Mystery Caller: spare handsets

Mystery Caller can’t live without her mobile – which is worrying as she has a habit of losing things. She wants a spare handset should anything happen to her main device

6: O2

The CSA spoke so quickly and inarticulately it was impossible to understand him – I’m sure he was eating his lunch while he was on the phone to me

Manner – 1/5
Understanding – 2/5
Knowledge – 3/5
Helpfulness – 2/5
Clarity – 1/5
Overall – 2/5
Total – 11/30

5: Vodafone

The purpose of a CSA is to make recommendations based on a customer’s requirements – Kelly seemed reluctant to do this

Manner – 1/5
Understanding – 0/5
Knowledge – 4/5
Helpfulness – 1/5
Clarity – 4/5
Overall – 2/5
Total – 12/30

4: Virgin

Judy left the best-value option till last – a classic tactic used by Virgin CSAs

Manner – 4/5
Understanding – 0/5
Knowledge – 3/5
Helpfulness – 2/5
Clarity – 2/5
Overall – 2/5
Total – 13/30

3: Orange

Craig immediately said: “If you want a lot of minutes, we do not do tariffs for £20.” A shame, as that was my budget

Manner – 2/5
Understanding – 4/5
Knowledge – 2/5
Helpfulness – 2/5
Clarity – 2/5
Overall – 2/5
Total –14/30

2: T-Mobile

Craig’s biggest flaw was he failed to go into detail about data allowances, instead labelling them “internet”

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

1: Three

Heather at Three was the only CSA in this Mystery Caller to take on board my requirements

Manner – 4/5
Understanding – 5/5
Knowledge – 3/5
Helpfulness – 4/5
Clarity – 4/5
Overall – 4/5
Total – 24/30

Summary

A simple request for the CSAs this Mystery Caller – essentially a phone with a £20 contract.

However, some CSAs still struggled, offering me either lower-end handsets when my budget afforded better (Kelly at Vodafone) or budget-breaking deals (Judy at Virgin).

Orange and T-Mobile both did well, offering the right tariffs and respectable handsets. Three won by doing this and suggesting one device over another, and by being able to go through its SIM-only options despite this being a job for another sales department.

What this issue’s Mystery Caller has taught us is that Samsung’s Galaxy S III brand is a hit in the mid-tier as well as the high end, with the ‘Mini’ being offered by several CSAs alongside the Sony Xperia J.

Full article in Mobile News issue 535 (March 25, 2013).

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