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Author K700 Vodafone branding - senior level response
stevehulse
W800
Joined: Jul 19, 2004
Posts: 101
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Posted: 2004-08-06 12:31
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I have managed to bypass the customer service operators at Vodafone and contact the Director of Customer Management. I have had several lengthy email exchanges with her, but the bottom line is still "b****r off". I'd be happy to post the emails if anyone is interested, but I thought I might post her email address so she can get a feel from all of you for the size of the problem. If her job is customer management, lets give her some customers to manage - she may find it easier to make the changes than to deal with hundreds of email protests.
Krubach
T39 black
Joined: Dec 05, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: Sunny Portugal! :)
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Posted: 2004-08-06 12:33
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Go on. Let's flood the mailbox... [addsig]
chazam
T68i
Joined: Sep 28, 2002
Posts: 106
From: Essex (UK)
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Posted: 2004-08-06 12:37
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Is there somthig up with the K700i on Vodafone?
I'll NEVER have another Vodafone branded POS after having their T610.
DONT BUY VODAFONE!
Nokia N70
Lembo
Satio Black
Joined: Mar 13, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: East London
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Posted: 2004-08-06 12:39
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We should also send her a list of links about Vodafone branding a what not from Esato.
tednol
T68 gold
Joined: Aug 05, 2004
Posts: 33
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Posted: 2004-08-06 12:43
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I'd be fascinated as to the content of her emails to you if you could please post them!
d7jab
K850 Blue
Joined: Nov 19, 2002
Posts: 15
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Posted: 2004-08-06 12:45
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My mates got the branded vodafone T610, he thought it was the bomb till i got my non branded one out and showed him the graphics and better menu functions...hes currently canceling his order. i refuse to go with Vodafone ever again, they sent me a letter saying your bill will be £1 extra from this month on...rang them, asked why and they didnt have an answer and tried to speel off loads of crap about customer care etc...i said so no ariel boosting or extra things for my tarriff...they said no so i said bye...never again! dont even offer half as much as 02 do!...i know they arnt the best phone Co. in the world but id rather be with them than be stiched up with voda.

[ This Message was edited by: d7jab on 2004-08-06 11:47 ]
chazam
T68i
Joined: Sep 28, 2002
Posts: 106
From: Essex (UK)
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Posted: 2004-08-06 17:10
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@ d7jab
My thoughts on Vodafone are the same and i've ended up with a 02 K700i which is unlocked and completely unbranded. My last Vodafone phone was their lame excuse of a T610. what they did to that phone was un necessasary (poxy Vidafone Live! icon)
I'm very happy with 02 now and my K700i.
Nokia N70
stevehulse
W800
Joined: Jul 19, 2004
Posts: 101
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Posted: 2004-08-10 12:34
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Vodafone's first response to my email:-

Thank you for making me aware of your issues with the K700i and I am sorry that you are so dissatisfied with the product.
This device is one of those in a series of models that Vodafone Group ranges around our global businesses with the added features of our Live ! proposition, content and features. Live! is a service that we have developed to add value for our customers and we certainly don't intend for it to frustrate by reducing the ease of use of the original model.

We are aware from other feedback similar to yours that the icon menu is not sufficiently user friendly and the usability is under review.

Our strategy is to hold one stock line of this model, i.e. the Live ! proposition version. Consideration is being given to holding both stock lines , but there is no conclusion on that point at this stage.

I appreciate you pointing out that our web site had the original product image displayed and this has been corrected.

The MP3 download function is not available until this September when Vodafone will have copyrights. The new software version will be made available to customers who have previously acquired the K700i.In the meantime there are over 5000 polyphonic ringtones available for this device on the Live ! menu.

I assure you that we do take all customer feedback seriously and that these matters are under review. I cannot offer you the manufacturer version of this device ,but I do hope that you will remain with us.
MikLSP
Xperia X10 Black
Joined: Sep 21, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: se-nse.com
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Posted: 2004-08-10 13:22
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Typical corporate response! Pathetic!

