O2 website, what a joke

Tom Dunne

Gillie wrote:

I've been using the site a lot in the last month for the free txts. It is infinately better!
Happy Camper for now.

Wait and see what it will be like on Tuesday morning, around 10:00am.

:rolleyes:

TempestSabre

RainyDay wrote:

I was thinking about switching back from Meteor to O2 due to frustrations with the limitations of the Meteor free web texts. The basic service works, but there is;

- no facility to send paid texts when you use up your monthly allocation of free texts
- no facility to schedule texts to be sent a predefined times
- no facility to send texts to groups of more than 30 members

The Meteor facility has a pretty cumbersome interface, with multiple unnecessary clicks.

But based on the problems reported on this thread, I'm having second thoughts. Was this a one-off problem with O2, or are their ongoing issues?

I use a 3rd party app for my meteor webtexts which gets around the clunky interface. My main bugbear with the Meteor webtext is its Ireland only, and I text the UK quite a bit. But at least its fast. Sometimes txt messages seem to be delayed though. Why do you need those three features, seems like that some very heavy usage there.

I was on O2 and switched during 2006 because the website was unusable most of the time. So any advantage in being able to txt the UK is lost if you can't use the site.

RainyDay

TempestSabre wrote:

I use a 3rd party app for my meteor webtexts which gets around the clunky interface.

Which one, if you don't mind me asking?

I got an O2 sim pack over Xmas, with a view to sending my outgoing texts via O2 instead of Meteor. But I'm concerned that if I start sending texts from the O2 number, my target audience will start calling/texting me on the O2 number. I can set up my voicemail to instruct callers to ring my Meteor phone, but is there any way that I can redirect texts to my Meteor phone?

My target audience is pretty much not tech-savvy, so simple solutions are important.

lfc1892

I use the webtext and the site in general on a Mac, with both Firefox 2.0 and Safari. I rarely have any trouble. I mainly use it over GPRS using a mobile phone (3G) as a modem.

One point, I don't think it was fair to publish the reply received from o2 with the Customer Care Agents name on it

johnny_adidas

well, seeing as i started the thread i may as well update, as of friday i changed to meteor and now have free calls and texts to the missus anyway. logged onto their webtext page today and its so much faster, so far i havent looked back. even got myself a nice W810i for 29 euro.

Random

RainyDay wrote:

Which one, if you don't mind me asking?

I got an O2 sim pack over Xmas, with a view to sending my outgoing texts via O2 instead of Meteor. But I'm concerned that if I start sending texts from the O2 number, my target audience will start calling/texting me on the O2 number. I can set up my voicemail to instruct callers to ring my Meteor phone, but is there any way that I can redirect texts to my Meteor phone?

My target audience is pretty much not tech-savvy, so simple solutions are important.

You can't divert texts. I wish some network would bring that out.

Mad Dog

Damn O2 site, been getting login error page on every attempt to login all week now :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

Random

Mad Dog wrote:

Damn O2 site, been getting login error page on every attempt to login all week now :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

The O2 helpline has an automated recording about it .. so I guess you're not the only one.

Webmonkey

Being that way all day now what a joke

DublinDan

Down again! I am seriously getting fed up of this website. I switched from Vodafone middle of last year and have had persistent problems with O2.ie. If these problems continue I'm going back to Vodafone or trying Meteor / 3 or whoever will give a free text service that works!

Random

DublinDan wrote:

Down again! I am seriously getting fed up of this website. I switched from Vodafone middle of last year and have had persistent problems with O2.ie. If these problems continue I'm going back to Vodafone or trying Meteor / 3 or whoever will give a free text service that works!

Vodafone are expensive with a bloated website. 3 don't give you any texts. Meteor website seems quick and reliable from what I'm told and my limited experience with the My Account features of it.

Come on O2 - sort out your website!

Webmonkey

If o2 would sort out their damn website the company would be the best by far to be with. At least against Vodafone and 3

donutface

what bugs me is that they have the time to be blocking IP addresses in order to save profits, but not the time to create a reliable site. Heck even my AFT site is more dependable than them!

