With Bell Canada, the pain just never seems to end.
I canceled my service in prep for moving back to the US.
This was two months ago, and it seems every few weeks I get new bill.
Some F#$% up that never went through. I mean, at this point, it's almost comical except all the time I've wasted on this.
I'm being bill for somethings, not other things, I'm getting two different bills, I'm getting charged different rates. It seems I'm on the phone with Bell every other week canceling my service over again. I said when I canceled my account I'm moving and they did, kindly say they wouldn't charge me the early termination fee. That didn't make it through the system and two months later, after thinking I'm finally done, and several hours of phone calls, I get this bill with another charge.
I can only hope at this point, to the telco gods, that this is it. No more!!1 Bell, I can't stand it, you're driving me crazy! If it wasn't for a telco oligopoly and Canada's wishy washy trade policies that keep you protected from providing better service, you would have been done for years ago. I'm not saying that things are so much better south of the border, but I can say, rates are better, service is better and I've never in my life encountered as many billing issues as with you. Good luck.
And hopefully, au revoir!
Friday, October 22, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
What multi million consulting engagement buys you at Rogers.com
With bad internet and customer service from good ole Bell Canada I recently switched over to cable Internet and TV with Rogers. I'm expanding my blog here to cover telecommunications - phone, internet and TV, since it's become a staple in our lives, and more often than not, all controlled by the same company, in what is an monopolistic environment.
For the most part, I've been happy so far with the underlying service - tv and internet. As usual, add in customer service and marketing and that's when things go wrong, or more eloquently, get f#$%'d up.
I tried to sign up with Rogers over the Internet using their online site - to select my package and set up my account. I did not find the site user friendly. I could not easily identify what I'd end up paying with combined packages and ultimately when trying to set up and account (i tried this three times), I got an error message saying there was a problem with there system, please try again later. Really? This is a tech company. I've heard from some people in the industry a major consulting firm was hired to redevelop their Web site. Really? You end up with an un-user friendly technically broken site. So much for hiring high paid consultants. I'm sure their powerpoint deck looked great though!
So, I'm two months in to this service and I see I'm not being billed. Let me clarify, I am being billed, but despite providing my CC number when I finally called up on the phone to set up an account, I'm not being charged. I am indeed being billed, but now I'm behind a month and paying late fees. I just went through this with Bell. Who the f@#$ works on these billing systems. It's a non-stop pain in the ass for customers and a brand killer for the communication companies.
My other beef with the set up and becoming a new client was having the tech guys that installed things tell me that my internet would work from any of the previously installed cable outlets (I'm in an older home up here that had cable installed previously). Indeed, they did not. I was told I would not be charged for the guy to come back and actually make more than one outlet work. He only set up one when he came to install cable. And oddly, I had two cable boxes. So that cost another $50, $50 more than I was told I would be charged.
I went back to the web site to inquire about my bill and got another error message.
I called their main phone number for help and got the usual 'we're experiencing higher than normal call volume". You know that voice, the same one you hear any time you call any customer service line. I wonder if they're all using the same company for their billing system, that might explain the higher than normal call volume : )
Of many things I will probably wish for on my death bed, it's to have all the time back I spent dealing with cable and phone companies. Life is too short for so much BS.
For the most part, I've been happy so far with the underlying service - tv and internet. As usual, add in customer service and marketing and that's when things go wrong, or more eloquently, get f#$%'d up.
I tried to sign up with Rogers over the Internet using their online site - to select my package and set up my account. I did not find the site user friendly. I could not easily identify what I'd end up paying with combined packages and ultimately when trying to set up and account (i tried this three times), I got an error message saying there was a problem with there system, please try again later. Really? This is a tech company. I've heard from some people in the industry a major consulting firm was hired to redevelop their Web site. Really? You end up with an un-user friendly technically broken site. So much for hiring high paid consultants. I'm sure their powerpoint deck looked great though!
So, I'm two months in to this service and I see I'm not being billed. Let me clarify, I am being billed, but despite providing my CC number when I finally called up on the phone to set up an account, I'm not being charged. I am indeed being billed, but now I'm behind a month and paying late fees. I just went through this with Bell. Who the f@#$ works on these billing systems. It's a non-stop pain in the ass for customers and a brand killer for the communication companies.
