My frustration and sass and since subsided, but this is the post I was asked to write after a few days of social media ranting. I'm over it. It's been resolved (mostly), but apparently others have felt better knowing that it wasn't just them getting screwed over by the same company. So here we go.
Internet. We all seem to need it and yet there are so few sources of it, at least here. It's also not that costly of a resource for a company to grant access to, especially when they hold the monopoly of it as a service provider. And with lack of competition, there isn't much variation on services being promoted. All you know is that as a customer, your rates will inevitably go up, and the other guy tries to entice you over to their plans, which have a great First Time deal, and then will run the same course you just walked away from.
So I took the bait. Our contract was at its end and the ability to have nearly 50% of our bill for the next 6 months was very tempting. So while out running errands, I stopped by a nearby Telus store and asked some questions, trying to determine the catch or hidden costs. Well, my questions were answered and a very helpful lady walked me through the service and contract. I was ready to switch. And without charge my current service would be canceled by Telus on the last day of my contract, ensuring that I got each day that I paid for without rolling into the next month's billing cycle. The installation of the new system, however, was not going to be possible since there is only one installer and he was booked-up until the 9th. "Can you be without internet for a day?" To save $90, yes, we can sacrifice one day of internet. Great. Signed. Entered. Confirmation email received! So why is it that on the 8th, all of my current services were still active?
I submit for your viewership, Exhibit A:
So I took the bait. Our contract was at its end and the ability to have nearly 50% of our bill for the next 6 months was very tempting. So while out running errands, I stopped by a nearby Telus store and asked some questions, trying to determine the catch or hidden costs. Well, my questions were answered and a very helpful lady walked me through the service and contract. I was ready to switch. And without charge my current service would be canceled by Telus on the last day of my contract, ensuring that I got each day that I paid for without rolling into the next month's billing cycle. The installation of the new system, however, was not going to be possible since there is only one installer and he was booked-up until the 9th. "Can you be without internet for a day?" To save $90, yes, we can sacrifice one day of internet. Great. Signed. Entered. Confirmation email received! So why is it that on the 8th, all of my current services were still active?
I submit for your viewership, Exhibit A:
"I have a question about our cancellation with Shaw. It was my understanding that our Shaw service would be canceled by Telus for the 7th (yesterday), however our services still seem to be intact as of [today] with no notice of a cancellation being in effect. Could you please look into this as I do not wish to be charged an extra $90 for using a service one day over our contracted time when our arrangement with Telus assured us otherwise."
Remember that at this point I have no idea where the mix-up occurred. Did the information not get entered? Was my cancelation date forgotten? Or did my current provider just not turn off the switch yet? I'm not angry, but I already know that there are only two possible solutions I am willing to accept: 1) everything has gone according to plan with Telus and thus Shaw Cable needs to remove the issued bill, or, 2) Telus made a mistake and needs to compensate me for what I now owe Shaw.
Exhibit B:
"Good day! With regards to your concern, it shows that your appointment is August 9 and your disconnection was August 7, which is not possible, as we cannot date the cancellation earlier than the TELUS services installation. Please let me know if you have any other concerns."
Well, Diana, I do have concerns. The first concern being that my original concern of being out an extra $90 wasn't addressed at all by your response. And secondly, you have single-handedly escalated my concerns by stating that A) the information was correctly entered into the system which clearly you have access to seeing, and, B) despite it being in my contract for the past 4 days, it is "not possible." A TERM WITHIN MY CONTRACT IS "NOT POSSIBLE"! Does that not sound concerning to you?!?!
So I submit EXHIBIT C:
"When I went into the Telus store to sign up for the plan, that was the arrangement I was promised. Clearly the Telus policies are not made clear to your workers equally.
This does not give me much confidence in switching providers. And since I will now be paying for two services in the same month if I continue with this contract, perhaps it is better for me to cancel the installation and the Telus contract."
