Two day ago EE's shockingly bad customer service angered me. If you missed the post (it's been my most popular post to date, so please share it!) - here's the LINK.
One thing that I forgot to mention in my rage was that they sent me a text-based survey shortly after I hung up. You know the ones; they ask how satisfied from 1-10 you are with the way that your call was handled, whether your problem was resolved, etc.
To top off the awful customer service experience that I had with EE, their text survey was going to get some scathing replies, but EE couldn't even get this right: I couldn't reply to the text message that they sent me!
The text failed to send twice, at which point I gave up and sat down to write my blog post.
EE probably base much of their customer feedback on these text surveys, as they are cheap, reach every calling customer and I have used them in the past - to comment on both positive and negative customer service that I've received.
EE probably think that they are doing well if they send out these unanswerable surveys, but let me tell you now, EE - No matter how much you keep telling us that "You are the biggest UK network", and you might have Kevin Bacon on board, but your customer service is the worst that I've experienced from any network.
Sunday, 6 September 2015
Saturday, 5 September 2015
Giffgaff 4G Fail! Product Delivery and Customer Service Disaster.
I have been looking forward to the day when giffgaff would finally announce that they would provide 4G at "no extra cost".
That day arrived on the 2nd of September, and as I'm currently using giffgaff as my main provider I specifically bought my first 4G capable phone a week or two ago.
In my blog this week I championed giffgaff for providing 4G across their entire (but now reduced) "Goodybag" range (their range of 30 day bundles) - even though their "unlimited" data bundle is now pretty poor value.
This evening I learned a valuable lesson: Giffgaff is still a fledgling MVNO. Their 4G Goodybags are working only for existing customers who have previously purchased a 4G Goodybag.
This is something that giffgaff don't seem too concerned about, and they have "A third party working on the problem".
I only came across this issue when I logged on to giffgaff's "community" pages (aka forums).
The Help and Support section is filled with customers complaining that they can't get 4G, and giffgaff have made a minor announcement on their Service Updates page HERE.
What galls me is that the majority of the comments are from diehard giffgaff customers who do really believe that they run the company - many of whom admit that they really don't use data at all.
Giffgaff has been in operation for over five years and has grown to become the UK's third largest MVNO - yet this is a typical problem for this network operator which might have been acceptable in the early "community run" days, but not now that they are charging as much as some of the main networks for services that simply aren't working.
Giffgaff say that the "third party" is working over the weekend on the problem, but for all new customers and those, such as myself, who wanted to finally be able to use 4G at "no extra cost", it's a smiley face and a kick in the groin.
I doubt that there will be a fanfare when/if this problem is rectified, though given giffgaff's previous track record for letting someone else fix their problems I daresay that it will be many days before new and "upgrading" customers can access the services that they have already paid for. Oh, and giffgaff don't do refunds, especially as they will say that you can use 3G instead.
I was only happy about having 4G as the O2 mast in my village is 2G and 4G only; O2 decided not to bother with 3G to force customers onto their more expensive and restrictive 4G data plans.
Giffgaff, get it sorted out otherwise you'll feel the wrath of yet another fleet of unhappy customers. If you spent as much money securing your network as you do on your TV advertising campaign, your network might actually work.
That day arrived on the 2nd of September, and as I'm currently using giffgaff as my main provider I specifically bought my first 4G capable phone a week or two ago.
In my blog this week I championed giffgaff for providing 4G across their entire (but now reduced) "Goodybag" range (their range of 30 day bundles) - even though their "unlimited" data bundle is now pretty poor value.
This evening I learned a valuable lesson: Giffgaff is still a fledgling MVNO. Their 4G Goodybags are working only for existing customers who have previously purchased a 4G Goodybag.
- New giffgaff customers will find that they are unable to access 4G, though 3G services are working.
- Existing customers who have purchased one of the new 4G Goodybags, who haven't bought one of giffgaff's old 4G Goodybags will find that they too are unable to obtain a 4G signal.
This is something that giffgaff don't seem too concerned about, and they have "A third party working on the problem".
I only came across this issue when I logged on to giffgaff's "community" pages (aka forums).
The Help and Support section is filled with customers complaining that they can't get 4G, and giffgaff have made a minor announcement on their Service Updates page HERE.
What galls me is that the majority of the comments are from diehard giffgaff customers who do really believe that they run the company - many of whom admit that they really don't use data at all.
Giffgaff has been in operation for over five years and has grown to become the UK's third largest MVNO - yet this is a typical problem for this network operator which might have been acceptable in the early "community run" days, but not now that they are charging as much as some of the main networks for services that simply aren't working.
