Help lines and suggestion boxes...idea #39/100...

Perhaps your network is different, but mine - and others I have tried in the UK - don't seem to want any calls to their helpdesk. This is evident from the fact that it is hard to locate the helpdesk number, even on their websites.

Why don't they simply program it in the phone?

The number should also be as specific as possible. For example, Vodafone has particular helpline expertise for the Blackberry, so why not let me dial them "direct", instead of going through annoying menus?

Moreover, why should I call them at all? Can't I have a button (sorry to sound so simplistic) that says "I need technical help, please call me".

Furthermore, what about suggestions? It seems that despite all the apparent interest from operators in wanting to understand which applications customers want, they don't seem to want any suggestions from real customers. After all, if "the crowd" is so smart, then why not listen to them?

I'm keen to tell Vodafone/RIM about suggested improvements to the Web-client edition of the Blackberry, based on real experience. Whom should I tell? I've no idea...(And please don't make me hunt around for some web forum!)

Why don't devices come with built-in mechanisms for help and suggestions? A simple menu option called "Suggestions" with at least an explanation of how to make them, if not the mechanism itself (i.e. a suggestion box) must surely be a trivial addition to the software, but with potentially valuable results. (Menu options on mobiles ought to be easily customisable...but I'll get back to that in a future post.)

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