Things you hate about working in the mobile phone industry.

chrislad

That's completely different. In all fairness, copying numbers takes all of 30 seconds from sim to sim. Every store I've worked in/gone to has a sim copier. If the sim doesn't hold all the numbers, I tell them tough luck, that I can only copy what's on the sim. A customer I once had had over 500 contacts so I ended up having to do 3 sim copies due to the limited number of space on the sim. I warned her that it would get confusing and I could mess it up and I would not take liability for it, but she still insisted I do it. One of the copies went bad and she lost 250 numbers and went crazy, called me an idiot and I just told her that I was done with her, and asked her to leave and told her she was informed of the risks beforehand. Any more than one sim swap and it gets messy. Besides, everyone should have their numbers backed on on their PC.

I have mine backed up on a sim card, memory card, MobileMe, Time Machine and Address Book on my iMac!!!

metalfest

and if you need 500+ contacts having them backed up should be a priority

drunkmonkey

Why can Irish Sims only hold 250 numbers, this is one thing that really <snip> me off about working in the irish mobile phone industry....

what evey happend to Samsung and there 1gb sims...?

http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/news/news.phtml/5455/6479/samsung-unveils-1GB-SIM-card.phtml

krudler

when theres an issue with sms,something minor that affects it for an hour or two, and you'd swear it was the end of the world, people seem to forget that phones make, y'know, phone calls as well....

ageary08

chrislad wrote: »

That's completely different. In all fairness, copying numbers takes all of 30 seconds from sim to sim. Every store I've worked in/gone to has a sim copier. If the sim doesn't hold all the numbers, I tell them tough luck, that I can only copy what's on the sim. A customer I once had had over 500 contacts so I ended up having to do 3 sim copies due to the limited number of space on the sim. I warned her that it would get confusing and I could mess it up and I would not take liability for it, but she still insisted I do it. One of the copies went bad and she lost 250 numbers and went crazy, called me an idiot and I just told her that I was done with her, and asked her to leave and told her she was informed of the risks beforehand. Any more than one sim swap and it gets messy. Besides, everyone should have their numbers backed on on their PC.

Id have told her thats a no can do, I think its fair considering contact copying is offered as a free service, but copying 200 contacts from the phone to the sim 3 times would take an age. And yea, if you have 500 contacts not only do you need them backed up you probably also need a decent phone that can send them via bluetooth.

danger mouse

ageary08 wrote: »

Id have told her thats a no can do, I think its fair considering contact copying is offered as a free service, but copying 200 contacts from the phone to the sim 3 times would take an age. And yea, if you have 500 contacts not only do you need them backed up you probably also need a decent phone that can send them via bluetooth.

the shop i work in doesnt have a sim copier. So when i port someone it can be a pain in the ass moving all their contacts, as most phones are sim locked. This is when the trusty nok6300cpw comes in handy. move them to the spare phone then across too the new handset. would only do it for bill pay customers tho lol. With pre pay i just make up some excuse.

Worse bit of copying i ever had to do was for this lady who had pics of her still born baby on her phone and wanted them moved over to her new phone. FFS that was pretty messed up i have to say.

krudler

I did have a woman ROAR at me down the phone as we sent her recently deceased husband a bill, but she never rang to tell us so we could close his account, now granted this sort of thing would be pretty low on your to do list when coping with a death but she just couldnt see how it was possible we had no idea her husband died

Its always funny when people register prepay phones under made up names, i had a Harry Potter account once and the guy was looking for his website password reset, something we cant do without confirming name and d.o.b, so i was unableto help him under Mr Potter was able to confirm his details lol

danger mouse

Just thinking about it there and i have to say i feel sorry for people who have to Answer phones in a phone shop or network call centre. People are freaks on the phone. i was covering in a shop that hasnt got a divert to call centre in place and got this freak ringing the shop asking us if we could tell who was listening to his phone calls, he started going on about how he taught someone was tapping his phone and listening to his convo's with other people on the phone. Some taxi driver he was. i taught it was a wind up at first, but after a few minutes on the phone with him i released he was a paro nut job.

brophis

Customer: (walks into shop and hands me a phone) My phone's not working, fix it.
Me: Turns on phone.
Customer: Stunned as phone lights up.
Me: You turned your phone off ya dummy!

