Honouring One’s Word v Keeping One’s Word
As a ‘graduate’ of Landmark Education I came across many valuable distinctions. One of the most powerful of these distinctions is this one: honouring one’s word. Notice, that honouring one’s word is not keeping one’s word.
When one operates from a stand of ‘honouring one’s word’ then one cleans up the mess that occurs or is likely to occur when one does not keep one’s word. And one does so gladly as one values the other, values the relationship, and values one’s word as one’s self.
Tesco Mobile Honours Its Word After Having Not Kept It
What has this to do with Tesco Mobile? You may remember that it occurred to me that Tesco Mobile had not treated me fairly given the situation I found myself in. And the way that I had sought to work with Tesco Mobile to come to an amicable resolution – one that was fair and worked for both Tesco Mobile and myself. I wrote up my experience in the following post: Why I Will Never Buy Anything From Tesco Mobile Again!
Several days after writing the last post, a helpful chap (Niky McBride) from Tesco Mobile contacted me. We spoke on the phone. And the phone call ended with Mr McBride promising to look into the situation and find am amicable solution for all.
I had my doubts. One part of me expected that Mr McBride would come back and tell me that he had looked into the corporate policy and he could not help me. The other part of me expected that the best offer would be along the following lines: you can terminate the contract by paying up the remaining amount on the cost of the iPhone and this months airtime-data fee.
Instead I received the following offer:
Dear Mr Iqbal
Thank you for your time over the phone today.
As discussed, we are unable to offer tethering on iPhone at present. As a resolution to the matter, we’re happy to:
1. Allow you to return the handset so we can cancel your contract without Early Termination Charges
2. Allow you to pay for the handset so you can keep this and use it on another network that supports tetheringPlease let me know which course of action you would prefer so we can bring this matter to a resolution for you.
Kind regards,
Niky McBride (Mr)
Customer Service Executive
Tesco Telecoms
After consideration, I chose to return the handset and cancel the contract. In part, this was because I wanted to see what my experience would be like if I did decide to return the handset. Would it be easy or difficult? Would I find that despite Mr McBride’s promise, I would find that the right arm didn’t know what the left arm was doing. And so I would find myself charged for cancelling the contract and returning the phone.
The return process turned out to be remarkably easy. I was sent clear-helpful instructions on how to go about returning the iPhone. And on the appointed day-time, the courier turned up to pick up the iPhone.
Somewhat later, I got an email informing me that I would be charged something like £800+ for the early termination of the contract. So that which I had envisaged had come true: the right arm did not know what the left arm was doing! Just as I was about to consider my options, I found myself disarmed with the following email:
Dear Mr Iqbal
I am writing to prevent any concern, as there has been a charge applied to your Tesco Mobile account for the iPhone handset you returned. Please however, rest assured that we’ve asked for this balance to be cleared so you will not be charged.
This email is confirmation that you will not be charged.
Kind regards,
Niky McBride (Mr)
Customer Service Executive
Tesco Telecoms
Did Mr McBride live up to his promise? Did he keep his word? Here is an extract from the email that I wrote:
Dear Mr McBride,
I have just received my credit card statement and find that you have been true to your word …. I have not been charged by Tesco Mobile.
….. I thank you for all that you have done on my behalf. I find myself wondering what kind of world you-I would find ourselves living in if enough of us were to show up and operate in this world in the way that you have done – in helping me come to an amicable-just resolution……
It occurs to me that a great way for me to repay you is to thank you through a follow up post. You have done right by me. And now it is my turn to do right by you, and Tesco Mobile. If you are in a position to email me a photo of yourself, your team leader, or your team then please do so, and I will include it in the post……
At your service / with my love and gratitude
Maz
Does Tesco Mobile Now Offer Tethering On The iPhone?
Allow me to close out this post by dealing with the issue of tethering on the iPhone. Why? It was the lack of tethering that drove me to look to end my relationship with Tesco Mobile.
Two readers have written to let me know that Tesco Mobile is now offering tethering. I am assuming that this means that Tesco Mobile is now offering tethering on the iPhone; they were already offering tethering on other phones including my daughters £60 Samsung phone which made me see red as I had paid £660 for the iPhone 5s 32GB and could not get tethering when I needed it for work.
I cannot say whether Tesco Mobile is or is not offering tethering with the iPhone. My recommendation is to check this before you enter into a contract. Or to check it out as soon as you receive your iPhone. Why? Because you have 14 days to return your phone and cancel the contract. I believe this is a legal requirement when buying stuff via the internet.
What I can say is this: I find myself willing to buy from and recommend Tesco Mobile. Why? Because Tesco Mobile, through Mr McBride, honoured its word to me as a customer. And that is all that I ask of any person-organisation that I do business with: honour your word.
