Not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I've just had a very mixed experience with the new 2-hour in store repair service. On the one hand the staff were clearly really enthusiastic and ready to help, and the service itself is great--compared to last time when I returned a faulty phone to the manufacturer and had to wait about a week for a replacement.
On the other hand, I ran into a problem when it came to wanting to keep my data rather than having everything wiped. I'm pretty sure the problem I had was a hardware issue: obviously I'd understand if there was a software problem which required a complete factory reset. I asked if there was any option to keep my data intact (although I have just about everything backed up via Google, there are some things like security codes for work and online banking, and text message history, etc. which don't get backed up and in the first two cases are very fiddly and annoying to set up from scratch when you can no longer access the old device). I was told it was absolutely not possible to do that even if my phone just needed a new screen, due to "data protection" and "company policy", and apparently there was no way to sign a disclaimer or speak to someone more senior.
There are a couple of issues here. First, the form that customers are given to sign when handing in a device for repair already requires you to acknowledge that staff might be able to view your private information (e.g. text messages, photos, apps you have installed, etc.). So from a privacy/data protection point of view, there doesn't seem to be any real issue with letting customers have their phone back with data intact: you've already signed a statement acknowledging that they might see your potentially embarrassing pics and texts, and surely if someone dodgy in the repair centre wanted to copy all your info to an external hard drive and keep it, they could still do that before wiping it. Second, when I came back to pick up my phone, I was presented with a different, refurbished device rather than the original one having been repaired. (Sure, I completely understand that in a lot of cases that might be the best or only viable option from a technical point of view: but doing so when I've been told that "my" device is being booked in for a "repair", and had no update to say "actually, we've taken a look and there's no realistic way we can fix this", feels less than completely honest and suggests the data protection thing might just be an excuse for replacing rather than repairing).
I felt bad making an issue out of this with the staff in store, as they were friendly and otherwise really helpful, and they seemed young and inexperienced and in no position to be able to change things or make exceptions. Plus, the concept of being able to get your faulty or broken device repaired or replaced under warranty on the same day is fantastic. But there are a couple of things that I think need to change.
1) EE need to recognise that there are legitimate reasons some customers might want their device back with the data intact, and give them the choice to do that when technically possible (even if it means signing a disclaimer). I'm not a lawyer but do deal with privacy/confidentiality issues a lot in my line of work, and I'm 99% sure the Data Protection Act doesn't stop EE from taking a device into their possession with personal data on it (with the customer's permission, of course) and then returning it intact a few hours later. In fact, I'm pretty sure it's more dodgy from a DPA point of view for EE to have a blanket policy of destroying data belonging to other people.
2) EE need to be honest with customers about how their repair/replacement process works. If it's more economical most of the time to provide a replacement rather than do a repair, then let customers know this ahead of time (and maybe give them the option to have a repair instead, even if this incurs a fee or takes longer). Would you be happy if you took your car to the garage and they gave you a "refurbished" replacement in place of repairing your own car without discussing it with you in advance? If there are technical reasons why a hard reset/data wipe needs to be performed to fix the problem, then let the customer know this and explain the reasons for it on a case-by-case basis--and don't do so unnecessarily as a blanket policy. And finally, train your in-store staff to properly explain the process and if necessary the reasons why they can't do what the customer wants. Not doing so is unfair on customers but also unfair on the staff themselves when they're faced with frustrated customers and they/the company end up coming across as having a "computer says no" attitude. (Seriously, I'm generally a very patient and understanding customer, having done customer service before and being in a public-facing job now: but businesses hiding behind "data protection" or "company policy", along with "health and safety", as an excuse for not providing a service properly is one of the few things guaranteed to get my back up.)
