Vodafone Mobile Broadband - don't waste your money!
I was on a speaker panel yesterday and Employer Branding came up as usual; my view is that brand is more about what you do than say. My experience with Vodafone was so poor that my view of them in their entirety is pretty poor. Not that they would ever employ me anyway, I would not be interested after my recent experience!
Speed into cyberspace
Superfast and reliable – Download music and video clips at speeds up to 7.2Mbps – that’s 14 times faster than 3G. Our fantastic coverage in the UK means you can enjoy warp speed mobile broadband wherever you get a Vodafone signal.
I saw the advert and being mobile thought that if I am going to do this with anyone, best choose the operator with the best UK coverage. I actually wanted it to upload videos from a 24 hour, 95 mile adventure race I was doing in Scotland but that really would have been pie in the sky. The race would have been over before the first video was uploaded!
Anyway, I quizzed the London Victoria Vodafone salesman who assured me they hadn't had any returned but with the 14 day returns policy if I had any problems I could just return it. He explained how in London I'd get near to 7 Mbps, 2-4 in the smaller cities, 1-2 in rural areas such as where I lived. Not planning on using it at home this sounded fine. I wasn't yet convinced but with a 14 day returns policy thought why not (I can now answer that question).
Got to the hotel in Swiss Cottage, plugged it all in and hey presto, 20 kbps. Just like to old 2g mobile phones. Great. Ring support. "Oh dear, we don't have very good coverage in Swiss Cottage." But I can see a 3g network but am not allowed to connect to it. "Maybe it will work tomorrow?" I won't be here tomorrow. "Hmmmm."
Get home, ring support. "Where are you now?" At home (gave my post code). "Ah, no 3g network there, can you try a few miles away where we have one?" Drive off to laybye, switch on, see 3g network won't connect. Ring support (now getting a bit annoyed). "Must need a hard reset. Do you have a Vodafone 3g phone?" Glad to say no, I'm on Orange who seem to just, well, kind of work. "Well, we used to have a way of doing this remotely but not anymore. The software was taken off us. You'll need to go to a Vodafone shop and get it reset." Have a few days left so OK.
Pop into Swiss Cottage Vodafone shop. After a bit of a wait (strange customer, different story) we eventually get it reset. Connect to 3g network but only 200-500 kbps. Not quite what I was expecting.
Back to hotel. 100-150 kbps. Give it up as a bad job but leave it slowly downloading my e-mail.
Back at home, ring returns. "Sorry sir, they cose at 6, please call back tomorrow."
Call back next day. "Sorry sir, we are Vodafone Telesales, you have to take it back to the shop you bought if from." I live near Leicester, the shop is in London. Your are Vodafone, where do I send it to? "Sorry sir, you have to take it back to the shop." (Getting pretty fed up now).
Ring store. "Sorry, we can't take your call, please leave a message and we will get back to you (one day - NOT)." Still waiting for the store to call me back. Bet it will be on day 15!!
Employer branding
So my experience of Vodafone is not great. I have to say though all of the people who I spoke to or met with were excellent; they just couldn't get the technology to deliver against the advertising promise. So I thought I'd have another check on their career site and surprise, surprise, they still ask applicants for DOB. Why? Maybe they think it is fine to do so? Maybe they like to take age into consideration when making hiring decisions?
So, overall a pretty poor brand experience and a recruitment process that still asks DOB as well as other rediculous questions e.g. Head of Sales - will you work shifts? Arun Sarin once referred to mobile as no longer being 'tech sexy' and more 'utility'. Maybe Vodafone are following the utility model of service and delivery?
Going back to my opening point, brand is what you do not what yoy say. Vodafone said one thing and did the opposite. Great for their talent management strategy.