My other beef with the set up and becoming a new client was having the tech guys that installed things tell me that my internet would work from any of the previously installed cable outlets (I'm in an older home up here that had cable installed previously). Indeed, they did not. I was told I would not be charged for the guy to come back and actually make more than one outlet work. He only set up one when he came to install cable. And oddly, I had two cable boxes. So that cost another $50, $50 more than I was told I would be charged.
I went back to the web site to inquire about my bill and got another error message.
I called their main phone number for help and got the usual 'we're experiencing higher than normal call volume". You know that voice, the same one you hear any time you call any customer service line. I wonder if they're all using the same company for their billing system, that might explain the higher than normal call volume : )
Of many things I will probably wish for on my death bed, it's to have all the time back I spent dealing with cable and phone companies. Life is too short for so much BS.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Hey T-mobile, Go procreate yourself! - Follow up to last rant
So, indeed, when going to the USA again I'll have the opportunity to get another cell provider. While in Canada, and after spending 2+ hours with Tmobile last week trying to sort out getting my old number back and my account re-instated we arrive at todays fun event!!!. After all that I've gone through, I finally get a 'temporary' number so that I can get my old number back. Guess what, some dude at AT&T now has my number. It's been re-assigned. What else can I say, in the most polite way possible - T-mobile and your marketing team - Go 'procreate' yourselves. You cost me time and money. Your service sucks. Your call center people are dumbasses. All the goodwill you have built up from someone decent rates and decent reception is lost on bad customer service. I will NEVER buy from you again. You f'd it up royally.
Friday, October 8, 2010
T-Mobile - We're breaking up, kiss my A** Goodbye
Up until a few months ago things were going so well.
Your rates were reasonable.
I've been a T-mobile customer on contract for most of my life in the USA, and then when I transferred to Canada for a work placement, I switched to pre-paid. Reasonable service, reasonable rates, and for the most part I was happy with reception. I travelled a lot to the USA and always used my Tmobile phone to avoid roaming charges on my Cdn. cell providers, who's rates are about double.
Then, we dropped the ball Tmobile. In a big way.
First, I guess my balance 'went to zero'. Now, I did have a period of time when I wasn't in the USA and the last time I was I guess I used most of my minutes, but not to zero. Then one day I go to check my voice mail, maybe 75 days after the last time I was in the USA. No voice mail. No account!!! WTF?????
I called Tmobile and asked them WTF and was told they cancel an account if it goes to zero and stays zero for more than a few months. Maybe it was 3 months. But no notice. I'm thinking EMAIL would be one way to let me know!!! The problem is, that phone number is on all my business cards and you know, I've had the number for 4 years now.
So I'm told I have to get another sim card. And of course, they can't mail it to Canada. So I have to have it sent to a friend in the USA, in this case an ex in NYC.
She kindly sends it up to me via fedex. Ok, good to go, going to get my number back.
NO. I've been on the line with Tmobile for 75 minutes now. I've been bounced between post paid and prepaid 3 times. The dufusses in Prepaid can't figure out what to do and punt me in to the main voice mail system, and I end up back in Post paid, only to hold again and get transferred back to Prepaid. I'm getting dizzy now.
So, with SIM card in card and eagerly awaiting the reclaiming of my phone number, I'm told I need an activation code. Most unfortunately that was not in the package I received. Ok, back to square 1. Have to go back and go to a store I'm told. Ok, let's get in the car and drive to Buffalo!! Really, really! I'd like to know why I can't active a phone with just the f'ing sim card, now I have to have a code.
I'm at 80 minutes now and no closer to resolving my issue. The dipshits at the call center aren't smart enough to handle anything off their script. Your IVR system sucks. You've wasted more time than you're worth. By tmobile - kiss my ass. Life is too short to deal with such an inept customer service company.
Here's a time breakdown:
Call 1.
2:30minutes in IVR land before I get to a rep. Then transferred to Pre paid
1:30 on hold
11:42 talk to a pre paid rep, realizes I don't have an activation code. punts me back to the main IVR system.
13:30 on hold
16:15 no live agent, can't find my way out of the IVR, stuck trying to enter my social security number, which of course, they don't have.
