Sharp End: Orange Enable – disabled

Orange Enable – disabled

I’ve previously commented on how inadequate the Orange Enable online credit checking and activation process is, and it would seem that this is still the case.

This morning, as an example, I received an email back from an Orange department advising an upgrade I did online on May 14 is not going to be processed as it’s on a Talkshare account and this needs to be disbanded.

This is atrocious service by Orange, to be told a customer’s upgrade has not gone through for in excess of two weeks after the upgrade was done is unbelievable.

I now have to go back and tell the customer that all the free landline calls and free internet he was supposed to be getting are now chargeable.

For Orange to take in excess of two weeks to advise an upgrade is not going to happen is just plain poor service and inexcusable.

Orange needs to sort out Enable. In fact, it would be better off if it just scrapped it altogether and started again.

I hope that now Orange and T-Mobile  are combining, the joint venture company adopts the T-Mobile Webreg system for doing credit checks and activations instead – it is at least reliable, and real-time, rather than an email carousel between Orange departments.

T-Mobile’s Webreg service is efficient and, above all, reliable. It would be my preferred choice when deciding how to connect or check a customer.

Talking of Orange Enable; a while back I was sent an Orange bulletin advising dealers contact a specific Orange email address for business connections when updating contracts to add certain bolt-ons because Orange Enable was incapable of making the changes.

We were advised the SLA for such requests was 24 hours. Fine, but after doing a few such connections on Orange Enable and sending the requests separately to the relevant email address as instructed, I started to get emails back informing me the department I had contacted does not deal with such requests.

What is going on with Orange lately? Is this the price of business integration, and staff worried for their jobs? It would seem one department simply does not communicate with any another.

If Orange is going to send out an official directive telling dealers to contact a particular department then surely common sense says that you let the relevant department know.

Three – MiFi Wi-Fi now car Wi-Fi

Three has launched, or should that be repackaged, its MiFi device aimed at in-car usage. The MiFi device is a small unit made by Huawei that allows up to five other devices to connect to the internet via Wi-Fi.

The car version differs in that it has an in-car charger included in the pack – as well as a dashboard sucker! It basically acts as a wireless router giving internet access to any Wi-Fi enabled device such as laptop, mobile phone or Apple iPad.

Obviously, users will need to have a Three data enabled SIM card inside but this type of device is ideal for users who have a myriad of devices and would like internet connection on each without having the expense of separate internet subscriptions for each – particularly now the iPad has arrived and Apple is asking for £100 more for a 3G enabled version.

Using the MiFi service bypasses the need to pay the extra charge and gives the ability to use other Wi-Fi devices also.

It’s worth pointing out other devices are now capable of being used as a Wi-Fi router such as the HTC HD2. The HD2 allows Wi-Fi sharing with two simple choices from the menu.

This will then allow full Wi-Fi sharing after entering the chosen WEP password. Accessing the internet in this way should also eliminate the need to have a specific ‘tethered’ internet plan.

Internet solutions such as the Huawei MiFi and the HTC HD2 and others via tethering will become increasingly popular as nearly every consumer item these days comes with Wi-Fi built in.

Being able to access the Internet via a users existing mobile rather than having to take on separate subscriptions is a no brainer and as well as saving money is one less item to carry around all day.

O2 free Blackberry email

O2 is promoting the Blackberry BIS service this month by offering it free to any customer renewing their contract, or any new customers to O2 who also have a BlackBerry device.

A credit of £204.24 will appear on customers second or third bill, which is the equivalent of 24 months’ worth of Blackberry BIS line rental. There is no revenue share protection for this offer and it is not available for BlackBerry BES connections or BIS connections without a suitable voice tariff also.