Three complaints UK: Official method vs. Unofficial method - How to complain to Three UK

There are always two ways to do things, the way they want you to do it and the way they don't want you to do it.

Three UK have (as all big companies do) a formalised complaints process. They have a business process that helps them deal with consumer complaints i.e. log them, track them, analyse them and (hopefully) resolve them. It is understandable that they have such a process because they as a business need to be able to manage complaints efficiently and their main business is to sell phones and not handle complaints.

However, we (everyone who reads this) are a group of savvy individuals and we know there are betters ways to make sure our voices are heard by the people who matter at Three UK.

Most people are most likely to follow the procedure online and complain by using the form or call customer services in India and vent their frustration there. I guess if it's a simple issue and if the call centre agents in India have the power to solve it, they may solve it and you may succeed in complaining and receiving a positive response.

The savvy readers of this blog will know, even if the issue is incredibly simple to our eyes, if it has to do with money being paid back to you, Three UK will not understand the problem or at least will not want to. So, what do you do? You get innoavative and start thinking outside the box.

The official ways of the Three UK customer complaints code:

• Online form
• Write to Three UK customer services:

Three Customer Complaints
Hutchison 3G UK Ltd.
PO Box 333
Glasgow
G2 9AG
(I wonder if this actually works)

• Call them:
  333 free from a Three mobile
  0843 373 3333 (5p/min from a BT landline,
  other networks vary) - Please don't call this number from a landline or a mobile. Call this number instead 01442 456050.

The unofficial ways of complaining to Three UK:

Write a letter on the computer, print it and post it using the Royal Mail First Class Signed For service. However, a random letter won't even get past the receptionist. To send a really effective letter and make sure it physically reaches the hands of senior management individuals, you need to follow these steps:

1. Find the appropriate contact - LinkedIn is normally a good way. We would publish a list of names of people high up in Three UK, but we've been asked (told) not to. A Google search throws up a lot of names.

2. Find the appropriate address, these are the addresses and telephone numbers on the Three UK website:

Hutchison 3G UK Limited
Star House

20 Grenfell Road

Maidenhead

SL6 1EH

Tel: 01628 765000

Hutchison 3G UK Limited
Great Brighams Mead
Vastern Road
Reading
Berks
RG1 8DJ
Tel: 01628 765000

Notice how both office locations have the same phone number. The number goes to a switchboard. To find out where your letter reciepient is based, select option 2. The switchboard operator will ask who you are and where you are calling from. Now, if you say you are a customer, you won't get past the operator. We are not asking you to lie, just use your imagination.

3. Once you have the right person's name and their office location, start writing your letter. Make sure you write a proper formal letter. This letter may even be used in court in the future, should it go that far.

4. On the envelope, be sure sure to write in an appropriate place: 'Strictly Private & Confidential'. This will  massively increase the chances of the letter reaching the individual.

5. Wait for a response.

The next method is to email the appropriate people. However, remember, the email needs to be as formal as the letter.

1. Finding the right email address can be quite tricky. It depends on how much spare time you have and or how motivated you are. From my experiecne, Three UK follow this email format: Firstname.Lastname@three.co.uk.

2. Be sure to include all details in the email, so whoever reads it can action it right away.

By far the best possible chance you have of getting your complaint heard and actioned is to follow all of the methods above, official and unofficial.

So, complain using all of these methods:

1. Online form
2. Write to customer services
3. Call customer services
4. Write to the head office (to an approriate person only)
5. Email (directly to an appropriate person)

Remember: All these methods are just to initiate a complaint. Please wait for my next post, where I will go through methods of escalating existing complaints all the way to the small claims court and how to build a legal case prior to that. This is not hard, it just needs dedication.

Thanks and stay tuned - Three Complaints UK (Unofficial)

Three's Complaint Form

Three have introduced an online complaints form to submit your complaint online:

https://www.three.co.uk/Support/Contact_us/Complaints_code_form

Always best to use this AFTER you've tried to call and include the name of who you spoke with.

Everything else on this site is still the same if you have no luck or acknowledgment of receipt

Email Received from Three

Hi Guys,

A Three representative has contacted us with up to Date addresses and Procedures:

"Hi there, my name is Sarah and I work for Three. I’m sorry to hear about some of the experiences people have talked about on this blog, and I wanted to share some contact details with you so that you can direct your query or issue to the right place. The Brighton address in the post above belongs to one of our stores so mail sent there may not reach our complaints team. If you’d like to write to us, please use the address below. Once we’ve received your letter we’ll be in touch within 10 working days:Three Customer ComplaintsHutchison 3G UK LtdPO Box 333GlasgowG2 9AGAlternatively you’ll find other contact details, including an online form, and information on our processes here - http://www.three.co.uk/Support/Contact_Us/Complaints_code?typeSearch=%27complaints*%27"

More tips for complaints

I recently received an email from a lovely girl called Amy giving me some additional tips to assist you with getting a complaint resolution:

The persistent demanding of a deadlock letter is amazing - the first time I asked for it I was transferred to a manager (which I had previously had been told was impossible), I continued to disagree with their awful offer (they wanted me to pay £25 for a phone I had on my 3 contract 3 years ago or a free Nokia 3120 which is worth £80 less than a Nokia 6500s). I was told to email the executive office with my request for a deadlock letter (Executive.Office@three.co.uk) but they were got Auto response saying they didn't deal with such requests. So I managed to get a lovely 3 shop employee to give me this:

Executive Office, 3, DIRECT LINE (+44) 08707 330 295, Executive.Office@three.co.uk

The lady was lovely enough to tell me how to make sure you email got through to the Executive Office so that your complaint could be investigated - in the subject header type: DEADLOCK LETTER in big capitals and to say FOR THE ATTENTION OF THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE in the subject too. The 3 store employee told me to send this email as many times as you feel necessary (I sent off 20 in quick succession with the subject DEADLOCK LETTER NOW).

