Mystery Shopper: Stoke-on-Trent

5: Tesco

Product range – 2/5
Product knowledge – 1/5
Airtime knowledge – 1/5
Questioning ability – 1/5
Sales ability – 1/5
Shop appearance – 1/5
Total – 7/30

4: 3

Product range – 2/5
Product knowledge – 2/5
Airtime knowledge – 2/5
Questioning ability – 1/5
Sales ability – 2/5
Shop appearance – 3/5
Total – 12/30

3: Carphone Warehouse

Product range – 4/5
Product knowledge – 2/5
Airtime knowledge – 2/5
Questioning ability – 2/5
Sales ability – 2/5
Shop appearance – 4/5
Total – 16/30

2: T-Mobile
Product range – 4/5
Product knowledge – 2/5
Airtime knowledge – 3/5
Questioning ability – 2/5
Sales ability – 2/5
Shop appearance – 4/5
Total – 17/30

1: Vodafone

Product range – 4/5
Product knowledge – 3/5
Airtime knowledge – 3/5
Questioning ability – 3/5
Sales ability – 4/5
Shop appearance – 4/5
Total – 21/30

Summary

Vodafone was by far the best, and the only one really to offer me anything close to an appealing solution. Shows how badly the networks have misjudged consumer appetite for good value roaming.

Tesco was rubbish – a non-specialist way out of its depth.
T-Mobile was honest, Carphone tried hard but was confusing to say the least. 3 told me to hang on until July 1 to see its tariff refresh.

This Mystery Shop would probably yield better results within a few weeks, when Vodafone’s lead on roaming is followed.

Full review in Mobile News issue 442 (June 29, 2009).

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