Orange advertising campaign

[Guest blingblong]

I'm sure you have seen the orange advertising campaign about how it now treats existing customers. Its also on the orange website.

Am I alone in thinking that this infers that existing customers can now get the same as new customers?

I tried to change my tariff to one available to new customers and Orange refused saying it was new customers only.

The advertising seems at odds with the policy.

Do you have a view on this?

[Guest Disco Stu]

Do you also believe there's a real Mr. Kipling ? ;)

[Guest squall]

lol!

wonder if you could get orange for false advertising?

[Guest pisquee]

Certainly the advertising campaign and offers at the moment only seem to be referring to pay as you go customers, and not contracts, which seems very unfair. I can probably spend in a month on orange what payt customers spend in a year.

[Guest chucky.egg]

I think that may be why they're limiting it to PAYG customers. If the "big spenders" could reduce their bills they would, and it'd "cost" O loads.

The PAYG offer only applies to people who spend £10/week (how many would that cover? not many I reckon) and even then they only give £5 extra to spend in that same week

The truth is that they're a commercial company, they're after our money, and for us on contracts they're already getting our money.

It's not really about valueing customers, it's about encouraging higher spend amongst PAYG users.

[Guest mupwangle]

I tried to change my tariff to one available to new customers and Orange refused saying it was new customers only.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Threaten to cancel and they'll give you the moon on a stick.

I got some confusing stuff on me last bill saying that some services were going to be free and to look on the website for details but I couldn't find any.

[Guest blingblong]

The initial advert on TV didn't limit it to just PAYG, in fact it didn't mention PAYG.

When I spoke to Orange customer services they didn't say it was limited to PAYG either.

In fact they told me it meant that they valued their existing customers. They wouldn't say how we benefited from this valuation though.

Mr kipling does exist..he's in the phone book!

[Guest drblow]

Don't start me! :twisted: Although, I must say over the past few weeks thise new advertising campaign has given me some great ammunition when speaking to OCS! ;)

Allegedly, they say the new 'loyal customers first' idea will spread to contract customers eventually. They will have to really before loads of loyal contract customers get really ticked off & switch networks. But there shoudl be no real reason for excitement - they'll come off with a bunch of offers that sound great, but will no doubt involve some kind of commitment to up your talk plan, or upgrade your handset, or something elese to get their grubby little paws in your wallet! :twisted:

[Guest blingblong]

but do you agree that the advertising is misleading considering how Orange actually treat existing customers compared to new customers?

[Guest Paul [MVP]]

I think it's ludicrous...

P

[Guest drblow]

but do you agree that the advertising is misleading considering how Orange actually treat existing customers compared to new customers?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't think it matters whether the advert could be technically misleading or not. Probably in legal terms it has been carefully constructed to not be deemed misleading. But they cannot avoid the inevitable consequence that from now on, when customers are not happy about something, they'll be quoting the advert back at CS all day! :twisted:

I dunno tho, sometimes I think we give Orange an awful hard time around here, and then they go & do stuff that makes me think they are OK really. Lemme tell you a story ... ;)

Last week I got 3 replacement C500's! :shock: I had been on the phone with OCS over abou tthe last 6 weeks about the dust under the screen issue. They had diagnosed my phone at that time as faulty with dust & a back button not working, and said I could have a replacement. I told them at that time about the story with HTC & the mysterious 3rd gen handsets with miracle dust protection. The CS girl went to speak to the 'equipment' dept she called it, and came back saying 'yes!' the 3rd gen handsets were on the way & if I wanted to wait a while I could get one! Woopee, says me, and I waited & called back every couple of weeks, and of course was met with disappointment every time. Last week the back button finally gave in altogether & I phoned up to get a new one. It was meant to arrive on thursday, but didn't until friday. When I started it up, I did the usual routine of installations, went to do a restart, and couldnt get the on/off button to respond at all! :shock: So phoned OCS, and they happily arranged another to be sent the next day. It arrives, and while it did work OK, it really felt 'refurbished'. The buttons were already rubbish, the joystick was loose, and the case looked a bit used. So I phoned OCS again, not to get another replacement, but just to register my disappointment, and to remind them that I'd probably be needing another in a few weeks at this rate! :twisted: The nice man said 'hold on a minute', then came back & said his supervisor says it's OK to give me a brand spanking new phone! :shock: Happy days says I, and new phone arrives the next day! ;)

Now, OK that wee story started off sounding like some fairly run-of-the-mill 'ustomer complains about product & gets rubbish replacements' kind of thing, but it has to be said in fairness that the customer service I recieved was really good. OK, I had to struggle a little to get it, and I had to be persistant, but in the end they done good! :P The fact that the brand new handset is still clearly not one of these rumoured 3rd gen handsets (you can see that by the fact that on one side the rim around the screen is actually lifting off slightly allowing dust to flow freely in :evil: ) is not really the issue. As a lowly customer I don't really expect Orange to magic up a new handset that works perfectly when mine doesn't. If that issue was too major for me, I'd buy another brand of phone. Orange CS did everything & more than I would expect from customer service.

So I think the point of that story was just that I think sometimes Orange definately do get it right in terms of service. Especially when you hear stories from your mates about some of the 'other' networks.

[Guest blingblong]

I dont necessarily think its good service that you were lied to about the arrival of a new gen handset, repeatedly sent an inadequate and faulty handset and that you now have a handset that you are still not 100% happy with.

If thats treating existing customers first then I'd hate to think what second is like.

Comparing them to other providers is not an excuse.

They can treat customers this way because we are on contracts and the hassle of changing networks is a pain.

Fine thats the way they work, but dont advertise that existing customers come first.

[Guest drblow]

I dont necessarily think its good service that you were lied to about the arrival of a new gen handset, repeatedly sent an inadequate and faulty handset and that you now have a handset that you are still not 100% happy with.

If thats treating existing customers first then I'd hate to think what second is like.

Comparing them to other providers is not an excuse.

They can treat customers this way because we are on contracts and the hassle of changing networks is a pain.

Fine thats the way they work, but dont advertise that existing customers come first.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

While I agree with what you are saying, i don't feel that it's necessarily fair to say that O did not on that occassion offer me good customer service. Sure, the actual product itself leaves alot to be desired, but they offered me a different model replacement (which I refused since it would be a downgrade or non-smartphone), and then gave me multiple replacements without charge. At the end of the day, thats good service.

Now, Orange as a whole should certainly look at the build quality of it's handsets from HTC, as it must be costing them money to keep replacing them. But as a single customer, I don't think it's reasonable to expect that to happen overnight. And like I said, on this occassion they treated me very well I think.