Vodafone Shop > Reviews (15)

I am basing this review on one of the two Vodafone stores in Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield.

The main store in Meadowhall is situated on Market Street. This store is reasonably large and has just undergone a major refit to install a new demo bar and to provide customers with increased access to the phones, enabling them to explore the features on the phones.

There is always plenty of staff available in the store to help, and all seem knowledgeable on the phones and technology. If one member of staff is unsure about a feature on one particular handset then another will be willing to provide assistance.

The store is divided into two sections one side for contract handsets and the other for pay as you talk. Whilst I was in the store a few customers seemed a little confused as to which handsets were for pay as you talk customers and vice versa. However, I found the store easy to find my way around and the staff seemed more than happy to help people find the right phone and handset for their needs.

The store seemed very up to date, with the latest handsets being displayed, and even 'up and coming' handsets just to tempt customers to come back the following month to take a look at the new handsets.

The store has a dedicated 'top-up' till where pay as you talk customers can quickly get their top ups done without having to wait for the contract customers setting up new accounts. People can top up via buying scratch cards (which start at £10 and go up in £5 increments), or by an e-top up swipe card that is linked to your mobile phone number (either by yourself or by a member of Vodafone's staff). You hand this card over to the assistant who will swipe it and ask how much you want credit you want to apply. This method is more popular than the scratch card top up credit as little as £5 can be applied.

Vodafone also have a contract with Nectar whereby customers can link up to 10 mobile numbers up to one Nectar card and claim points on their calls. You receive 2 Nectar points for every £1 you spend on Vodafone calls. Nectar and Vodafone also have promotions where if you upgrade or purchase one of their latest handsets you get bonus Nectar points. (I received 1000 bonus points when I upgraded).

Vodafone operates a 14-day money back guarantee, but are usually accommodating in special circumstances (i.e. if the customer is not able to get to the store for some reason, an explanatory phone call to the store can sometimes solve this).

Every so often, around sale seasons, Vodafone have reconditioned handsets for sale. These handsets have been returned during the 14-day money back guarantee and have been fully serviced and hold the usual one year guarantee and warranty. These are sold as pay as you talk handsets with a sim card (the memory chip that holds your phone number and details) and so require top ups. This is a way to get the latest handsets at a discount price, so look out for these in stores. However, it is not a way for contract customers to get a cheap upgrade as they are locked to pay as you talk sim cards and so putting a sim card in other than a Vodafone pay as you talk card will mean the phone will not work.

It you do not have time to browse in the Vodafone store, there are always plenty of brochures that feature all the handsets and their relevant specifications. There are also catalogues available for business customers as well as handy takeaway leaflets on issues such as phoning from abroad and sending text messages, etc.

To purchase a phone on contract you will need to take two forms of identification with you for the credit agreement (one stating your address and another with a picture). A recent utility bill (within the last three months) and passport are usually sufficient.

Staff will provide you with a list of phones that you are eligible to upgrade to. You can now upgrade 9 months into a 12-month contract (the best deal I have seen in a mobile phone store). Upgrading is an easy process and staff will guide you through it all, even demonstrating a number of handsets until you find one you like.

If the phone you want is out of stock a member of staff will take your contact details and ring you as soon as one is in store (deliveries are usually every couple of days). Also, when new phones are due to launch customers can pay a small deposit to pre-order them to guarantee the new handset on the launch date.

The store contains a few panels of accessories such as hands free kits and covers for phones. However, if you have a cover or accessory in mind that is not in stock you can order it from an instore database. To do this you pay in store and the accessory is delivered to you home address within a week. To return the accessory you simply take it into the store for a full refund.

This is my favourite Vodafone store in Sheffield, I would not want to visit another as the staff are so friendly and they seem to have the most phones in stock. The staff are knowledgeable and always tell you about offers such as the three months free line rental Vodafone like to offer. They are willing to solve problems for you via customer services, and will also do the jobs that we customers dislike doing, like registering our details and setting up our phones for us. They can also transfer you phone numbers from your old phone to your new one to save the customer the hassle.

Whilst I was in the store there was a very unhappy customer ranting and raving at a member of staff. This was dealt with very efficiently in my view and the customer left satisfied with the outcome.