Vodafone Retail: Probably the most stupid policy in the world

Hi guys,

Decided I want a Nokia N95 8Gb. Some Voda stores have them from today.

Thought I'd give my local store a ring before I took a trip into town
especially. Suprised to find no phone number available for them, only the
main Vodafone number. So I called it, and asked for the number for my local
store.

'Sorry sir, we can't give you that'

'Why ever not?'

'Its company policy - we found that when customers could obtain the number
for their local store, then they would often telephone their local store'

'Are you joking? Surely thats the whole point?'

'It distracts the staff from their job'

'So you expect me to drive all the way into town on the offchance that they
might have my phone in stock, becuase me telephoning them first to ask them
would distract them from their job? Is there job not to help me sign up to
an 18 month contract with you anyway, which of course, by answering, they'll
do?'

'I dont make the policies sir'

Grrr.

In message 13hufffk5dlbi7c@corp.supernews.com,
Michael Rodgers <nospam@thanks.no> Proclaimed from the tallest tower:

> Hi guys,
>
> Decided I want a Nokia N95 8Gb. Some Voda stores have them from today.
>
> Thought I'd give my local store a ring before I took a trip into town
> especially. Suprised to find no phone number available for them, only
> the main Vodafone number. So I called it, and asked for the number
> for my local store.
>
> 'Sorry sir, we can't give you that'
>
> 'Why ever not?'
>
> 'Its company policy - we found that when customers could obtain the
> number for their local store, then they would often telephone their
> local store'
> 'Are you joking? Surely thats the whole point?'
>
> 'It distracts the staff from their job'
>
> 'So you expect me to drive all the way into town on the offchance
> that they might have my phone in stock, becuase me telephoning them
> first to ask them would distract them from their job? Is there job
> not to help me sign up to an 18 month contract with you anyway, which
> of course, by answering, they'll do?'
>
> 'I dont make the policies sir'
>
> Grrr.

Hmm, that IS pretty stupid. Maybe the CS drone that you spoke to was bit of
a jobs-worth?
It is pretty common these days for companies to make it difficult to find
individual branch phone-numbers so that the bulk of complaints and queries
are directed to a central point, where 8 time in 10, they are probably best
placed to help.
HOWEVER, there needs to be a way of talking to an individual store in those
other 2/10 times where the shop can help easier. Did you try asking the CS
guy if he could check the inventory of a specific store?

Shoot an email into their customer services system saying due to this, you
are taking your £50/month business elsewhere...
It'll take next to no time to write, and though probably nothing will come
of it, you never know...

--
Regards,
Chris.
(Remove Elvis's shoes to email me)

"Michael Rodgers" <nospam@thanks.no> wrote in message
news:13hufffk5dlbi7c@corp.supernews.com...
> Hi guys,
>
> Decided I want a Nokia N95 8Gb. Some Voda stores have them from today.
>
> Thought I'd give my local store a ring before I took a trip into town
> especially. Suprised to find no phone number available for them, only the
> main Vodafone number. So I called it, and asked for the number for my
> local store.
>
> 'Sorry sir, we can't give you that'
>
> 'Why ever not?'
>
> 'Its company policy - we found that when customers could obtain the number
> for their local store, then they would often telephone their local store'
>
Aldi, various banks, but according to them NOT Nat West, have the same
policy, and of course you can't find if the shop / bank is open actually has
stock etc.

Then again you don't have to trade with them...

Michael Rodgers wrote:
> Hi guys,
>
> Decided I want a Nokia N95 8Gb. Some Voda stores have them from today.
>
> Thought I'd give my local store a ring before I took a trip into town
> especially. Suprised to find no phone number available for them, only the
> main Vodafone number. So I called it, and asked for the number for my local
> store.
>
> 'Sorry sir, we can't give you that'

This is nothing new. See this post that was made 2 years ago
http://groups.google.co.uk/group/uk....cf1fa5e5?tvc=2

>
> 'So you expect me to drive all the way into town on the offchance that they
> might have my phone in stock, becuase me telephoning them first to ask them
> would distract them from their job? Is there job not to help me sign up to
> an 18 month contract with you anyway, which of course, by answering, they'll
> do?'
>
> 'I dont make the policies sir'
>
> Grrr.
>
>

If you ask they'll ring the store for you or send them an
email asking them to contact you.

--
xCx
*Disclaimer* My opinions are mine and I do not represent
anyone or any company.

On 24 Oct, 19:51, "R. Mark Clayton" <nospamclay...@btinternet.com>
wrote:
> Aldi, various banks, but according to them NOT Nat West, have the same
> policy, and of course you can't find if the shop / bank is open actually has
> stock etc.

Banks are seldom out of stock of money [insert Northern Rock joke
here], call centre staff have access to opening hours, and branch
staff have no more discretion over account issues than call centre
staff, so the policy actually makes sense in that context. For shops,
it's more questionable.

--
John Band
john at johnband dot org
www.johnband.org

On Wed, 24 Oct 2007 15:48:37 -0700, John B <spam@johnband.org> wrote:

>On 24 Oct, 19:51, "R. Mark Clayton" <nospamclay...@btinternet.com>
>wrote:
>> Aldi, various banks, but according to them NOT Nat West, have the same
>> policy, and of course you can't find if the shop / bank is open actually has
>> stock etc.
>
>Banks are seldom out of stock of money [insert Northern Rock joke
>here], call centre staff have access to opening hours, and branch
>staff have no more discretion over account issues than call centre
>staff, so the policy actually makes sense in that context. For shops,
>it's more questionable.

My bank, HSBC, doesn't stock a full or even a limited range of foreign
currency - something I may have wanted to check on had I not known the
Post Office 50 yards away stocks a comprehensive range of such
currencies.

Incidentaly, a tip if you wish to speak to a HSBC UK call centre - use
the Welsh Language number on your cheque book - if asked tell them you
use the number because your wife/husband/partner is a Welsh speaker.
--
Cheers

Peter