Any feedback on how Vodafone are doing in their forum?

Darragh

Heya

Vodafone have had their talk to forum a while now. Kelly started, then joined by Paul and they're up there answering questions, taking feedback and dealing with the issues that are cropping up.

Dav and I have a meeting with them on Thursday morning so I thought it might be good if you let us know how you think they're doing, if they could be doing more, if it's a good idea, what else you'd like to see them doing on Boards.ie, etc.

Bear in mind in your replies (a) they'll see them - though I'm putting this post in here to avoid any accusation of bias, (b) this is new to them too, (c) they can't solve everything immediately or act on everything short term and (d) there's only two of them at the moment.

So, let us know what we should talk to them about!

Cheers for the input - it's appreciated.

Darragh

Random

I want more competitions and special offers.

I want more definite answers and less of this customer pleasing nonsense. I had a thread about e52 launch dates, told they hadn't a clue, then it launched a couple of days later?

That's all that springs to mind for now.

strecker

Mixed bag, if you ask me.

My Samsung Jet/google maps issue was taken reasonably seriously by Paul. Not his fault that solutions on offer were unsuitable, nor that he got forcefed complete nonsense from his tech team.

But overall there is an awful lot of 'will get back to you/no info yet'!!! I mean e.g. A couple of days after they say no 'word yet on E52 coming to Vodafone' the E52 is on their website and in the shops! Makes you wonder if they really always check with their tech-/handset teams????!!!

Back to my issue with the Jet: the final and definitive reply was somewhat outrageous, and I would have been embarrassed to post that in public. LOLBut I don't work for Vodafone.

Anyhoo...as Random says: More factual updates with fewer delays!

Ah-Watch

Like having them here, I do have a major problem with the whole PM me and I'll find out for you, a simple question took 2 weeks to be answered as they had to refer to "x department". The we have nothing yet line is really really annoying, eg the threads on the E52 launch dates etc, prepay broadband etc. I'm sorry to compare and I'm sure its not the individuals faults but 02 take a hands on approach to the customers, getting answers very quickly and giving incentives if customers have a problem, they just seem to take a more personal approach which feels more customer friendly-this being my experience from the Boards.ie as opposed to their Talk202.

But after that they are very nice and friendly and appreciate the work they do

drunkmonkey

Darragh, i'm not sure if I like the idea, where do you draw the line, do we let in tesco, meteor, eircom, supervalue, dunnes stores all in to have their own sub forums, if that's the direction boards is heading i'm fine with that but at the end of the day it's marketing and i don't feel it belongs here. If they want to run ads fine but I don't think they all deserve their own forms.

Random will tell you I had an issue with talk2o2 pm'n boardies for account numbers so o2 can sort out upgrades for them, it probably still goes on but it's driven undeground now. o2 were making money through boards and that's the bit I have a problem with. These corporations have their own websites and forums and can look after their customers on their own turf.

just my 2cent...

strecker

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Darragh, i'm not sure if I like the idea, where do you draw the line, do we let in tesco, meteor, eircom, supervalue, dunnes stores all in to have their own sub forums, if that's the direction boards is heading i'm fine with that but at the end of the day it's marketing and i don't feel it belongs here. If they want to run ads fine but I don't think they all deserve their own forms.

Random will tell you I had an issue with talk2o2 pm'n boardies for account numbers so o2 can sort out upgrades for them, it probably still goes on but it's driven undeground now. o2 were making money through boards and that's the bit I have a problem with. These corporations have their own websites and forums and can look after their customers on their own turf.

just my 2cent...

Totally agree!

Tbh, when I started the Jet/google maps thread in talk-to-vodafone, I didn't expect much. I mainly wanted to make others aware of the issue, and indeed, some other disgruntled Vf-Jet owners joined in quickly.

The issue could have been dealt with in a day. Paul however strectched it with promises to over 3 weeks. Before + started the thread, Vf had given me 50 bucks 'bonus credit' for my troubles, laughing when I asked what good that is while the phone doesn't do what it says on the tin.

