Doing wireless different has its ups and downs

[Dave_M]

Public Mobile Community,

It is almost 3 years ago to the day when I first walked into the Public Mobile office tasked with finding a way to turn the Public Mobile business around.  At the time, it had a limited network with a very expensive support structure (stores and a full-service call centre) that made it an unprofitable business.

So I rolled up my sleeves and along with the team, we began our journey to redefine how wireless service was delivered to Canadians.  Being blessed with Canada’s largest 4G LTE network, we wanted to find a way to give customers access to a great network while simultaneously benefitting from great pricing.  To do this, we needed to turn those expensive support costs upside down.

This is where doing wireless differently was born.  A wireless provider without a call centre - instead, an online community to support its customers.  No phones and phone discounts because, well, phones are really expensive.  No stores because as you might have guessed by now - they’re crazy expensive too.

I sat in countless focus groups and was told over and over again that we were crazy.  They would say things like “you can’t have a service without a call centre”, “you can’t be a wireless provider without selling phones”, “you have to have a store for me to go to”, and my personal favourite “I would never trust an online-only wireless provider.”

I could go on and on as this has been a very long journey to get us to where we are now, but instead I’d like to ask you for your continued trust and support as we work through some of the issues we are experiencing today.

We know some of you have been waiting a long time to hear back from us on various issues including activation/porting failures, future dated rate plan changes, and SIM delivery delays.  The truth is we have been overwhelmed by the sheer volume of activity the current promo has generated and we are doing everything we can to fix things.  I can ensure you that we have moved all our available resources to assisting you.

Here are some of the things we are seeing and some solutions and commitments from us:

For activation and porting failures:

• It is clear to us we will not be able to help everyone between now and the closure of this promotion on Sunday. We will not be extending this promotion but we will honour the promotion for anyone who had activation or porting failures during the promotion period (October 25-November 20).
• Our porting success ratio has been extremely good, however, we have noticed a volume of customers are inputting errors in their porting information. Please be very diligent in the information you are inputting to ensure the port request will be successful.

• Some tips for success on porting:
  • Your device’s IMEI is the most accurate method to port. Please note that your previous carrier would need to have that IMEI used on your old account. 
• • Separate the activation from the port. If you do the activation first you will have your account setup and ready to go.  You can then log into self-serve and complete your port.  This prevents incorrect porting information from affecting your activation.
• When not porting a number in we are seeing some customers being unable to see an available phone number. To fix this, you need to clear your browser’s cache.

Future dated rate plan change:

• We have existing customers who have future dated rate plan changes to get the promotional plan and, in some cases, the change is not sticking. We are aware of the issue and we are committed to ensuring the plan change is honored for you if you in fact had chosen a future dated rate plan change. This will also take us some time to catch up on so please bear with us.

For SIM card delivery delays or if your SIM card never arrived:

• This issue is predominantly driven by address errors or missing information – I’ve personally seen returns from apartment buildings with no unit number. Please be diligent when filling in your address.
• Additionally many of you who ordered recently are asking where your SIM is. Please be mindful that Friday, November 11 was a holiday for Canada Post so there will be some delays as a result. If you ordered Wednesday through Friday of last week, please check your mail tomorrow.
• If you order a SIM at this point (Tuesday evening), it will likely not arrive before the promo ends on Sunday. To help with this, we are organizing SIM card pick up locations in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal for Friday and Saturday for anyone who wants a last minute SIM card. Details to come, but the location will be downtown in each city and the $5 for each SIM will be going to Prostate Cancer in the spirit of Movember.

How can you help us?

• If you have a problem, please only message once. We are getting 10+ messages from one person about one issue and that increases the backlog and wait time for everyone
• If you have extra SIM cards, give them to your friends or to Community members so they can join before the promo ends

Again, I’m really grateful for your support and your patience. I know that, with the above solutions, we will get through this together and prove that wireless can be done differently.

Sincecerly Dave.

