Man versus O2 customer support round two

Has there ever been worse customer support than O2? Take a look at the transcript of a conversation I’ve just had that spanned an hour.

Every month I top up my 10-year-old’s mobile phone with £10. This month the £10 lasted four days. Apparently I’d topped up a day early and this is why she lost all her allowance. Terrible. Terrible. Terrible.

 

General Info



Chat start time
 May 8, 2014 11:48:10 AM EST


Chat end time
 May 8, 2014 12:43:29 PM EST


Duration (actual chatting time)
 00:55:18


Operator
 O2 – Karn

 

Chat Transcript



info: Welcome to O2. Someone will be with you soon. 

info: You’re through to ‘O2 – Carmela’

O2 – Carmela: Hi I’m O2 – Carmela. How can I help?

Ian Probert: Hello Carmela. I topped up £10 into my 10-year-old daughter’s pay and go account four days ago. The balance has run out. She says she’s hardly used it.

O2 – Carmela: I’ll check this for you.

Ian Probert: Thanks.

O2 – Carmela: Please help me her current credit balance.

Ian Probert: 0.07p

O2 – Carmela: Thanks.

O2 – Carmela: Please confirm me the name of her tariff.

Ian Probert: No idea.

O2 – Carmela: Okay.

O2 – Carmela: Please confirm me the last Top-Up method, date and amount.

Ian Probert: 4 may. £10.

O2 – Carmela: Thanks.

O2 – Carmela: Was it Top-up with credit/debit card or voucher or other method?

Ian Probert: Online credit card

O2 – Carmela: Thanks/

O2 – Carmela: I can see that she get charged for every call and SMS from 6th of this month as her tariff wasn’t active.

Ian Probert: Well that’s incorrect.

O2 – Carmela: You’ve Top-Up her number on 5th of this month but tariff anniversary date is on 6th.

Ian Probert: So I paid early. So what?

O2 – Carmela: Yes, one day early.

O2 – Carmela: On 5th, she have used up some credit balance and left with £8.04 credit on anniversary date.

Ian Probert: Is that a bad thing? Does she lose all her money because of that?

O2 – Carmela: Yes, she have used up now.

O2 – Carmela: From now, tariff anniversary date will be the date you Top-Up her number.

Ian Probert: She only gets £10 a month and it’s all gone within four days.

Ian Probert: It’s terrible.

Ian Probert: She’s 10 years old.

Ian Probert: Are you still there?

O2 – Carmela: I’m here.

O2 – Carmela: She have spent £7.62 for sending SMS.

O2 – Carmela: Sorry, £7.00 for sending SMS and 50p for voicemail service.

Ian Probert: That’s awful. She thinks she has 500 texts. She’s only 10. Can’t you do anything about this?

Ian Probert: I top up her phone every month. I was never made aware that it needed to be on a certain date. This is a really bad service.

O2 – Carmela: You can Top-Up anytime but she need to have £10.00 on anniversary date.

O2 – Carmela: If she have £10.00 credit on anniversary date, there’s no any problem Top-Up anytime.

Ian Probert: Well if you don’t do anything to help her we’re leaving O2. I’ve been with O2 for 10 years. 

O2 – Carmela: I’m sorry, but this is not an O2 faults.

O2 – Carmela: You should be aware of the things happen on her account.

Ian Probert: Of course it is. We were never made aware of about topping under by a certain date. I was told it was £10 a month, which is what I’ve been paying.

Ian Probert: Don’t insult me. I should not be ‘aware of things happen on her account’. Put me through to your line manager please.

O2 – Carmela: She should keep it on her tariff anniversary date.

O2 – Carmela: I can change her tariff to Text & Web so that she’ll get 300 free UK texts and 500MB UK web and Wi-Fi

Ian Probert: She’s 10. Get that into your head. She doesn’t know about dates. 

O2 – Carmela: I’ll put you to him.

Ian Probert: Good.

O2 – Carmela: Please stay connected.

Ian Probert: I will.

info: Hold on. You’re being put through to Mohit. 

info: You’re through to ‘Mohit’

Mohit: Hello Ian.

Mohit: Just give me a few minutes while I go through the chat.

Ian Probert: Hello. Have you read the transcript of this conversation?

Mohit: I’m really sorry for the trouble Ian.

Mohit: We did sent a text on 29th April confirming that the free call allowances are over.

Mohit: This was the text.

Mohit: SMS Notification: O2: Hello. You’ve used up all your minutes for this month. So you’ll pay our standard call rates for the rest of it. Your next allowance starts on 06 May.

Ian Probert: What can you do to help?

Mohit: The message also specifys that the new set of allowances can be added after 06th May.

Ian Probert: She’s 10. She’s a future O2 customer that could be with you for years.

Mohit: I do agree with you, but the charges are valid so a refund will not be possible.

Mohit: You’ll have to Top-Up the account again to get the tariff allowances.

Ian Probert: Ok. Well I’ll just complain to your complaints department. Quite terrible inhumane service. 

Mohit: If you want then I can transfer the chat to our escalations team.

Ian Probert: Yes.

Mohit: Just be online.

Ian Probert: I want compensation for my time on this online chat, too.

Mohit: I’m sorry but I’ll not be able to compensate anything.

Mohit: Just be online while i TRANSFER THE CHAT.

