Vodafone customer service incoherent and inconsistent

Blue_Parrot

I thought this would be so easy. Big mistake.

There are 2 phones on our contract, one of which is rarely used. On the paper bills, the one which is rarely used has a charge for itemised billing and another charge for Vodafone insurance.

I emailed them asking for these two items to be switched to the other phone, which is in near-daily use. That is all I wanted them to do.

Since then, I have had emails from four different people at their "customer service" centre, named Jonika, Prathmesh, Suresh and Sanmeet. Every single email contradicts the previous one. Three times in this email exchange I have been asked to re-verify my identity even though all emails to and from are replied-to, so that they can see that I already have.

The latest one, from Sanmeet, was enraging. He says, quote, "Moreover, I can see that you don't have an authorisation on this account...." when I am the only person who has EVER contacted them in over TEN years of contract. He has no.idea.what.he.is.talking.about. He even, ludicrously, suggested that I "visit the nearest Vodafone shop to discuss insurance". What the?

My reply quotes our company registration no. at Companies House and invites him to verify that I am indeed who I say I am. I then re-repeated our company name, address, account number, method of paying, number of phones. This has already been provided further down the email trail.

I have also said that I will post the entire email exchange here if I don't get straightforward replies to straightforward questions - which are about such tiny issues as itemised billing and querying insurance cover.

They have all the bills on their systems. Why do they doubt what I say, WHY do I have to keep repeating myself, WHY do not any of them read down the email trail, WHY do I get passed from person to person, none of whom agrees with any of the others?

:mad: :mad: :mad:

Guys_Dad

Why not try cancelling the paper billing and insurance in one go for the first phone?

Then wait a day or so and ask for pper billing and insurance on the 2nd.

Now I am not saying this will work - it might not, but you need to keep it very, very simple for Voda CS.

You may be in luck and get the Voda web team picking up on this, but don't tell milesmiles if they do contact you!!!!

Blue_Parrot

Bump.

To try to get the Vodafone person here to read it.

Vodafone

Hi Blue Parrot,

I am sorry to hear that such a simple request has now become so complicated.

If you could drop me an email to the address here with WRT135 FAO Heidi in the subject, I will be able to change these around for you.

If you could also include a contact number and a link to your post, I will get in touch.

Many thanks,

Heidi
Web Relations Team
Vodafone UK

Blue_Parrot

Vodafone_company_representative wrote: »

Hi Blue Parrot,

I am sorry to hear that such a simple request has now become so complicated.

If you could drop me an email to the address here with WRT135 FAO Heidi in the subject, I will be able to change these around for you.

If you could also include a contact number and a link to your post, I will get in touch.

Many thanks,

Heidi
Web Relations Team
Vodafone UK

There is no email address on your "here" link, it leads to Vodafone's website.

I am glad you have seen this, because I couldn't be angrier. Today Prathmesh Vyas has emailed me again, telling me again that "I found that you are not authorised on the account so I cannot share any account related information to you or take any action on your request".

This is completely wrong. This is complete and utter rubbish. Not only am I the only person who has EVER dealt with Vodafone in this company, but they phone ME, on the business land-line, every so often to discuss the account. The entire email exchange will be forwarded to you once you provide an email address for me so to do. It will make your hair stand on end. It should be used as a brilliant example of "How to enrage and alienate a business customer of over ten years".

:mad:

Blue_Parrot

The more I read through this appalling trail of blind stupidity and insulting incompetence on the part of Vodafone the angrier I get.

I now wish to escalate this into a complaint. I will not have arrogant so-called "customer service" operatives from Vodafone or any other company repeatedly trying to tell me that I "have no authority" on this or any other account.

They do not read my emails, and prove that over and over again. They repeatedly ask for the same verification. I repeatedly provide it. They contradict each other. They do not answer simple questions.

Would Heidi or any other Vodafone person here please PM me an email address to which I can send this entire saga. This email address should be for someone in authority at Vodafone, not yet another arrogant "customer services" robot.

I have found The Chief Executive's email address on the Vodafone forum. If there is no response here within two days, I will send it all to him, together with a link to this thread.

Guys_Dad

Blue_Parrot wrote: »

The more I read through this appalling trail of blind stupidity and insulting incompetence on the part of Vodafone the angrier I get.