[imm1304]

Hey @bruizeman,

This sounds really frustrating .. even thinking about being locked out of cell service on both sim cards gets me worried.  PM mods are overwhelmed but I wouldn't just explain away what you are experiencing.  You deserve to have service restored asap.  

I just read through your thread, it doesnt look like you sent a private message. Did you?

A private message or a webmail form the "Get Help" page are absolutely necessary at this point.  Please send your phone number, and sim card number via a private message to @Shazia_K so that they can easily identify your account and fix the issue.  

[bruizeman]

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@Rockdaddy22 wrote:
Not delivered yet, it's a process. I know it sucks but all we can do is wait, unfortunately customers like us have to get mods to deal with failed ports. Im truly sorry this has happened to you 😞

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Very well. Not delivered yet.

It is day 4 for me thus far.

My frustration shouldn't be channeled at you. I apologize and thank you for responding to me.

[zooback]

thanks for the updated info.  it is a great promo so its nice that so many can take advantage of it

[Rockdaddy22]

Not delivered yet, it's a process. I know it sucks but all we can do is wait, unfortunately customers like us have to get mods to deal with failed ports. Im truly sorry this has happened to you 😞

[bruizeman]

Thank you to everyone who has responded meaningfully to my post. I truly do appreciate it.

@stonechucker

I am glad that everything worked for you. If I made an error in my initial setup, I will take full responsibility for that error, and I am perfectly content with searching for the answer and fixing it. The problem here, is that the PM system has locked me out completely from the self-serve account. My only recourse here is to pm the mods and wait.

@imm1304

I really appreciate your response. It's too bad the mods are not as responsive as you.

I have put back my Fido sim card and there is no access from it. That must mean that the port from Fido has been successful, and I assume that also means there wasn't any user error on my part. I still cannot make any calls, or receive any calls, or access data. The PM back-end system has not tied my payment to my account.

@Rockdaddy22

Perhaps 'tricked' was not the right word to use.

What word would you use to describe being enticed to switch from a cellphone plan which allowed me to make and receive calls, and access the internet to one where they promised the same, but have delivered on none of it? (*but I suppose the silver lining is that the system that processed my CC payment seems to have succeeded without any issues)

[TruthfulLobster]

I'm one of those people that activated and ported with no issues. It was quite amazing actually. Put in the info and 1 hour later had a fully working phone with ported number sending and receiving calls and texts. Not saying other people aren't having problems, just pointing out that there are very happy customers out there. 

One thing to mention for PM mods: I had a PC Mobile number but prepaid. I knew ahead of time that prepaid uses the Bell network not Telus so I ported it through the website even though it said not to for PC Mobile and it worked fine. So you might want to specify that you only need to contact support afterwards for porting if its PC Mobile postpaid since prepaid works fine

[stonechucker]

@bruizeman

Back in August before the promo, I signed up for a 30 day plan, because I couldn't do the 90 right off the hop.  I activated a new number, picked my plan, checked everything was working, and then ported my number from my previous carrier.  All in about 30 minutes - Not a single error occurred.  The system clearly worked, as I did my research ahead of time, and found all the potential hiccups that I might have run into ahead of time.

When I scheduled by future-dated plan change to the 90 day 6BN plan, I had a problem with the system not changing my plan, but the moderator helped me out within 24 hours - no issue.

I have a future dated plan change again, to get the Fall Promo in December (my previous renewal was before the promo was launched), and I'm expecting the same issue to occur, but again, I'm prepared as I know the glitch exists, and it will be addressed for me quickly (outside of this promo ambush).

I too, am in the target audience that you described yourself in, sure, I'd like the system to work, each and every time, but as @Dave_M has mentioned, customers have been making errors entering their information, rather than making sure they get it right the first time.  Again, the consumer must do their research ahead of time.

[imm1304]

Hey @bruizeman,

Your Fido sim card should continue to work .  PM staff are known to reset your 90-day plan to start from the day they resolve the issues and you have full service. 

The community is open to the public and one glance would reveal full disclosure of all current issues and whats going on and then anyone can decide if its worth risking some down time to take advantage of a very tempting deal.  

