Ok, here’s my first rant :)
I got myself an Orange SPV 2 years ago, joining the “smartphone” hype when the first mobile phones featuring microsoft windows mobile came out.
Last year I prolonged my contract with these people and got a new phone, the SPV C500, basically a pda in mobile-format. Email and Google on the go, yay! ;)
Now, the volume-switch broke (didn’t make it silent any more) and I called the hotline, asking for advice – still having full warranty I thought this shoudn’t be any problem.
Well, the first techie told me to hard-reset the phone. Nice. A MS-product after all. ;)
I reset the phone, erasing all my customization and what happens? Nothing. How a reset should fix a broken button didn’t sound plausible to me anyway but I do what they say, they are the techs, aren’t they?
So I call them again, demanding repair because apparently this is not a software/user problem. They agreed to send me a bag which I shall use to send the phone to repair. Thankfully I hang up and and search for a replacement phone.
2 days later: the envelope arrives. The address on it points to a local electronica-workshop. “outsourching” I think briefly and put the phone in after having removed memorycard, simcard and battery.
Another 2 days later the envelope is back. Unrepaired.
What the? Inquiring why, they say it is not covered by warranty so they return it unrepaired.
Now, what these people understand by “unrepaired” is:
– SIMcard-holder broken out of the PCB
– cover has been opened and while closing it again the display has been moved
– vibrating function no longer working
– back cover of the phone missing
Annoyed, I call this repair-company only to get the answer “the phone as arrived here in this condition” – we just sent it back unrepaired.
Now, that does it, I demand the superior of this person, it turns out she is the only one that does customer service ;)
She tells me that the final inspection put the phone “ok” before posting it. She forwards me to Orange because they deal with the warranty claims.
So I decide to give Orange another try.
Calling their helpdesk (the techies) I am told that it’s not their problem because the other company did the repair.
Angry, I get the phone running using rubbers and clasps and go to the local Orange store. Seeing this phone in it’s current state did exactly what I intended: The storekeeper inhales sharply and the customers look curious as I present my phone. He assures me to take care of the business but can’t help me at all. I ask him if this is called “customer service” and he just shrugs, not having heard of such an incident before.
I leave the store with a feeling that this might have been the last time I do business with Orange as I see the T-mobile store on the other side offering the clone of the C500, the SDA (same producer, differnent paintjob)
I swear, if I stay with this heap of junk that I hold in my hands now and don’t get a replacement device, I will join T-mobile right away and post this all over the internet!
I work in customer service myself (next to my studies) and I know that this is a hard business.. but such a crazy thing I have never heard of.
Edit:
As Hannes just said: “It sucks if you realize that you as a customer are of no importance at all for the company after you signed the contract.”