Customer Service???

And I thought I was weird!

You know I made a living for over eleven years as a communicator and entertainer. I find it interesting that I am so easily misunderstood and how quickly I can annoy someone to distraction. Often, I will throw a lot of words at a situation in an attempt to more clearly communicate and eliminate as much misunderstanding as possible. Even my mom gets frustrated with how long it takes me to say something. Sorry Mom.

As the song says: Oh Lord! Please don’t let me be misunderstood!

Too late.

Sometimes though, it isn’t entirely my fault.

For instance I called the CenturyT*l customer service phone number to see if I could get a technician to explain why I can’t get broadband and perhaps have this same technician physically check again.

Here is how it went:

She: C*nturytel! This is Wendy how may I help you?

Me: Hi Wendy! I am calling because I need to understand why I can’t get broad band…

She: (interrupting) It’s because there isn’t enough Government Funding for CenturyT*l to have broadband Everywhere. Sir.

Me: I don’t care about Everywhere. I care about here. Listen I need to talk to someone with some authority to handle what I would like to do and perhaps explain….

She: (interrupting again) I can do that. I can do anything.

Me: Well, I would like someone to give me the technical reasons for why I can’t get broad…

She: (still interrupting) Call your Senator or Representative.

Me: (wondering how they got a Senator to be on their tech staff) Centuryt*l is Not a government office!

She: Yes we are.

Me: WHAT???

She: We are government regulated.

Me: (thinking to myself: if she doesn’t know the difference I better use smaller words..)


Let’s start over. See Wendy, my situation is a little Unique. I know where the nearest “Hub” (remote terminal) is. I am less than three miles from it. (the maximum distance you can be from a hub is 18,000 feet, or a little over three miles)
Yet I can’t get broadband.
I know people who live less than three miles from me in all directions who have broadband;
Yet I can’t get broadband.
I have a huge phone cable -several inches thick- that runs through my property;
Yet I …

She (who is very good at interrupting): I can have that line removed if you like sir..

Me (losing it): No. You. Can’t. It’s several inches thick and runs the length of my property! (buried). Listen I need a name of someone in charge and a way to communicate with them. I don’t need the person in charge of the Eastern United States or anything like that just someone who would be the head of this local area and a way to communicate or correspond with this person.

She: I can give you a name but not an address.
)
Me: What?! Okay. (thinking I can get the address myself)

She: Mike ************ (for legal purposes I’m not telling you His name…and I can’t remember)

Me: Who is He?

She: C.E.O. for Centuryt*l.

Me: Ok, you really are not listening! I want a local address for a local district manager!

She: I can give you our address but I don’t think…No. I know they won’t let you in.

Me: What?????!!! I don’t WANT to go In! (to myself: Great! She thinks I’m a psycho!)

Still Me: I just want a way to communicate with someone of Authority. An E-mail address or even a regular mailing address.

She: (nothing)

Me: Okay, how about Your Supervisor? Or Your Supervisors boss? Can you give me a way to contact them?

She: No. I can’t do that sir.

Me: Okay, You can’t answer my questions and you can’t help me find someone who can?

She: That’s right sir.

Me: So basically, as a Customer Service Rep, you’re worthless.

I hang up.


Ok, I know I shouldn't have said that last part. I know I shouldn't have gotten...um....agitated? But,
you know it doesn’t end there right?
That’s enough for today, I will give you part two later….

Will