Orange salesperson doesn’t know much about data charges

I popped into the Orange shop on Oxford Street today.  I thought it was about time I had an Orange connection.  I’ve got handsets and price plans on all other UK networks and, well, it’s all about putting your money where your mouth is.

I walked in and had a browse at the rather small selection of pay-monthly mobiles.  The pay-as-you-go section was double the size!

My attention was drawn to the latest HTC Touch that comes complete with a keyboard.  I wouldn’t have minded that.  But let’s talk data.  A sales person came over to me after giving me about a minute’s worth of browsing time.  Good strategy.  He gave me enough time to have a poke about, then asked if I needed help.

I thought I’d get stuck in.

“Talk to me about your data charges?” I asked. The chap looked a bit put out.

“Do you mean browsing?”

“Ah, no,” I said, “I mean pure data.  The last time I was in an Orange shop it was 4 quid a meg… what’s it now?”

“Oh, er, a pound (a quid) per meg,”  he replied, quickly.  Good.  Good knowledge.

“Aye but do you have an unlimited style 1g service plan?”

“On our data cards it’s 3GB per month,” he replied.

“But on your handsets, on a standard service plan?”

“A pound a meg.”

Hmm.

“Are you sure? You don’t do some sort of 7 pounds a month, 100 meg or 1,000 meg offer?”

Insert look of panic on the salesman’s face.

“Errrrr,” he said, “You’ll er… no,”  [He was about to get a brochure], “No, it’s not in the brochure. You’ll need to phone.”

“Phone?”  I prompted.

“Yeah, er, phone up.  Phone up and ask.  They’ll know.”

Right.

Can’t be bothered.   Next.