The Characters
A-Sales Rep at store
B-Cust Service rep payment Sept 20th (give or take a day)
C-Cust Service rep payment Oct 15th
D-Cust Service rep Bill Corrections Oct 16th
E-D's "Supervisor"
Myself-Asset Manager w / a large International Bank
Issues
1) sim card in phone
2) Bad phone
3) Billing
4) Change in plan
It all started off one fine summer morning when my phone quit working. I arrive at the store to talk to the sales person, a knowledgeable person. I told him that I was having issues with my phone working intermittently. Turns out its my sim card... But my phone was so old it would take them a few days to get me a new one and it would have to shipped etc. Be without a phone for a few days. I couldn't handle it so he upgraded me to a razr, and a new contract, but still with my same exact original plan. I figure he seems pretty savvy what the heck.
About 3 weeks later the new phone is on the blink. None of the buttons work right except the power button. I get to the store, and they want to ship one to me! Not only do they want to ship it they want me to pay for the shipping! After about 15 minutes of debate they finally decide to credit me for the shipping. They pop my sim into my old phone and low and behind it works perfectly.
Then I notice my phone bill starts going up. My calling habits haven't really changed much. Possibly text messaging... Was free with the old plan should be free with the new, but it isn't.
Approx Sept 20th my phone shuts off my call is rerouted to Cust service rep A. My bill was about 160 and I paid it he went over my bill with me and decided I should change plans, which give me more minutes and added on the text messaging as well as updated my home address. I can own up to my own bill and not gripe about it happens to the best of us.
Yesterday Oct 15th my phone shuts off again. I am rerouted to cust service rep B a nice girl who can't see anything in my bill because of the system won't let her until its paid and then I would have to call back. Makes sense it's a Sunday I don't expect the cream of the crop to be working on a Sunday. She gives me a 200 min credit on future bills because she feels bad. What she can check is that my plan was never changed. Neither was my address. There are no notes in the system that say I wanted anything changed, but there isn't really anyone in who can do anything about it so I should call back.
I call back today Oct 16th.
I get Cust service rep D another nice girl. She can't figure out why my bill is so much, but yes my plan was changed, and I have a "$205 credit so I shouldn't have to pay a bill for a while" hey! That sounds good to me! After I pointed out a few things for her. Billing cycle dates, pending charges it turns out I only have a 30-cent credit? Ouch. Now keep in mind this took about 10 minutes to get to this point. I explain that I would like to be reimbursed for the charges because my plan was supposed to be changed. She can't do it so she gets me the supervisor.
Now after about 5 mins of waiting the supervisor gets on I explain what happened again, and that I want to be credited for last month because they were supposed to change my plan. She says "I understand you what do you want me to do about it?" after going through this 3 times. She tells me that there are no notes in the system so she can't do it. Then tells me I have long distance charges!!! I am supposed to have a nationwide plan!!!
I point out these factors.
1) You have someone who can't change a plan (the biggest issue)
2) Same person can't change an address
3) You have a rep that tells me I have a 205 credit when I just paid 185 the day before! And can't explain why!!!
4) If my phone bill went up that much and was consistently going up wouldn't I change to a better plan to make up for it?
5) I still haven't got my rebate yet!
So when I point this out she and ask do you think there is any way there might have even possibly been a mistake given how the quality of answers and service I had received which were all bad. She tells me I have no right to say the people who work there are incompetent... Well lady you said it not me.
At this point hey I admit I lost it a little bit. I did compare the incompetent people to people who make $10 an hour fast food phone jockey's who could never ever make mistakes.
One hour later my service has been switched to a new company with the same phone number.
The Bottom line is this. Treat people with respect, work towards a resolution, every problem is an opportunity to make something better, and give your people the freedom to do there job.
On a side note... For about 6 mo's before I ended up with the new phone I stopped my automatic monthly payments... Mysteriously they were put back on after skipping a month without my authorization. Unauthorized payments just taken out of my account... Ouch...
Alex
southfield, Michigan
U.S.A.
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