The reason why this deal has become wildly popular is because most people are getting referred by someone who managed to activate a new line and port their number without issues.  So, no tricks and it does work most of the time.  And sorry that you got stuck with an error.. I hope you are up and running soon and you won't regret this move in the long run.  

[Rockdaddy22]

Tricked lol

[bruizeman]

@Dave_M

First off, thank you for your posting. It's certainly better than nothing.

I believe that I am fully the demographic that PM is targeting (that of a cost conscious, tech-literate, requiring-very little-support, kind of customer). However, this initial account activation process and subsequent failure is a process that is so mind-bogglingly terrible.

If you want a self-sufficient customer base, you need a back-end system that actually works, one that will let the customer fix any mistakes that may have occurred in the initial setup process. Not LOCK THEM OUT COMPLETELY and then require a mod to fix.

Right now, I am semi-ported over from my previous carrier, Fido, and I have no incoming calls, no outgoing calls, no data. Do you understand how damaging that is to my life? 

More alarmingly, is the fact that there appears to be many in the same situation, and they have suffered more than 10 days of no incoming calls, no outgoing calls, no data, all with very minimal if any response from the support team. How is that acceptable, even for a cheap cell brand?

Right now, I am kicking myself for being tricked by the Plan Special.

[daredogg]

@clogan2 being a website developer, I'd love to be a fly on the wall at one of PM's production meetings, just to hear first hand what's actually happening in the backend, and to know what steps are being taken to resolve these issues. Some people who've been here for 2 years are reporting some issues still aren't resolved. I'm really hoping that instead of fixing the old system that a new one will be launched with all those issues fixed?!  anyway... keep doing our best to help the community!

[Chaos_Scorpio]

Our porting success ratio has been extremely good, however, we have noticed a volume of customers are inputting errors in their porting information. Please be very diligent in the information you are inputting to ensure the port request will be successful

Glad to hear that most of the people that actually input correct data get working ports. 

[Rockdaddy22]

So what do you want to hear?

[clogan2]

I'm rather tired of hearing that Public Mobile has bit off more than it can chew with this promotion.

Cutting your costs in support makes a lot of sense, but you really ought to spend at least some of that money on developing/buying a system that works well for your application.

[jairolevi]

Hi @alexzxn

https://www.zendesk.com/ is COTS and really nice ( from the client perspective, I havent used it to provide support but always love when I receive support via Zendesk.

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@alexzxn wrote:

Great job thanks for all your efforts, in term of cell service PM is truly unbeatable.

One thing I suggest that PM could use a ticketing system to manage all the technical issues and support in general. This private messaging moderator method is very inefficient create a lot of confusion when moderators get messaged multiple times. Let me know if you need help with it or tech/coding support.

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[daredogg]

I like your reply @mylabmax!

You're not going to win them all, and will probably alienate a bunch along the way. 

[mylabmax]

At the end of the day, knowing who your target market is matters the most.

PM has a niche market for cost conscious individuals who are tech savvy enough to navigate the process and who are comfortable using the forum to look for an answer.

PM is not for everyone.  But for those of us who enjoy the savings but don't mind the customer support, I say keep the community alive and don't get tired answering the same questions from new customers. 

[CaNuCk07]

Great Post! Great Provider!

[bar0460]

I successfully paid with and registered my Amex for autopay.  Just sayin....

[RLBL]

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@Dave_M wrote:

For SIM card delivery delays or if your SIM card never arrived:

• If you order a SIM at this point (Tuesday evening), it will likely not arrive before the promo ends on Sunday. To help with this, we are organizing SIM card pick up locations in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal for Friday and Saturday for anyone who wants a last minute SIM card. Details to come, but the location will be downtown in each city and the $5 for each SIM will be going to Prostate Cancer in the spirit of Movember.

---

This is a great initiative, however you may consider going a step further as this will make it hard for people to get their SIMs if they live far from these specific city centers.  Would you consider the following?