Paul then offered me another carot on a verrrry long stick; one that still didn't 'fix' the phone itself. After 3 weeks of blaming Samsung, we were given an explanation that was 100% ridiculous to anyone with any knowledge of firmwares/branding etc...(e.g. We were informed that trying to install a newer version of google maps would damage the Jet's firmware and it would have to be reflashed - something 'that can be done in any Vf-store'! That is a bit too much fudge! Phones are not flashed IN any Vf store. They are sent away, and it can take up to 2 weeks. In my case it took 8 days and my Jet came back with Google maps fixed but new, even better bugs!!! Also, it's common sense and good practice to always update apps to latest version. Vf locked the app to the fw, thus making any future update impossible. A point totally ignored over the course of a 3 week discussion. Except for a pm or 2 away from the public eye ) Interestingly, during all that chitter Vf withdrew the Jet from sale ! The most obvious and honest reply would have been: sorry, we messed up the firmware; so here's your unlock code and a voucher for flashing it to a generic firmware. But of course, they won't say that, right. So, instead we get some piffle excuses.
That forum as it is is really just advertising camouflaged as 'real communication'...customer care v2.0.

Yes, some posters got their reply and solution quite quickly, but I dare say those were issues that could have been resolved using the usual channels with more resolve and determination.

And as to the advertising aspect: that isn't even done well:
As already mentioned: friday 'no word yet on E52' - all insider-like -, yet Sunday it's on sale! Come on, they didn't decide in the pub on Saturday to take onboard the e52, ran some test in the toilet stall, and put it on the website :P !!! That alone shows that Paul and Kelly are obviously hampered by their own 'infrastructure'.

Overall I'd say they need some sort of mission statement; an honest description of what 'we' can expect from them. My impression is they are just a nice public face without any significant clout. Btw, they tried the same on twitter...not much better imho.

Ah-Watch

strecker wrote: »

Totally agree!

Tbh, when I started the Jet/google maps thread in talk-to-vodafone, I didn't expect much. I mainly wanted to make others aware of the issue, and indeed, some other disgruntled Vf-Jet owners joined in quickly.

The issue could have been dealt with in a day. Paul however strectched it with promises to over 3 weeks. Before + started the thread, Vf had given me 50 bucks 'bonus credit' for my troubles, laughing when I asked what good that is while the phone doesn't do what it says on the tin.

Paul then offered me another carot on a verrrry long stick; one that still didn't 'fix' the phone itself. After 3 weeks of blaming Samsung, we were given an explanation that was 100% ridiculous to anyone with any knowledge of firmwares/branding etc...(e.g. We were informed that trying to install a newer version of google maps would damage the Jet's firmware and it would have to be reflashed - something 'that can be done in any Vf-store'! That is a bit too much fudge! Phones are not flashed IN any Vf store. They are sent away, and it can take up to 2 weeks. In my case it took 8 days and my Jet came back with Google maps fixed but new, even better bugs!!! Also, it's common sense and good practice to always update apps to latest version. Vf locked the app to the fw, thus making any future update impossible. A point totally ignored over the course of a 3 week discussion. Except for a pm or 2 away from the public eye ) Interestingly, during all that chitter Vf withdrew the Jet from sale ! The most obvious and honest reply would have been: sorry, we messed up the firmware; so here's your unlock code and a voucher for flashing it to a generic firmware. But of course, they won't say that, right. So, instead we get some piffle excuses.
That forum as it is is really just advertising camouflaged as 'real communication'...customer care v2.0.

Yes, some posters got their reply and solution quite quickly, but I dare say those were issues that could have been resolved using the usual channels with more resolve and determination.

And as to the advertising aspect: that isn't even done well:
As already mentioned: friday 'no word yet on E52' - all insider-like -, yet Sunday it's on sale! Come on, they didn't decide in the pub on Saturday to take onboard the e52, ran some test in the toilet stall, and put it on the website :P !!! That alone shows that Paul and Kelly are obviously hampered by their own 'infrastructure'.

Overall I'd say they need some sort of mission statement; an honest description of what 'we' can expect from them. My impression is they are just a nice public face without any significant clout. Btw, they tried the same on twitter...not much better imho.

This seems to be exactly what I feel too but I'll just add the fact that hey should call their customers by the right name when PM'ing them, just looks bad on the companies behalf when you get one for John instead of James.