The 3 store employee also said that I should be persistent with the 333 call centre and demand that they organise you a deadlock letter as you feel you have done enough and that you feel that you email can be ignored. They will say they cannot do this, but if you get put through to a senior enough manager they are authorised to do it for you even if they do this still demand to speak to the head of the call centre. This way 2 people are investigating your problem which means it should be sorted earlier.

Less than 24 hours after the big boss of the Indian call centre called me and offered me a one time special offer of a free nokia e71 and some compensation. I hope everyone else is able to get a similarly good resolution.

Thanks Amy!

First Steps - Contacting Three Customer Services

A lot of you would have already gone past this stage with no hope as you know how useless 3's customer service is but it is essential that you do complete this part.

But you need logs of all the dates, calls etc.. you have made.So I had an idea, submit your query using their Chat Program, once you get there, click on the green banner where it says "Got a Technical Query? Chat with a tech advisor now" and it will launch an instant messaging chat service for you. This way you should be able to keep records of all your correspondance by copy and pasting the whole conversation and saving it in word, unless anyone can think of a better way?

28/11/08: Quick update to the above statement: It appears that since this site has started that Three have decided to remove their online chat program. Not sure why as there are a variety of factors but it is a disappointment as it was a good way to record your conversations. Hopefully it's only a temporary removal. Please email me if you know otherwise.

I'd say if you've had a couple of weeks of bad luck with them then you should got to Step 2. If they're offering you a replacement for your phone make sure that it is either exactly the same model or a model which is worth more. You can check this by going on to Google Shopping and typing in the make and model of the phone 3 are offering and your existing phone to compare values.

Your composure on the phone/chat service, is essential. Be calm, don't show your anger etc... at them as this will not help you. Remember a lot of these overseas call centres train their staff well to be resilient (But they don't train them in Customer Services!!! ironic isn't it?).

If you are not happy with the outcome of your calls then just tell them it's not good enough and you will be taking your complaint further in writing, which is the next step of making formal letter of complaint to their first line of customer services.

Check out a recent post of possible alternative Three numbers and email addresses

Step 2 - Writing to Three

Here is the first address you should write to:

3 Customer services (complaints)
Hutchison 3G UK Ltd
PO Box 333
Glasgow
G2 9AG

I have put (complaints) after the name just so they know!

I have already written to this address and after 14 days still have not recieved any response from them yet!

Make sure your letter is firm but not too threatening and explains your complaint clearly and concisely. Also explain that you have made several calls etc.. to their customer services and you are not happy with the outcome.

Make sure that you end the letter requesting acknowledgement ASAP. This is for your records.

If you don't hear from them within 14 days then you need to write to a more senior agent within the organisation. I have been fortunate to be given this contact after a query to Otelo:

Lisa Kidd
3 Executive Office
123 St Vincent St
Glasgow
G2 5EA

Much in the same way as your previous letter(s), state your dissatisfaction of their service expecially if you have been ignored the first couple of times.

If they are not providing the service you have paid for and they are ignoring you, then let her know! Use terms like "Breach of Contract" and "Null and Void" (use both sparingly, don't over do it!) especially if you are still tied down to a contract with several months left in it. Fact of the matter is you are paying them and they aren't offering you the service you deserve.

Once again request acknowledgement of your letter and state how many weeks it has been since your initial complaint and if you don't hear from her you will seek the advice of Otelo.

Step 3 - Taking your Three Complaint Further

If your complaint still hasn't been resolved then you need to fall under one of these 2 categories below in order to move forward

1. It has been 12 weeks since you have registered your first complaint including telephone and Formal complaints to the company itself. I'm guessing this includes if your letters are ignored.

2. You have recieved a "deadlock letter" from the company where they have stated that there is nothing more they are going to do with your complaint.

The Office of Communications, OFCOM are the official regulators of the communications industry and this link will take you to their mobile phone complaints. OFCOM do not deal directly with your complaint but you can submit a survey and they will register & monitor it. If and when they recieve complaints they may decide to investigate the company so it's worth doing this survery first.

Ofcom has approved an Alternative Dispute Resolution Service (ADR) known as Otelo (Office of the Telecommunitcations Ombudsman) who deal with individual complaints once step1 and 2 of the complaints procedure with the company in question have been completed.

Click here to see their complaints procedure which outlines some of the informaiton I've already mentioned in more detail. You should also get a Case Reference for your investigation. I'd suggest ringing or emailing Otelo first regarding your complaint and see what advice they give and leave it with them to arrange a resolution for you.

Don't let 3 Get away with it!!!!

If your problem is very serious then why not submit it to BBC's Watchdog too and shame them? Just a thought....

Final Steps - Leaving Three

Well the previous step was really the final step but if you find even Otelo cannot sort out a resolution for your complaint out then you are only left with one real option....LEAVE THREE!!! Taking legal action is not really a viable option unless your issue has left you heavily out of pocket.

That's right! ride out your ripoff 18 month contract and leave them for another, more efficient service provider.

It will hit 3 hard if several hundred if not thousand customers leave them, don't fall into another trap even if they offer you a cheaper package as you'll end up back in a vicious circle with them.

Other companies such as Vodafone, O2, and Orange offer exceptional customer service, network coverage and deals which can match 3's.What you need to do is when you are near to the end of a contract, ring 3 customer services (yes again!!!) and ask for your PAC number (Porting Authorisation Code).

This number when given to your new service provider will allow you to keep the same number you have been using with 3.