Vodaphone verses Telecom Mobile

Since 1990 I have been a Telecom Mobile customer – starting with a Radiant car phone that was big enough to be denied onto an airline as carry-on baggage. Over the years that we traversed the whole of New Zealand doing our kayak demo’s we were constantly amazed with the coverage. We used to hear horror stories about Bell South – the outfit that Vodaphone bought out.

Being an Apple computer ‘nutter’ (They just work! And zero virus’s – zero time wasted on virus protection) I just had to have an IPhone. And Vodaphone had a deal that looked too good to miss.

Since 1993 Sisson Kayaks has had a customer freephone (0800 656 900) that has since 1997 been directed to my mobile. Over the years this customer service has been well used. But not over the past 9 months. Why?

My Vodaphone IPhone has been a fantastic IPod. And good for all of the other features it provides – except it has been a lousy telephone!

The published Vodephone coverage map is based on fantasy. And so often I received reminders of messages left – whilst in good coverage areas – while I worked alongside my phone. Undercapacity.

I wish to say a big “sorry” to all those people who assumed that my Vodaphone IPhone was a telephone.

I have recently rejoined Telecom Mobile – and for the first time I am experiencing a telephone function on my IPhone. And the tethered data speed to my laptop (when I am traveling) is faster than the hard wired Broadband at home. In two weeks I have spoken to more customers than in the previous nine months.

Well done Telecom. I am glad to be back. I know that you suffered some breakdowns in the past. But hey – Vodaphone are effectively ‘broken’ every day.