Here’s the scenario:
I have a Vodafone Prepaid number – registered in my name – which my Dad was using whenever he visited Australia.
As he now lives here and has 100 points of ID we tried to change the ownership from me to him.
Knowing that there would be an ID check I thought it best to go into a store and do it face to face.
#Mistake Number 1 – don’t do it on a saturday just after a new iPhone has been launched!
Vodafone Chadstone – nice staff – they took my name and we were seen within 10 minutes. The store was busy – so I have no gripes about waiting my turn!
The chap who served us was polite and appeared to understand what we were trying do – change the phone number from being under my name to my dad’s name.
To me this should just be a change to first name, last name, address and date of birth fields – as it’s a pre-paid account there is no contract and history is hardly relevant.
Okay – so Vodafone would rather create a new account. – No big deal.
We provided all the ID and information as requested.
Our customer service guy dialled up a number on his iPhone and held it to his ear with his shoulder – other than the odd “password”, “date of birth” type question the next 20+ minutes were silent. Much typing from him and 3 disappearances into the back of the shop – I assume at least one of these was to do some photocopying.
The visit ended with him telling us that:
a) the transaction couldn’t occur on a weekend
b) the transaction would be processed on Monday
c) it could take up to 48 hours to process
d) we would receive a text on that phone number when it had happened – “sometime on Wednesday”
We left and thought no more of it until Wednesday.
#Mistake Number 2 – not having that exchange and proof what had occurred in writing.
Wednesday – No text.
Call to Vodafone on Thursday indicated there was no change of ownership – I wonder what that half hour in the store was for then?
Assurance that it would happen within 24 hours.
#Mistake Number 3 – not getting customer service to email proof that conversation has occurred and that an action is pending.
24 hours later still not completed.
1 more call and by 3pm on Friday – 6 days after we started the process the number is in dad’s name.
Surely the store visit should have been enough? Having to make a follow up call that similarly fails to get the job done is another step too far?
Well I should have learned from my experiences with the various customer service calls I had to make in July that Vodafone Australia doesn’t seem to get much right first time or second.