O2 Employees Allege Pressure to Upsell Customers
Former Staff Reportedly Faced Intense Sales Targets and Deceptive Practices
Ex-employees are speaking out about alleged aggressive sales tactics at O2, claiming they were pushed to sell services customers didn’t need. The former staff members claim they were under immense pressure to meet sales quotas, leading to questionable practices that prioritized profit over customer satisfaction.
Forced Upsells and Unwanted Services
Former employees state they were pressured to offer the most expensive tariffs first, only reducing them if a customer refused. This meant customers often ended up with services they did not require. According to sources, a common issue involved older customers with basic phones being sold costly plans with international calling and excessive data.
One former employee, Petr, said, “The pressure was already extreme, lying to people and persuading them that they need something they didn’t need, I went against my hair.”
“Hard work in terms of psychological terms, stress and, above all, high expectations of the employer, especially in cases in terms of selling customer service,” says Petr, adding that some goals are almost impossible.
—Petr, Former O2 Employee
The telecom industry has seen a rise in customer complaints about deceptive sales practices. According to the Consumer Federation of America, 35% of consumers report feeling pressured to buy products or services they didn’t need (Consumer Federation of America, 2024).
Financial Incentives and Company Policies
Staff received low base salaries, supplementing their income through commissions earned from sales. A former employee indicated they had to meet sales targets to make a decent living. The alleged practice of switching customer accounts to different IDs was also flagged, as it allowed the company to register existing customers as new ones.
“You are obliged to offer the highest tariff at the store and only then reduce as the customer refuses. When the customer comes, you are always obliged to increase his tariff if he does not want it, it goes at the expense,” added Petr.
Account Manipulation Tactics
Former employees detailed how customer accounts were allegedly manipulated. This involved canceling services under one identification number and re-enrolling customers under a new one. This enabled the company to treat an existing customer as a new one, and potentially meet sales targets.
The former employee explained: “This is the Holy Grail, if an employee learns that someone has a ID, his eyes light up.”
The report also cited a case where a woman went to a store seeking a new modem and was convinced to get services she did not want. She was then given a new phone number and lost a discount with Air Bank. Eventually, it took months for her to restore everything.
