grodscorp@grods.comCustomer service from hell
 | Posted by Scott on Wednesday 16 January 2008, 9:01 pm Categories: Corporate stupidity, Technology, The Internet Tags: ADSL, broadband, iPrimus, TechnicalSupport |
Called my ISP’s techical support line this afternoon…
Technical Supporter: Welcome to iPrimus technical support. How can I help you today?
The Editor: Hi, I’m having a bit of trouble with my broadband connection at the moment. It has been intermittently dropping out and reconnecting for a few hours now. I just wanted to know if there were any problems with the service that you were aware of at the moment? Otherwise I’ll know that the problem’s at my end.
Technical Supporter: Okay, can I start by asking your username, Sir?
The Editor: (gives username)
Technical Supporter: And for security purposes can I ask for your full name and date of birth, Sir?
The Editor: (gives full name and date of birth)
Technical Supporter: Thankyou, Mr The Editor. Now, how can I help you today?
The Editor: Um, I just told you.
Technical Supporter: Errrr, yes. Can you tell me again, Sir?
The Editor: Hmmmm. I’m having a bit of trouble with my broadband connection at the moment. It has been intermittently dropping out and reconnecting for a few hours now. I just wanted to know if there were any problems with the service that you were aware of at the moment? Otherwise I’ll know that the problem’s at my end.
Technical Supporter: Okay, what is the brand of your modem, Sir?
The Editor: I don’t think that really matters. I just want to know if there are any service…
Technical Supporter: Sir, please! I am trying to help you. Now if you can just tell me the brand of your modem.
The Editor: I don’t think… Oh, God, whatever. It’s a (brand of modem).
Technical Supporter: Thankyou, Sir. Now do you know that there needs to be a filter on the line between your phone and your…
The Editor: Listen! I just want to know if iPrimus is having any problems with their broadband service in my area at the moment.
Technical Supporter: Sir, I will ask you to not interrupt and calm down as I am just trying to help you. You must let me finish reading this. A filter on the line between your phone and your phone line socket.
The Editor: Oh, for fuck’s sake…
Technical Supporter: I will ask you to please not swear, Sir.
The Editor: …I just want to know if you are having problems with the broadband in my area! It’s a really simple question. If you can’t answer it then please put me onto somebody who can!
Technical Supporter: Hang on a moment, Sir.
The Editor: (hangs on)
Technical Supporter: There are no problems with the ADSL service in your area that I am aware of, Sir.
The Editor: No problems or none that you are aware of?
Technical Supporter: Excuse me, Sir?
The Editor: Is it possible that there are problems that you are not aware of? You know, you’re very busy reading that script to paying customers, and all.
Technical Supporter: Um, no problems, Sir.
The Editor: Thankyou.
Technical Supporter: Is there anything else I can help you with today, Sir?
The Editor: I doubt it.
Technical Supporter: Thankyou for calling iPri…
The Editor: (hangs up)
Wednesday 16 January 2008, 9:19 pm #Jangari
Ah yes, ‘objection management’ is the industry’s term for it. I bet when they were saying those bits that made them sound all hurt and offended, I am just trying to help you, please do not swear, etc., that they said them with all the conviction of someone reading a script off a computer screen, right?
This is pretty much what I got from Telstra when they were calling ad nauseam to convince me to switch from CDMA (which I required for the bush) to the hardly operational NextG service. When I said Thanks, but I think I’ll be able to peruse the options on the market that are available to me, at my own pleasure, and I’m sorry, but I think a mobile service provider has a bit of a conflict of interest when it comes to advising me on selecting a mobile phone plan, all I got was a bland, automaton reaction along the lines of sir, I am frankly offended that you would think that all I am trying to do is sell you a phone plan.
I switched to Optus, for better or worse, the very next day.
Wednesday 16 January 2008, 9:21 pm #The Editor
I am frankly offended that you would think that all I am trying to do is sell you a phone plan.
That’s exactly what they’re trained to do. Nothing more, nothing less.
Wednesday 16 January 2008, 9:28 pm #Jangari
I forgot to mention, at least your ISP is contactable via phone. Mine deliberately doesn’t publicise their phone number as they prefer to liaise completely via email. This is naturally very irritating when your internet fails, you sift through the yellow and white pages looking for a telephone number, call it, and get told that it’s an administration number only, not technical support and have you logged a job on the [ISP] residential website?
Aaagh!
Wednesday 16 January 2008, 9:46 pm #Meself
Was with Primus many moons ago. Primus help desk was then (and apparently still is) from the dark side of said moon.
Now with Internode whose employees give help desks right around the world a bad name by actually being helpful, knowledgeable and effective. No doubt some higher up will soon put a stop to that unconscionable behaviour and outsource the entire service department to Mumbai.
