Today I sent this page from SingTel to the office following the 3G iPhone’s hype from last night. It was done in good faith that SingTel was making an effort to reach out to those who want to reserve themselves a 3G iPhone in Singapore. But instead of enthusiasm and excitement, I heard complaints. Not of my mass email, but of SingTel’s silly website.
For once I thought SingTel was ahead in customer service and marketing providing the excited public with a simple website to order a 3G iPhone instead of the crazy queues that wrap around the block in the US. I thought wrong. You still have to go down to the SingTel shop to confirm your reservation. Yes, confirm. If I was going to queue at the shop, I might as well be getting the darn iPhone! Incredible, SingTel has successfully evolved backward in customer service and marketing making it more inconvenient to get an iPhone.
From the main page, you click “Yes” and you get this form. No where does it say that you need to go down to the shop until you click “Next”.
When you’re done with the form, instead of a “Thank you, your reservation is done”, you get this:
Yup, welcome to SingTel’s online world where you still have to get your bum down to the offline shop. Maybe I should just get one from Australia since I’ll be there over July 11. Singapore is on the “coming soon” list.
Filed under: Technology
“It’s a trap!” Seriously, it’s a little unethical to make you fill out a form when it doesn’t even matter. Psychologically speaking, it’s like making a pledge to do it.
I’m interested to see if Singtel offers a special iPhone rate, since I worked it out to cost US$85.92 per month when you piece your own plan together. That’s more expensive than the AT&T 3G iPhone rates!
Here’s a chart I made to break it all down:
http://theory.isthereason.com/?p=2235
I’m also wondering if this is just another cheap shot at database harvesting.
I’m kinda sad that I’m leaving M1 for SingTel to get an iPhone.
But I keep telling myself it’ll be worth it…
Sell your M1/Starhub mobile line(brand new handset) for cash and get a local iPhone without contract! Visit http://search.ebay.com.sg/_W0QQsassZpayucash for more info.
Someone knocked on my door today to do a survey regarding the services of our telecommunication/media service providers and this is precisely the thing I was relating to them when asked about my satisfaction towards their various “promotions”.
Cheap shot in my opinion.
can i pass you some money and buy from you the Aus version?
My first reaction when I saw it mirrors you, Ben. Database harvesting.
I went down personally to Hello stores and preorder. The preorder is bull. They just want to test the market demand.
@GamerZ Thanks for the update. So our suspicions are confirmed. =)
hahaha, i didn’t even try that reservation page.
i only stopped at the form and closed my browser.
hopefully starhub will have a good deals too.
I tried the website and is not like what you said. I can now even choose which hello store to do my transaction. So dont think SingTel is harvesting data. You guy are being unfair to singtel.
They changed the last part of the form. Now u can choose the nearest Hello store and THEY WILL CONTACT YOU SHORTLY. I think they got tired of ppl going down to the stores.
[...] iPhone reservation in Singapore So finally, the iPhone has arrived in Singapore thanks to telecommunications giant Singtel whose operations span across Asia and even to Australia. So what’s this about a ’stupid’ reservation system where after a reservation online you still have to go down to the shop physically to confirm it? The EOK.Network : SingTel’s iPhone reservation system that isn’t [...]
thanx for this post
Initially I thought that SingTel did this because they were going to limit the number of iPhones sold and hence wanted to build up hype to generate lots of demand. Guess I was wrong.
Disappointed that they’re using this customer time-wasting way to gather data.
[...] Life, the universe and everything – the boy who knew too much: Singapore’s stressful education system – The eOK .network: SingTel’s iPhone reservation system that isn’t [...]
heard that iphone will be in singapore by end august. there will be a major launch and those who have reserved the phone will be invited there to collect their phone and be in the priority queu, like a soft launch…anyone have any insider view…will you be queuing for the phone?
[...] Press – the boy who knew too much: Singapore’s stressful education system – The eOK .network: SingTel’s iPhone reservation system that isn’t – TOC: Suggestions are not welcomed – ringisei: Thank you for your suggestion – Endoh’s Dungeon: [...]
Nice work sharing this- i had the same frustrating and annoying experience.
The real kicker is that when you go down to the hello shop, the reservation system is: at the reception counter, the receptionist writes down your name, mobile number and IC number on a piece of scratch paper- done.
