Thoughts @

mobile customer service sucks

hutchinson 3 on tv

Hutchinson 3 — better known as “3” in the 3G-enabled mobile markets — needs to rethink their customer service strategy. And they’re not the only ones. While in Sydney this week I watched a news story on a local network aca (a current affair, AU) where a family went through a bit of trauma trying to cancel the phone service of a father and husband who has died unexpectedly of a heart attack. As part of the housekeeping process, the son of the deceased called up the “3” customer service and explained his father had died and could they please disconnect the phone service. The answer was an absolute “no.” The family was shocked and tried to explain the situation, with a total bill of $168.00 that needed to be paid in full before the service could be closed. To add insult to injury, when finally closing the bill, the customer service representative (in India) tried to upsell the customer on another phone service plan very aggressively. (NOTE: After the story was aired, 3 contacted the family and refunded their $168.00)

Now, one could say the customer service rep was just doing his job. However a breakdown in customer service has been slowly but surely affecting corporations across the U.S. and in other countries as well. As much as ‘outsourcing’ customer service seems doable and often very cost effective – there is a loss of the personal ‘touch’ and the main purpose customer service is supposed to solve: HELPING THE CUSTOMER. This takes a bit of understanding, some human relations tactics and most of all, some insight into the actual problems or situations the customers who are calling in require in order to get some sense of resolution. But it is not just the outsourced customer service that sucks. After JD Powers ran a survey and T-Mobile USA came up as #1 in customer service, many blogs begged to differ:

In this excerpt: The customer service reps and supervisors are like robots. They won’t do anything that isn’t in writing. I have had many billing problems, many phone issues, and NOTHING has been resolved. If anyone has any thoughts about becoming a T-Mobile customer, please don’t. The customer service nightmare isn’t worth it. I am extremely frustrated because T-Mobile announces “World-Class” service, however they don’t give a &*% about anything except taking your money. Does anyone at T-Mobile care? It doesn’t look like it from this end.

I have never been able to get help on anything with t-mobile in less than 2 days, sometimes several weeks. Calls usually last 1-2 hours. Even the simplest request seems to perplex the t-mobile reps. I am routinely transferred 4 or 5 times every time I call, frustratingly usually back and forth between departments. One time I wanted to activate a phone and sim card that had been shut down only the day before, and they couldn’t do it in any department. I asked isn’t this what you do? “Why can’t you activate a phone for me, it was working yesterday – its at-mobile phone and simcard?” Sorry sir that’s handled by another department, if you could just hold on please…so round and round I went – I was on the phone for 2 hours

To be fair to T-Mobile, I did a google search on “t-mobile customer service sucks” and got 179,000 hits. I did a search on “verizon mobile customer service sucks” and got 213,000 hits. “cingular customer service sucks” and got 201,000 hits. So it seems most every major carrier (not clear if it s all U.S. based) has its share of unhappy customers.

In July of this year, Phillip Winn details a class action lawsuit filed by former AT&T wireless customers against the now merged Cingular. In this lawsuit, the former AT&T customers claim the following:

The suit, filed yesterday by seven plaintiffs in U.S. District Court in Seattle, alleges the AT&T Wireless network was intentionally degraded, even dismantled, by Cingular, and that they were given limited choices. They could either pay to switch to the Cingular network and get a contract with generally less-favorable terms, or they could pay an early-termination fee, or they could stay with the AT&T network where the service was getting worse and worse. The suit seeks $5 million plus punitive damages, and names Cingular, AT&T Wireless, and AT&T as defendants. The plaintiffs are seeking class action status.

And this also may have helped to create disgruntled customers:

This is not the only legal issue facing Cingular. Two weeks ago an appeals court upheld a $12.1 million fine against them in a case which will also involve up to $10 million in customer refunds. That penalty comes in a case in which Cingular was found guilty of signing up customers faster than it could provide service to them and then charging them $550 when they tried to cancel their contracts because of the poor service.