Wednesday 16 January 2008, 10:09 pm #The Editor
Yeah, I’ve been thinking about turfing Primus and signing up to one of the new NakedDSL packages that are floating around.
‘Cos it sounds sexy.
Wednesday 16 January 2008, 10:10 pm #Wah
With all due respect to you Mr The Editor, the customer service person was trying to help you, perhaps there is an issue with your brand of modem.
Your standoffish behaviour was uncalled for and if I were that customer service person I would have told you (to paraphrase Evel Kenevel) to put Vasalene all over your modem and shove up your arse! But then customer service was never my forte.
P.S. I’ve never had a problem with Optusnet helpline. Have you tried unplugging the power connection to your modem and plugging it in after a few seconds?
Wednesday 16 January 2008, 10:13 pm #The Editor
perhaps there is an issue with your brand of modem.
Perhaps. But my question was very specific and he could’ve answered that question and then informed me that there was a known issue with that brand of modem.
Problem’s fixed now. It was my wireless router.
Wednesday 16 January 2008, 10:22 pm #Terry Wright
Primus are the worst ISP/Phone company EVER! I have been with Telstra, Optus and AAPT and Primus still get the gong.
I have a book with 5-6 pages of dates/times & notes I made because they kept denying I rang the previous time and changed their story EVERY time I rang. The average wait time was 50 minutes!!!
We were disconnected (billing mistake) and it took 4 weeks to get connected. Then the same with the internet. Then the phone again. After 3 months we got a bill with no phone calls or downloads but service charges for monthly internet & phone rentals. Jeepers… Then they denied they had stopped the service and wouldn’t wipe the bill. 4 months in total and we finally got the phone and internet back fully with revised bill …Cool. One week later they put a STD/Mobile restriction on because we hadn’t paid the bill that was written off by them a week earlier…
We eventually went to Optus but we kept getting bills for 6 months and every month we rang - 6 MONTHS!!!. 1 year later we get a notice from a debt collector telling us we owe them $1.17¢. We just had to laugh, what else could you do?
Wednesday 16 January 2008, 10:27 pm #The Editor
Bloody hell. If the debt was $1.17 how much did the debt company pay Primus for the debt?
Wednesday 16 January 2008, 10:35 pm #Wah
I once recieved a bill from the Commonwealth Bank for 2c after paying off my credit card and closing the account.
The pricks.
Thursday 17 January 2008, 12:03 pm #Esplendor
I got so sick of Primus I EVENTUALLY managed to escape their clutches and now I have Unwired. No problems, no contracts, no hassle.
Friday 18 January 2008, 12:28 pm #Jeremy
I can’t relate the tale of the hours I’ve spent on the phone to TPG this week trying to get them to send a replacement modem, because doing so would be forcing myself to relive it.
The essence of the problem: modem is dead, but under warranty. TPG wants me to post it back at my expense, and then wait another few days while they test it, and then they’ll send me a replacement. So - they want me to pay for their faulty equipment, and they want me to wait over a week without the internet.
The only way to get anywhere is to not bother with the call centre staff and go straight to the TIO, whereupon you’ll get a number for someone who actually can help you.
The “complaints response team” person was at least willing to refund the postage back, but said it was impossible to send a modem until they’d got back the faulty one. What about if I just bought a new one, you’d send that today, wouldn’t you? Oh yes, of course. Well, how about I buy a new one and then you refund it as soon as you’ve got the faulty modem. …I guess we could do that.
Bloody morons. I bet this isn’t the end of it.
Friday 18 January 2008, 12:32 pm #The Editor
But, Jeremy, it’s clearly your fault so you should have to pay up.
Friday 18 January 2008, 1:00 pm #Skeptic
I’ve just signed up with 3 mobile broadband and so far, so good. Nice and fast too!
Friday 18 January 2008, 1:38 pm #Anthony_
Steer away from AAPT their new billing system sucks big time.
Saturday 19 January 2008, 12:56 am #krypto
have you seen the contributions AAPT makes to the Liberal party? it’s on http://www.democracy4sale.org if you can be arsed, it’s horrendous.
Ed, this is the sad sad reality of privatised infrastructure, nonetheless, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary there are still gobshites who will try to tell you that this kind of pus-nut-ery is somehow better than a publicly owned telecommunications service.
I guess you should consider yourself lucky you spoke to a human doing an impression of a robot rather than the other way around.
“…if you would like to tear the still beating heart out from the rich bastard who is pocketing the wage of the person who USED to scrape together a meagre living answering these telephone enquiries, press 1 now”.