I have set out to do two things with this email: 1) To give the impression that I am not happy - which I'm not, and 2) to give customer service a chance to offer to remedy the issue. Note, I haven't threatened yet. I said "if", and "perhaps", meaning that there is still a chance to appease the customer and have this all settled...
EXHIBIT D:
EXHIBIT D:
"I apologized if you weren't provided proper expectations. With regards to cancellation you can contact 310-2255 and choose cancellation option."
My "personal" Telus representative has washed her hands of me. Sad Face.
Wait a second? Isn't her "personal" number the EXACT same as the generic customer service automated number? Why, yes it is! Which is why I am so glad that I emailed first, because now I have a preserved record of our interactions!
Now I did call the number. There is no extension for Diana, it's just press 1 or 2. Wait time for someone to answer the phone at this point is 1 hour, so I opt to have them call me back. In the meantime, I decide to give the physical store a call. At least someone there answers the phone, but since I worked with a particular worker, they say that I will have to wait until she comes in for her afternoon shift... The race is on to see who will call me first. Giving me, of course, lots of time to update people on various social media accounts...
Generic customer service gets back to me first.
"What can I help you with?"
"I've been told that the arrangement in my contract cannot be fulfilled and now I am going to be billed an additional $90 for using service beyond my contract. So I would like to cancel my contract with you since I have no intention of paying for two internet providers in the same month."
"Can we offer you a $100 credit?"
"Nope."
I know, you're probably wondering why I don't take the credit. Wasn't that something I was willing to take earlier? True, and if it had been offered right away, I might have. But there's something very worrying in that all of this great customer service I was promised could allow me to sign a contract agreeing to terms that were "not possible", that no one intervened with when the contract was being created, submitted, or when the cancelation date popped up. Meaning that if I didn't call, when the hell was my service going to be cancelled?!?! What else is in that contract that "is not possible"? Who is actually going to address my future concerns since it sure as hell isn't going to be my "personal" representative!
Screw the deal! I just want the service I agreed to!
So then I get forwarded to someone in the installation department since I no longer wish to have the installers come. New dude, same conversation. "Can I ask why you'd like to cancel? Can I offer you a $100 credit?"
JUST FORGET THAT I EVER SIGEND THAT STUPID CONTRACT BECAUSE I AIN'T LETTING YOU IN!!!
No, I didn't shout at anyone. I take my customer dissatisfaction persona mostly from Dame Maggie Smith. Direct and unimpressed.
Thankfully that's the last person I need to speak with to get out of this mess. The local store does call me back shortly after, and I inform the lady who made my contract about all that has been taking place. She apologizes but I tell her that I don't blame her at all. Everything we agreed to in-store was in the contact. The dates were entered into the online system just as we had agreed. I apologized to her. It was very clear that the employees wrangling in the customers from the ground are given very little support from their company. Things that are not possible in a contract should not be possible to enter into the database. Things that are not possible in a contract should be part of new employee training. New contracts should be verified by a superior. Details in a signed contract should be honoured on the good faith that their sales people are actually delivering customer service in the true sense of the term.
I guess some companies don't care about reputation.
Now I did call the number. There is no extension for Diana, it's just press 1 or 2. Wait time for someone to answer the phone at this point is 1 hour, so I opt to have them call me back. In the meantime, I decide to give the physical store a call. At least someone there answers the phone, but since I worked with a particular worker, they say that I will have to wait until she comes in for her afternoon shift... The race is on to see who will call me first. Giving me, of course, lots of time to update people on various social media accounts...
Generic customer service gets back to me first.
"What can I help you with?"
"I've been told that the arrangement in my contract cannot be fulfilled and now I am going to be billed an additional $90 for using service beyond my contract. So I would like to cancel my contract with you since I have no intention of paying for two internet providers in the same month."
"Can we offer you a $100 credit?"
"Nope."
