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Is there a more Mickey Mouse outfit than Three


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Old 26-09-2016, 18:04
pfgpowell
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I wanted an iPhone 6s (now a little cheaper since the 7 came out). I have been with Three payg for several years. The ONLY reason I am with them and have stuck with them is that I listen to football on Five Live a lot and can do on my phone through cars speakers, and in my experience Three has the most consistent coverage, especially in rural areas. I make few calls and rarely text as I can use iMessage.

I decided to for a contract and after I heard EE were fast, I tried them out on a small smartphone to see if the data service was better, but it wasn't. So I stuck with Three.

I ordered the phone at home (in Cornwall) last Friday, promised it would be delivered the following day to a nominated store. I nominated the High St Kensington branch next to where I work. I was supposed to get a text saying it had arrived, but didn't.

I have been down there several times but there's a queue as long as your arm, and I can't stay away from work that long, so I decided to ring. One of the assistants gave me a customer service number (01933 778633) but it only takes your through to exactly the same message as almost all the other numbers on the website. I know, I tried them.

Finally, I rang sales: immediate pickup, but the first guy I spoke to said Three didn't send texts but emails. Odd that, cos it says 'text' in my confirmation email.

A few hours later, and two more visits to the store later I range sales again, and the guy was more helpful: he confirmed the phone WAS already at the store (according to the system) even though I wasn't told. The only thing I can do is try to get there as early as poss tomorrow morning to be one of the first in the queue.

But I HAVE been with Three for about 8/9 years and my heart sinks every time I have to ring customer service. They are truly dreadful and the phonelines to the centre somewhere in Asia is also very much not the best (though it's 'continually improving' the assistant told me. Big bloody deal).

EDIT: This, the above, is all a bit incoherent, but for the past eight years I do find that Three drive me nuts, they really do. They can companies like them (such as BT) can only get away with piss-poor customer service because the sheer number of customers they have means one or two fewer doesn't really matter.
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Old 26-09-2016, 18:29
aurichie
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But I HAVE been with Three for about 8/9 years and my heart sinks every time I have to ring customer service. They are truly dreadful and the phonelines to the centre somewhere in Asia is also very much not the best (though it's 'continually improving' the assistant told me. Big bloody deal).
I've used Three and I felt exactly the same way as you when I had to call them because of a problem. Unfortunately I'm expecting EE to go the same way now BT have bought them.
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Old 26-09-2016, 19:14
pfgpowell
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I've used Three and I felt exactly the same way as you when I had to call them because of a problem. Unfortunately I'm expecting EE to go the same way now BT have bought them.
What baffles me is that you can try more or less any and every number you can find on the Three website (or even the one given to me in the store) but they ALL take you to the same message. And in my case - checking where the bloody hell the phone I had just bought had got to - wasn't covered by any of the numbers, EVEN the number to 'trace your order': it just took me to the same old message. That's why I finally tried sales - INSTANT response, not a message that because of 'high call volumes' it will take a while.

Oh, and 'emailing customer support' takes the cake: they do admit it will 'take up to five days to get a response', but when you do - invariably after the full five days - it is just an email telling you that before they can proceed, you have to give them 1. the last time you topped up (I was/am on payg) and by how much AND 2. the sodding last six digits of the number on your sim card. If anything shouts 'f*ck off and stop wasting our bloody time' that does. I wonder how many people simply give up?
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Old 26-09-2016, 20:21
d123
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I've used Three and I felt exactly the same way as you when I had to call them because of a problem. Unfortunately I'm expecting EE to go the same way now BT have bought them.
Why? EE have a completely separate CS system running on the old T-M system, there are no plans of integration (in fact they've said they are pulling more EE CS back to the UK).
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Old 26-09-2016, 20:45
plymouthbloke1974
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All of EE's CS has been in the UK and Ireland only for several months now, AFTER BT took over.
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Old 26-09-2016, 21:09
d123
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All of EE's CS has been in the UK and Ireland only for several months now, AFTER BT took over.
There you go, I remember the announcement, it's been a pretty quick process then,

I don't get people who have a dislike for BT who turn that dislike into a hatred without any rationality.

How long has Plusnet been a BT subsidiary and still retained its own identity and CS? 9 years?
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Old 26-09-2016, 22:12
pfgpowell
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There you go, I remember the announcement, it's been a pretty quick process then,

I don't get people who have a dislike for BT who turn that dislike into a hatred without any rationality.

How long has Plusnet been a BT subsidiary and still retained its own identity and CS? 9 years?
Plusnet might well still have its 'own identity' (and don't the ads play on it) but I have been a Plusnet customer for about 12/13 and there have been definite changes, mainly in customer services and sorting out problems. Before BT they really were the best (which is why I chose them after they came top in Which?).

After BT took over there were small changes, until now there is no real resemblance to the Plusnet I originally joined.

An example: if you had a problem you could 'raise a ticket'. This would be dealt with within days, often with a phone call, and a text to your mobile telling you you have a response. Problems were swiftly resolved (and I did have a few in the early days, but nothing was too much for them.) Now? Now, you can no longer raise a ticket, but are asked to use the 'chat' servcie, which is next to useless: you are sent links to videos showing how you might be able to sort something out yourself. If not, it still takes weeks to get an engineer out.

My last problem was because when fibre was installed, the BT engineer installed a socket too near the electrical circuit and there is a slowed wifi signal. I finally got them to have a look and, bugger me, they charged me £50 because the wiring was internal and STILL haven't sorted it. They said I must do that privately. I told them their engineer (or someone working on their behalf was responsible, but that cut no ice). The dead hand of BT. Take care.

Ironically, I do have access to a faster wifi connection over wifi because I also use two of those plus which uses the house's electrical circuit to distribute the broadband signal. But the main router wifi is pants.
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Old 26-09-2016, 23:28
aurichie
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Why? EE have a completely separate CS system running on the old T-M system, there are no plans of integration (in fact they've said they are pulling more EE CS back to the UK).
We'll see. I'd bet money that BT does have plans to leverage what they already have to cut costs over time and increase profits. But it's probably not going to be straightforward to do given the complicated history and legacy systems in place. But if anyone is capable of ploughing forward with a bad plan to save a few pennies it's BT. Their core consumer businesses are built on extortionate pricing backed by the worst customer support in the industry. They have much work to do to get EE down to their lousy level of devaluing the customer experience. I'm sure BT are working hard to ensure EE truly represents BT as a company.
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Old 27-09-2016, 00:43
plymouthbloke1974
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We'll see. I'd bet money that BT does have plans to leverage what they already have to cut costs over time and increase profits. But it's probably not going to be straightforward to do given the complicated history and legacy systems in place. But if anyone is capable of ploughing forward with a bad plan to save a few pennies it's BT. Their core consumer businesses are built on extortionate pricing backed by the worst customer support in the industry. They have much work to do to get EE down to their lousy level of devaluing the customer experience. I'm sure BT are working hard to ensure EE truly represents BT as a company.
You would be surprised just how many EE people are moving over to BT in a temporary capacity to show them how we do customer service as they know they need to do better. It is certainly not the other way around. They aqcuired EE not just for the network, but for the people.
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