Customer rings shop looking to sign a bill pay contract and wondering what they need to bring with them. I tell them a valid photo i.d. and proof of address dated within 3 months and be sure it's dated within 3 months, that's from [insert date 3 months previous] onwards. Customer: "Ok thanks, i'll see you later". Customer and partner/child arrives in store later with bill more than a year out of date and starts to create a fuss, "I was never told it had to be in date..."

Customer: I got a 3g modem and having some trouble with it
Me: On which network?
Custmoer: 3g...

Me: Which network are you on?
Customer: 086 but i have an 087 number and i was on 085 but i buy 3 credit cause i'm actually 083

Good times! Legendary thread btw

Random

There's some whacky storys out there alright and then there's the usual ones you get day in day out.

I have someone hand a phone to me saying it wasn't working. I opened the back cover and water poored out all over me and onto the counter. She then told me she dropped it down the toilet and had brought it straight to the shop. Thank you very much miss, I'll just go wash my hands please get out of my sight !!!!!

Those people who doesn't listen when you give them precise instructions on what to bring back in stating it has to be x months old, in date, have photo, etc. You come back off lunch 2hrs later to hear them arguing with a colleague telling your colleague that you told them an 8 year old student ID and a letter from their mother would suffice.

There's the people who simply won't take no for an answer when you tell them they can't upgrade someone elses bill phone and renew their contract for them. These people I just stopped entertaining at one point and "no sir, I'm not calling anyone for you. I cannot do an upgrade for you, go away now please".

I hate customers who come in and quote their consumer rights (one's they've made up because their mate Johnny told them about this one time.. in band camp ...) and then threaten to sue you (and which point you invite them to take on your companys legal team). They always come back 2hrs later to take the offer you were giving them and act like they weren't a cnut earlier on!

So many people get abusive over nonsense things that it's unbelieveable. The amount of times I've told the customer I won't be serving them any longer and that if they have a problem with that they can chat ot the friendly security guy standing at the door is unbelieveable..

Agree with Chrislads comments about copying numbers too.. there's a line you get to where you've really done more than you should be doing for the customer and all you get back is abuse in return.

Me: Which network are you on?
Customer: 086 but i have an 087 number and i was on 085 but i buy 3 credit cause i'm actually 083

So true

How many customers have you had not be happy wiuth a refund on a faulty phone? I don't understand some people. This person wanted compensation for the phone she bought this morning that was faulty and was now not working. I didn't have any more in stock so I offered full refund and to transfer back stuff to their old phone (which was in pwo) but they were unhappy!!!!

I did get fed up of the line "I'm telling you this is how it is. Would you like to speak to customer care who will tell you the same thing I just did?". People just don't listen.

Bah .. too many to bitch and moan about .. it's getting late .. I'll write some more later !

chrislad

I've had people asking me for travel expenses because their phone was faulty and they had to come to the store to exchange it or send for repair.

"I'm over an hours drive away! Why isn't the shop closer?"

"I'm sorry. Can you contact our head office with your address and I'll get them to move us"

krudler

The travel expenses one is hilarious, would you like us to refund you the time and effort it took to come buy the phone in the first place? moron

