Orange Users

rmuir · 12 Jul 2006 at 17:39

Anyone else feel that, in general, that the quality of customer service has dropped at orange over the past few months.

I and my partner have had a number of problems with them.

Firstly i had texts removed from my account after six months when the deal was for twelve, this has subsequently happened to my partner. When talking to them they claim it was on both paper and online bill statements, not true.

I have been looking at upgrades since may. Was interested in a number of handsets. Spoke to upgrades and then retentions and settled on the spv m600. Was told i would get a call back in a week, ten days went by, so i phoned and was told i would get a call back in a couple of days, after a week i called and explained i was a little unhappy, they said something along the lines of 'high demand handset' 'no note on account'. First point i can accept, second point i was told there WAS a note on my account.

Waited a little longer and then the k800i came out so i called them for that. They had no idea of arrival time or cost. I called o2, they took my order and i had the phone in five days. Called orange for my pac code they gave it without so much as a passing interest in my reasons for leaving. Decided, the day after, that I must have been unlucky so phoned orange again. this time the bloke in retentions was a little more helpful, tho when i said i had the k800 on order with o2 he laughed and said i would be lucky to get it within the fortnight ( this was the day after i had ordered ). He made me an offer and I asked them to call me when they had the handset which he assured me would be no more than ten days. I made that call nearly a fortnight ago.

Anyway i now have and am very happy with an o2 k800i. Decided to ask my mum if she wanted a contract, she did if it was cheaper than her 20-25 o2 pay and go. Best orange could do was 250mins 500 texts free 6230i over 18months.

Sorry for the long post, just up until april of this year i have never had any trouble with orange before.

Dolph · 12 Jul 2006 at 18:37

rmuir said:
Anyone else feel that, in general, that the quality of customer service has dropped at orange over the past few months.

Depends whether you class customer service as simply giving customers everything they demand, or whether you have fully understood what you have taken on.

I and my partner have had a number of problems with them.

Firstly i had texts removed from my account after six months when the deal was for twelve, this has subsequently happened to my partner. When talking to them they claim it was on both paper and online bill statements, not true.

It would have been enclosed in a bill insert within your bill about details of your offer expiring. If your texts ran out part way through your contract after upgrade, then the most likely reason is that your initial agreement included an 18 month promotional text bundle (Tarrifs like the old website only plans) that was left on as goodwill when you upgraded for the remainder of the promotion. This was detailed in the original Terms and conditions and would have been repeated on a bill insert (not on your actual bill itself). That misunderstanding is not a customer service issue as such, it's you misunderstanding the T&C's of your contract and promotions.

I have been looking at upgrades since may. Was interested in a number of handsets. Spoke to upgrades and then retentions and settled on the spv m600. Was told i would get a call back in a week, ten days went by, so i phoned and was told i would get a call back in a couple of days, after a week i called and explained i was a little unhappy, they said something along the lines of 'high demand handset' 'no note on account'. First point i can accept, second point i was told there WAS a note on my account.

The network cannot help supply problems with a handset.

Waited a little longer and then the k800i came out so i called them for that. They had no idea of arrival time or cost. I called o2, they took my order and i had the phone in five days. Called orange for my pac code they gave it without so much as a passing interest in my reasons for leaving. Decided, the day after, that I must have been unlucky so phoned orange again. this time the bloke in retentions was a little more helpful, tho when i said i had the k800 on order with o2 he laughed and said i would be lucky to get it within the fortnight ( this was the day after i had ordered ). He made me an offer and I asked them to call me when they had the handset which he assured me would be no more than ten days. I made that call nearly a fortnight ago.

Well, the handset certainly had not arrived into upgrade stock on sunday, it was only released onto the network itself last friday, whether it has arrived over the last few days I couldn't say. However, again stock issues do not imply poor customer service, the operator provided the option of a callback when the handset was available, and gave a timescale based on currently available information. Surely that's better than "Call back some point later"?

Anyway i now have and am very happy with an o2 k800i. Decided to ask my mum if she wanted a contract, she did if it was cheaper than her 20-25 o2 pay and go. Best orange could do was 250mins 500 texts free 6230i over 18months.

Most of the good deals start at £30 a month these days on Orange, but that'll get you 650 minutes and 1100 texts with a free 6280 or similar.

Sorry for the long post, just up until april of this year i have never had any trouble with orange before.