Giffgaff say that the "third party" is working over the weekend on the problem, but for all new customers and those, such as myself, who wanted to finally be able to use 4G at "no extra cost", it's a smiley face and a kick in the groin.
I doubt that there will be a fanfare when/if this problem is rectified, though given giffgaff's previous track record for letting someone else fix their problems I daresay that it will be many days before new and "upgrading" customers can access the services that they have already paid for. Oh, and giffgaff don't do refunds, especially as they will say that you can use 3G instead.
I was only happy about having 4G as the O2 mast in my village is 2G and 4G only; O2 decided not to bother with 3G to force customers onto their more expensive and restrictive 4G data plans.
Giffgaff, get it sorted out otherwise you'll feel the wrath of yet another fleet of unhappy customers. If you spent as much money securing your network as you do on your TV advertising campaign, your network might actually work.
Friday, 4 September 2015
EE: The Worst Network for Customer Service. A Review of How Badly EE Handle a Simple Request
EE - All of the Bad Reviews are Right:
EE's Customer Service is Spectacularly Bad
Avoid
After over twenty days trying to obtain a mobile unlocking code, dodgy mobile network EE have failed me.
Actually, they haven't just failed me - They have performed spectacularly badly and lied to me.
Their customer service is not just bad, they seem to relish pissing off their customers. You would have to be mad and/or stupid to use EE.
If you are a regular reader of my blog you will remember last month that my experience with EE's customer service department has been rocky. (Read these blog posts HERE.)
-To recap: I wanted an EE PAYG handset unlocking. This costs £8.99, and for some unfathomable reason it takes EE ten days to obtain this. Fair enough, and it is a simple request.
In my experience, Vodafone and Three have been stellar in providing unlocking codes there and then on the phone.
After the full ten days had expired, EE helpfully sent me a text telling me that they couldn't unlock my code, as it was incorrect.
On calling EE again, they eventually confirmed that they had not taken down the last two digits on the IMEI code that I had provided, and that I would have to wait another ten days.
I said that I wasn't happy with this, as it was evidently EE's mistake and did not fall into the category of "good customer service" - The EE representative that I was speaking with cheered me up by telling me that there would be no charge for this service, as EE wanted to keep me happy as a customer.
Ten days later (today) a text arrived from EE telling me that my unlocking code would take a few more days as they are having to request it from the handset manufacturer - Yet this is why EE told me that it takes them so long to obtain the unlocking code!
To top things off, I then received a text telling me that my credit was running low. £8.99 had been taken from my credit!
So, this evening I called EE again. I spoke with a cheery young girl called Nathalie, who after a couple of minutes (and referring to me as "My lovely" many, many times) said that she had only been in the job a week and that she needed to consult with someone as she didn't want to get anything wrong.
Nathalie then unhelpfully transferred me to the PAYG department, which is located somewhere in India which has never been touched by the British Empire, as the customer service representative who I spoke with couldn't even get my name right or understand my queries.
The guy that I spoke with gleefully informed me that my unlocking code would take an extra 7-10 days to arrive, and that I didn't need to worry because EE had already charged me for the unlocking fee!
Due to his inability to speak and understand English, I asked him to verify what he had told me at least twice.
Eventually I stopped him as it was clear that EE expect customers to wait weeks for unlocking codes - and charge them £8.99.
I told him that I was now extremely dissatisfied with this service, as I was told that due to the length of time I'd already waited for my code, and the fact that EE had screwed up the first time, I was going to get my unlocking code provided free of charge. His response was "EE always charge for unlocking codes, unless you're moving from Orange to EE".
I don't give a shit what EE say: Their representative told me that as a gesture of goodwill, EE would unlock my handset for free, and that I wouldn't be charged.
To have some clown tell me that the charge has been taken and that there is nothing else to pay is infuriating, dishonest and quite frankly shows up just how bad EE's customer service actually is.
Their customer service people clearly lie. They are unhelpful and rude - or at least incredibly stupid.
If I ever meet one in person, they will be exceedingly sorry as I'm not some geeky keyboard warrior - I will rip them a new arsehole.
To summarise, I still haven't got my unlocking code. EE have still charged me to unlock my phone, even though I was told that it would be free of charge as a gesture of goodwill.
They have lied to me, been massively unhelpful and angered me.
EE have failed to keep me as a customer. They have tarnished their reputation forever, and hopefully anyone thing of joining EE as a PAYG or contract customer will read this and think twice.
