Cell Phone Hell.

Ok my times
with Cell Carriers – 2011 and 2012.

I seldom
kiss and tell but I do believe its time be really honest about three things,
the companies, the phone devices, they customer service. Because I am again assured that without
customer service, one can’t sell a product, back it up or honor any kind of
service for their product.
Ok, here
goes, let’s start with ATT, I was with them for 17 years, and what kept me
there was there customer service, not their sales staff, never their sales
staff. I am now actually feeling sorry for these people who have to hawk a
product one way or another, and at most they know how to use it because they
are given the telephones for free along with free service. Of course they are
all in love with their given/chosen device. Me; I love the iPhone.
Past that it
went this way, I changed carriers because on my road trip last year my ATT
phone did not work so I stopped in Ga. And purchased a LG with Net10 and yes it
had bars, signals everywhere I travelled. And No ATT didn’t.
Then Verizon
– they upped by basic bill to 159.00 a month the privilege for that using an iPhone
I was told it would at the most 109.99 with tax. AND IT WAS GREAT NETWORK SERVICE.
I went to T-Mobile
and found that after all these years as an iPhone gal, I would try a Samsung Galaxy
2S and that 8 megapixel camera was blurring. I then tried the HTC Droid and it’s
a very busy phone, it open apps, need them or not, runs on google (which I love)
but that company charges you a $1.00 to use their free apps. Somehow that
insulted me and it was very heavy phone.
Bringing them both back in their 14 days of trail, actually in 3 days of
all toll, I paid them the restocking fee and thought why not the new iPhone 4s
at Sprint.
Went in met
a really nice representative, who sold me as well as signed me up for a 79.00 a
month one line service, along with 4.50 to 450 minutes to call landlines. Ah, I
had fallen in heaven. My special device at a price that is incredible. Be gone
$139.00 with taxes.
Got home and
the phone of course worked like a charm although the network service wasn’t as
good as I am use to or got use to with my Net10. Always bars, always service,
limited in apps, well no apps, seriously let’s get real. But the phone works.
Three days
with Sprint I called to see what the billing process was like and they told me
my bill would be $150.00 a month for two lines. Note the price is not anything
like we agreed on. “That is great”, the rep told me, you can have two lines or
three.
So I called
customer service that said they would change it immediately, two days later it
was the same as what they were going to change. $150.00 plus tax, I shudder to
think what that would be.
So I went to
the Sprint store and they promised they would be able to change it, in truth
they can’t because they haven’t the ability to do that at the store.
So I went
back to T-Mobile and talked with them, I got a Nokia Lumia 710. Bells,
whistles, apps, Bob Dlyan is my ringtone.
So you want to know what the issue is don’t you?
Ok, here
goes, no bars, dropped calls etc two days of this I called and spoke to Chris
the manager of the store and he was very nice, I said to him, do you a tech
phone number I can call so I can see if they have a download to make this work
easier. (now do you or any wonder how I know this stuff yet?) I mean would you?
He was very
nice and told me the info, I called Nokia and a specialist on 710 told me no
there wasn’t a way to download anything to help the phone, he did say, its
ether the phone itself or the sim card.
I called the
store explained this to rep and he said, this, just turn the phone in we don’t want
people like you with Tmobile.
At this
point I am not sure what he was talking about other than I did what I knew
might work and there wasn’t that answer and Nokia explained the problems and
what to do.
At that
point, I said, do think I want to do this or have fun talking to you guys or
changing phones, do you think I am just bored? Do you think I like this
bullcrap. At that point he said, if you going to be passive aggressive (ah he doesn’t
know that means, so I can possibly go there with him), however I did say, I am
not being passive I am now being assertive and trying to fix and issue.
That went over his head, and he said, “Just
bring it back and get out we don’t want to have you as a customer”. That gentleman’s
name is Nenos.
A representative
would not give me a free phone when it was free her name is Lauren.
She charged
me 150.00 for the phone and turn on service however I was already on so she
applied it my next month’s bill.
So I asked a
neighbor that I have to pay 20.00 a trip to one of these places each time I go,
they are not any where’s close to my home. SO far I
have paid out enough to have bought a new iPhone outright.
This is now
four trips up and back. That is $180.00 just to buy a phone or fix a phone or
try to do something about having service. And no this person would not just
take me as a friend; it’s always a 20.00 fee. A service person.
He explained
that to these gentlemen at the store and they said, well at least your making
money off of her.
That is T-Mobile
on 4th St. N, St Petersburg Fl.
Today they
changed the sim card to see if the phone would work, in my history of these
products its seldom the sim card unless things are getting scrambled, it’s
always the device. It’s a got a glitch. And after all it is just a product made
with parts being put into it, with chip, thanks dad… who knew I would have such
a hard time using your magical chip.
So what do I
have to say about this, that its upsetting to be treated like there is
something wrong with me, or that my gray hair means I don’t know what I am
doing, or worst of all that older people have nothing else to do but talk to
these people.
PEOPLE: this is not passive aggressive this is the
truth you’re not worth talking to unless you know what you’re doing. And can do it. We didn’t make your job of
commission as well as a salary you choose that. We don’t want to come and visit
you, I mean who would want to sit with you while you’re giving passive
aggressive looks, sounds and semi rude … while you’re doing your job. I don’t, it’s
a drain on my energy, I have to do things to make my money. As well, you would
find that boring.
And to any
sales person who is working for Sprint, run, or know that your company ups the service and obliterates your work go
somewhere else, but where? Not T-Mobile, on
4th unless you know great customer service and realized the
minute your customer is happy, they will be back for more phones and more
service.
Past the personal issues like driver’s fees and
phone fees, who the hell is happy with their phone and why? thanks