Maybe I am a rarity, probably not...

My data facility on my phone stopped… I live in a small city where network coverage is flaky, but this was no data, nothing. For the first day it was odd, the second day inconvenient, the third day was frustrating by the fourth day it was impacting my business. Initially, I thought it was the phone (but a 12-month-old iPhone 12…. unlikely), I went through several in-depth validations and sanity checks, checking the phone and the network settings.. all OK

I tried another sim card (same provider) in the phone – the data worked perfectly… So simple deduction – it must be the SIM card, you would think, right?

So I went to my local Three UK store (this is my network service provider), they could not help me as I was a Three UK business customer… they can only deal with consumer customers.., Three UK do not have an online portal for business customers, so it is the traditional method of a phone call. I am now through to a Three UK customer services representative (hooray!) and I state my data is not working and I probably need a new SIM card explaining the validation process I have gone through already, they then highlight that I am actually out of contract and that maybe I can have a better tariff package, so I am directed through to another department to be upsold to… commit to another 24 months, bring in other members of the business or family to get discounts, etc., etc., In hindsight, I spent more time here than on my actual issue…

Three days later, through my letterbox, as promised by the representative appears a new shiny SIM card… I am elated, my problems are over, I will now have all communication channels open and available to me when walking the dog, going for a coffee, I have freedom again.., I put the shiny new SIM into my phone, followed the simple instructions and expect my problems to be solved…  of course not, that would be way too simple…

So what could be wrong, again I go through the process of going through the phone and network settings, I restart the phone, etc, etc. (you know the process), again I put in another SIM card on the same network, which works.

Oddly I have a voice facility... perfect for calling the customer services representative, again…

This is when I am told by my friendly, helpful support representative, I am out of data allowance?!? – I have a 5Gb monthly data allowance, which is adequate for what I need, I do not stream films, play games, etc. I have never used that amount since being with the service provider, each and every month as I bounce from café to café and Wi-Fi to Wi-Fi, home to office Wi-Fi, etc. so this takes me somewhat by surprise. But the support representative cannot tell me what or how I have used this data allowance to exceed this threshold, I will have to await my paper bill I am informed, knowing full well that there is no detail on data usage on my bill.

I enquire why I have not been forewarned of my high data usage, warned of imminent threshold breach, notified of all my data usage being expended, no nothing, no communication, no SMS, no email, no letter, no carrier pigeon, nothing…

Why did I not get an SMS saying I had 500Mb left, or I had reached my previous month's usage, or this my highest usage behaviour in the last six months, or simply I was down to my last 1Mb of data? Whichever would have provided some clarity and avoided the needless time and of both parties in posting sim cards, using the precious time of a support representative and my frustration of having no practical phone service.

So ironically the telecom service provider has no proactive messaging and communication with their business customers, OK… not great, but why did no one tell me the first time I called customer services to inform me I had no data capability instead of trying to upsell to me?!?

So one week after trying to survive with no data, I am told my data allowance has been exceeded and I either need to upgrade my tariff plan and lock myself into another contract…

Why do I need to upgrade? I have hit my data allowance once in probably four years, I do not even know how I have exceeded it, but no, the response is upgrade, eventually, the representative says I can add an additional 5Gb a month for £8 a month, the money for this additional data is not the issue, the issue here is there seems to be no fundamental intelligence on customers.

How did I use all my allowance? I would like to know, what sucked up so much data

Why was I not forewarned of a pending stoppage of service?

Why was I not told of my data usage when I first called?

Why was not my data extended automatically?  I have been a customer for many years, paid my bill consistently, what was the risk of extending my data allowance.

There are many more questions that are not complicated, only possibly awkward to answer. Telcos constantly preach about huge investments in network and IT to make the customer relationship/experience superior to their peers. My issue is not a complicated one, but it seems a challenging one to provide a transparent and informative resolution. The telco industry is extremely competitive, consumers increasingly fickle and fluid, retaining existing customers is cheaper than trying to gain new ones. Telco service providers need to take the time to review their internal processes and capabilities if they wish to remain competitive.

Maybe I am the rarity, the one in a million that slipped through the IT/Technology net… maybe a prize to highlight this feat will be arriving by carrier pigeon imminently...