• Make an option for people to be able select guaranteed next day (or courrier) service for a fee (whatever Canada post/Courriers charge)
• Allow activation of any SIM that was ordered before the 20th, to be able to take part in the plan if the activation of those SIMs happens on or before the 21st of November (a SIM ordered Saturday/Sunday could not be delivered until Monday the 21st)

The promo ends on the 20th, but as it stands people really only have until today* to order a SIM which some would see as a conflict in reality vs. advertising.

* As it stands, those who cannot get to a designated city center are as of now out of luck

Thanks for your continued efforts

- a happy PM customer

[Rockdaddy22]

Of course they misjudged, do you think they're the first company to do this? They won't be the last unfortunately, it happens to companies all the time. Yes it sucks

[nadger]

I don't understand all the admiration and praise. 

Somebody obviously misread how popular this promotion would be and as a result there is not enough support staff.

I've gone three days now without any phone service. If I had known that I would lose cell service for three days and no one would respond at all to emails and DMs, then I never would have signed up.

Public mobile has gotten in over their head.

Pretenders.

[Rockdaddy22]

I hear about more staff but I haven't seen @Caroline_D actually help anyone yet, please correct me if I'm wrong.

[daredogg]

@ddsinthe6ix thanks for your honesty as well... that your expectations have failed. I can tell you, however, that once your service issues are resolved, and you finally have your service, you'll be happy you switched. Having access to a first class cellular network and paying probably half of what you were, will definitely be worth it. Just don't make any changes, and you'll be fine!  Sorry PM... just a little jab! 

[daredogg]

I think a lot of people heard of this great promotion and immediately signed up, without asking a question, or even considering who the company is they'll be handing their money over to. It's unfortunate this happened, because if people would have taken a few moments to research, they'd realize that PM is done without a call centre or retail locations. This came off as "shocking" to those who jumped on the bandwagon, and it automatically meant to them that PM sucks because they're not being accommodated in the way they've grown accustomed to. This is like blindly buying a stock, and hoping for the best. Nobody who wants to make money does that. They take time to research the company. If they get a good feeling, they buy the stock... if not, they move on.

As an entrepreneur, I've always believed that CHANGE IS GOOD, and for companies like Public Mobile, they really are trying to change the landscape. I admire them for that, and it's the reason I decided to switch to PM. I like knowing I can be a part of this change by contributing in the Community, and saving money in the process.

To those people that got caught in the crossfire of this promotion, be extra careful when putting in your information (as mentioned over and over again). If you don't know what should be put in a field, ask questions of the community, like some of you have been doing. Don't just submit the info and hope it'll work out. It won't. I absolutely love it when someone is sloppy and blames everyone else for something they brought on themselves! 

...and thank you to PM staff for doing your best in replying to people's messages. I know you've added more staff, but it would of been great if there actually was some sort of queue. I hope that lessons will be learned from this promotion, and improvements will be made for the next one. PLEASE FIX THOSE SYSTEM GLITCHES

[daredogg]

@canucks4life PM is donating its sales from the SIM cards... I don't see why they'd issue a receipt, since you actually haven't made a donation. If you want a receipt, make at least a $10 donation to the organization yourself (most charities don't provide receipts under $10). Just sayin'... 

[youodysseyleif]

Any possible love for Calgary as a sim pickup location?

[Jonavin]

Dave, I really appreciate the transparency in your post. Things are never 100% and you've been cursed with success. All the best for getting through this, and we will be patient in getting our issues resolved.

[panesarg]

Great post on the history of PM! You guys are doing a great job, keep it up!

[Artiss]

Appreciate the honesty coming from Dave.

As a new customer to PM I was a little nervous leaving one of the Big 3 where you could reach out and talk to a real person, or go into a brick store and get help. I am extremely happy with the product that I signed up for. Although I had no issues signing up, I can understand the frustrations of those left in mobility limbo.

I will definitely switch over a second line next month and wait until the third line is off contract to bring over. My plan will drop by over 50% per month in cost by this switch. Great to have the money available.

I think we have a good thing going with Public Mobile, and I look forward to see what they offer in the future. Wish them all the best, and glad to be part of the PM community.