I have to say, I wouldn't wish Bell's billing and customer service on my worst enemy. Really, and I'm sure I have Bell shares in some international mutual fund some place, and that's even more disappointing. It's non stop f@#$ up a after f@#$ up after f@#$ up. How can a company run on such a messed up billing system? HOWWWWWW. Inquiring minds wanna know.
I called at the end of December to cancel Internet for my aunt in southern Ontario. I knew that there is this 30 day fine print bullshit that they make you cancel ahead of time. At least I knew cuz I got dinged by Rogers for that once. I thought when you're done a service you're done, but not in Canadian telco land. So, I gave 30 days noticed because I heard the local cable provider Cogeco finally had cable service where she lived.
Let me state first the reason for the switch was simple - for $35 we got low bandwidth and a cap of 2G. The only people that use is are my extended family when they visit my aunt. That's not competitive. And thank God the dipshits at Bell have some competition. For a better speed we get 7G of data at a better price. Great. So Bell could kiss my ass and I was happy to switch over. Not so easy, it's Bell remember. The worst F@#$%'n billing system the world has yes known. Naturally the call centre plebe didn't put the f'n order in, and it wasnt' cancelled. Even with my 30 days.
I knew, in advance, based on my experience living in Toronto, how f'd up Bell can and would be, so I called to follow up. A little too late though. Indeed no order went through. I went down for a visit and packed up the modem for my aunt. Bell also charges a rental for a wireless modem rather than letting you use your own. So, there was some data that went on, whether from my smart phone, or that her computer was still plugged in to the modem, but nominal, like next to nothing. I'll define nothing as less than a meg for the month of February.
So I call Bell, sure as shit the f@#$ it up, and because it showed the modem in use for Feb, the mothers count February, and now apply 3o days in advance, so in April, if they don't F@#$ it up again, it'll be over. BUT, Bell reaps an extra $75 in revenue for their F@#$ up and my aunt, a pensioner, is out another $75 because of the telco behemoth's lack of competence. I can't help but wonder, given the consistent nature of their f@#$up over and over if this is planned, at some level. So that the company can make more $$ from people leaving. It's appalling. Even if you get a mega deal from Bell and despite how much you may dislike your local cable provider, I have to say, I'm hard pressed to think of a telco, here or in the USA so fricked up and difficult to deal with as Bell. I would never use them again. I've wasted sooooooo much time on the phone with them. I'm aghast at what a clusterf@#$ of a billing system they have and that they continue to be in business. Gotta love Canada's telco oligopoly.
And, ok, so get this, the call center guy tells me he can't cancel the whole account. And he can't see notes from other departments. Funny, but my aunt get's one bill from Bell, but when you call in, you have to call each department separately to cancel. At least that's what the CSR said. Really?
I hope the cable guys clean Bell's clock and that maybe one day in the future, if they're around, they can get their shit together, and do it in a way where they don't screw the customer as strategy for staying in business.
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If you're a shareholder and concerned about the long term viability and profitability of Bell given the substandard product offering and unfreakin believably terrible billing and customer service systems, WRITE INVESTOR RELATIONS AND COMPLAIN. A company this bad can't be a good long term investment.
FOR INQUIRIES FROM INDIVIDUAL INVESTORS
Lyne Roy
1, Carrefour Alexander Graham Bell, Building A, 6th Floor
Verdun (Quebec), H3E 3B3
Telephone:
1 800 339-6353
Fax:
(514) 786-3970
Email:
investor.relations@bce.ca
