20 February 2008

Vent

verb: to give public utterance to. "to vent one's opinions"

My creativity has been corked by customer disservice. I greatly dislike it when that happens. My cellular phone service provider, who shall remain nameless (but it rhymes with Be Noble), is not in my good graces right now. Being locked into a contract until the beginning of June, I feel a bit powerless. I greatly dislike that, too.

I've been having issues with text and voice messages for the past 3 4 5 months, and Customer Service and Technical Support haven't been able to determine the issue. Today a CS rep suggested I go to a [Be Noble] brick-and-mortar location where they could check my SIM card. OK. Sounds good. Off I go.

(cue Cavalier Greenhorn Retail Boy)

I walked into the store and told CGRB that I had been sent there by CS, and he promptly said, "Let's replace your SIM card." He didn't ask what my issues might be. Nothing.

He takes the card out of my phone. "Will I lose any of my data?" "Oh, no," replies CGRB, "this gizmo will transfer it all. We don't want to lose anything."

(punches a few buttons, scans a bar code into the computer)

"Wow, you have a lot on there." Duh. "You should be all set now," and hands me my phone. My woes were now supposedly cured by CGRB, all in under three minutes. That should have been the red flag right there. No, the not asking a single question of me was the first red flag, followed closely by the land speed record. Followed immediately by the fact that he took my old SIM card. Right. To. The. Shredder.

Gone are the text messages that had been saved, memos I'd made to myself, a recording of Kidlet's bedtime prattling from a year+ ago. Realizing this in the parking lot, I went back in and told CGRB of the grievous fallout of his rushed service. Nothing. It wasn't even until I turned to leave that he stammered a "sorry" my way.

Who out there likes their provider? I'm definitely shopping.

p.s. Thanks for listening. If ever I can return the favor, you just let me know.

5 comments:

Cate said...

That is so shitty Meema! {{Hug}}

Bea said...

That sucks. We use ATT and like their service...which is good because they are the only option here in the boondocks that aren't being interferred with by the lake. THats actually how we got out of a contract with Verizon so we could get ATT. They kept saying the lake interferred with the signal. Since we live in the middle of the lake (i.e. are surrounded by it - on an island!) they eventually had to give in and allow us to cancel the contract.

Cate said...

We use AT&T as well. I like it and I haven't had many issues with service.

Scott Rohr said...

That is so terrible. I had similar awful experiences with Rhymes-with-horizon. I like AT&T so far, though I've only had their service 48 days and 6 hours. I'm also blinded by my love for my phone. I could probably have rotary dial with an operator at the other end connecting my calls and I'd be happy, just so long as I had my iPhone.

Put a Sock in it said...

What horrid service. I'd be livid (and sad) too.

The only reason I'm happy with my provider is that I don't have one! LOL. I had cell phones from the early nineties until I emigrated in 2002. Now I wouldn't have one thrown at me. I can't think of any good reason to have one now.