| Product: |
Carphone Warehouse |
| Date: |
04/01/02 (1443 review reads) |
| Rating: |
 |
Advantages: none, none, none
Disadvantages: not helpful, not friendly, not interested
Let me tell you a story.
It’s about a man, a mobile phone, a snotty store assistant, a cocky store manager, and a really helpful customer service call centre rep.
And before you ask, yes it does have a happy ending!
Recently I wrote an op about the Nokia 3330 mobile phone (god that’s one sexy phone!). Sleek, user friendly, etc. Anyway enough of that!
Unfortunately, I wrote that op 2 weeks ago and left it sitting in a Word file before posting it this week. And many things can happen in 2 weeks.
Being well pleased with my new Nokia, you can imagine my dismay (and subsequently being pissed off) to have to return it within a week or two, because it just wouldn’t work.
After many hours using the WAP browser, my newly found friend decided to give up the ghost and pack in on me. Possibly the battery I thought. No, fully charged. Maybe it had overheated through copious games of “Bumper”. No. So I nips along to the local BT Cellnet store to seek some advice. Very helpful guy in there advised me to contact Nokia asap, even had the decency to give the phone a quick once over. Not bad considering the fact that I had not even purchased it there. So off home I pop to ring up Club Nokia.
At this point things are going well. I call Club Nokia customer care-line and speak to a very helpful customer service rep who advises me that the quickest option is to take my phone to my local branch of the Carphone Warhouse. I explain that I did not purchase the phone at a Carphone Warehouse, but advised that this is not a problem as they are a registered service centre for Club Nokia members, regardless of origin of purchase. Marvellous I cry! Even better than this I am entitled to a “bonding” phone to carry me over until mine is fixed, which is normally a lead time of up to 48 hours. All this service and free of charge, what more can I ask for?
Now ok, I now some of you re
ading this may be wondering whether or not I should be slightly sceptical by now. Good customer service so far. Ok, I admit it. My ever intrigued and trust no-one mind did get the better of me, so I called Carphone Warhouse to clarify all of the above information. Yes Mr Collins, the information you have received is correct, and you are welcome to take your phone to your local Carphone Warehouse outlet for repair/replacement free of charge. Again, yet another friendly and helpful customer service operator. Time I go to Carphone Warehouse.
Having located my local outlet Carphone Warehouse (now to be known as Carphone Outhouse, because they’re absolutely full of crap!), in I go with one broken Nokia 3330 looking for assistance. I am “greeted” by the rather unhelpful Neanderthal behind the counter (actually that’s unfair, Neanderthal man was quite intelligent). I explain my problem. Here is the reply I received :
“It takes up to 14 days to fix the phone”
“We don’t have to replace your phone”
“Yes you can have a temporary phone – for a £40 deposit, but you only get £25 of that back!”
Did I miss something here?
I explain my previous conversations with Nokia & Carphone Outhouse helplines. Unfortunately Neanderthal’s are not coherent in terms of plain English. So I very politely ask to speak to the store manager to clarify what was rapidly becoming a silly situation. Enter Del-Boy Trotter, aka store manager!
Have I ever met such a fast walking talking all singing, all dancing creep in all my life! He explains to me that they no longer service phones for Club Nokia phones UNLESS purchased from Carphone Outhouse. How nice for me! Again, this guy was rude, so I decided to ask him to call Club Nokia for me so I can clarify this further. He did this, which I will add VERY reluctantly, and seemed hesitant for me to speak with them. However I d
id, and even they seemed surprised at this. Apparently, Carphone Outhouse had decided to only carry out this service for phones purchased at their outlets, and not all Club Nokia members. They conveniently forgot to advise Club Nokia! To make it even more farcical, Del-Boy Manager called Carphone Outhouse customer care to have a go at them for not advising me of this prior to my visit. This was for theatrical purposes only, as it was quite obvious he didn’t give a shit, and was more interested in me parting with £40 for a replacement.
So where does this leave me? Well, I have returned my phone to Club Nokia direct, who assure me I will have this back within 5 working days. They have apologised to me for any inconvenience caused by this confusion. But Nokia, do not worry. I have no qualms with yourselves. You have been most helpful. Apart from your polite, helpful staff and speed of answering my calls, in a friendly professional manner, I have learnt the following lesson:
DON’T EXPECT HELP FROM THE CARPHONE OUTHOUSE!
Ps. for our younger audience an outhouse is what used to be classed as a toilet!
Summary:
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Last comments:
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- 10/06/04 I have the worst experience with Carphone warehouse, it was a simple order. A p900 Memory stick, guaranteed for Monday, I bought it over the phone Friday morning.
Monday comes, no-where in sight, I was here all day with a dog..... Being a little impatient I suppose, I rang to find out where this was. Only to be told matter of factly, we tried to deliver it but you weren't there. Ok, could have been a number of reasons, I tried to explain that I had not had a delivery note through my door, the response was 'you must have.
So I waited in on Tuesday, NOTHING. Called and they told me I had missed it again. Turns out that City Link as useless as they are were delivering to the wrong address, although they could clearly give me the right address on the phone. NO APOLOGY!
Thursda y, 4 days late, I had to ring the Delivery driver from my home phone to give directions! great customer services!! AT MY EXPENSE!
4 days late, wrong sim card, no apology, bad customer services
To add the iceing to the already massive cake, they send one that does not fit, although They can clearly see what I ordered.
I have cancelled my order, won't ever be using them again.
Tips,
If you call their call centre, speak a Male CS agent called Stacy, he is the only person in the whole organisation who knows what's going on and willing to help.... he deserves a meddle, the others don't have a clue!
If you get hold of anyone, GET THEIR NAME, before they put you on hold.
Don't give them information, ask them what they can see, they will do anything to get you off the phone!
And, don't take what one person says to be gospel, get another opinion and speak to the manager as soon as you think something is going wrong.
I imagine that most people are pleased with the service, but only if they don't need to chase something up! |
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- 15/04/03 I have the right to complain about the "Carphone Outhouse". As soon as they took my money they didn't want to hear from me again. Even if it was when I tried to find out when the phone I purchased would be delivered. "we'll call you back" they said. Hah! Lack of communication another thing. I took my nokia 6210 (purchased elsewhere) for a fix as it was in warranty, I got it back a week later in THE SAME condition, but with a Carphone Warehouse sticker under the battery. I'll learn how to fix it myself next time. |
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- 18/11/02 It really pains me to state to obvious but according to your rant, you didn't buy your phone from The Carphone Warehouse, so why on earth are you complaining when they are quite clearly offering a service that your original retailer (the people who took your money) are not willing to do. In my opinion when companies actually go out of their way to help people who have had bad experiences from their competitors this should be valued and praised not used as an excuse to complain, quite simply they did not sell you your phone, if they are repairing this for you and sorting the problem for you (when they have no real incentive for doing so other than to help you out and make you happy) you complain.
As for Club Nokia, they are a complete pile of shite, they promise people things and people take what they say as gospal truth, this is not the case, service centres who repair phones for us FREE OF CHARGE should be commended not insulted, you seem to be one really rude gentleman.
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