Please people learn from this, they're never going to change so the only solution that will bother them is to NEVER buy a Vodafone again!
There's no reason to anyway as other networks have the same handsets & match tariffs.
stevehulse
W800
Joined: Jul 19, 2004
Posts: 101
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Posted: 2004-08-10 13:26
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My reply to Vodafone:-

Thank you for your response to the issues I have raised.

Let me respond to your points one by one.

Firstly, Live ! may add value for certain customers, but by no means all. My point is that having it forced upon us by dedicating 3 buttons and 2 icons is overkill. It also seriously compromises the functionality and appearance of the phone that I thought I was buying.

Secondly, you say that you don't have stock of the original version of the phone. I have been in contact with Sony Ericsson who tell me that they supply the phones to Vodafone in their original state and that you then customise them. Which of you is telling the truth?

Thirdly, the website image has not been corrected. You have changed the original picture of the unbranded phone for one that just shows a photo on the screen rather than the crippled Vodafone model. People will still purchase it believing it to be the original version and you will continue to get these sort of complaints. Customers do their research before making these purchases and will have seen many images of the original K700. Many, like me, will have downloaded the manual to examine the functionality in detail.

Finally, the MP3 issue is not about downloads. It is about the ability to transfer MP3 files to the phone and not only listen to them in the Media Player but also to use them as ringtones. As I said in my original mail, this is a key selling point for this and other new phones which Vodafone has completely removed. I do not want the ability to download MP3 files from Live ! and pay for them, I have plenty of my own I would rather use.

The sheer arrogance that Vodafone is showing over this issue astounds me. You seem to be willing to lose customers just to stand firmly behind your branding. Do you feel that a level of customer churn is the acceptable price of this strategy? Are you willing to lose me as a customer who has spent many hundreds of pounds with you over several years? It seems so.

I am not asking for a refund. All I want is the phone I thought I had ordered. It can't be that difficult
MikLSP
Xperia X10 Black
Joined: Sep 21, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: se-nse.com
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Posted: 2004-08-10 13:33
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Great reply.
Did Voda come back to that one?

se-nse-a-win;Sell Any Item;[url=http://A-ZoTT.com]A-ZoTT.com[/
stevehulse
W800
Joined: Jul 19, 2004
Posts: 101
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Posted: 2004-08-10 13:35
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Yeh, their reply was:-

I apologise that my previous reply has not satisfactorily addressed all of the issues that are of concern to you and I have attempted to respond below, to each of your points.

Vodafone Live!
I appreciate the point that you make regarding the numerous ways of accessing the Live! service. As I mentioned in my previous reply, we are currently reviewing the usability of this menu, which will address the "more" option and the fact that some of the icons have been changed or moved. I can assure you that as part of this review we take into full consideration the extremely helpful feedback that customers such as yourself provide. We also use extensive market research to design and agree the Vodafone branding that is applied to the products. This does mean that unfortunately while some customers find our branding to be "garish" the majority are pleased with the look and feel.

Vanilla Version of the Sony Ericsson K700i
I have contacted our Device Portfolio Management team who have confirmed that the stock is customised at source and that Vodafone order the Live! version from the factory with our settings and customisation. I apologise that you have received conflicting information from ourselves and Sony Ericsson.

Website Image
Clearly in response to your initial correspondence we were keen to remove any image that some people found misleading from our website. I am pleased that this action was taken swiftly and I believe that the key issue was the fact that the non-Vodafone menu was on display, which has been rectified. The current image is a short-term measure that provides customers with an image of the phone to assist their buying choice, in the longer term we intend to replace this image to show the Vodafone menu or the Vodafone logo on the handset. In addition to this we are also changing the text on the website to refer to the fact that all Vodafone's handsets are configured with the Live! menu.