Personally, I have a continuous relationship with customer service in an attempt to decipher my monthly bills and to seek out my ‘patterns’ with calling, mobile data and internet usage in order to get the best rate for my usage. Generally, the highest flat rate package works for me – except when roaming internationally. The one thing I have noted the most when traveling and when home is the lack of flat rate pricing and plans abroad. One of the only things the U.S. has gotten right is subsidized handsets and flat rate pricing plans. After all – American’s don’t like to think (read Steve Krug’s book, Don’t Make Me Think) and they are willing to do nearly anything to get a deal, discount or free item. Pay attention to the mobile user experience – or it might be come a mobile “suer’ experience. ;-)

The point here is for mobile operators, 3rd party mobile service and content providers to consider the entire mobile user experience from a wholistic perspective. This means customer service in-store and on the phone. This also means paying careful attention if customer service is outsourced. Because the mobile market has become such an over commodotized industry – there is very little to distinguish one company over the next. A positive user experience goes a long way to creating a successful brand presence – and customer service is one component of this experience that carriers and operators have control over and make a priority – if they choose to pay attention.

Posted on October 6th, 2006 in Thoughts
Tagged as , , , , ,
Written by Kelly Goto

9 Responses to “mobile customer service sucks”

Comments

  1. Nathan de Vries says:
    October 6th, 2006

    Ain’t that the truth. When you walk into a 3 store looking for help, they hand you their land line phone and tell you to call support!

  2. Charles says:
    October 6th, 2006

    Agreed. I had a run in with customer service for my carier this morning. My service is through one of the newer companies that claims to be “bucking the system” and doing things differently than the big boys. Yeah, right! When it comes right down to it, they are offering less service for less money and are just as rigid as their bigger competitors when it comes to actually doing something for the customer.

    I am of the opinion that all of the cariers are making too much money and providing almost none of the services that we, the customers, really want. What happened to the idea that the customer was right? I am tired of accepting what these people are willing to offer me and paying twice what it is worth.

    Long story short - I simply stated that the phone company had just lost a customer, turned, and walked out. If more people did this very thing, we’d get more of what we wanted from these providers.

  3. Maria says:
    October 6th, 2006

    I have had the same experiences with Tmobile. My last call I was on with them for two hours after getting transferred numerous times. Their customer service reps are robots and keep repeating the same things. I was complaining about the poor cell service in NYC and Westchester county. I was on my cellphone with the Rep and he told me that the reason my phone wasn’t working was because there was an outage in all of NY. I had to remind him I was on my cellphone with him at that moment. at that point, he put me on hold and then disconnected me.

    Beware of the Tmobile MDA device. It is a nightmare.

  4. macCohen says:
    October 6th, 2006

    I left Cingular.

    I left another company which was local.

    I went to back to landline because I’ve had it with the customer service problems of wireless providers. Why in the world should I have to be locked into a contract anyway!? Perhaps Virgin pay as you go might be the answer. It’s like an technology stone age.

  5. Kelly Goto says:
    October 6th, 2006

    Ironically, I have never personally had any major issues with customer service. It may be because I have an old plan through AT&T which gives me unlimited calling and long distance along with unlimited data for a ridiculously low fee that was only supposed to stay for 2 years, but because AT&T merged with Cingular - my record got lost and they never took it away. So that keeps me from moving to a faster service. I used to call 611 from my phone while driving because I was bored and I knew I could get something done while on the road. My boyfriend and another colleague are truly utilizing VOIP services and have an ethernet connected phone that works REALLY well as a fake ‘land line’ when the connection/service is spotty.

  6. Robert says:
    October 6th, 2006

    I have been a T-Mobile Customer since they were voicestream which was back from 1998, and I have never had a single problem with any of the customer service reps I have spoken with. They are always very proffesional and treat me like I am a person not just some number.T hey answer within 45 seconds, always show plenty of concern and courtesy. I have great reception and they are a great value. Great service at a fair price. Best value out of all the carriers and when I did have a problem T-Mobile always showed me that they cared about me and resolved it for one call resolution. I would give them a 10 out of 10. Outstanding World Class Customer Service.

  7. florinda halliday says:
    October 6th, 2006

    my 3G still inactive they says it will be activated with in 24 hours but i got 96 hours but still inactive i called customer service but they are not helping and everytime i called u just heared all lines are busy or musical waiting …so how can i activate my 3G simcard

  8. Mark says:
    October 6th, 2006

    Sir,

    Month 1.

    Sent the wrong phone. Phoned up to complain but i couldnt access my account as i wasnt this randon Polish guy.

    Phone cut off 3 weeks later. Many hours of debating, 3 finally conceded that i’m not Polish and they had mixed up my account.

    Month 2.

    Sim card cut off. Called up and had the same Polish problem again, many hours later a new sim was authorised. 5 days later a new sim arrived with a change of number.