(EE are damned expensive, so why people join them makes no sense anyway.)
This rant will now come to an end. I have experienced EE's customer service first hand, and it has been an exasperating, fruitless process which has highlighted how inefficient and careless they are.
I have never experienced anything so bad within the mobile industry - Thank fvck I didn't take out a contract with them!
The many terrible reviews that there are online about EE's poor customer service are all true. Now I can add my own (thankfully brief) experiences to this list of reviews, complaints and gripes.
EE - Never again, and I cannot possibly recommend you to anyone.
Everything Everywhere? Go find yourselves a rock to hide beneath and return to the UK when you can run a business correctly.
Wednesday, 2 September 2015
PAYG Mobile Website Updated
As promised, I've updated my PAYG mobile bundle deals website mobile-networks-uk.weebly.com
The changes are mainly due to giffgaff's alterations to their Goodybag (30 day bundle) range, which now includes 4G as standard across all Goodybags - Which is a true rival to GT Mobile.
Personally, I feel that the Goodybags do offer good value, especially the £15 Goodybag which has had a massive injection of 500 additional minutes. The main boost is of course that all Goodybags now have 4G.
The biggest con however is giffgaff's "unlimited data" Goodybag; the £20 Goodybag with "Always On Data". Strictly speaking, data is unlimited, but after the initial 6GB of 4G data has been used up, the speed is throttled to 256kbps between 08:00am and midnight.
256kbps is EDGE data speeds, or close to what you could expect from a 3G phone in 2006.
This £20 Goodybag isn't good value at all now, and effectively removes giffgaff from the ranks of network operators who actually offer unlimited data.
The £20 Goodybag is perhaps most suitable for those who are real night owls, such as people working on night shifts with ample free time (when their bosses aren't looking).
To see giffgaff's new Goodybag range click HERE.
To see how giffgaff now compare with the other best value PAYG networks, see my website HERE.
If you are tempted by giffgaff's new range of 4G ready bundles, you can order yourself a free giffgaff SIM with £5 of FREE credit from my link HERE.
The changes are mainly due to giffgaff's alterations to their Goodybag (30 day bundle) range, which now includes 4G as standard across all Goodybags - Which is a true rival to GT Mobile.
Personally, I feel that the Goodybags do offer good value, especially the £15 Goodybag which has had a massive injection of 500 additional minutes. The main boost is of course that all Goodybags now have 4G.
The biggest con however is giffgaff's "unlimited data" Goodybag; the £20 Goodybag with "Always On Data". Strictly speaking, data is unlimited, but after the initial 6GB of 4G data has been used up, the speed is throttled to 256kbps between 08:00am and midnight.
256kbps is EDGE data speeds, or close to what you could expect from a 3G phone in 2006.
This £20 Goodybag isn't good value at all now, and effectively removes giffgaff from the ranks of network operators who actually offer unlimited data.
The £20 Goodybag is perhaps most suitable for those who are real night owls, such as people working on night shifts with ample free time (when their bosses aren't looking).
To see giffgaff's new Goodybag range click HERE.
To see how giffgaff now compare with the other best value PAYG networks, see my website HERE.
If you are tempted by giffgaff's new range of 4G ready bundles, you can order yourself a free giffgaff SIM with £5 of FREE credit from my link HERE.
Best Value PAYG Mobile Bundle Website Update
My own, unbiased Pay As You Go mobile bundles website http://mobile-networks-uk.weebly.com is going to be updated today with the latest bundle information.
The main change is that giffgaff is making all of their 30 day bundles (aka "Goodybags") 4G-enabled.
Giffgaff previously had a confusing array of 30 day bundles, some of which offered 4G at a higher price and with less data than the 3G bundles.
In this consolidation, the 3G bundles are being merged into the 4G bundles, which means that some of the previously good value bundles are no longer that great.
If you fancy having a look at the range, head to https://www.giffgaff.com/goodybags
My website will list the best value PAYG network bundles, and I can safely say that giffgaff does not offer the best value for unlimited data, though the lower priced (£5-15) bundles are still reasonably competitive.
I will update my website sometime this evening after I get in from a hard day of QA work.
Whilst I'm on the subject of giffgaff and 4G, their PAYG tariff will also be benefiting from this upgrade to 4G.
As yet, no other PAYG network offers 4G without some sort of monthly bundle, so giffgaff get top marks from me in this respect.