Sizzler

I swapped from 02 to Vodafone a few months ago (their poxy website being a huge driver) and have to say theres no comparison in terms of webtext. Id be a heavy enough user for the free text option, purely as its convenient when online instead of fiddling with the tiny buttons on my N70! Yeah Im sure voda website has its problems but speed and doing what its supposed to isnt one of them.

o2 seem to spend more time TRYING to look good then actually investing the cash in becoming good. A bit like BT2, great stuff in the window but fook all when you get inside

O2Feedback

Hi All

My name is Emer Mc Ginley and I'm the complaints manager with O2 Ireland.

I'm really dis-appointed to read about everyone disastisfaction with this aspect of our service in these threads.

I know the online experience since we upgrade the website in May has been far from perfect.

Let me assure you, huge amounts of money and effort is being pumped in to stabilise the website.

I mentioned some of the background in a previous thread but again I can totally understand that many of you want to use the website as your main touchpoint with O2 ... and so can also understand the resulting frustration when you can't use the website.

I'm really sorry for the poor experience you've had and can only re-assure you that we're doing everything possible to make it a better experience.

If you'd like to talk to me about your experience please email me at Emer.McGinley@o2.com

I'd love to hear from you...

Best Rgds
Emer


Best Rgds
Emer

johnny_adidas

as the thread starter, id like to respond
can you explain how the website runs perfectly well when you try to access areas like the o2 shop, however, webtexts was constantly down?
id also like to point out, as has been touched upon already, if you are still struggling to get a website running since may of last year, a few heads really do need to roll!!!
anyways, im off now to send a webtext on meteor who i changed to over the feastive season due to webtext probs and also the fact that o2 decided to give pay as you go customers 1c calls at weekends and ignored their pay monthly customers.

Tom Dunne

johnny_adidas wrote:

as the thread starter, id like to respond
can you explain how the website runs perfectly well when you try to access areas like the o2 shop, however, webtexts was constantly down?

You know, this is probably the most pertinent point.

It has been incredibly difficult to send texts, but anything to do with giving O2 money (as mentioned above, shop, upgrading, etc.) seems to work without problem.

A cynic would say this is what O2 intended, but this doesn't help O2's customer relations.

center15

I think its shows good will that 02 have actually responded on boards as opposed to ignoring us as most companies do. But I do agree that 02 have screwed over the pay monthly customers while the prepay customers get all the good deals and offers. The website has improved recently but it's still hit and miss at times which is ridiculous, in the time frame since the new website has rolled out and whole new website could have been rolled out again. I really hope 02 sorts out this once and for all because my bills have actually increased due to the fact I can't even be bothered checking to see if the 02 webtext is up such is my lack of confidence in it. I'm going to look at swapping networks when my current contract is up.

O2Feedback

Hi Guys

Firstly I'd just like to say that I don't monitor this on a full time basis so if you do want to discuss anything please email me directly on the address provided in the previous thread.

Johnny_adidas - I'm really sorry to hear that you left O2 as a result of the online experience. It certainly was not intended to annoy customers to the point that they would switch networks and I'm sorry that it has done so

Center15 - let me assure you that we have not forgotten pay monthly customers. We have excellent new price plans available to all of our pay monthly customers. If you'd like to contact me personally I'd be happy to review your account and see if a different tariff would reduce your bills. I sincerely urge you not to leave O2, we would hate to lose you!

Tom_Dunne - I won't pretend to be a technical expert as I am not so I cannot give you an exact answer. But again, please contact me with your email address etc and I'll see if I can get someone more technical to explain this.

Best Regards
Emer

Sizzler

Emer,as Im sure most people will echo here fair play to you for addressing the issues raised and your willingness to take ownership of same.

If you havent done so already Id recommend you take some time out to read back through all the pages here and the underlying issue people have is dreadful performance of the webtext functionality of the site, this is coupled with regular downtime for maintenance(which never seems to yield any tangible improvements) and sometimes the site is never accessible at all, which seems to be down to capacity issues.

I'm glad that you have taken the time ro recognise the issues on the site as Im sure people are embarrassed to be calling customer care agents all the time as with all due respect to them they can do little to fix it or pacify the customer apart from read out a standard script they have been given.

As an ex-customer of o2 I can tell you one of the main reasons I churned was the performance of the webtext function and the site as a whole, not because it was saving me money but more so of its convenience when in work etc. Its simply astounding that despite all the money that has been pumped into the project you havent been able to get the technical element right or get decent people in to adequately resource the problems in web development and operations. From the outside looking in its poor that this isnt taken seriously as a communications company.And also the fact that customers need to point out there issues on here to the obvious failings is a bit of a shortfall in the customer service arena in my opinion.

