Mystery Caller: Apple iPads

The iPad Air and iPad Mini with Retina have arrived and Mystery Caller has decided she wants one. Can the networks help her decide between the devices and suggest a good value plan?

6: Virgin

The CSA dashed most of my hopes when she told me that Virgin does not offer tablets

Manner – 1/5
Understanding – 4/5
Knowledge – 2/5
Helpfulness – 1/5
Clarity – 2/5
Overall – 2/5
Total – 12/30

5: T-Mobile

Lauren was average in her performance – apart from clarity – which was lacking

Manner – 2/5
Understanding – 1/5
Knowledge – 3/5
Helpfulness – 2/5
Clarity – 3/5
Overall – 2/5
Total – 13/30

4: Three

I asked about prices for the iPad Mini with Retina – “I do not have the prices” he said

Manner – 4/5
Understanding – 2/5
Knowledge – 2/5
Helpfulness – 4/5
Clarity – 3/5
Overall – 3/5
Total – 18/30

3: Vodafone

I could sense Brogan wasn’t much of a fan of the Californian manufacturer

Manner – 4/5
Understanding – 3/5
Knowledge – 2/5
Helpfulness – 4/5
Clarity – 3/5
Overall – 3/5
Total – 19/30

2: O2

Once the CSA had gone through alternative tablets it gave us very little to talk about

Manner – 4/5
Understanding – 3/5
Knowledge – 2/5
Helpfulness – 4/5
Clarity – 4/5
Overall – 4/5
Total – 20/30

1: Orange

I could be waiting for as long as 30 days if I ordered it immediately

Manner – 3/5
Understanding – 4/5
Knowledge – 4/5
Helpfulness – 4/5
Clarity – 4/5
Overall – 4/5
Total – 23/30

Summary

Only four of the networks are offering the new iPads, and out of those that are, most of them had limited availability or didn’t know when they would have the iPad Mini with Retina in store.

Virgin and O2 don’t offer the iPads, but only the former let this disadvantage them. O2’s CSA did well to go through both SIM only deals and then alternative tablets in a very pleasant manner.

T-Mobile’s CSA Lauren was a little unpleasant which saw her placed at the bottom of the pile rather than at the top like sister company Orange, which unlike the other networks could offer me both devices and provide pricing information.

Full article in Mobile News issue 553 (December 2, 2013).

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