19:22 back to Prepaid on hold
22:14 lady from the main service stays on with me to make sure Prepaid takes care of my issues, then hangs up
29:31 Agent can't figure out what to do, puts me back in to IVR system but tells me I'm hold?
31:45 on hold
33:19 new accounts, starting from scratch here.
49:19 On hold for 16 minutes with prepaid. put back in to main menu IVR
call back - start over
2:50 IVR
6:00 minutes chat with Post Paid, transfer me to Prepaid
10:25 talk to Prepaid rep, I elevate to a supervisor,
32:34minutes on hold, transferred to another group
38:25 minutes on hold. women is over the top gushy, like a grandma that's slightly dumb. "Oh I'm so so so sorry, I do apologize for that. Now let me see, I'm going to raise my hand and get a supervisor. I'm sorry for that, we do apologize, just one moment"........ Said in a slow slow tone like an old women. She was nice, but just so over the top, just handle me case competently, I don't need apologies, just solutions!!
45:23 transferred to auto IVR for activation. Over an hour of my life given to IVR and incompetence at Tmobile.
Total time: 100minutes, still not activation.
Hey T Mobile - Get a clue!!!
If I were to send this to customer service, some dumbass making $9 an hour is going to write to bad so sad thanks for writing bullshit response letter, so, I'm taking a draft of this transaction and mailing it to the higher ups. Ever notice how you can't find real people to talk to at these companies. The ones actually responsible for the screwups or non friendly consumer policies.
So, I'm going to write to and if you have a beef with T Mobile, you should write them too!
Lisa LaFosse - Sr. VP - Retail Sales
or
John Fierrer - Sr. VP - Customer Loyalty
T-Mobile USA
12929 SE 38th St.
Bellevue, WA
98006
Your rates were reasonable.
I've been a T-mobile customer on contract for most of my life in the USA, and then when I transferred to Canada for a work placement, I switched to pre-paid. Reasonable service, reasonable rates, and for the most part I was happy with reception. I travelled a lot to the USA and always used my Tmobile phone to avoid roaming charges on my Cdn. cell providers, who's rates are about double.
Then, we dropped the ball Tmobile. In a big way.
First, I guess my balance 'went to zero'. Now, I did have a period of time when I wasn't in the USA and the last time I was I guess I used most of my minutes, but not to zero. Then one day I go to check my voice mail, maybe 75 days after the last time I was in the USA. No voice mail. No account!!! WTF?????
I called Tmobile and asked them WTF and was told they cancel an account if it goes to zero and stays zero for more than a few months. Maybe it was 3 months. But no notice. I'm thinking EMAIL would be one way to let me know!!! The problem is, that phone number is on all my business cards and you know, I've had the number for 4 years now.
So I'm told I have to get another sim card. And of course, they can't mail it to Canada. So I have to have it sent to a friend in the USA, in this case an ex in NYC.
She kindly sends it up to me via fedex. Ok, good to go, going to get my number back.
NO. I've been on the line with Tmobile for 75 minutes now. I've been bounced between post paid and prepaid 3 times. The dufusses in Prepaid can't figure out what to do and punt me in to the main voice mail system, and I end up back in Post paid, only to hold again and get transferred back to Prepaid. I'm getting dizzy now.
So, with SIM card in card and eagerly awaiting the reclaiming of my phone number, I'm told I need an activation code. Most unfortunately that was not in the package I received. Ok, back to square 1. Have to go back and go to a store I'm told. Ok, let's get in the car and drive to Buffalo!! Really, really! I'd like to know why I can't active a phone with just the f'ing sim card, now I have to have a code.
I'm at 80 minutes now and no closer to resolving my issue. The dipshits at the call center aren't smart enough to handle anything off their script. Your IVR system sucks. You've wasted more time than you're worth. By tmobile - kiss my ass. Life is too short to deal with such an inept customer service company.
Here's a time breakdown:
Call 1.
2:30minutes in IVR land before I get to a rep. Then transferred to Pre paid
1:30 on hold
11:42 talk to a pre paid rep, realizes I don't have an activation code. punts me back to the main IVR system.
13:30 on hold
16:15 no live agent, can't find my way out of the IVR, stuck trying to enter my social security number, which of course, they don't have.
