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As I've mentioned in another thread, recently I've got an absolutely non-legit bill from O2 totalling to just over £170. £170 that I don't owe them and that O2 has absolutely no right to claim. It was apparently due to some sort of a "system error", and there were other people getting affected by it for the past couple of years or so.
So, I thought I'd share some thoughts with yous on that one. You're welcome to call me an idealist with large pink goggles glued to my face if that's how you feel 
There's one and only thing, in my opinion, which distinguishes someone who genuinely did not mean any harm from the one who acts maliciously or at least with the absolute disregard to the impact that his actions might have on others.
What is that thing then? Think of it, it's simple...
It's the genuine sense of guilt.
Imagine yourself unintentionally creating a situation where you've made some other innocent person to pay the price. You did not mean it, but it has happened.
What would you do? I know what I'd do. Two things really.
1) I'd make it my top priority to bring everything to how it was before. Doing everything possible, work day and night on it. All it takes.
2) I'd be genuinely sorry. Not in the "oh.." way of being sorry. No, I'd mean it. And if I meant it, I'd done everything to prove it with my actual deeds. I'd go out of my way to compensate the person as much as no court would ever award, be it financially, morally or whatever way necessary.
But that's just me, of course.
However, that's the reason why I don't believe in "unfortunate system errors" lasting for years without getting fixed, I don't believe in "we're sorry" when in order to get the error rectified, one phonecall after another has to be made, when people have to wait for "10 working days" in order to get back the money which were taken off them and which should not have been taken in a first place. No way I would believe in "we do apologize for the inconvenience" when nothing is offered to compensate for that inconvenience, and you have to start another saga of dealing with a complaints team, which means more phone calls, more passing from pillar to post and more stress, in order to get a "goodwill gesture".
I don't believe in "but you gotta understand, it's a big company, there are procedures..." mantra. Procedures don't grow on trees, they are crafted by humang beings, and if what appears to be a cumbersome, akward procedure is being followed for years without being replaced by a more convenient and straightforward equivalent, that means that people behind it are actually quite happy with it, they want it to be and to stay that way.
But again, that's just me.
Vent mode off
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Actually @cyrillicguy it isn't 'just you'....I agree wholeheartedly with everything you say. Maybe this is because all of my working life has been spent in the NHS providing care to patients. System errors won't cut it in my profession...It would mean the difference between life and death. No comparison I know....but it gives an indication of why I have no time for excuses based on 'system errors' 
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@Cleoriff wrote:Actually @cyrillicguy it isn't 'just you'....I agree wholeheartedly with everything you say. Maybe this is because all of my working life has been spent in the NHS providing care to patients. System errors won't cut it in my profession...It would mean the difference between life and death. No comparison I know....but it gives an indication of why I have no time for excuses based on 'system errors'
@Cleoriff, I'd be quite prepared to believe in 'system errors' when we're talking about the very first instances of occurence. However, when the same 'system error' stays on for years without getting fixed, it becomes simply a 'system', without the 'error' bit, a system which for whatever reason suits people responsible for its implementation.
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@Toby wrote:This is a very useful point of discussion @cyrillicguy and you've made some interesting points. I hope everyone else offers their thoughts too, as I'll be sure to send a rundown of this discussion to the wider O2 team.
In what ways would you personally improve such a situation if you had the option? I'm eager to hear your thoughts.
Thanks for your reply here @Toby.
I'd really wish that these kind of feedbacks had some impact on the course O2 (as well as some other companies, as the matter of fact, but this is the O2 forum afterwards) is taking in terms of its attitude to customer service. Without any doubt in terms your own personal good intentions, I'm somehow sceptical in terms of any positive changes though
When it comes to ways of improving things, this is a "hard to tell one", as in order for me to produce a meaningful answer, more intimate knowledge of O2's internal processes would be required, and naturally no one would share that kind of info with me.
However, there are a few random unorganized thoughts, if I may:
1) A straightforward communication in terms of re-occuring "system errors". There's a very recent example here... A customer on a Refresh plan is getting charged an early termination fee after paying off his Device Plan earlier. Clearly, in this instance, "the system" does not distinguish this type of a contract from a "normal" 24m one. This "error" had quite a few repeated occurences in the last couple of years, right? Then why not dedicate a section on the O2 website, where the customers would be notified o a possibility of this happening as well as what can be done should they become victims of this "error" as well as how O2 would compensate them if they did do. A roadmap, indicating O2's progress in terms of applying appropriate fixes, would be a bonus.
2) If the customer logs a complaint, it should not matter what channels he is using to do so - phone, Live Chat etc. In fact, I should be able to walk into any O2 store to log my complaint should if I wanted to. There should be a ticketing system with strict follow up procedures. I log a complaint - a reference number is generated and used all accross the board no matter which exact department is working on a solution (techies, billing etc.). Then there's a need of a constant feedback, especially if the complaint is taking ages to resolve, so the customer does not feel abandoned. Got an open ticket, an unresolved complaint, and a customer has not been updated on it for X days? A courtesy call or email would be appropriate - "Hi, sir/madam, we're still working on it. Here's what we have done. Will get back to you in x days". Got a ticket flagged as "open" for more than Y days? Then "How you doing sir/madam, we're really struggling with this one, we're calling/writing to offer you a discount/free minutes or data as a compensation for the inconvenience"
Things like that... Could probably write a few more but eh... :))
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I think we all have to live with one 'system error' @cyrillicguy It's the nature of any beast after all.
As you say those that go on unchecked for months and years obviously are exceedingly low priority for the companies that allow them. To me this isn't good customer service.....
Fortunately in the NHS any equipment purchased comes with a built in call out proviso. ...so we always get a damn good repair/response time. These suppliers know if they want to keep contracts with the NHS they have to continually be on the ball and provide a better service than their competitors.
It's a pity this ethos and culture isn't so evident with other big companies..
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Talking about ticketing system for complaints:
A dedicated section on MyO2 site, marked "complaints" with all the opened tickets, their references, all the notes on the matter which were left by LiveChat/phone CS folks, updates etc. would perhaps make sense as well
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Re the ticketing system for complaints (or whatever you want to call it)...I agree the repeated number of times the poor customer has to state the same thing over and over again...simply because there is no real system to flag and 'capture' his conversation.
I refer again to the Health service here. Back in the old days you needed to carry a paper trail about with you when visiting hospitals from your GP....or if you had the misfortume to require hospital treatment whilst away. Now by the simple click on a computer...all your treatment scan results...medication etc etc etc...is displayed for the medic you are consulting with at the time
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There should be no need to have to keep repeating the issue, indeed there should be no need to make call after call.
Every phone call is supposed to be logged onto the account in question. Too often an adviser can't be assed to make notes which is totally against o2 policy and training. Unforgiveable but in the age where an adviser has to take x number of calls an hour, understandable to a degree.
However a problem or a complaint should be dealt with on the first point of contact and resolved in the least amount of time possible. Oh, it's not my problem, I'll send an email to accounts later...if I can remember.
That totally aside, why does this keep reoccurring time after time. I will not accept system error, someone in IT is responsible for o2's systems and either want sacking or o2 need to change the outsourced company responsible.
...oh, but it's ok, think of the interest we are earning by holding onto the suckers money for 10 days.
£170 or any other amount is a piddling amount to o2 but to a family it could be the difference in paying a mortgage or a commodity bill and eating or not.
Two years and counting but hey, the shareholders are happy.
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