My cell phone company BLOWS!!!

[Lorna]

Has this ever happened to you?

I lost my cell phone on Monday. I went into the store the next day to tell them that I had lost my phone & obviously needed a replacement. I wasn't worried because I have the phone insurance (in retrospect I'm glad I took it) I simply pay a $50 deductible & get a new phone.

Anyway, they told me that they no longer do in-store replacements, that I would have to call up & they would send me a new one by mail.

So, slightly frustrated that I had to trek out of my way in the cold, I decided to call the 800# and then the IDIOT to whom I spoke told me that they could not send a replacement by mail, that I would have to go into the store.

ARGH.

Since I didn't have the $50 on me, I had to wait till next payday to return to the store. So yesterday I walk in & they tell me that all of a sudden they have 'no access to the system' or some BS like that. By now you could imagine how LIVID I was. First of all, if they're not equipped to properly help their customers, why is it the customer's problem? Second, why the frig did the person over the phone tell me to go into the store if there was no reason they couldn't simply mail me my phone?

After I demanded to speak to a manager & threatened to contact the owner of the store, the desk clerk called the 800# while I was there and I was on the phone for a half-hour listening to really bad muzak before I found out I was given misinformation when I last called. Oh, big suprise... Turnd out that yes, they in fact should have mailed me the stinking phone. But with MY luck, I wound up talking to the one misinformed IDIOT giving out wrong information when I first called in. Not only did I have to make repeat trips back to the store, I wasted my entire lunch hour doing so & got back to work a half-hour late. And now I have to wait 5 days for my phone. Arrrrrgggghhh!!!

Stay away from Cingular, people! Stay away, stay away, stay away! They're a bunch of MORONS. Better yet, maybe they know exactly what they're doing. They're a big corporation with billions of dollars, therefore they don't have to care. I can't wait till my contract is up.

[Kyra]

I hear you Girl.
We use Alltel service down here, which has "Partnered" itself with Singular. I can't tell you how dissatisfied I am with their service. I get dropped calls all the time. Not "No service", but dropped calls...in the middle of my phone conversation!!
Why haven't I switched to a better company? Well, It's company phone and company paid. (And the Boss likes Alltel, for whatever reason)

Anyway, I hope you have better luck in the future. The problem is, though, are any of the other companies any better?

hugs,
Kyra

[Alexandra]

The problem is, though, are any of the other companies any better?

no.

[Virginia]

I shall repeat my observations: Most large corporations are so diversified that one department does not know what the other does so there is not internal support or information transferred back and forth. As this lack of leadership and support of employees grows , it filters to the very front lines were the company actually inteacts with the consumer. The attitude I seem to run into all the time is like Lorna's experience. The employee has not been properly trained because the company does not have a clue that those employees on the front line actually are the or should be the best representative they can find of there company. The employees soon find out that usually they have job security because the company doesn't have a clue as to what is going on anyway so the employees attitude to the consumer is " screw you, I got my paycheck Friday, it did not bounce, so I really don't care about your problem!"
My friend has a sattalite dish, she called about a problem and got the above typical attitude, so she called another comapny who offered her (for less money) a lot more services. So she calls back to her current supplier and tells them to come and get their stuff, she is changing carries.
She was qucikly transferred to a "manager" "Please don't leave, what can we do to get you to stay/" She said first change your attitude toward your customers, then she asked "What are you willing to do to keep me?"
She was absolutely amazed at what they came up with, stuff like two free months, six months free movies, a second installation - free; free upgrade to DVD and some other stuff. So the only way to get their attention is hit them in the pocket book!!!!
Virginia

[DonnaT]

I like Verizon's commercial "Can you hear me now?" Especially when he is out in the middle of nowhere or in some foreign country.

Yet, when I go to visit my Mom in WV, I can get no signal for my phone anywhere near the area she lives.