Teenagers are the worst, epecially when it comes to unlocking their phones
"yeah i have an 085 sim from an new phone but i want to use it in my old 086 phone but its locked, i bought it as an upgrade but not on this number on my 087 number and i want to register it to my 086 number and get the code so i can use my 083 number in it" um.....can you say that again

people who have a problem with their phone, then ring in ON THAT PHONE
"oh my bluetooth wont work"

and you expect me to push the big red Fix Everything button i have on my desk to make it work do you?while you're talking on the phone? hmm? do you expect a mechanic to be able to fix your car while your driving it around town? go away now silly person

and old people....:mad:
"how do i send a text?
ok go into menu
"wait you're going too fast! where?"
menu...
"wheres that?"
see the words MENU on the screen? push the button right underneath that
"under the screen? but it doesnt come off?"
no on the phone but vertically down from the part of the screen with MENU written on it
"oh right yeah, ok now what"
go into MESSAGES
"settings?"
no MESSAGES
"contacts?"
MEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEEEEESS!!!!
"oh right love, now?"
go into WRITE NEW
"ok"
o know type in your message
"when i type its making funny words appear!"
you have predicitve text turned on
"what what now?, god i'm so useless hee hee!"
quite...

cue ten minutes of trying to turn off predicto text, all the while with me trying to papercut my wrists open to ease me from the daily hell i go through

why phone manufacturers make manuals is beyond me since nobody ever thinks to read them, the amount of time people have said "oh they should tell you how to do this on the phone" to which i reply "well there is an instruction manual" and i get "ah sure who reads them ha ha sure if we all knew how to use my phones you wouldnt have a job, ho ho!" yes and by not listening to your dumb ass I'd be doing something worthwhile with my life!

MunsterCycling

Great thread btw but it seems that most people working in the industry are either there too long and need a break or are just plain uninterested in customer service and should really move away from the sales area altogether.

My 2c.

MC

krudler

MunsterCycling wrote: »

Great thread btw but it seems that most people working in the industry are either there too long and need a break or are just plain uninterested in customer service and should really move away from the sales area altogether.

My 2c.

MC

But this isnt a thread about the great customers, theres plenty of them but they're few and far between , you'll sometimes get calls from people who are intelligent, actually listen to what you're saying instead of butting in with questions abut things you were going to tell them anyway if theyd just listen and get the fact that screaming down a phone over something thats easily fixed isnt the way to go, most people are complete morons when it comes to their phones and act like children when they ring customer care, its not being uninterested its the fact that talking to the same idiots about the same thing 50 times a day is draining

Rsaeire

As with most things in life, bad experiences tend to be remembered more often than the good experiences. It's s shame, but that's how it is.

I also agree with the previous post. The thread is pretty self explanatory so one can't expect stories of happy customers and the happy, helpful staff that assisted them in this particular thread.

ageary08

krudler wrote: »

and old people....:mad:
"how do i send a text?
ok go into menu
"wait you're going too fast! where?"
menu...
"wheres that?"
see the words MENU on the screen? push the button right underneath that
"under the screen? but it doesnt come off?"
no on the phone but vertically down from the part of the screen with MENU written on it
"oh right yeah, ok now what"
go into MESSAGES
"settings?"
no MESSAGES
"contacts?"
MEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEEEEESS!!!!
"oh right love, now?"
go into WRITE NEW
"ok"
o know type in your message
"when i type its making funny words appear!"
you have predicitve text turned on
"what what now?, god i'm so useless hee hee!"
quite...

cue ten minutes of trying to turn off predicto text, all the while with me trying to papercut my wrists open to ease me from the daily hell i go through

why phone manufacturers make manuals is beyond me since nobody ever thinks to read them, the amount of time people have said "oh they should tell you how to do this on the phone" to which i reply "well there is an instruction manual" and i get "ah sure who reads them ha ha sure if we all knew how to use my phones you wouldnt have a job, ho ho!" yes and by not listening to your dumb ass I'd be doing something worthwhile with my life!

In fairness though, most old people (is there anyway to say with out sounding like a 16 year old ) do struggle with technology, I think its one of those things that will always happen, it still really annoying sure, but at the same time I don't think they fall in the same category as rude or abusive customers.

