Three sides to the story.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes when reading through the comments here, one gets the feeling that O2 is beset with schizophrenia. Some people absolutely love them and others cannot dis them enough. Who's right, who's wrong?

How can consumers get a service response that varies from one extreme to the next when you imagine they have training courses that are consistent across the organisation, infrastructure that is centrally hosted and managed and a desire to do their best? Where does it go wrong?

Being in the IT industry I totally get the fact that these things can, and do happen. In my opinion, there are always three sides to every story.

• On the one side the frustrated consumer who has a real issue with something and often comes on here and "expands" the scope of their frustration leading some to only hear and believe the negative.
• The O2 chat staff must have some wonderfully funny stories to tell about people who are frustrated but it turns out they hadn't done things like turn on their phones or turned down their volume etc. I should know. I once had to drive 50Km to switch on someone's computer monitor becuase they swore it was definitely "powered on." It isn't easy to respond courteously when you've just been abused by a customer. 
• In the middle is the truth about what really happened. This unfortunately, never gets told or heard.

Now before I'm flamed for saying what I did, I've been on both sides of the fence, providing support, and calling for support. Sometimes you get fabulous service and sometimes it's pretty horrific. Sometimes as hard as you try it's really hard to stay calm and focused when someone on the other side of the phone line really doesn't get the fact that you've already given your details three times in the last 5 minutes and asks for them again or that you've been billed incorrectly - again etc.  

People get personal and very unfriendly very quickly. 

I for one, have had decent service from O2. Notice I did not say exceptional but then I've never needed them to do something for me that could have been classed as exceptional (unless they boost 3G signal in Ely that is) They've been courteous, friendly and efficient. Perhaps I got lucky, perhaps because I've worked on that side of the fence I see it differently but I really don't believe that O2 goes out of their way to frustrate their consumers even though it does happen.

Are there things O2 could do better? Absolutely yes. Large companies have rules and procedures that must be followed but sometimes the problems consumers have don't fit neatly into those pre-defined rules. There should be an understanding of these things and exceptions to these rules that could so quickly and easily deflate a tough situation and avoid the frustration for both parties. 

We can all do better. We should all do better. 

Malaguetas

[Anonymous]

Everyone has positive and negative experiences, I agree with you though I have received a lot of luck when it comes down to things that have come up on this forum. I do however trust in o2 and that is the biggest safety net to keep customers.

o2 for me, brilliant service lovely people, always helpful

[Beenherebefore]

---

@Anonymous wrote:
o2 for me, brilliant service lovely people, always helpful

---

Is that O2 the company or O2 the Community

[Anonymous]

---

@Beenherebefore wrote:

---

@Anonymous wrote:
o2 for me, brilliant service lovely people, always helpful

---

Is that O2 the company or O2 the Community

---

You know what, both!

[jonsie]

Glad to hear it....:smileywink:

[Anonymous]

A very well constructed piece.

[Anonymous]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

Sometimes when reading through the comments here, one gets the feeling that O2 is beset with schizophrenia. Some people absolutely love them and others cannot dis them enough. Who's right, who's wrong?

How can consumers get a service response that varies from one extreme to the next when you imagine they have training courses that are consistent across the organisation, infrastructure that is centrally hosted and managed and a desire to do their best? Where does it go wrong?

Being in the IT industry I totally get the fact that these things can, and do happen. In my opinion, there are always three sides to every story.

• On the one side the frustrated consumer who has a real issue with something and often comes on here and "expands" the scope of their frustration leading some to only hear and believe the negative.
• The O2 chat staff must have some wonderfully funny stories to tell about people who are frustrated but it turns out they hadn't done things like turn on their phones or turned down their volume etc. I should know. I once had to drive 50Km to switch on someone's computer monitor becuase they swore it was definitely "powered on." It isn't easy to respond courteously when you've just been abused by a customer. 
• In the middle is the truth about what really happened. This unfortunately, never gets told or heard.

Now before I'm flamed for saying what I did, I've been on both sides of the fence, providing support, and calling for support. Sometimes you get fabulous service and sometimes it's pretty horrific. Sometimes as hard as you try it's really hard to stay calm and focused when someone on the other side of the phone line really doesn't get the fact that you've already given your details three times in the last 5 minutes and asks for them again or that you've been billed incorrectly - again etc.  

People get personal and very unfriendly very quickly. 

I for one, have had decent service from O2. Notice I did not say exceptional but then I've never needed them to do something for me that could have been classed as exceptional (unless they boost 3G signal in Ely that is) They've been courteous, friendly and efficient. Perhaps I got lucky, perhaps because I've worked on that side of the fence I see it differently but I really don't believe that O2 goes out of their way to frustrate their consumers even though it does happen.

