Mystery Caller: 4G ready devices

Mystery Caller wants to be ‘4G ready’ but doesn’t want to shell out for a high-end device. What have the networks got to offer when it comes to mid-tier 4G devices, and how good are they at selling them?

6: Three

This call was hardly worth the one minute I spent waiting to speak to a CSA – Shawn was polite but obviously didn’t know much at all

Manner – 3/5
Understanding – 2/5
Knowledge – 1/5
Helpfulness – 3/5
Clarity – 3/5
Overall – 3/5
Total – 15/30

5: Orange

Johnny could have tried to disguise how deflated he felt when I said I wanted more time to shop around before committing

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

4: T-Mobile

Suzanne told me that the coverage in my area is very good. Sadly, I have a 4G test device at home which begs to differ

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

3: Virgin

This was a good performance from Virgin, which usually comes last in Mystery Caller

Manner – 4/5
Understanding – 4/5
Knowledge – 3/5
Helpfulness – 4/5
Clarity – 3/5
Overall – 3/5
Total – 22/30

2: Vodafone

Alex’s product knowledge and ability to compare key specs was very good… I wish he had known more about 4G pricing though

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

1: O2

Mike finished with a defence of the operator’s 3G network, saying: ‘Even though 4G is coming, we haven’t stopped investing in 3G’

Manner – 5/5
Understanding – 5/5
Knowledge – 4/5
Helpfulness – 4/5
Clarity – 4/5
Overall – 4/5
Total – 26/30

Summary

As the networks’ 4G launches draw closer, their CSAs should really be looking to push compatible devices.

However, the CSA at Three seemed reluctant to sell me anything, while Johnny at Orange and Suzanne at T-Mobile undid the advantage they got from parent

EE (which has already launched 4G) by failing to maintain a helpful manner throughout the call.

Virgin put in a good performance despite not having a great product offering to begin with, and could have won in different circumstances.

Vodafone’s CSA did well to give me two solid recommendations, but Mike at O2 beat him to first place by knowing a lot not only about the devices, but also about O2’s plans for launching 4G.

Full article in Mobile News issue 541 (June 17, 2013).

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