As for something worthwhile with your life, ah cmon, did ye really expect to find it in a phone shop .

seclachi

I might be in here next, my father isnt much use at technology himself, he actually had one of those easy to use phones they had out a while back. Anyway he was due an upgrade so I thought instead of him getting a basic €100 phone for free, id get one of the more expensive models for free for meself and buy him the basic phone separately. So we marched into the shop together and my dad announced he needed an upgrade and pointed out the fancy phone, yer man took one look at his fisher price phone and made a beeline for the most basic model he could find. We tried to convice him that my dad wanted the more expensive model for the organiser. Id say he knew full well what was going on, especially at the end when I said " oh yea, he travels to alot of countrys outside the eu, so could he get the phone unlocked" . My friend did something similar recently, so I guess its a common enough occurance.

One thing that struck me was that when your man thought my dad wanted it he was big on trying to get the basic phone and he mentioned he gets alot of customers who dont know how to use the phone with a touch screen, Id say thats a big problem for them.

krudler

Oh i get that old people are afraid of technology, but it annoys me that they blanket refuse to even attempt to leanr how to do something, even a quick read of a manual can solve most issues, the people who are amazed that turning their phone off to simply refresh their number on the network are funny, as if the fact you havent turned off an electronic device once in the months you've had it wouldnt some way affect it, do you leave your tv turned on 24/7? no!

people who cant read their imei number baffle me
"its printed under the battery, its a 15 digit number that begins with 35..."
"is this it?model 6300"
"no its a 15 digt number, starts with 35"
"EAB56?"
"15 digits, starts with 35...."
"not its not here, i own the only phone with no imei number"
"15...digits...starts...with...35"
"oh yeah i have it! 244556"
"gaaaaagghhhhhhhhh!"

120_Minutes

or when they cant put in credit.

"can you put that in for me love, i'm hopeless with it"

so you cant dial 1741, press 2, key in the voucher number I'VE CIRCLED FOR YOU then press hash.

its as hard as japanese algebra alright.

drunkmonkey

120_Minutes wrote: »

or when they cant put in credit.

"can you put that in for me love, i'm hopeless with it"

so you cant dial 1741, press 2, key in the voucher number I'VE CIRCLED FOR YOU then press hash.

its as hard as japanese algebra alright.

I put them on speaker phone so everyone can hear their balance and see how little credit they have, I make it look so simple, they nearly feel ashamed for being so retarded....:)

+1
for mobile top up surcharges

krudler

people who ring while on a carkit piss me right off, ok if its a quick call about a puk or something but people who are barelling down the n7 at 100kmh and ring to go through their bill history and tariff options, wtf?! isnt that the type of thing you sort of need to pay attention to?

mobileplaza

120_Minutes wrote: »

or when they cant put in credit.

"can you put that in for me love, i'm hopeless with it"

so you cant dial 1741, press 2, key in the voucher number I'VE CIRCLED FOR YOU then press hash.

its as hard as japanese algebra alright.

don't mind putting it on for punters but when i offer to show them, they cant be arsed learning that really gets my goat!!

aslo the dumb questions

any of the ready steady go cards!
any slim cards!!

i think there should be a license given to use phones!!

120_Minutes

or the brad pitt from snatch types (most pc way of describing them)

"any 086 chips boss"

me: "sure" under my breath: "salt and vinegar?"

tony1kenobi

1.

The Mark: "The battery on this phone is sh*te.I bought 4 phones from you and they are sh*te.I'll never buy here again"

Me: "If you trade in that phone I'll knock 50 quid off a new one"

The Mark:"Ok"

Me: "See you in 3 months dip****".

2.

Punter: I want a memory card for my phone"

Me:"Ok, would you like a 1 or a 2 gig card"

Punter:"How much will a 1 gig hold"

Me:"About half as much as a 2 gig"

Punter:"I'll take the 2 gig"

Me:"cock"

3.

Punter:"Why do you need a photo ID"

Me:"I used to just photocopy faces till someone went blind"

4.

Punter:"Do you have this phone"

Me:"I'm out of those"

Punter:"Can I buy this one"

Me:"That's a dummy phone, it isn't real"

Punter:"But can I buy it?"