I digress slightly but another reason for leaving was the awful coverage on the M50 which I reported more than once over a 2 year period and still no tangible improvement. Try driving the length of the M50 one day and see if you can hold a call, you are GUARANTEED to drop it at least twice between Dundrum and toll bridge and then again just before the Finglas exit. In fact I was on to your customer service people one day in the car whilst on the M50 to report the issue in the hope it would be recognised as valuable customer feedback, and guess what my call dropped

I hope you take the above comments constructively in the spirit they were intended.

Best of luck.

Random

Forgive me for being skeptical, but how do we verify you are an O2 employee and are speaking for the company?

O2Feedback

Thanks Sizzler

Your feedback is indeed taken as intended. I genuinely do want to hear your feedback!

I've read through all of the threads and can completely understand the frustrations of everyone who has posted.

I'm sorry to hear that you also left O2 Sizzler, it really is shame and something I wish we could have avoided.

I'm sure you can appreciate that from a business point of view I cannot go into the detail of what happened during, and since, the upgrade; and more importantly I understand that I'm sure you're not overly concerned with that and just want the webtext service to be reliable.

Given the nature of my job I demand a high level of customer service myself so I can certainly understand how you, as a customer, would view the difficulties we have had. That said (and without trying to sound like a parrot) the performance of the site is improving and will continue to improve. We are more than aware that the webtext facility is a big customer favourite so we are working hard to ensure the service is available to you 24/7.

I've passed on the feedback you and others have given today and in previous threads (and that doesn't mean it's gone to a black hole!)

Again all I can ask is that you stick with us while we continue to improve the service!

Best Regards
Emer

O2Feedback

Hi Ciaranfo

The complaints team in O2 report directly to me.

You can contact me directly on Emer.McGinley@o2.com if you'd like to discuss anything specific on your own account or pass on any personal feedback


Best Rgds
Emer

dr.bollocko

the email address is an o2.com. Thats the suffix that O2 business uses. as opposed to .ie for customers. For a start.

dr.bollocko

Also if she was a troll, surely that would be the dullest trolling ever, no?

miju

Sizzler wrote:

As an ex-customer of o2 I can tell you one of the main reasons I churned was the performance of the webtext function and the site as a whole, not because it was saving me money but more so of its convenience when in work etc.

exactly the reason myself , girlfriend and a fair few of my friends moved to vodafone and some to meteor

i personally find it incredible that a site can be rolled out with the functionality the 02 site has , fair enough things have to go through a beta release period but not the length that the o2 site has

Random

dr.bollocko wrote:

the email address is an o2.com. Thats the suffix that O2 business uses. as opposed to .ie for customers. For a start.

I don't doubt it as much as I just need some proof. I think you're right re the email address, but anyone can come on boards and post someone elses email address. I guess I wanted some sort of official clarification that the user is posting as a rep of O2 ireland.

Sherifu

We're gonna need to see a badge!

Sizzler

Ah in fairness lads give it a rest, I doubt very much if someone would come on here going to so much effort to defend o2 to such an extent and give out their details if they were not genuine. Take it at face value and if you have something to say that will help them improve the service they offer then Im sure Emer and co will be glad to hear it !

BostonB

Sizzler wrote:

....the underlying issue people have is dreadful performance of the webtext functionality of the site, this is coupled with regular downtime for maintenance(which never seems to yield any tangible improvements) and sometimes the site is never accessible at all
...
As an ex-customer of o2 I can tell you one of the main reasons I churned was the performance of the webtext function and the site as a whole, not because it was saving me money but more so of its convenience when in work etc. ...

Its why I changed from O2 aswell. One of reasons why I switched to O2 originally and one differences between O2 and other operators is that you can webtxt the UK. But I quickly realised because the webtext is unusable the ability to webtext UK, or indeed anyone at all doesn't exist.

I don't believe there's any real desire in fixing it. If there was it would have been fixed in a month. Its not rocket science.

Tbh its like web retailers whom you can always get if you ring the sales line. But the support line is always queued. Same motivation.

Talk is cheap, unless it webtxt apparently.