Terrible Customer Service

[ab2]

Vodafone has absolutely no loyalty for long standing customers. 

The customer service team will not offer me any incentive/benefits when renewing my contract and will only offer me pacakages which are available to anyone who visits their website despite the fact that I have been a customer for 10 years.

Data has become cheaper over the past 3 years but Vodafone just keep inflating the cost of their price plans.

Every year I pay more and for what - sub standard service! 

If Vodafone will not value long standing customers they will leave.

I must add that that the call centre staff are rude and arrogant and have no desire to help. When I asked to speak to a Manager I was told he left at 4.30pm. Do all managers leave at 4.30pm?

[BandOfBrothers]

Are you at the early upgrade stage of your contract or at the actual end of contract stage ?

I ask @ab2 because if your at the latter then you'll be in a better position to negotiate. 

If you haven't already ring 191 and choose the Thinking Of Leaving option to speak to the Retentions Department. 

Also it can depend on what phone your wanting as an upgrade as newer phones can have less discount on the tariff. 

Alternatively a person can go sim only.

Better deals can sometimes be found on the 24 month option instead of the 12 month option and then buy your own phone. 

Sometimes independents such as Carphone Warehouse can offer upgrade deals but discounts such as VEA isn't possible and be sure they upgrade you and not open up a 2nd line. 

In regards to loyalty I fear the only part of loyalty is you pay monthly for a tariff and allowances and Vodafone supply those allowances and signal. 

[ab2]

Hi @BandOfBrothers,

I am at the end of my 12 month contract and have already spoken to the customer Retention Department and I am  on a month SIM only deal which I am broadly happy with. 

The problem here is that the only reward for 10 years loyalty are tariffs which increases in price year on year.  If Vodafone cannot reward my loyalty I will go elsewhere. 

The customer service is hopeless with staff trained not to think laterally but just read of the vodafone website as to what offers they have. I can do that myself!

[BandOfBrothers]

Hey @ab2

I appreciate your standpoint on this. 

So as I understand this you'll drop onto a 30 day rolling sim only contract if you do nothing. 

You might be able to receive a better tariff in relation to costs and or better tariffs allowances if you were willing to choose a 24 month sim only. 

You could look at other networks but it's important to also say that not all networks offer the same signal and data speeds everywhere with fringe coverage and not-spots  being an issue. 

It's a decision for you to make to choose from the available options with that possibly being a Pac to take your number with you. 

I hope you manage to find an amicable resolution with Vodafone as I assu e up to this point you've been happy with the service.

I assume the year on year increase you speak of is the RPI which the moble networks adhere to.  

[ab2]

Hi @BandOfBrothers - thanks for your responses.

Generally I have not had an issue with the phone service over the past 10 years. 

Whenever I have had to deal with the customer service department I have always had issues.

The price increases are above RPI. For example factoring in RPI the resultant amount that I would now pay equates to a package offering 5GB data/month less than what I am currently getting. The cost of data should fall over time not rise.