Me:"Course you can dickhead, one million dollars and I'll throw in the blue sticky thing"

AlmightyCushion

tony1kenobi wrote: »

1.

The Mark: "The battery on this phone is sh*te.I bought 4 phones from you and they are sh*te.I'll never buy here again"

Me: "If you trade in that phone I'll knock 50 quid off a new one"

The Mark:"Ok"

Me: "See you in 3 months dip****".

2.

Punter: I want a memory card for my phone"

Me:"Ok, would you like a 1 or a 2 gig card"

Punter:"How much will a 1 gig hold"

Me:"About half as much as a 2 gig"

Punter:"I'll take the 2 gig"

Me:"cock"

3.

Punter:"Why do you need a photo ID"

Me:"I used to just photocopy faces till someone went blind"

4.

Punter:"Do you have this phone"

Me:"I'm out of those"

Punter:"Can I buy this one"

Me:"That's a dummy phone, it isn't real"

Punter:"But can I buy it?"

Me:"Course you can dickhead, one million dollars and I'll throw in the blue sticky thing"

Cheers, I nearly wet myself reading that.

drunkmonkey

<snip>

drunkmonkey

I fuppin hate Meteor and their "Data Protection" I had 3 pissed off customers today over that...

Feckin cheap skates, their getting away with not giving genuine customers upgrade credit all in the name of data protection...

Did I mention i fuppin hate meteor..

Sam if your listening, try and defend their data protection policy and i'll bop u:D

Sam Vimes

drunkmonkey wrote: »

I fuppin hate Meteor and their "Data Protection" I had 3 pissed off customers today over that...

Feckin cheap skates, their getting away with not giving genuine customers upgrade credit all in the name of data protection...

Did I mention i fuppin hate metero..

Sam if your listening, try and defend their data protection policy and i'll bop u:D

3 Rock Ohh Ya!!

emmm, it's not so much their policy as a legal requirement and if 3 aren't following the same policy you should report them to the data protection commissioner

what exactly did they do? i take it you were trying to get people's pins to register their new phones and they couldn't provide the registered name, address, dob and some recently dialled numbers?

drunkmonkey

Sam Vimes wrote: »

what exactly did they do? i take it you were trying to get people's pins to register their new phones and they couldn't provide the registered name, address, dob and some recently dialled numbers?

They didn't know their pin numbers and meteor refused to talk to them without it......stupid, stupid, company...

DOB wouldn't do, last 3 numbers would't do, address wouldn't do.....like come on what they hell are they up to......same thing a few weeks ago, couldn't replace a sim for a guy or get him upgrade credit...

they are horrible to deal with, much prefer 3, Voda and 02....at least they have some bit of cop on....

Sam Vimes

drunkmonkey wrote: »

They didn't know their pin numbers and meteor refused to talk to them without it......stupid, stupid, company...

well that's just not true. quite often i've called up requesting people's pins and i've called without knowing the pin literally hundreds of times.

if you don't know the pin they ask for either two recently dialled numbers or the last top up amount or date. if that's not what happened when you called you either got someone on their first day or they took a dislike to you

drunkmonkey wrote: »

they are horrible to deal with, much prefer 3, Voda and 02....at least they have some bit of cop on....

bwahahahahahahahahahahahaha, no they don't. two days ago i called 3 about an issue that's been going on since may. the first thing he suggested was turn your phone off and on, baring in mind i had just told him the issue started in may.

then he took loads of details, eg phone model (irrelevant to the problem) and where i had the problem (irrelevant to the problem, ie everywhere) and did not ask one single relevant question. i had to volunteer the information he'd need to fix the problem.

he said the technical department would call me back. then i got a call back yesterday from someone who asked me all the same irrelevant questions and said i'd get another call back. sure, they know exactly what they're doing

and just in case it wasn't clear from the above, this wasn't the first time i'd called. They've been trying and failing to solve the issue since i first reported it in may