19:22 back to Prepaid on hold
22:14 lady from the main service stays on with me to make sure Prepaid takes care of my issues, then hangs up
29:31 Agent can't figure out what to do, puts me back in to IVR system but tells me I'm hold?
31:45 on hold
33:19 new accounts, starting from scratch here.
49:19 On hold for 16 minutes with prepaid. put back in to main menu IVR
call back - start over
2:50 IVR
6:00 minutes chat with Post Paid, transfer me to Prepaid
10:25 talk to Prepaid rep, I elevate to a supervisor,
32:34minutes on hold, transferred to another group
38:25 minutes on hold. women is over the top gushy, like a grandma that's slightly dumb. "Oh I'm so so so sorry, I do apologize for that. Now let me see, I'm going to raise my hand and get a supervisor. I'm sorry for that, we do apologize, just one moment"........ Said in a slow slow tone like an old women. She was nice, but just so over the top, just handle me case competently, I don't need apologies, just solutions!!
45:23 transferred to auto IVR for activation. Over an hour of my life given to IVR and incompetence at Tmobile.
Total time: 100minutes, still not activation.
Hey T Mobile - Get a clue!!!
If I were to send this to customer service, some dumbass making $9 an hour is going to write to bad so sad thanks for writing bullshit response letter, so, I'm taking a draft of this transaction and mailing it to the higher ups. Ever notice how you can't find real people to talk to at these companies. The ones actually responsible for the screwups or non friendly consumer policies.
So, I'm going to write to and if you have a beef with T Mobile, you should write them too!
Lisa LaFosse - Sr. VP - Retail Sales
or
John Fierrer - Sr. VP - Customer Loyalty
T-Mobile USA
12929 SE 38th St.
Bellevue, WA
98006
Monday, October 4, 2010
Fido - No Customer Service
This post was originally posted in a blog dedicated to why i f'ing can't stand fido, but I've since consolidated my angst towards Canadian telcos in this blog. Here is my previous post on Fido here:
OK, open caveat here, the issue could be the uber cool, but rarely performing up to hype iPhone, but, I haven't been getting txt messages for 36 hours.
So, what do you do when that happens to you?
Hmmmm, well, for me, I call *611 to call fido and let them know about the problem.
I call at 7:36am. I have only 4 options. Tech support is not one of them.
Boldly optimistic but sadly in vain, I hit 'O' hoping for a person, but alas, no. So then I start at the beginning, listen to all the options that have nothing to do with my problem, and try dive in to Fido's IVR to find a person. I end up in the 'changes to my account' stream. I think I'm getting some place. I get the now omnipresent and annoying 'due to a high call volume, callers may experience longer than normal call wait times'. Yah right. So I wait.
I then get something to the extent like, "We're sorry, our offices are closed. Please call back between 8am and 8pm, EST". Really? Really fido, you couldn't have told me that at the beginning? And still, no freakin ability to find out how to fix the text message problem. Why fido, why????? I like that your rate plans are relatively simple compared to the competition, I like that your rate plans are somewhat cheaper than the competition, but do you have to spoil that goodwill with completing non-function, inaccessible support? You take a good thing and screw it up.
I do send my frustrating rants to Fido, but they're filtered in the customer service department, i.e., our English is bad, we make less than $30K a year, I can't wait to get another job..... that department. So basically, you get form response thanking you for your business. How about leadership?
How about the head marketing or the CEO actually giving a damn. Learning about what's really going on. Trying to fix it. What a waste of a brand.
Fido, you're in the dog house again!
OK, open caveat here, the issue could be the uber cool, but rarely performing up to hype iPhone, but, I haven't been getting txt messages for 36 hours.
So, what do you do when that happens to you?
Hmmmm, well, for me, I call *611 to call fido and let them know about the problem.
I call at 7:36am. I have only 4 options. Tech support is not one of them.
Boldly optimistic but sadly in vain, I hit 'O' hoping for a person, but alas, no. So then I start at the beginning, listen to all the options that have nothing to do with my problem, and try dive in to Fido's IVR to find a person. I end up in the 'changes to my account' stream. I think I'm getting some place. I get the now omnipresent and annoying 'due to a high call volume, callers may experience longer than normal call wait times'. Yah right. So I wait.
