| Product: |
Carphone Warehouse |
| Date: |
27/05/08 (94 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: None
Disadvantages: Rude staff, not unbiased
I remember back to when mobile phones really took off and Carphone Warehouse were the main retailer that you would go to for a phone. They were always known to be impartial advisors who were always helpful and always put the customers needs first. 10 or so years on is the Carphone Warehouse the best place to buy a phone? The answer to that question is a resounding NO! Looking back over the years I can see a distinct change not only in their advise, but also in their selling techniques.
I remember going into the Carphone Warehouse when I was about 16 with my parents as they wanted a phone and didn't know which one. I remember that we went in there, were served in turn and the person that served us went well out of his way to help us. He showed us different phones (including turning them on so we could have a go), showed us the different tariffs and told us about the potential benefits and pitfalls that may occur. We came out of the shop a happy customer and felt safe in the knowledge that the right decision had been made with regards to the phone and tariff.
As I have got older I have taken out phone contracts in my own name and have had first hand experience of Carphone Warehouse. First of all they are no longer the kind people that I came across when I was younger. Almost a year ago I took out a new contract and I must say I was quite shocked at the hard sell I received and the follow up customer services.
Firstly, I went into the shop with the intention of upgrading my phone so that was money in the bank for them. The person I spoke to, however, was trying to get me to change tariffs to a more expensive one on the premise that it would mean that I got the phone cheaper. After trying to explain numerous times that I didn't want it I eventually had to use a bit of logic and just prove that, in this case, the cheaper phone didn't offset itself against the more expensive tariff and, over the course of the 18 months, I would have ended up paying more if I went with the more expensive contract. After this fiasco finished he was fairly ok with me. He upgraded me quickly and efficiently and was fairly polite. Just before he put it all through he started on the hard sell again. This time it was for insurance. I wont go into all the details of what he said but in the end I actually deemed it to be a good deal and went with it, even though I've never had or needed insurance before! I eventually left the shop relatively happy.
2 weeks later and my phone breaks. Ok I thought, this is unfortunate but it can happen. I went into a different Carphone Warehouse store, showed them my receipt and showed them the broken phone (it wouldn't turn on). They then tell me that it needs to either be sent away or go to an express repair centre. The person who served me was the assistant manager and was really rude and clearly didn't want anything to do with me. He gave the number of a repair centre and I went there the next day. Upon my arrival I was told that the engineer had gone on holiday and they could not repair my phone. This was the final straw for me and I spoke with the manager. After no more than 5 minutes he told me that he would change the phone free of charge and that I could have had this done at the first store I went to the previous day. Apparently the reason I wasn't told this is because the store would loose money and it would look bad for them. It didn't matter about the customer.
A few months passed and the phone worked fine and then one day the speaker broke. I then decided to take the phone to Carphone Warehouse and get it repaired (lucky I had insurance). I went to Carphone Warehouse and gave it in to them. I was served by someone who was clearly new and had no interest in what he was doing or how to do it. It took him about 15 minutes just to book the phone in (I saw 3 people come and go for another employee who was doing the same thing). After he did it all I asked how long it would take and was told 1 week. I was surprised and asked him to confirm this which he promptly did.
Just over a week later I called them and asked them what was going on. I was then told that I was told the wrong information to start with and the phone would take another 2 weeks making it 3 weeks in total. I spoke to the manager and asked him to explain his staff. At this point I realised where the staff's poor attitude came from. The manager didn't care at all about what I was saying. He didn't even offer an apology to me. My phone was ready after 2 weeks but I can guarantee that I'll never go back to the Carphone Warehouse again.
I'm not the only one that has had these problems with them. Nearly everyone I know that has been to the Carphone Warehouse has the same complaints of poor customer service and staff who's hearts aren't into it.
The Carphone Warehouse has changed so much over its lifespan that the only recognisable thing is its name. The service has gone down the pan and the unbiased advise has been replaced by staff incentives to promote a particular network or phone. It's a big shame as they had so much potential but became too focused on money rather than service.
Summary: Things went from good to bad!
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