In a previous post I suggested that many business ideas happen to people when they experience poor customer service or a poor product and they think that they can do better themselves. Whilst creative destruction is about making a difference to people's lives. Improving the autoprompt lists in the call centres would just be a different version of the same thing. Coming up with something better (more intelligent?) might be welcomed, at least by consumers.
I have had such a moment today and am straining hard to get over it and move on.
Some issues with Orange:
Responsibility
My HTC phone didn't work properly - the only solutions seems to be to send it back to the maker where they will assess whether its at fault or not. The problem with this is that you have a period of time without a phone without any return date. Orange will insist that its not their issue.
The issues are that no one wants to bear the expense of the fault. The result is the customer spending a long time on the phone for no result.
Broken systems
Having decided to get a new phone rather than repair the old one I phone Orange. Their IVR system asks me for my phone number, then 2 letters of a password. 10 minutes of waiting. The operator asks me for my full name, address DOB, password and account number. Their computer system is broken and both web and phone services don't work. I will have to try later. Am I unlucky or does this happen a lot? The operator said they have problems when it rains in Wales (not sure what they were really saying here) They are unable to process my requests for over 24 hours. Their call centre is apparently filled with people doing nothing! More wasted time. The operative suggests to me that I reduce my contract as I am not using many minutes. I inform him of the broken phone with no responsibility. We move onto the new phone alternative. The operator phones me back to say that he is really embarrassed, and again a day later to process the order.
Delivery
Orange use DPD to deliver new phones and will give you a day to stay in and wait. If your phone is broken Orange will also pass on your broken phone number to DPD even though they take your home number as you have suggested that your Orange phone wont work.
A promised delivery day and I wait in..... No one arrives, no card, no phone call. I phone Orange who say that someone phoned and carded me. I must be in tomorrow. I ask for the delivery company - DPD - which I am given, but they refuse to give me a parcel number. Orange said the company would try again tomorrow.
I phoned DPD they said they needed a consignment number, but would like to resolve the issue.
I phoned Orange again with the name of the DPD supervisor. Reluctantly they gave me a consignment number. I phoned DPD and found out that they had been given the broken phone number and gave them my landline. I also found out that in the days of sat nav being on mobiles - indeed my new mobile will have Orange Maps - DPD provide their workers with a road map and no more - unless these workers want to pay for it themselves!!!!!!!!
I found it a little bizarre that a phone company advertising Orange Maps sends out its phones via a company that cannot find a house with a road map.
Time spent - well over an hour
The Customer Service voice over
The company leave you hanging on the phone for a long time. While they do they tell you over and over again how good they are at customer service. This did inspire me to give them some feedback. I will be inserting a "find the Orange feedback form" into the next treasure hunt in the village. In fact when you do find it - the page does not work (for me at least).
I did have a few frustrated moments - but fortunately I wont be starting another business. Am I alone in my frustrations? It is widely reported that "The deteriorating customer service and increased customer dissatisfaction has coincided with the takeover by France Telecom " Wikepedia
Call centres are flawed. IVR is flawed. There are better ways, and I know people trying to get there. Creative Destruction is not just about making a difference - it is also about coping with the innovation, resourcing and education needed for it to get adopted.