MP3 Player
My apologies as I had misunderstood this point. Upon further investigation I can confirm that Vodafone has decided to restrict the use of unprotected audio files as ringtones in order to protect our customers from inadvertent copyright infringement, and to protect our relationships within the music industry.
The phone has been pre-configured to only allow MP3 files to be set as a ringtone if the consumer has purchased the "rights" to use the content for this purpose. Vodafone do not currently support MP3 ringtones for this device as we require a DRM (Digital Rights Management) facility installed in our network to be able to deliver the "rights" to the consumer. This is explained further in the user guide and it is anticipated that MP3 content will be available for purchase via Live! by September.
Any music (MP3 or AAC) files transferred to the Vodafone variant of the phone from a PC without DRM cannot be set as a ringtone.
While I understand that this decision may restrict the functionality that you had intended for the phone I trust that you can recognise that Vodafone has taken a responsible position in attempting to protect its customers from inadvertent illegal activity.
I hope that I have addressed all of your queries, although I believe that you may not agree with some of the decisions that Vodafone has made. Unfortunately I am unable to authorise the sourcing and supply of a "vanilla" handset from Vodafone, as we would not be in a position to provide the level of post-sales support that you would expect. For example we would have no repair process for the version of software and no buffer stock to offer a replacement. I appreciate that the purchase experience may not have met your expectations and I apologise sincerely for the inconvenience that you have been put to.

As you mention, you do have a 14-day right to cancel, clearly I would prefer you not to take up this option but will appreciate your reasoning should you decide to follow this path.
MikLSP
Xperia X10 Black
Joined: Sep 21, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: se-nse.com
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Posted: 2004-08-10 13:42
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A "Vanilla Version"!!
First time I've heard that term!

I think you should cancel you contract mate, they're doin nothing to actually sort your problems

se-nse-a-win;Sell Any Item;[url=http://A-ZoTT.com]A-ZoTT.com[/
lancs_dreamer
T610
Joined: Aug 10, 2004
Posts: 11
From: Lancashire, United Kingdom
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Posted: 2004-08-10 14:17
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The only way Vodafone will ever learn is if their customers walk. And I am not convinced they will learn even then. I have been a contract customer with Vodafone for eight years, and spend £40-£60 a month with them. Their treatment of me over my branded T610 has made decide to go with O2 from now on. Vodafone WILL NOT listen. If they don't want my money then that's their look out. I have also moved my four children's PAYG phones to O2 so we are all on the same network, so it's a double whammy.

Why do they assume I want to see Vodafone Live when I go online? I don't. It seems to me the only reason they do this is so I might buy some ringtones from them, but I won't. It wouldn't be so bad if I could change the homepage, but I can't. During my contract period using the T610, I have hardly used the internet, as it is simply too much trouble. I did use it a lot with my previous phone (T68i), which is now my second phone on O2 off-peak, and a joy to use compared with the branded T610.

So, roll on O2. Vodafone have a lot to learn about customer service.



[ This Message was edited by: lancs_dreamer on 2004-08-10 13:19 ]

[ This Message was edited by: lancs_dreamer on 2004-08-10 13:24 ]
stevehulse
W800
Joined: Jul 19, 2004
Posts: 101
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Posted: 2004-08-10 14:18
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My final response - Vodafone have chosen not to reply to this one for some reason!!

Vodafone wants to "protect its customers from inadvertent copyright infringement" and "attempt to protect its customers from inadvertent illegal activity". So now Vodafone is my nanny as well as my network provider? Will you be installing movement sensors to stop me using my phone whilst walking in case I trip over, or disabling the camera in case I take a picture of something I shouldn't? Do you think Apple would sell any iPods if they tried to protect their customers in this way? Do you think anyone would buy a VCR if this helpful paternalism were applied?
The week before I bought my K700i from you, I bought a Nokia 6230 on Orange with full functionality. They obviously think I'm a grown-up who can look after himself.
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