I recently switched service providers for my cellular service. I left a 4 year stint with Sprint to join-up with T-Mobile. I say stint because it literally felt like jail time just waiting to get out of any type of binding agreement with them. There were two times that I had to call and threaten a lawsuit because they renewed my contract without any initiation on my part.
So what?
Sprint couldn’t care less about their customers. Their business model demonstrates this apathy.
Case in point: My wife’s phone was stolen, we had to wait till the following day to report it because it was after business hours. Not only did we wait till the following day, but we waited more than 45 minutes the following day to even speak with someone to report the theft.
Second case in point: To cancel my service with Sprint I was transfered 3 times over a period of an hour and 12 minutes (as counted by my Nokia phone). When asked by all of the service reps why I was canceling my service I stated that my customer service experience was atrocious. When I explained to them what had happened in the past they all discounted my experience and wrote it off to a fluke.
“But all Cellular Providers are alike!” You are yelling at the screen as you read this. No, they are not.
The night before the 1 hour and 12 minute marathon with Sprint I changed the Internet service on my new T-Mobile phone at ONE O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
That isn’t even the best part!
When I called they said that the wait time was 6 minutes and their automated service asked me to put in a phone number TO CALL ME BACK WHEN MY WAIT WAS UP!! As promised, 6 minutes later they called my wife’s new T-Mobile phone and I changed my plan and they answered some questions that I had about my new service.
There is the Difference. I now proudly pay 7 dollars more a month for a service that will treat me like a person, respect my time, and will offer to convenience me in any way that their customer service policies will allow; not a cash cow that is just waiting to get bullied around just because I have a service agreement with them.
I recognize that I have only been with T-Mobile customer for 3 months now but if their service now is the same service that I will receive 2 years from now I don’t see myself changing providers again.
This is my younger brother Danno.
He just had is wisdom teeth removed.
Interestingly, they nicked an artery in his mouth and he ended up bleeding at my parents house till he went blind. The rushed him back to the Oral Surgeon who did the work and the office had my parents pay to fix the damage. Thats what I said- they made my parents pay for it. BTW- he no longer has feeling in part of his chin and they don’t believe that he will ever get it back.
Sometimes it makes me sick to say that I work in this industry.
Utah County has just banned longboarding on county run trails. That sounds fair- and while we are making new regulations lets ban Protestants from public parks.
Oh, Johny you know how to say it best.
This reminds me of the good-ol’-days when they banned snowboarding from some ski resorts.
Psssssttttt, Utah officals- A great way to make something that is already taking off get bigger is make it defiant too.
BTW- What about skateboarding??
I have been attending college for 5 years. I have spent roughly $25,000.00. While I “graduated” in April, technically I still do not have a degree. I was under the impression that I needed one more credit. That’s correct- one more. Well, turns out it was two… Ho ray! Here I come second block of Summer. First Block got out Wednesday- Second Block starts, you guessed it, Thursday. I have never second guessed my “education”.
-Have you ever had a credit card offer at a place that you have lived in for 3 weeks?
-Do you wonder how these companies know where you live but your parents don’t?
-Have you ever thought that finding missing persons could be as easy as attempting to open a credit card in their name?
If any of these thoughts have crossed your mind you are like millions of Americans who are harassed offered a:
“0% for the first 12 months, no money down, Premium Rewards Platinum Plus Super Awesome I-Asked-Your-Mom-and-She-Said-It-Was-Alright credit card. With our “One Credit App a Day” standard we can make sure that your garbage is overflowing with paper that has your information all over it. And remember, I’m not only the president but I’m also a child molester.”
So I’m fed up. I started calling all the credit card companies that were sending me this crap. I call the “Activate Your Card Now” number and politely let them know that I want to be placed on a Do Not Mail list. 50% of the time I get a “we don’t know how to do that in this department” comment but you can always go right over their heads (ask for their supervisor).
I had one such event last Friday. I have called most of these companies on more than one occasion, especially Citi but I thought I would remind them that I didn’t want their crap. The first representative with Citi that I spoke with told me that she would give me the address of the marketing department and that I would need to mail them a letter stating that I would not like to receive solicitations anymore. To which I replied “No, that isn’t going to work for me today. “I didn’t mail anything to you to start receiving your solicitations and I don’t plan on starting a new pen-pal.” She told me that was the best she could do, so I asked for her supervisor. (I remained calm and let her know that I wasn’t frustrated with her- I was frustrated with who she works for.) Todd got on the phone and was very defensive at first, but as I spoke with him about how I have called numerous times before he relaxed. I stated that I “am kind of a tree hugger” and didn’t like the waste, he agreed and then expressed his frustration with the same thing!! When he stated that me mailing a DNC letter was the only way, I politely asked for his manager. He agreed and I sat on HOLD for 15 min.
Now, some of you who like to get pushed around “cause it’s easier than telling someone to stop” are saying to yourselves right now, “he could have written a letter in that time and used the stamps on his desk to send it out.” That defeats the purpose! I’ll let you have your freedom if you are willing to give me $10,000.00. “But it’s easier to give the money!” some will reply. NO! My privacy is mine and I will not comply with requests so that it can be given back to me. I will not be pushed around by bullies, corporate bullies, corporate bullies with bees in their mouths, or lazy passive-agressive whiners.
Back to the tale! So Todd’s manager gets on the phone 15 min after Todd puts me on hold. I reiterate my position “I no mail to you first, I no mail to you now” AND HE SAYS: “Ok, can I get your full name and address.”
Now if everyone did that there would be no two tiers full of “mail us something”. DNC would be an option in the beginning, because companies know that it would be cheeper to do so.
I hope the point was taken. Here’s looking at you Citi.
*Update: I have found a website that will allow you to opt-out of any of the major credit bureaus for 5 years over the web, or indefinitely by mail… arrrg mail. Thanks consciouses blogger!