I know, you're probably wondering why I don't take the credit. Wasn't that something I was willing to take earlier? True, and if it had been offered right away, I might have. But there's something very worrying in that all of this great customer service I was promised could allow me to sign a contract agreeing to terms that were "not possible", that no one intervened with when the contract was being created, submitted, or when the cancelation date popped up. Meaning that if I didn't call, when the hell was my service going to be cancelled?!?! What else is in that contract that "is not possible"? Who is actually going to address my future concerns since it sure as hell isn't going to be my "personal" representative!
Screw the deal! I just want the service I agreed to!
So then I get forwarded to someone in the installation department since I no longer wish to have the installers come. New dude, same conversation. "Can I ask why you'd like to cancel? Can I offer you a $100 credit?"
JUST FORGET THAT I EVER SIGEND THAT STUPID CONTRACT BECAUSE I AIN'T LETTING YOU IN!!!
No, I didn't shout at anyone. I take my customer dissatisfaction persona mostly from Dame Maggie Smith. Direct and unimpressed.
Thankfully that's the last person I need to speak with to get out of this mess. The local store does call me back shortly after, and I inform the lady who made my contract about all that has been taking place. She apologizes but I tell her that I don't blame her at all. Everything we agreed to in-store was in the contact. The dates were entered into the online system just as we had agreed. I apologized to her. It was very clear that the employees wrangling in the customers from the ground are given very little support from their company. Things that are not possible in a contract should not be possible to enter into the database. Things that are not possible in a contract should be part of new employee training. New contracts should be verified by a superior. Details in a signed contract should be honoured on the good faith that their sales people are actually delivering customer service in the true sense of the term.
I guess some companies don't care about reputation.
"At TELUS we’re continually listening to our customers to make your experience better every day. Amazing service, it’s what sets us apart."
...or so they say...
But the story doesn't end here. Oh no!
I get off of the phone and only have time to update my husband on my conversation with the Telus store when his phone rings. Apparently Telus just now informed Shaw that we would like to cancel, so Shaw is checking-in to make sure that's what we want.
"No! No! Don't cancel!"
"Ok. We won't. But please tell me, are you currently satisfied with your monthly bill?"
"Not really, no."
"Can I sign you up for a new 2-year contract that's $30 less, each month, for the whole two years?"
"Why yes you can!"
Done.
Happy ending, right?
Remember all of that waiting for a return call? I was posting. I was calling Telus out. So the next day, social media Telus replies:
EXHIBIT E:
I get off of the phone and only have time to update my husband on my conversation with the Telus store when his phone rings. Apparently Telus just now informed Shaw that we would like to cancel, so Shaw is checking-in to make sure that's what we want.
"No! No! Don't cancel!"
"Ok. We won't. But please tell me, are you currently satisfied with your monthly bill?"
"Not really, no."
"Can I sign you up for a new 2-year contract that's $30 less, each month, for the whole two years?"
"Why yes you can!"
Done.
Happy ending, right?
Remember all of that waiting for a return call? I was posting. I was calling Telus out. So the next day, social media Telus replies:
EXHIBIT E:
Gladly!
So I do. A very detailed play-by-play (yes, more detailed than I've laid out here for you, including names, locations, etc.). I would submit more exhibits, but it would actually take about 5 screen shots to complete. Essentially I just said everything that I have already explained to you all.
Telus apologized and wanted to confirm that I went back to my original provider. I said, yes. No attempt was made at explaining to me where my whole Telus experience went wrong, so I pried.
EXHIBIT F:
So I do. A very detailed play-by-play (yes, more detailed than I've laid out here for you, including names, locations, etc.). I would submit more exhibits, but it would actually take about 5 screen shots to complete. Essentially I just said everything that I have already explained to you all.
Telus apologized and wanted to confirm that I went back to my original provider. I said, yes. No attempt was made at explaining to me where my whole Telus experience went wrong, so I pried.
EXHIBIT F:
That was August 9th. As of today (August 15th) there has been no response.
I will assume that they have turned their attention to more important things, like hidden cell phone charges.
I will assume that they have turned their attention to more important things, like hidden cell phone charges.
RSS Feed