Customer service....

always a tricky subject...it works fine when you get to the place (finally) that you can talk to a live person...or does it work? A week ago I went to pay my phone and internet bill (still debating if I want to blast this company by name...). I typically get online bills...and I pay them online. But for a day I was unable to access my account, being stopped by all the security certificates stating that the site was unsafe and not to post any personal information. Well that is fine and dandy at any other time then the one where I am about to pull out my credit card to pay it! Now a day later (yes last minute on this one) the bill was past due and the new bill was up...sooooo...still unable to get on my account to even see what it owed. I pick that nice speak with a live chat operator. nice...will do. I get someone, type out my problem, he says he can process the payment or I can call the call center instead...for $1.99 charge of course. After weighing the options of the bills being any later....I finally said fine. He tells me how much the bill was $161.39...I was like "that best be for both phone AND internet both months" and he confirmed it was. So I gave him card information, he gives me confirmation number...and we end the chat. Momma didn't raise no stupid girl...so I copied AND pasted into word the entire chat ...JUST IN CASE.

Yesterday I come home...and there is a call from this company on my answering machine. I was wondering why? I should be paid up till next months bill for phone and internet. So this morning I go on the online account. The idiot that did the transaction...put the entire amount on my phone bill account...and NONE on my internet. I had a $95 CREDIT on my phone bill and owed that much on my internet and was pending disconnection. So I call the internet number on the companies website. Call one - automated menu, plug though it...want live person...someone picks up...I hear rustling around...I hear breathing...then I hear hold music...here I sit for several minutes. I get mad...hang up...call two. Same menu...want live person...hold for a couple minutes...get live person...he informs me he cant get into my account. WHAT? Tells me I have to call a different number.

Call three - new number - SAME menu mind you....still want live person...pressing buttons pretty agressively at this point. On hold a couple minutes. Live person...confirm account number...tells me he can't get into my account...says I have to call a different number. I curse...hang up.

Call four - new number - SAME MENU - slamming buttons with my fist at this point. Get to live person...HE CAN SEE MY ACCOUNT...finally progress after 20 minutes. I tell him the story...tell him I want the credit on the phone moved to the internet where it was suppose to be in the first place. He puts me on hold...off and on for over 10 minutes...comes back and tells me that since the payment was already processed...they can't move it from one account to the next because they had the phone and internet billed separately, and that I just need to pay the internet bill or it will be disconnected. After some colorful language and asking why I would want a $95 credit on my phone bill, and how could I be cut off for their mistake...the money was paid...it was one of their agency idiots that put it the wrong way. He kept saying there was nothing he could do. I said sure there is...let me talk to your supervisor. He said fine...and transfered my call...it started ringing at 7:05 am (35 minutes already into this ordeal)...I hooked it on me and started getting ready with it on speaker....it rang until 7:27 am...of which it just hung up on me.

Call five - same number as last time....- same menu - this time I am pressing the buttons with the lasers shooting out of my eyes. I get a woman...she asks for my account information...all I say is "do you see a supervisor at this moment? What I mean is there one PHYSCIALLY present in the same building as you right now?" she told me yes...I told her to give her to me. right then and there. Soooo...after being on hold for 10 more minutes...she comes back and says that the supervisor is still on a call. She mentions I was about to have my service interrupted soon...and I exploded. Calmed down and told her the story...she said all there is, is a form she needs to fill out to send to headquarter to have them move the credit. So we filled out this form over the phone...and said that should be it...to call and check monday to make sure it was taken care of...or there could be a disruption in service Tuesday...I said if I am disconnected on Tuesday I am switching to the competitor. She said it wasn't a disconnection...just a disruption...I said if there is even a HICCUP...I will be switching...since I should not be penalized for their mistake. End of call 8:05 am...95 minutes wasted of my life that I will never get back...1 minute for every $1 of credit I was trying to get transfered.

I will keep you posted on how this turns out by next week....or not....if you don't hear from me next week...means I have no internet until the new service is installed.