Singtel has thus taken what should simply be an online automated form and created massive wastes by making people fill out AND go down to the store.
Singtel has also proven its potential iPhone customers (the ones who will pay at least US$199 plus high monthly service charges) are not even worth the effort that even shopping malls giving away free weekend parking (if you spend min $20) invest. That effort is to make an excel spreadsheet with columns for the necessary fields and print it out so there is a proper form to fill out. At the Westmall Hellos shop, the receptionist just scribbled in his own handwriting your details without even pretending they would be entered into any data system.
the best part is after submitting an online comment to Singtel asking them why they took my goodwill (changing carriers to become a new Singtel customer because of the iPhone), they called me asking for me to give my data once again over the phone so that they could have the data a 3rd way (online, in store, and now over the phone).
The end result is if there is only a few month grace period for Singtel to have the monopoly on supplying fully licensed and operational iPhones, I will now wait until M1 and/or Starhub carry them simply because Singtel has been so stupid about the entire process. Essentially they have taken something initially though to be above tarnish, and made it out to be a steaming pile of excrement (for the benefit of underage readers of this site).
Singtel is just really digressing in service. I took up their broadband service and after 6 weeks, they couldnt get the line stable at my home. It was 6 weeks of hell, calls, anxiety, taking annual leave, and 5 visits from their technical specialist (of which are all 3rd party vendors) and no solution. I cancelled the service and 6 months later, they are still biling me like nothing is going on.
Singapore’s Incredible But True Tales of Horror – Singhell.
Looks like you people DONT know how to read english. I have used the web page to reserve my phone and it is ABSOLUTELY NOT like above. Singtel is a great service provider – those of you dont like it just stay away but dont write all this MISINFORMATION!!!
Pink Panther: We’ve ALL experienced what’s been written above. Looks to me like you’re a SingTel fanboy.
I got mine from US via ebay months ago…its so much efficient
Pink Panther- you are an idiot. Go back and collect your minimum wage paycheck from singtel. Maybe then you can invest in reading comprehension classes to allow you to understand all these squiggly lines people have left on this comment board
I actually made my reservation too. Honestly, you guys are making a mountain out of a molehill. I wonder, have any of you EVER been in the service industry? It shits everyday and we get hell from customers who do not even possess basic common courtesy.
Let me ask you, when did it become okay to verbally abuse another just because you happen to wait for 5 minutes and you are in a hurry? What happen to being gracious? Now i understand why the americans hate asians so much. Cause we think we are so much better than anyone else. that smug superiority that demands the absolute best. Pah!
For your information, i have NOT experienced the scenario mentioned above cause i got to choose which outlet to collect it from. Go home, all of you and whine about how poorly others treat you. You have my condolences.
Yea we singaporeans tend to whine alot.We have no right to take the anger out on others.As i said there are always other alternatives for getting what we want rather than blaming singtel.There are faults on both the customers and those who serve the customers as well.I have been on both sides and there are both pros and cons.Stop blaming one another and look out for alt.
I am trying to illustrate a point here but not promoting another network, so I sahll use Network A and Singtel.
I originally used Network A and my phone bill came up to S$150 plus every month. I found that fair as I used the data plan frequently.
I then got tempted by the new innovations Singtel had and moved to Singtel. I bought a phone and got a $120 discount. After I moved to singtel, my use of the phone actually reduced because I changed jobs and the new job did not require me to use the phone as much. However, my phone bills increased to approx $350 a month! I was alarmed and was very careful about the callas and data usage but every month for the next 3 months it was consistently $350 plus!!… I called sngtel but they said that If i want to dispute the charges I will need to pay $5 per page for itemised billing and even that I may not get any refund. So as I still had my other line, I stopped using the singtel line for one whole month. But guess what!? the bill came up to $350 plus again!!!..
This confirmed it all!!.. I decided that arguing with them will go no where, so I terminated the line! and I end up having to pay $240 penalty for the phone which I only got $120 discount from!…
Although I had previous bad experiences of doubtful billing with singtel, this was really the final straw and I Vowed Never to use Singtel ever again!…
It really makes me sick to the core that they are then able to pitch for the google and iphones in Singapore creating a monopoly!…
But as much as I want the iphone, I would rather pay more to puchase, than to be conned on a monthly basis by singtel!…