I now wish to escalate this into a complaint. I will not have arrogant so-called "customer service" operatives from Vodafone or any other company repeatedly trying to tell me that I "have no authority" on this or any other account.

They do not read my emails, and prove that over and over again. They repeatedly ask for the same verification. I repeatedly provide it. They contradict each other. They do not answer simple questions.

Would Heidi or any other Vodafone person here please PM me an email address to which I can send this entire saga. This email address should be for someone in authority at Vodafone, not yet another arrogant "customer services" robot.

I have found The Chief Executive's email address on the Vodafone forum. If there is no response here within two days, I will send it all to him, together with a link to this thread.

I have always found that it is a good idea to have a go at a dentist just before he starts injecting or drilling, as well as telling garage mechanics that they are grease-monkeys or similar when you want them to take a look at a problem. Guarantees they want to help and will prioritise your case.

Appreciate you are angry, but just who are you threatening and making demands of on this forum? Jonika, Prathmesh, Suresh or Sanmeet? Of course not - they will be asleep in their beds in India, I guess.

If you had done what the Voda rep suggested, with the WRT135 FAO Heidi in the subject, then maybe she would have already been on the case.

You have a valid point - don't lose the high ground by letting the red mist spoil it. :beer:

vuvuzela

Blue_Parrot wrote: »

The more I read through this appalling trail of blind stupidity and insulting incompetence on the part of Vodafone the angrier I get.

I now wish to escalate this into a complaint. I will not have arrogant so-called "customer service" operatives from Vodafone or any other company repeatedly trying to tell me that I "have no authority" on this or any other account.

They do not read my emails, and prove that over and over again. They repeatedly ask for the same verification. I repeatedly provide it. They contradict each other. They do not answer simple questions.

Would Heidi or any other Vodafone person here please PM me an email address to which I can send this entire saga. This email address should be for someone in authority at Vodafone, not yet another arrogant "customer services" robot.

I have found The Chief Executive's email address on the Vodafone forum. If there is no response here within two days, I will send it all to him, together with a link to this thread.

If you read the 'here' link, it has this text :

Please send all emails via www.vodafone.co.uk/contactus quoting WRT135 - MSE in the subject line.

Have you done so ? As I suspect if you had, instead of throwing your toys out of the pram, it would be on its way to getting sorted by now. Seriously, calm down

Blue_Parrot

This issue which should never have gone on for so long, is now resolved. What did I do?

I telephoned Vodafone, Business section, and got a very sensible man called Barry.

He explained to me that the contract is with our company, called - say - Blueparrot Ltd. Since my name is not Blueparrot Limited, the people I had been in email contact with, refused to acknowledge me as an 'authorised' person. I am not making this up. Computer-says-no, therefore, no, we cannot deal with you.

Why then, did sensible Barry talk with me for ~15 minutes? Because he had the sense to realise that people do not have the same names as their employing companies? That's one option........

The trifling things which I wanted Vodafone to do, were done by Barry in seconds while we were on the phone. My suggestion to the rest of the UK is to phone late in the afternoon when as Guy's Dad suggested, the computer-says-no overseas call centre people have gone off for the night. Presumably. It could be that I just struck lucky and got sensible Barry on a not-long-distance-call though.

John_3:16

You live and learn.
I always ask to be put through to a uk call centre.and keep asking until it happens.

Guys_Dad

Blue_Parrot wrote: »

This issue which should never have gone on for so long, is now resolved. What did I do?

I telephoned Vodafone, Business section, and got a very sensible man called Barry.
....

I always find people who see my point of view are sensible as well. :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

The serious point is that overseas call centres don't work and the sooner that companies start repatriating them to the UK the better. In fact, some

There is a cultural difference that exists between countries - even UK and USA and your case has highlighted it once again.

Still think you got a bit OTT with your post in bold and you could have followed the Vodafone rep's instructions, but I am very glad you got the right result and keep trying with CS till you get a UK call centre.

You could follow the tip on here to make sure you do get one - just read the thread.

http://forum.vodafone.co.uk/t5/New-Vodafone-Customers/UK-Call-Centres/td-p/982473