Vodafone is doing well

[jeffkinn]

Despite the numerous unhappy customers that move in and out of this forum prophesying the imminent demise of Vodafone, the truth is that the network is doing well overall both domestically and financially. It is seeing growth in nearly all of its markets and the share price is going up accordingly.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/07/24/uk-vodafone-outlook-idUKKCN0PY0HQ20150724

This is good news because it ensures competition in a market that is showing signs of international merger activity. We now have EE owned by BT and O2 owned by 3. We need an independent alternative and I personally believe that it's a very good thing for us as customers to have a British company as the second largest mobile network in the world.

[jeffkinn]

and just how big do you estimate that iceberg to be in terms of number of dissatisfied customers? Out of the 17 million or so customers in the UK how many do you esitmate are unhappy with the network?

[froggerty]

How long is a length of string? Unless a National survey or International survey is carried out it is  imposible to estimate but if you go by the number of complaints on this and other sites the numbers are vast, I could ask you to give the number of satisfied customers but equally I am pretty sure you could not answer that. The fundamental problem is in the Company's ability to interact with their customers when problems arise which seems to be the main reason for complaint.

[jeffkinn]

If that were true no company or organisation would ever be able to produce any statistics on anything. I'll give you my estimate later when I have time of the number of unhappy customers and the basis for my calculation.

[jeffkinn]

Over the last 24 hours the number of individual posters on the forum amounted to 84. Of these I'll assume that 5% are asking 'How do I do this?' type questions and another 5% are complaining without any foundation such as 'I've used extra data and I don't want to pay for it'. That means the 84 nets down to 76. I think this is pretty typical of the number of people who are actively complaining on the forum at any point in time but for the sake of prudence let's assume that this is understated and the real number is 100.

What percentage of the number of overall complainers in the country does this 100 represent? As a lot of people are directed to this forum by customer services or Vodafone shops I think it's quite a large number but for the sake of prudence let's assume it's only 1%. That makes 10,000 complainers. Perhaps this is understand by a factor of 5 - 50,000 complainers. A factor of 10 - 100,000 complainers?

Now I'm not for a second suggesting that 50,000 complainers isn't a huge number and that Vodafone doesn't have significant issues in customer services. We all know that and the Vodafone CEO has said as much. But it still represents only 0.3% of the customer base. Even if the figure is 100,000 it's still only 0.6% of the customer base. 

Statistically that means that the overwhelming majority of the network's customers are perfectly happy with the service they receive, have good signal and never have a problem with customer services. I think the same applies to the other networks as well and that's why the churn between networks is as low as 3% according to Ofcom, who wants to make it easier to move networks using the PAC code process

So I'll assume that the number of satisfied customers is somewhere around 16.9 million. That's why the network is seen to be doing well.

My figures are based on nothing other than my own observations - I have no more inside knowledge than anyone else. 

[froggerty]

As you're 'assuming' all this, in truth, you havn't got a clue. As for taking people out of the 'equasion' who are asking 'how do I do this or do that' usually arrises due to them not getting an answer from CS staff which in itself generates complaint. As for customers being directed to this Forum by Vodafone shops, those shops that I have been in, none of the staff had a clue that the Forum even existed. Any Company can make things look good on paper. I and others appreciate what you're saying but all will have their own opinion on how this Company is actually 'performing'

[jeffkinn]

I have based my assumptions on logic and statstics. What are you basing your assumptions on? Please let me know where you think I've gone wrong.

Unless you are able to substantiate your opinion with some logical deductions based on fact I think it's safe to assume my independent view is probably the right one.

[jeffkinn]

Here's another report from the independent investor site the Motley Fool

https://www.fool.co.uk/investing/2015/08/12/you-cant-go-wrong-with-vodafone-group-plc/

Take note of the comments about billions of pounds of investment in a pan European network (that encompasses the UK of course), a growth in revenues and record lows in customer churn.

The iceberg is beginning to look smaller all of the time.

[froggerty]

I'm pretty certain that very few customers are in the slightest interested in any of that, all they are intersted in is in getting a good helpful staff service and a comptitively priced service, unless of course they have shares or have investment in the Company.

[jeffkinn]

I think you're probably right but the real point is that most of us do have shares in Vodafone courrtesy of our pensions, ISA's and insurance policies.

Also it goes to demonstrate that the company isn't generally failing or has a massive number of unhappy customers who are about to bail out and go elsewhere. 

[froggerty]

Give Customers what they want? You are way out pal, what the majority want is to be treated with more respect and not to be ripped off and lied to. You are deluded pal, read the customer reveiws on Trustpilot, you might then wake up and actually smell the coffee.