Our modem died Friday morning, I could tell from work because our internet cameras quit working. Got home, and the modem was dead, no power. So I took it to the phone company to get a replacement, there’s a satellite office near my house, it’s open till 7, whereas the main office closed at 5. So I stood in the long line, and when it was my turn, they told me that they didn’t have modems there, and that I could pick one up at the main store Saturday, when they opened, and in the meantime, I should call in and report a fault, because the modem would be replaced for free.

So I went back home, and reported a fault, which is very difficult, because their automated system hangs up on you several times before you actually get through. Also, a new thing, the automated system asks for your account number, located at the top of the first page of your bill, instead of your phone number. Well, I think they do that to make it more difficult to report a fault, because as far as I know, they haven’t sent bills for years, bills come as a text message and an email. I just kept enterig my phone number, over and over until finally the system transferred me to a “customer service agent”.

So, by the time I got my fault ticket number, I was thoroughly upset, angry and disgusted, like each and every time I have to call them.

Soooo the next day, I head down to the big phone company store, stood in the even longer line. Finally, it was my turn. She asked for my account number, which nobody has, acted like it was extreme hardship for her. Then I was told they didn’t have modems, only the techs in the trucks have modems.

So which one of the customer service agents was lying? Probably both. I can’t imagine them not having modems, in either store. They will say anything just to get rid of the customer.

So I made a little bit of a stink, and she got on the phone, called somebody. (Probably just holding the phone up to her ear, pretending to call somebody)… “Yeah, are you in West Bay? I got a quick modem swap, the customer has been given conflicting information. Ticket number blah blah blah.”

Then she told me that I should head home, and if I “wasn’t there when the tech called, he’d be gone.” (Exact words)

So I headed home, knowing there’d be no tech, and no call. Saturday goes by, nothing happens, my valuable and rare weekend day wasted. Around 2 PM I guess, I called and was told that I was scheduled for between 8AM and 4PM… (it was 10AM when I was in the store). At 3:55 I called back and was told that the tech works till 5, and he’d be by, or I should at least receive a call to reschedule, and she’d check on it. (Outright lie, and she knew she was lying.) I said, “So, it’s going to take 5 minutes for you to call someone, 5 minutes for them to call the tech, so I should receive the phone call in 15 minutes, right?”

She started playing dumb then, “well, it’s not me that calls the tech..? I said “I know, but it’s going to take 5 minutes for you to call someone, 5 minutes for them to call the tech, so I should receive the phone call in 15 minutes, right?” She uttered some non-comittal BS, and I said, “I’ll tell you what, I’ll call back in 30 minutes if nobody has called by then.” She was pretty much not making any sense by then, but kinda said ok and I got off the phone.

I never called back. I’d had enough bullshit for one day.

Monday, or whenever, two weeks, someone will call and expect me to drop everything, leave work, and head home to meet a tech to give me my modem. I plan on telling them to leave it at the West Bay store, where I went in the first place.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, at a minumim, right now. That’s four days, more than 10% of billing cycle. Think I’ll get a discount on my bill?

I’m posting this using my phone as a WiFi hotspot, using the mobile data, hope I don’t ecxeed my limit and get a stupendous bill!

Have a great day!