Sorry you feel you've had trouble, but I do have to comment on some of the issues you've brought up as it seems you are placing all the blame for them on the people you've spoken to, and while obviously you're entitled to your view, and to a certain extent customer service is assessed by customer satisfaction, it's not the only measure.

~J~ · 12 Jul 2006 at 18:45

Ironically, I'm on the phone to them as I type.

5th phone call since 17:45 this evening, each time I connect to the disconnections department, there's laughing and I get disconnected (again, how ironic!!)

Even more annoying is that I cancelled my account on 31st May and I'm STILL getting billed :mad:

So yes, I agree, despite the validity and fairness of Dolphs replies, there is a general 'bad-air' to them of late.

rmuir · 12 Jul 2006 at 18:54

In the case of the texts running out, there was never any question, the texts should have been available for the full 12 months, i would not have signed up for the contract if that had not been the case. There was NEVER any info from orange as to them cutting my inclusive texts.

Im fully aware that orange is a business and thus are out to make money. However whenever i have dealt with them in the past there has always been a point at which they have been open in saying 'the most we can offer you, at your spend level is...' or words to that effect. I don't expect everything for nothing... Just seemed strange that a new customer was getting what appeared to be a far better deal than I.

The point on the handsets was that I was told i would get a call back and it never happened, stock available or not.

Like I say up until this year they have been fantastic to deal with, always got handset i was after and was always happy with contract.

rmuir · 12 Jul 2006 at 18:55

Dolph said:
Sorry you feel you've had trouble, but I do have to comment on some of the issues you've brought up as it seems you are placing all the blame for them on the people you've spoken to, and while obviously you're entitled to your view, and to a certain extent customer service is assessed by customer satisfaction, it's not the only measure.

Im not blaming people as such, tho some of the people i have spoke to have been less than interested/possesing a bad attitude

and at any rate, they are the point of contact for the company the level at which their customer service/satisfaction is rated is in their hands some extent

Dolph · 12 Jul 2006 at 19:05

rmuir said:
In the case of the texts running out, there was never any question, the texts should have been available for the full 12 months, i would not have signed up for the contract if that had not been the case. There was NEVER any info from orange as to them cutting my inclusive texts.

Again, they didn't cut them, they simply didn't renew them. The promotional bundle of texts was for 18 months from time of application, it was not automatically renewed if you upgraded, and this was all clearly stated in your original contract. This is the point I'm trying to make.

~J~, that sort of thing isn't acceptable, no arguments from me there.

rmuir · 12 Jul 2006 at 19:10

sorry dolph

When I phoned to upgrade i asked for 200mins and 500 texts for the 12 month contract. thats what i was told, when i upgraded, that i would get.

I do agree that sometimes folk want unlimited calls/texts and free upgrades all the time. This time I had called up to enquire as to my upgrade fee and told i was entitled to a free upgrade and most likely a free handset.

first year of contract i had 200 mins per month and 1000 texts ( not per month )

first upgrade all i needed was 200 mins and 500 texts per month i asked for this and got it for the duration of contract

second upgrade I didnt need/want more minutes/texts per month so i asked for them to be kept as they were.

csmager · 12 Jul 2006 at 19:11

Dolph said:
Well, the handset certainly had not arrived into upgrade stock on sunday, it was only released onto the network itself last friday, whether it has arrived over the last few days I couldn't say. However, again stock issues do not imply poor customer service, the operator provided the option of a callback when the handset was available, and gave a timescale based on currently available information. Surely that's better than "Call back some point later"?

It was available for upgrade as of around 5pm yesterday - I rang on Saturday to be told it would be Mon/Tues, rang Tues early afternoon and was told later that day. Rang at 7pm, and I've got one arriving tomorrow.

You ought to get yourselves on Orange Premier: Almost always answer the phone within two rings, and are always helpful. Seems that the more you spend, they nicer they are to you!

alle · 12 Jul 2006 at 20:29

...No notification comes through when a minutes or text offer is running / or has run out. You have to check your next bill to see what they have allocated you.

rmuir · 12 Jul 2006 at 20:37

point is the text/minutes wasn't on offer, it was part of my contract for the year

alle · 12 Jul 2006 at 21:28

...It was just in response to someone earlier.

I need to ring them and get a decent plan. All I was offered was double minutes for 3 months and no free texts. Nothing like the offers you and everyone else seems to get!

Time to move maybe...

rmuir · 12 Jul 2006 at 21:37

only way to get forward with them at the mo seems to be to tell them what you want in term of minutes/texts/phone and remember that they won't give you something for nothing.