My regular readers will remember that some years ago, I had all sorts of problems as a customer of o2, the mobile phone company. Two written complaints were escalated all the way to their CEO, who got in touch personally to apologise, after I was left £700 out of pocket and with no connection after a string of lies and failed promises on their part.
These days I'm a much happer mobile user, thanks to those fine chaps at Vodafone, who really do offer outstanding customer service, the best coverage in the UK, and low prices. I'm not being paid by them (honest!), but I do like to see a good job well done, and they do it day in, day out.
Today I had the misfortune of encountering o2, and they really haven't changed. My technologically bewildered father has been with them for about nine years, he pays about £120 up front every year, for which he gets 12 month of very limited mobile usage, and a reasonably smart Nokia handset every year. Yesterday he received a letter from o2's "Customer services" division, informing him curtly that "Your annual tarrif is being withdrawn, and we are moving you automatically to a matching pay-monthly tarrif", costing £18 a month, so a whopping annual total of £216, or a price rise for him of 80%. As a pensioner living on modest means, this is totally unacceptable, not to mention rude, as no reason was given for the decision from o2.
I advised him that this was a golden opportunity to get away from o2, and sign up with a proper company. He reluncantly agreed, and we've just sat down to ring o2, and guess what - they're up their old tricks. Six minutes on hold, listening to the most awful "musack" imaginable, with an intermittend voice promising an actual human to speak to. Finally a pleasant lady called Katie answered, and Dad outlined the situation clearly, said he wasn't happy, and asked what course of action they would suggest. Cue Katie's chance to shine: "Hello? Hello? Are you there?" she asked, before trailing off, and leaving Dad announcing "Hello, yes I'm here, where are you?". Where indeed. The line wasn't dead - background office noise could still be heard - but clearly this was a conversation that Katie didn't fancy at 8pm on a Friday evening. How utterly pathetic can you get. In my experience the o2 customer service staff are the worst kind of scum, constantly failing to do anything to assist you, and taking money from your account at every opportunity. They're up there with traffic wardens and estate agents, and are about as much use as a pair of water-wings in the Gobi desert.
Thankfully, the old-fashioned methods of communication still exist. If you can't get in touch with a phone company over the phone, then go in person - Dad will be paying a visit to the local o2 "store" in the next few days, telling them exactly what he thinks of them, and asking for directions to the Vodafone shop on his way out. There's simply no place for bad customer service in this day and age.