Are there things O2 could do better? Absolutely yes. Large companies have rules and procedures that must be followed but sometimes the problems consumers have don't fit neatly into those pre-defined rules. There should be an understanding of these things and exceptions to these rules that could so quickly and easily deflate a tough situation and avoid the frustration for both parties. 

We can all do better. We should all do better. 

Malaguetas

---

[Cleoriff]

Hi @Anonymous  Nice to see you back

I agree there is always more than one side to every story but with everything, its your own individual experience and perceptions that makes you arrive at a decision about a company, product or person

People come on here for various reasons....as I did initially, for help and support with my new phone. Others just to vent their anger at something O2 or related courier companies have done wrong...some actually think we can sort their accounts out.

Rarely do we see an initial post when someone want to thank O2 for being wonderful.

Its the nature of the beast I suppose.

I stayed around here...not because I am particularly expert in anything phone wise but because I have some skills that may help....and generally its a nice forum to be on.....usually...

As for my personal experience of O2?

No problems. (as yet)

I have always dealt with good CS who have been extremely helpful with account related issues

I have never used live chat ...

If I have a phone problem, well I would rather ask the guys on here before I try anywhere else...(but that is because I know its better to ask questions on here than go  to speak to some guru somewhere)

So...as you can see from my long winded answer...it IS all down to an individuals experience

[Anonymous]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

People get personal and very unfriendly very quickly. 

We can all do better. We should all do better. 

as regards voice to voice on O2 I don't do so well & this is my fault as I'm not a quick thinker anyway in life + quite un-techie + wheras my son would do this type of stuff for me I now have to do this for myself & as I've said I'm chie ..... voice to voice (is this O2 Chat?) I come a cropper & it's my fault ..... = ..... because I am not a quick thinker in life anyway, however it seems to be a GB call centre which O2 run, & that's a bonus ..... but I have had much better experience with 'keyed in message from me to O2 & they key in message to me back' ..... = ..... (is this O2 Chat?) because it gives me thinking time to try to express my self as best as I'm able to, to the person at the other end, so they can do their best for me as an O2 employee

My town centre O2 store are very helpful, with one exception only, some years ago I got the Saturday girl, presumably a student trying to earn a crust & she was very unhelpful/terse/talked down to me/just barely did enough to get her pay ..... I don't go on weekends now = very sensible ..... I praise the Skipton O2 store staff & once gave Joe a hyacinth = delft colour (O2 blue) planted up in a glass container ..... = ...... because I felt guilty not in giving him a sale of my still newish Nokia 515 ( as recommended to me by MI5 after I'd answered his question = 'tell us what you want to a mobile for & we'll recommend one for you, and he did = very clever man MI5 is' ..... about the store no sale from me = I bought online ..... did you know O2 store staff are required to make a sale every 15 minutes or else they have their boss on their back ..... hence I gave irish Joe a prezzie & I didn't feel guilty anymore = I just didn't know beforehand the pressure the O2 store staff were under to sell sell sell

Briefly, following on from this thread, but still to do with it 

I recently had cause to contact Sky call centre twice, as my, only one year old Sky box was playing up ie not responding to the remote - tv screen was a plain blue ..... I spole to 2 people on 2 separate occasions & they were both very helpful & got things righted for me, but & I kid you not, when I later wanted to watch the telly = same problem ie wouldn't work ..... I'm not going to ring the O2 call centre again because it must be something I'm doing or not doing ..... my favourite programme atm is of course, at this time of year = Strictly Come Dancing (dancing was my life from aged 7 to 17, when A levels kicked in & in the words of the dancing school proprietor 'put your priorities in order, I do' ..... anyway I have decided to try the tv in advance of SCD & if it works then whooppee ..... I can always watch the live prog Saturday evening & then the results Sunday show sometime later on the BBC iplayer on my laptop

Apologies if I've gone slightly off subject

PS: foreign call centres for one of my online catalogues is absolutely rubbish = I wanted to have a catalogue for my mum to use, but to be delivered to me because I don't want mum to be bothered with pointless mail that comes in the post from catalogue firms & the foreigner thought I was winding her up & got very posh & nasty with me when I refused to give out mum's address ..... I just made a polite thank you & put the phone down                                                                                                                                

thank you, WispaRed7 

---

[Anonymous]

apologies regarding my totally useless post 6 above ..... = ..... I pressed the wrong button