23rd
iphone 3G is better without $ingtel
Finally, after a 1.5 years wait (since the launch of iphone in 2007 in the USA), the iphone 3G is available in Singapore.
Singtel has the advantage of launching the iphone 3G before the other telcos (M1 and Starhub). I am currently a M1 customer and because of my wanting to own a iphone 3G, I decide to port my mobile number from M1 to Singtel. I had used Singtel mobile many years ago, and I had switched to M1 due to bad customer service from Singtel. Given a choice, I wouldn’t go back to use Singtel service.
Singtel has Apple to thank in this case and I am sure many M1 and Starhub users will be porting their mobile numbers over to Singtel.
My fingers were crossed and I hope that Singtel has stepped up their customer service. BUT to my surprise, Singtel is still very much the old Singtel I knew many years back.
I was at Comcentre on 23 Aug to pick up the iphone 3G. There was a barricade round the comcentre to act as a queue for people who has come to buy the iphone. I walk the entire perimeter of Comcentre in order to get to the start of the queue.There I got my details verified and allowed to join the queue for iphone.
The barricade leads me back to the front of the Comcenter. I find it really silly to do so much walking. Following the barricade, I finally come to a break in the barricade and I walked passed a group of Singtel staff / contractors). They were busy talking amongst themselves and not directing people where to go.
I approach them and asked one of them where I need to go continue on my “journey around comcentre” to get the iphone. They tell me to to back to the back of Comcentre to get my details verified. However, I have already done so and I was trying to explain to them I had been verified and I don’t wish to go back there again. Then the Singtel staff / contractors started to raise their voice at me.
I wonder if that’s how Singtel treats its customer. For that matter, I am still not their customer yet. I would have walked away and not sign up for a Singtel service if not for the iphone 3G.
Pressing on (despite this very bad experience), I still join the queue to sign up for the iphone. I opted to port my M1 mobile number over to Singtel and I believe it’s a normal practice to waive the connection fee and cost of the SIM card. Two of my friends who ported their M1 number over to Singtel got their connection fee and cost of SIM card waived. I didn’t enjoy such a waiver. I wonder why the discrimination!
I felt that I am not a valued customer and from my experience with Singtel, I would advise those who are sitting on the fence and deciding whether to take up Singtel’s offer for the iphone 3G to wait for Starhub / M1 to launch.
Updates: I forgot to mention also that Singtel got my name wrong. Now that I have time to scrutinise the bill that Singtel has generated for me during the iphone purchase, I realised that Singtel has mis-spelled my name. It’s exactly the same mistake they made several years ago when I was their customer. I believe they have my name on their file (I have a Singtel ICC card) and they never amended my name after my numerous attempts to contact Singtel to amend the mistake. Now it’s coming back to haunt me.