4G on giffgaff PAYG (standard tariff) is being rolled out gradually to all customers from the 2nd of September, and it is anticipated that all customers will be able to use 4G without buying a 30 bundle by October.
If you would like a free giffgaff SIM with £5 of free credit, please click on my affiliate link here (£5 of free credit will be applied to your account on activation and initial £10 top up).
The main change is that giffgaff is making all of their 30 day bundles (aka "Goodybags") 4G-enabled.
Giffgaff previously had a confusing array of 30 day bundles, some of which offered 4G at a higher price and with less data than the 3G bundles.
In this consolidation, the 3G bundles are being merged into the 4G bundles, which means that some of the previously good value bundles are no longer that great.
If you fancy having a look at the range, head to https://www.giffgaff.com/goodybags
My website will list the best value PAYG network bundles, and I can safely say that giffgaff does not offer the best value for unlimited data, though the lower priced (£5-15) bundles are still reasonably competitive.
I will update my website sometime this evening after I get in from a hard day of QA work.
Whilst I'm on the subject of giffgaff and 4G, their PAYG tariff will also be benefiting from this upgrade to 4G.
As yet, no other PAYG network offers 4G without some sort of monthly bundle, so giffgaff get top marks from me in this respect.
4G on giffgaff PAYG (standard tariff) is being rolled out gradually to all customers from the 2nd of September, and it is anticipated that all customers will be able to use 4G without buying a 30 bundle by October.
If you would like a free giffgaff SIM with £5 of free credit, please click on my affiliate link here (£5 of free credit will be applied to your account on activation and initial £10 top up).
Contactless Payment Limit Set to Increase
Retailers love finding new ways to part us from our cash.
Contactless payments via debit and credit cards are the current hot topic for retailers in the UK, and these payments have been on the rise for the last year (Apple Pay, you are still a niche product).
The thing is, most people didn't like the idea of a card reader being used to "bump" our cards and take a small sum of money from us - It felt (and still does feel) like we, as customers, are being removed from the payment loop.
When CHIP and PIN was introduced, I sighed with relief: Too many retailers would question the faded signature on my debit card (if they even bothered to look at it, that is). But contactless payments are a step too far for many people.
Admittedly, I've used it a handful of times in small Co-op stores. The first time, it seemed "fun": There was an air of novelty about paying for some shopping by tapping my debit card against a terminal.
However, each time that I've used contactless payment, it has been instigated by the cashier - In many cases, cashiers simply don't use these systems, or maybe they lack the training required for them to feel confident in using it - Just like many customers.
The current spending limit on contactless payments is currently £15.
Fifteen quid doesn't buy you much in a convenience store these days.
Most of the occasions that I go into a local Co-op or Tesco, I spend at least a tenner, and often more.
Contactless payments just don't cut it, and it's a bit like the old "five items or less" basket checkouts that were a great idea, before they were abused by everyone in the 1990s.
Soon, however, the spending limit on contactless payments is to be increased from £15 to £30, which is a much more sensible maximum - Though I'm sure that it will lead to a lot of overspending!
There is the remotest possibility that I'm not young enough to fully understand the whole "pay by bonk" (or "tap to pay") thing.
I was in a local shop some months ago and a teenage lad was demonstrating how cool he was to his girlfriend by using his £1.99 phone case from eBay:- What he was trying to do was pretend that his phone had NFC* and he could pay for his purchase using his phone, when in fact his contactless debit card was clearly tucked into a slot in the faux leather case.
It didn't work, so he had to remove the card and use the CHIP and PIN service instead.
* Do any retailers have NFC payments enabled? I've yet to see one.
Contactless payments still have a way to go. NFC is a prime example; manufacturers stick the technology into some mobile phones, but nobody else (retailers or otherwise) has yet found a real use for it. Yes, you can pair your Bluetooth speaker with your NFC-capable phone, but what was so hard about scanning for nearby devices? (Plus you have to haul yourself out of your armchair to tap the two together to pair them.)
These are all solutions looking for problems.
Until payment can be secure, electronic and universal, we will all be making the most of the many, varied methods of handing over currency for services for some time to come.
Contactless payments via debit and credit cards are the current hot topic for retailers in the UK, and these payments have been on the rise for the last year (Apple Pay, you are still a niche product).
The thing is, most people didn't like the idea of a card reader being used to "bump" our cards and take a small sum of money from us - It felt (and still does feel) like we, as customers, are being removed from the payment loop.
When CHIP and PIN was introduced, I sighed with relief: Too many retailers would question the faded signature on my debit card (if they even bothered to look at it, that is). But contactless payments are a step too far for many people.
