, which is why your post, as with anyone else's, was not answered straight away. This way each customer is fairly handled in turn. Rest assured that this was not anything personal or a wish not to respond quickly, rather to treat each customer's query with equal importance.

As you had received some advice from other eForum users, Woody would have been looking in the first instance to see if your issues had been resolved and reiterating the best methods for doing that. I do note that you didn't go into any detail on the other questions you had asked so the emphasis was therefore on the physical issue you had clearly described.

That does not mean, however, that that is the limit of the support we can offer here. We only have the details you have registered for the eForum with on this system, however I'm going to pop you an email so we can address the further issues you have had, including looking to answer those questions for you in person.

Please reply back and we'll be happy to assist further in any way we can.

Dave

eForum Team