Surreal experience with Orange CS !!

[miffed]

My final contract with Orange expires this month , I am about to cancel it

Now , having just moved house , I thought that changing my postal address AND ending the contract in the same call would overload the system ...So I decided to change the address today , then follow it up with a termination tomorrow

"oh no , here we go..." I thought to myself when the young lady answered in an Indian accent

But I have to say , it was the simplest , friendliest , easiest transaction I have ever had in my life !! The lady was absolutely friendly , she took time to make banter , she noticed that our DOB's matched and thought that was amazing , and awarded me 30 anytime , cross net minutes as an early birthday present !!
She even asked me how the move had gone , and sympathised about how stressfull moving can be - We then concluded our business and wished each other a good day !

I cannot help but wonder whether this was a one off , freak occourance , OR have Orange turned a corner as far as CS is concerned ? - I certainly remember a time when ALL calls to Orange CS were pleasant and helpful , I wonder if somewhere in Orange , someone in a position of authority also remembers those days , and has perhaps been promoted to a position where they can instill these standards in the CS team ?

I'll soon find out when I ring tomorrow to cancel !

[miffed]

OK, now this is spooky

Called up to cancel contract , got the recorded message telling me that "we are receiving unusually high volumes of calls at the moment " (as per usual)
so got myself comfortable with a drink ,expecting to spend most of lunchtime on hold
I actually got through on the second ring , Again, freindly CS rep (UK this time) - She confirmed my ID by asking two letters of my password , then I told her I was looking to cancel - she asked If I realised I could get a better deal , new phone etc - to which I replied the account was surplas to requirements, And that was seemingly good enough ! She told me the account would terminate on 19th Nov and I would receive a confirmation within days - The whole call can't have lasted longer than a minute !

Just how it should be !

Shame I won't be around to see if this is any more than a blip - but anyone who uses Orange CS will know that two "good" calls in a row is quite amazing !
No waiting, no dithering , no "erm , I'll just put you through to someone who gives a toss" , no music - I am sensing that Orange have finally woken up !

[Ben]

Wow... that's impressive. Perhaps they have no customers left :)

Edit: That said, I never had any massive problems (that I remember) on contract. Trying to get hold of someone on PAYG was a nono, though.

[3g-g]

I try to keep my opinions of OUK to myself, so as not to come across as biased! However, I have had a very similar experience within the last week, and I suppose I am a customer too.

I have an account that I wasn't using, that when my brother came back from Japan gave him the use of. While under the influence of alcohol he lost the phone I'd given him, he kindly called me at 0330 to inform me of this!

So, I called Orange immediatly and without hesitation or question (apart from the security confirmation on the account) they put a bar on the SIM, the nice lady on the phone (from Tyneside) told me to go back to bed, not to worry and call back in the morning once I'd had a chance to report it to the Police, lovely.

On calling Orange back I spoke to a nice chap called Rob, who I recounted the events to, he sympathised and we had a little conversation about being out of an evening and not remembering what you've done or where you've been and just when I thought we were about to get down to the business of dealing with the replacement he said "right, that's all done, you'll be back on the go within the next couple of days once everything's been sent out". Fabulous!

It does seem that Tom Alexander (http://www.mobiletoday.co.uk/P50/power_fifty.aspx?id=35012) is starting to turn OUK back to the way it should be.

[Hands0n]

*Blinks* - I've vowed never to use Orange again, same as 3 and for the same reasons, crappy CS. But if they really have turned, and remain so by 2Q/2009 I may be persuaded to try them again!

[miffed]

I wouldn't go that far just yet - But definately a space worth watching !

I have to be honest , they have really annoyed me over the last few years - but I'd love to see them be great again.

[Hands0n]

Yea, I remember them in their heyday - a class act - one to follow - leader of the pack - and all manner of other superlatives. They were really, really good!

[TopUpCard]

Orange have been improving for quite a while now. At last they are waking up!