Admittedly, I've used it a handful of times in small Co-op stores. The first time, it seemed "fun": There was an air of novelty about paying for some shopping by tapping my debit card against a terminal.
However, each time that I've used contactless payment, it has been instigated by the cashier - In many cases, cashiers simply don't use these systems, or maybe they lack the training required for them to feel confident in using it - Just like many customers.
The current spending limit on contactless payments is currently £15.
Fifteen quid doesn't buy you much in a convenience store these days.
Most of the occasions that I go into a local Co-op or Tesco, I spend at least a tenner, and often more.
Contactless payments just don't cut it, and it's a bit like the old "five items or less" basket checkouts that were a great idea, before they were abused by everyone in the 1990s.
Soon, however, the spending limit on contactless payments is to be increased from £15 to £30, which is a much more sensible maximum - Though I'm sure that it will lead to a lot of overspending!
There is the remotest possibility that I'm not young enough to fully understand the whole "pay by bonk" (or "tap to pay") thing.
I was in a local shop some months ago and a teenage lad was demonstrating how cool he was to his girlfriend by using his £1.99 phone case from eBay:- What he was trying to do was pretend that his phone had NFC* and he could pay for his purchase using his phone, when in fact his contactless debit card was clearly tucked into a slot in the faux leather case.
It didn't work, so he had to remove the card and use the CHIP and PIN service instead.
* Do any retailers have NFC payments enabled? I've yet to see one.
Contactless payments still have a way to go. NFC is a prime example; manufacturers stick the technology into some mobile phones, but nobody else (retailers or otherwise) has yet found a real use for it. Yes, you can pair your Bluetooth speaker with your NFC-capable phone, but what was so hard about scanning for nearby devices? (Plus you have to haul yourself out of your armchair to tap the two together to pair them.)
These are all solutions looking for problems.
Until payment can be secure, electronic and universal, we will all be making the most of the many, varied methods of handing over currency for services for some time to come.
Tuesday, 1 September 2015
Google's New Logo: Patronising as FvcK
Google, if you are trying to take over the world, at least have the decency to not treat us all like children. Your new logo takes your use of primary colours to a whole new level.
Google, eBay and many other brands focus on primary colours for their logos and branding, but Google does appear to be trying to make absolutely everything that it does so basic, we'll all be turned into thickies soon.
The new Google logo even has a child's hand drawing it in crayon to begin with if you look at the animated logo and Google's website.
I've had Android phones for over five years, and used Google's products for a lot longer than that. I find it annoying that Google wants to make our lives simpler by integrating everything. Unfortunately, Google Now is a total pile of poo in the UK: It might work in the US where people have lots of flights and share calendars, but here in the UK most of us don't give a damn about what each other does and our transport system simply doesn't work with Google Now. If you tried to live your life using Google Now, you would end up being late for your own funeral.
So, Google. Why do you feel that your artificial intelligence is ready for us to remove our brains and leave our lives at the mercy of your US-orientated products?
Not everyone in the world is stupid, so to create such a playschool-esque logo is a very risky business.
I can't be the only person to have noticed this, and as for marketing departments - they must be laughing their arses off!
Google, the more you "progress", the more I think that you either think that people are stupid, or you are trying to emulate Apple's success in producing idiot-proof devices that fools carry on buying.
I'm really going off Google.
Google, eBay and many other brands focus on primary colours for their logos and branding, but Google does appear to be trying to make absolutely everything that it does so basic, we'll all be turned into thickies soon.
The new Google logo even has a child's hand drawing it in crayon to begin with if you look at the animated logo and Google's website.
I've had Android phones for over five years, and used Google's products for a lot longer than that. I find it annoying that Google wants to make our lives simpler by integrating everything. Unfortunately, Google Now is a total pile of poo in the UK: It might work in the US where people have lots of flights and share calendars, but here in the UK most of us don't give a damn about what each other does and our transport system simply doesn't work with Google Now. If you tried to live your life using Google Now, you would end up being late for your own funeral.
So, Google. Why do you feel that your artificial intelligence is ready for us to remove our brains and leave our lives at the mercy of your US-orientated products?
Not everyone in the world is stupid, so to create such a playschool-esque logo is a very risky business.
I can't be the only person to have noticed this, and as for marketing departments - they must be laughing their arses off!
Google, the more you "progress", the more I think that you either think that people are stupid, or you are trying to emulate Apple's success in producing idiot-proof devices that fools carry on buying.
I'm really going off Google.
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