I then get something to the extent like, "We're sorry, our offices are closed. Please call back between 8am and 8pm, EST". Really? Really fido, you couldn't have told me that at the beginning? And still, no freakin ability to find out how to fix the text message problem. Why fido, why????? I like that your rate plans are relatively simple compared to the competition, I like that your rate plans are somewhat cheaper than the competition, but do you have to spoil that goodwill with completing non-function, inaccessible support? You take a good thing and screw it up.
I do send my frustrating rants to Fido, but they're filtered in the customer service department, i.e., our English is bad, we make less than $30K a year, I can't wait to get another job..... that department. So basically, you get form response thanking you for your business. How about leadership?
How about the head marketing or the CEO actually giving a damn. Learning about what's really going on. Trying to fix it. What a waste of a brand.
Fido, you're in the dog house again!
Again with the Billing Mess Ups - Bell!!
First and foremost, I'm going to try to mitigate expletives from my blog posts. I can't even begin to tell you how difficult this is, given the level of frustration dealing with Bell, and telco companies in general. Sometimes no other word more accurately defines the depths of ineptitude, greed or bad service. That said, heres the rant this week.....
After canceling Bell's TV and Internet service 6 weeks ago, and several phone calls to Bell Canada and their call center in the Philippines, I thought (and I should have known better), we're all done. But alas, no. I had, in mid September an outstanding balance that had not been paid since I opened the account, for Internet. Because when I signed up, although I was billed at a rate of the bundled price, their two different billing systems 'didn't talk to each other', so apparently (i only e-bank so i don't really read what's going through my account ) I wasn't being billed for Internet. I get different paper bills and I get ebills. So after closing the account, and being on the phone several times I pay off the outstanding amount of my Internet bill because there couldn't figure out how to bill it together.
Today, October 4, I get another bill. Some nominal amount, plus interest for late charges. Really. Ok, so I call Bell. Then of course, they can't take my call, I have to be transferred to Internet. I have two numbers on my bill - a phone number, and an account number. Naturally, rather than finding my account info from, uh, my name, which might be easier, or the phone number, which would be 2nd easiest cuz you know them off the top of your head, they want a unique B1 number. I don't have this on my bill. So then we go with the 16 digit account number which they can't find. Then we go back to the phone number. Why didn't we start with this?
Well, the ending is good - I didn't owe any more money and the account shows a 0 balance. This after 8 minutes of my life spent and a call back to the Philippines to confirm that the twits up in Canada indeed should not have sent out a paper bill.
Just when I thought my relationship with the phone company was finally done - bad service, non-stop billing errors, screwed up IVR prompts and one massive waste of time and productivity dealing with Bell was over...... it continues!!!
Stay tuned, or cross your fingers.
After canceling Bell's TV and Internet service 6 weeks ago, and several phone calls to Bell Canada and their call center in the Philippines, I thought (and I should have known better), we're all done. But alas, no. I had, in mid September an outstanding balance that had not been paid since I opened the account, for Internet. Because when I signed up, although I was billed at a rate of the bundled price, their two different billing systems 'didn't talk to each other', so apparently (i only e-bank so i don't really read what's going through my account ) I wasn't being billed for Internet. I get different paper bills and I get ebills. So after closing the account, and being on the phone several times I pay off the outstanding amount of my Internet bill because there couldn't figure out how to bill it together.
Today, October 4, I get another bill. Some nominal amount, plus interest for late charges. Really. Ok, so I call Bell. Then of course, they can't take my call, I have to be transferred to Internet. I have two numbers on my bill - a phone number, and an account number. Naturally, rather than finding my account info from, uh, my name, which might be easier, or the phone number, which would be 2nd easiest cuz you know them off the top of your head, they want a unique B1 number. I don't have this on my bill. So then we go with the 16 digit account number which they can't find. Then we go back to the phone number. Why didn't we start with this?
Well, the ending is good - I didn't owe any more money and the account shows a 0 balance. This after 8 minutes of my life spent and a call back to the Philippines to confirm that the twits up in Canada indeed should not have sent out a paper bill.
Just when I thought my relationship with the phone company was finally done - bad service, non-stop billing errors, screwed up IVR prompts and one massive waste of time and productivity dealing with Bell was over...... it continues!!!
Stay tuned, or cross your fingers.
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