    Month 3.

    Phone cut off, called up to complain and i had apparently called up to cancel my account. Poppycock.

    6 days later connection restored.

    Month 4

    Phone cut off, this time my IMEI had been blacklisted. By this time i am losing the will to live. 6 days later connection restored but i debate my bill due to lack of service.

    No return call from an agent, i owe them 30 quid so they cut off my phone. Drank beer and cut up my sim card and destroyed the phone. Next day i goto O2 and take out a new contract.

    Ashes writes a rather amusing to the point letter of complaint.

    Receives many phone calls from 3 going round in circles (gotta love the Indian scripts)

    3 pass on the debt the a collection agency.

    Ashes calls Ofcom and Trading standards.

    Calls the debt people (at last British) where i inform them that 3 are in breach of the Supply of goods act 1982 due to reasnable care and skill. they agree and say 3 are in the wrong….

    watch this space.

    I have spoken to over 30 agents now, many unreturned calls, many hours, about 45 quid on the phone, 3 years off my life, number changed twice, my nationality changed and trashed a perfectly awesome Nokia phone due to these half wits.

    NEVER GO WITH 3

    ok, as a footnote i have just had a very unpleasant conversation with Vinay shukle from 3’s customer options team, porobably the 40th person now whom i have spoken to who aligned my case with (and i quote) ” Would you complain if you had left your wallet on a train open and for all to steal?”….

    I could not believe this level of rudeness…

    I am about to take on 3 in court and believe fully that i have every justification to do so in terms of what i have had from Ofcom and Consumer Direct, let alone basic knowledge of UK law.

    How long do we let these corporations breach our rights?

    I hope this matter interests you.

    Yours Sincerely Mark

  9. Megan Loftus says:
    October 6th, 2006

    I’m very much with Mark in this case.
    3 are the biggest bunch of useless, meandering dim wits - on a global level obviously, as I live in Western Australia.

    Started off in January. I’m with Optus (And honestly, they’re great), but my mum got a Sony Ericsson on a 3 contract through Allphones, a 3 dealer.
    First the phone wont hold a charge for more than 12 hours, even when its not used, she takes it back to Allphones and is told this is completely normal. After she talks to me she takes it back again. Software issue, they send it away. 10 phone calls later and two weeks we get it back and its no different. Take it in again, same difference, this time three weeks and no one would return our calls. Then out of the blue we get a call from the service centre saying they have a quote to fix the LCD screen…Yeah, it was one of those “throw your hands up in the air and bang your head against the wall WTF?!?!?!&$^# moments.” Finally service centre figures out they broke it. 3 service centre in India still expects us to pay for it even though we didn’t break it. Arguing this took about an hour on the phone and involved me yelling very loudly in the middle of a shopping centre “Well I’d have to have the god damn phone to break it, wouldn’t I, you F-ing moron!”. Eventually they agree to pay it. Get it back, the screens still dodgy. Battery isn’t fixed. Also have an issue with not being able to get calls and messages even in high signal areas. By this time my mum throws her hands up in defeat, hands the phone to me and tells me to deal with it, because if I don’t she’ll most likely murder a service assistant. I take it to an actual 3 store as Allphones seem to be as useful as a tree full of monkeys on nitrous oxide. Chick at 3 replaces the battery and tells us if it doesn’t work, she’ll replace the phone. Battery makes no difference, I return to 3 store, but they don’t have any replacement stock. They give me the service centre no. (Which of course, I’ve already tattooed onto my backside in rebellion) So I call after 1 week, no stock, 2 weeks, no stock, after three weeks still no stock. So really frustrated I go into 3, ask them what my options are. She gives me a list of numbers of other stores & tells me to call them and ask if they have the phone (Hello sweetie, you should be doing this for me, what are you paid for?!?)Call other stores, no one has any stock. After another week, service centre still does not have any stock. It will cost $900. 00 to cancel contract, even though after FOUR MONTHS, I’m still not getting a working phone or proper service. Finally Service centre in India says they’ll do me a ‘HUGE’ favour and give me a different phone, but I’m still expected to buy a battery (round $70.00). So today I contacted Sony Ericsson to see if they could help me.
    Honestly, I don’t ever want to go near 3 unless I have a long sharp stick with syphilis on the end of it.
    I mean what kind of company doesn’t even have a program that orders in stock - what the hell?
    Do yourself a favour and stay away from 3!

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