Mohit: Sorry for the capital letters.

info: We’re putting you through to the right person, won’t be long.

info: You’re through to ‘O2 – Karn’

O2 – Karn: Hi I’m Karn from the O2 escalation team.Please give me a minute while I go through your previous chat. Please stay connected with me.

Ian Probert: Thank you.

O2 – Karn: Thanks for waiting.

Ian Probert: ok

O2 – Karn: I appreciate your patience.

Ian Probert: It’s wearing thin.

O2 – Karn: I do understand.

Ian Probert: I wish I did.

O2 – Karn: I can see that the tariff is not active.

Ian Probert: I don’t know

Ian Probert: I just pay £10 for my daughter’s phone every month. It should last more than 4 days.

O2 – Karn: Yes, every tariff allowances can be used for 30 days.

Ian Probert: She’s 10. She doesn’t know that. As a company you have failed to get this across. This was never explained to me or my little daughter.

Ian Probert: She’s potentially an O2 customer for life. Not if it goes like this.

O2 – Karn: I understand.

O2 – Karn: So if you want I can help you change tariff for this month and then you can again opt in for the current tariff next month.

Ian Probert: I paid £10 on Monday. It’s gone. How will this help?

O2 – Karn: It means you’ll get allowances for this month and not again Top-Up for this month for allowances.

Ian Probert: So she gets her £10 back?

O2 – Karn: She’ll receive tariff allowances for the Top-Up done.

Ian Probert: So I don’t have to pay another £10?

O2 – Karn: You’re correct.

Ian Probert: Well that’s great. Thank you. When can she start using her phone?

O2 – Karn: I’ll help you with some tariffs. Let me know which one you’re looking for this month.

Ian Probert: The same one she always has.

O2 – Karn: For the same tariff, she’ll need to Top-Up again for this month. But there are some tariffs I can help you so that you need not again Top-Up for this month.

Ian Probert: Ok. Tell me.

O2 – Karn: She can go for O2 unlimited tariff, text and web tariff, text and call tariff or Favorite place tariff.

Ian Probert: I don’t know what they are. Let me check online.

O2 – Karn: I’ll let you know this on live chat itself.

Ian Probert: OK

O2 – Karn: For text and Internet, we have the Text & Web tariff that gives you free text messages to any UK network and Internet according to your monthly Top-Up.

O2 – Karn: - for a monthly Top-Up of £10, you’ll get 300 texts, 500 MB web and unlimited Wi-Fi

O2 – Karn: - for a monthly Top-Up of £15, you’ll get 500 texts, 500 MB web and unlimited Wi-Fi

O2 – Karn: - for a monthly Top-Up of £30 or more, you’ll get unlimited texts, 500 MB web and unlimited Wi-Fi

O2 – Karn: This is text and web tariff.

O2 – Karn: She’ll get 300 texts, 500 MB web and unlimited Wi-Fi for Top-Up of £10.

Ian Probert: Yes but she has an allowance of £10 per month. She’s 10. This is very frustrating. Every time I’ve topped up for her I’ve ended up online speaking to O2 for hours. I can’t keep doing this. It costs me money.

O2 – Karn: I’m sorry for problem.

Ian Probert: As I’ve always explained. She needs to call her friends, a little texting. a little web. Nothing else.

Ian Probert: None of those tariffs appear to include calls.

O2 – Karn: Then there is text and call tariff.

O2 – Karn: For text and calls, we have the Text & Call tariff that gives you free text messages and calls to any UK network according to your monthly Top-Up.

O2 – Karn: - for a monthly Top-Up of £10, you’ll get 25 free texts and 25 minutes

O2 – Karn: - for a monthly Top-Up of £15, you’ll get 100 free texts and 100 minutes

O2 – Karn: - for a monthly Top-Up of £30 or more, you’ll get 200 free texts and 200 minutes

Ian Probert: Don’t you understand? Her maximum is £10. How many ways are there of saying this?

O2 – Karn: I’m letting you know all the allowances she can get on the tariff. If she’s Top-Up £10, she’ll get 25 free texts and 25 minutes.

O2 – Karn: Every tariff has allowances set depending upon the Top-Up.

Ian Probert: But I top up every month. £10! You’re just confusing me even more.

Ian Probert: Last month for £10 she got something like 500 minutes and unlimited texts.

Ian Probert: They even doubled it to 1000 minutes as a reward.

Ian Probert: I’ve paid £10 every month without fail. What is wrong with O2?

O2 – Karn: The credit balance was not enough for tariff to be activated on 6th and this is why she did not receive the allowances for this month.

Ian Probert: Can you please, please, please refund the £10 that I paid four days ago and I’ll go with another – less confusing – provider.

Ian Probert: What you say makes no sense. I pay £10 a month. I have never not paid £10 a month since she started with O2. 

O2 – Karn: I’m sorry but the credit balance has been used for text messages. So the £10 cannot be refunded.

Ian Probert: I actually paid the £10 a day earlier than the 6th.

Ian Probert: Why am I being punished for this?

O2 – Karn: Sorry if you’re feeling so  but the tariff was not activated and this is why she got charged for text messages.

Ian Probert: OK. I’m ending this conversation now. Your customer support iOS truly appalling. 

Ian Probert: I’m going to complain to your superiors. 

O2 – Karn: If you want to escalate this further,I can transfer this chat to my supervisor who can check it for you.

Ian Probert: No.

Ian Probert: I’m leaving. Goodbye.

O2 – Karn: Is there anything else I can help you with?