Dreaming of You
I previously blogged about the rotten experience I had with O2 and the Coldplay gig at The O2. I was really not a Coldplay fan but this was really to be a treat for my wife who is. You will know of my multiple problems with the O2 Priority service. This isn’t meant to be an update but more an illustration of how to turn disgruntled customers around.
Us against the World
I am a proud member of Cambridge Wireless and attend many of their industry events. (It is worth giving them a plug here in case you don’t know the organisation. Based in Cambridge, CW have international members from Microsoft and Google at one end; operators like Orange and O2 Telefonica; handset manufactures such as HTC and RIM; app companies, e.g. Handy Elephant, Jasper Apps, and Mindings; and consultancies like Alliantus at the opposite extreme. In short it has members across the mobile phone landscape and we exchange information, discuss industry issues and collaborate to get things done).
A Rush of Blood to the Head
At one of the events Neil Fletcher (Head of Group Devices Platforms, 02 Telefonica Group) was a speaker and started to talk to about the success of the Priority ticketing service (sadly this was about three days after the Coldplay fiasco and something inside required me to comment). Neil and I discussed the issues after the event and as promised I provided him with the information about my experience.
Fix you
Clearly Neil is a person who likes things to be correct and from my understanding through regular contact via email, telephone and face to face, he has taken my comments on board, This has included getting the system tested by ensuring that those responsible ‘walk through the process’.
Everything’s not lost
I’m told that they have learned lots and have modified the system to iron out the problems. Time will tell but I trust Neil enough to have renewed my mobile phone contract with O2 and invited O2 to participate in the high profile event that I manage.
A Message
So what are the lessons learned:
- Test your system under load
- Walk through the process and check it at every stage
- Ensure that what you tell your people matches the reality
- Trust your ‘expert users’ and get them close as they can provide you with information that you can’t get so quickly yourself.
- Respond rapidly to customer problems and keep them in the loop
- Take responsibility and once you have done so follow through and fix the issue
- Identify your own Neil Fletchers and clone them
God put a smile on your face
And in the end two of the tickets for the gig came our way and at face value. We had a fantastic night out with access to specially organised parking and to the O2 lounge. Chris Martin and the boys were on great form and I got to appreciate a great live band. O2 of course got two new fans too.
Viva la Vida.