Today’s little rant is going to be about customer service.

I should start by telling you that I have had the WORST luck with my current cell phone provider.  I will leave them nameless, but let me tell you….they have the WORST customer service in the world.  With the exception of 1 guy there who has helped me, the rest are all not suited for jobs that require thinking, speaking and common sense.

This all started last December.  I switched cell phone companies because I was tired of the high prices and lack of cool phones.  The one I switched to had a new cool phone, lower prices and earlier night and weekend minutes.  What I didn’t realize at the time was that I also was getting a customer service team that was superior only to the customer service team at Iraqi Airways.

From day 1, my plan was messed up.  I had signed up for the “family plan” so I could share the wealth of my new found minutes with those closest to me.  What a hero I was…cool phones for the family, unlimited text and more minutes than we could use.  All was good in the Big Daddy house.  Until day 2.

I was what they call “porting my number” from the old company to the new so I could keep my phone number.  Seeing I have had it for 10 years now, I thought it was somewhat important to keep it.  Well, when my phone arrived, it didn’t have my cool 617 phone number, but that of a 978 #.  I called up service to find out what was going on and right away the person was clueless.  I was left on hold and was passed around more than the NBA trophy.  Finally, I hung up and decided to call the next day.

The next day, same old story.  Nobody could tell me anything except that it wasn’t going to happen due to something wrong in the system or something.  Now I was mad.  I spent Christmas Eve on Google attempting to find the President of this Company and his email address so I could let him know of my frustration.  Sure enough, I found his email address and that of his top 25 executives.  BINGO!  I wrote a very detailed email to him and the rest of them about how I was left on hold for hours, hung up on, and told everything but that this would be fixed.  I honestly did not think I would get a response from anyone.  I was wrong.

I received and email on Christmas morning informing me that I would be contacted the next morning by a high ranking service rep to take care of the problem and apologized for my trouble.  I was very delighted that this worked.  Sure enough, a guy called me the next morning and took care of everything.  I could now relax and enjoy my phone.  Wrong.

Month after month and bill after bill I had something wrong.  Over charges for text even though I had unlimited text, data charges for a phone that did not have data.  At one point they billed me for health insurance.  Okay….I may be exaggerating a bit now.  But, each time I had to get back on the phone and go through the hell of being on hold to get nowhere.  Not once was anyone able to explain or help me with my simple issues.  So once again, I shot an email to the big dog and his crew and received a prompt answer, apology and resolution to the problem.  And then the next month came and the same thing happened.  At this point these Executives must feel like idiots because their own customer service people could not figure out that I had an unlimited text plan and should not be getting billed for going over my limit.  That is the key to unlimited text….there is no limit!!  Now they had to have a guy deal with this who probably makes 6 figures a year and has much bigger things to do than this.

So all was well with 1 month and then I go to make a payment by phone 2 says ago.  I go through the automated system and paid $130.  I wasn’t sure what it should be, but figured that would cover it.  So after I do it, I get a message saying that there was a technical issue and I needed to be sent to a rep to take my payment over the phone.  So I wait on hold for a bit and then a rep picks up and I tell them what happened and she says she will help me and that I only need to pay $123.31.  I give her my info and I am all set.  Until the next morning.

I go to my online banking and check my account.  After reviewing all of my purchases and seeing that they are all for gas and are like $80$120 (makes me sick!!) I see 2 charges from the cell phone company.  They charged me for the automated payment that supposedly did not go through and the one I did on the phone.  So I take a deep breath and call.  The 1st guy has no clue as to what I am talking about and after doing his best to think about it, he sends me to someone else.  Then that guy tells me he will review it and be back in a moment.  He comes back on the phone and says in a very happy voice there is nothing he can do, but I now do not have a bill due for awhile as the money will be applied to my account.  Yay!  You charge me twice, tell me you cannot reverse it and I am supposed to be happy?  So I tell him that cannot be legal and go ask his boss what we can do.  He comes back and tells me he cannot do anything but will send me to his boss.  So that guy gets on the phone and just says “I am sorry, but we cannot do anything”.  I finally give up and write another email to the big wigs letting them know of my newest issue.

Within 5 minutes I get a response.  The same guy who has helped me calls me as well.  He looked into it and realized what had happened and fixed it.  At this point, they really must think I have a black cloud over my head when it comes to service and their company.

So, my point in this long winded blog about nothing, is that why do these companies have customer service but do not train their people to deal with issues and then do not empower them to make decisions?  It is like they just hire anyone and stick them in the chair to take calls.  All it does it make us MAD!

I have been to a popular fast food place where I ordered something and the person asked me what it was!  Are you serious??  It is on that big board behind your head!  Or when I go to this Chinese place and order a #24 (as it says on their menu) and the waited asks what that is.  IT IS ON YOUR MENU!  Why put the damn number there if nobody that takes the orders has a clue as to what it is?  Just eliminate the #!

Anyway…that is it for now.  My cell phone works, I was able to get a nice credit and the Celtics parade is today.  I hope I have good luck in the cafe today!