Customer Service(?)

[Pat-inCO]

I am in the process of changing my phone, cell phone and Internet. It is, at
least to me, appalling the total lack of true customer service displayed by
many of the companies involved.

As a bit of background, the company that I am retired from has a policy, for
those in customer service, that says when you answer a customer call, YOU
own that call until there is a resolution. It does not mean you have to fix it,
but it DOES mean that you are the point of contact, for that customer, until
the problem is resolved.

NONE of the companies I have been working with over the last few days seem
to understand that definition of service. All the people are concerned with is
getting rid of the call, actually handled or not. Then you mix in the bait and
switch (which I understand to be illegal, yet still practiced) and it is VERY
frustrating.

I am getting rid of the Straight Talk (SAVE HALF on your bill :roll: ) because
the phones they have are inferior. Add to that, Verizon has almost the same
plan charges, with Motorola phones (I got the Moto G). Then if you get it
set up to have the bill paid on your credit card, they increase the data
allotment. . . . Anyway, that works for me, and only had a few hickups.

Home phone was about the same, and I get to keep "my" phone number
(now quite common).

:roll: Then there is the Internet. :roll:
I was quoted $29.95/mo for 50Meg/sec. Come time to actually change, they
say "That price was only good until the first of the month, now it is $29.95
for 25Meg/sec . . . . for the first year. Then it goes to $65/mo from then on.
Needless to say I was "unimpressed" (this is from Comcast). I am still
waiting on the Verizon manager (his people quoted the price) to find out
why they were not kept up to date on pricing. I'll scream at him tomorrow
if I do not have an answer (even the brain dead need time to respond).

As if that were not enough, I would have to pay $55 to have it "installed",
even when I have the service now, with fiber optic to the hub (three blocks
away). I resent having someone come into my house and move furniture
so they can look in an outlet box and say "Yup, it's OK".

SIGH!

Almost as a P.S. . . . I spent almost an hour on the phone with my "old"
provider to see if they would match the new price, and all I got was "That's
not in my area."

Customer service . . . . right . . . . yup . . . sure is.

[/rant]

 

[Bull Barrel]

The reason for this is people won't tell these companies to stuff their "service" where the sun won't shine. People think they must have everything and are willing to put up with being screwed to have the latest and greatest gadgetry.
Until customers say "no" this will be the accepted standard.

 

[caryc]

When I got my high speed WIFI connection I called my old company, Earthlink. I had a dial up connection with them and I was going to get rid of the dial up connection and just keep their email since I've had that address for so long, so many of my customers still use it.

Anyway I told the guy what I wanted to do and he said he would let me keep the dial up internet and the email and reduce my rate from $21.95 per month to $14.95 per month. Good to have that dial up if my WIFI ever goes down.

I asked him how long that $14.95 price would be good for and he said "forever". I thought that was pretty good.

Earthlink has always been a good dial up service for me and their "help" desk has always left me satisfied as well.

 

[ChiefMuzz]

I don't know if anyone had the pleasure of hearing the Customer Service Call from hell that a customer recorded when he tried to cancel his Comcast service. This recording supposedly starts about 10 minutes into the conversation after his wife gives him the phone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYUvpYE99vg

 

[caryc]

I don't know if anyone had the pleasure of hearing the Customer Service Call from hell that a customer recorded when he tried to cancel his Comcast service. This recording supposedly starts about 10 minutes into the conversation after his wife gives him the phone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYUvpYE99vg

Wow, you'd think the guys life depended on keeping that one customer.

That thing is almost too hard to believe. It's hard to believe that anyone could be that patient.

 

[Pat-inCO]

I've had a few that were reluctant to let me drop them. I did anyway.

I tried the ploy of "I'd like to stay with you (to CenturyLink) but can you
match or improve the Comcast rate?" They have not replied as of this
evening. It would not surprise me if they ignore it, or just say no.

I've also been looking at anything else I can find around here, or anywhere
that supports my area. All that I have found (including Earthlink) are ten
to twenty dollars higher. :roll:

As I said, my major complaint is having someone that I do not know, coming
in my house to say "Yup, it's OK." :evil:

 

[Xsales]

Most major companies have what is called the "retention" dept to handle their existing customers (not new customers)
Their job is to do what they can to "retain" you as a customer

Call & have the rep transfer you to retention & only talk to that dept.

Speaking with the right dept makes ALL the difference in pricing, terms, etc...

 

[Gaffer]

Very few companies have any customer service. It took me a year to get corrected my wife's Verizon cell phone that was sold to here without removing the previous text contracts. I have had so many problems with Fairpoint Communications that I wrote the CEO finally to get it resolved. They don't know how to be a telephone company.
I retired from the old AT&T and was in management and if a customer was referred to me I owned it until that customer was completely satisfied.
One of secrets is asking to talk to a manager, then call the Public Utilities Comm. and it that doesn't work then contact the state Attorney Generals. That is what I had to do with Verizon. That puts a fire under their butts!
Don't ever just give up, that only encourages more poor customer service. Be tough, persistent and move up the chain of command. That is what will make positive changes.

 

[Pat-inCO]

Most major companies have what is called the "retention" dept to handle their existing customers (not new customers)
Their job is to do what they can to "retain" you as a customer

Call & have the rep transfer you to retention & only talk to that dept.

Speaking with the right dept makes ALL the difference in pricing, terms, etc...

I'll try that on Monday morning.

Thanks!