Another Fine Example of Customer Service....

I am totally convinced the customer service industry is dead. Obviously since it is winter and I live in Canada having snow tires is a necessity. Last week my father gave me some coupons to get tires. My husband and I went to the tire place and had 4 winter tires in the correct size put aside for us and said we would be back the next day to have them put on. When we went back to have them put on the gentleman told my husband there were only 2 left!! Okay...now I know math has supposedly "changed" since I was a child but 2 is still less that 4! We ended up ordering the tires in...we were told they would be here by Monday. Well we decided that wasn't going to be acceptable since the tires on my car were...well...bald. We managed to get tires else where and have them put on the car. Good thing too. Today is Tuesday. Around 10 am I got a call from the tire place where we ordered the tires to apologise for another little mix up. Apparently my tires arrived yesterday as expected HOWEVER the stupid numb nuts didn't save the 4 tires for me. Should I still want them he MAY be able to get me some by next week. Now it was really a non issue since I had already found tires elsewhere but had I waited I would have been up the river without a paddle!
How do stupid people keep jobs anyway???

Dear Rogers Wireless....

Dear Rogers Wireless,


Tonight my cell phone dropped 4 calls even though I was in an area with full bars of reception. I received several text messages sent by people last weekend. I know the post office is slow but honestly an old fashion letter would reach me faster! As if this were not enough to illustrate just how useless this phone is, I have lost ALL the contacts in my phone book again. I have no clue how this phone deletes them or why but it does. This does not make me a happy person/consumer/customer. I do not wish to pay $400 + the next month to cancel my plan. I am tired of calling the 1-800 customer line to talk to a computerized menu that for whatever reason has no voice recognition skills. When I finally do get put through to a representative it appears my options are limited...or perhaps this is because I have not yet found the one English speaking employee you are required by law to hire. When I do finally get through to someone do not be surprised if I tell you where you can stick your stinking cell phone and the exorbitant plan that costs me a lot and provides me with very limited service. If you wish to keep taking my money monthly please provide me with a cell phone that will actually allow me to make a 2 minute phone call without being dropped 10 times. It would be nice if my text messages were received more promptly as well. I mean really if my friend in BC can drive and get here faster than his text message what is the point in sending a text message??? I am sure any of the competition will be just as happy to take my money as you are, with one small exception, they will actually provide service and a working phone.

Yours Truly,

Ticked of Rogers Wireless customer #122839678

I HATE MY CELL PHONE!!!!!!!!!

I hate my cell phone. It has NEVER worked right. I have only had it a little over a year and the thing has never worked the way it should. It turns itself off for no apparent reason, it drops calls again for no apparent reason and it makes me want to throw the stupid thing out into traffic. I am one of these people who NEEDS their cell phone. I really don't know how I am going to make it another 20 months in this contract with a cell phone that doesn't work. I have taken it down to the Rogers Kiosk in the mall and the agent tells me there isn't anything wrong with it. Okay so let me see if I get it...I have a cell phone and it isn't supposed to work...OH LOVE A DUCK I know that can't be right!!! To top it all off, tonight it took a little hissy fit, it some how lost ALL my contacts and all my txt msgs. Sooo for all of you out there I am not ignoring you...I simply have the worst piece of technology known to man/womankind. Please txt me or call or send me your contact info again...I swear it isn't my fault :(

The Death of the Airline meal

I made the 16 hour journey home in one piece as did Victoria. It was very long and went from being unbearably hot (at least while clothed in long sleeved sweaters and jeans) to being unbearably cold. I can only hope the plane that we were travelling on from Barbados to Toronto was in better shape mechanically than the interior looked. I noted the following things when entering the aircraft
-The bathroom at the front of the plane had a large OUT OF SERVICE sign on the door.....not the best way to start a six hour flight.
-The overhead bin ABOVE my seat did not latch and therefore could not be used.
-The seat in front of my daughter appeared to have duct tape on it. Upon closer inspection it was in fact duct tape (or some reasonable equivalent) holding the seat pocket to the chair. Oh good!!! The plane is held together with duct tape we must be safe!!!
-My tray did not fasten properly and as a result kept coming unfastened smacking me on the knee at the most inconvenient times.
-The same tray did not stay all the way down either...the springy thing was gone so my coffee had a nice lean to it while in the cup.
-Shortly after take off the flight attendant comes on with a passenger announcement that for us poor saps in coach the entertainment screens (the ones that show the news and movie) was not working and they hoped we enjoyed the flight anyway. Great now I have to occupy myself and a 5 year old for 6 hours with no movie.....we are off to a great start.
-The seats Victoria and I had did NOT have working audio entertainment either. Thank the heavens above I had a portable DVD player and a wide selection of childrens dvds.
-There was NO duty free available for purchase on the flight. That one didn't affect me but there were some pretty upset people so I thought it worth mentioning.
-Victoria never like airline food so I always made her a meal to take with us that she could eat on the plane and this year it was a good thing. The air line meal is dead. Gone are the days of an unidentifiable mush being placed in front of you. Now you have to pay $5 for something that you normally wouldn't feed to your worst enemy. The best part is the few selections that looked ok weren't stocked well and were gone by the time they got to us....and yes I was desperate enough to pay 2 bucks for a tiny can of Pringles that Victoria ate 90% of despite having already had the meal I made for her.
-Once in Toronto we get searched at customs....annoying as they have no problem taking things out of the suitcase but they don't put things back in.
-We barely made our connection. Any attempts at summoning assistance didn't work and in fact we ended up helping some poor gentleman in a wheelchair as he was left to fend for himself as well.
I am cold...I am tired and I have WAY too much housework....Welcome home eh?

Doesn't Anyone Speak English Anymore?

Stupidity annoys me. Anyone who knows me at all will tell you that much. If you did not read the post from the other day about my "encounter" with student loan you may want to read that first then come back to this post....it will make a lot more sense. Yesterday I put in the call to pay the entire over award back. I get a woman on the phone who, after I explained what had gone on and how I was settling the matter she proceeded to tell me that it was because of me "people like me" that universities and loan lenders are in such poor shape. People who make as much as I do take it from those who really need it. Keep in mind all this was done in a very thick accent and VERY broken English. NOW if you are going to insult me and make a comment that speaks to the type of person I am you need to get your facts straight and have actually MET me. I am afraid after no sleep, a bad day at work and being up with a sick child all night I was in NO mood to take her load of malarkey. I proceeded to point out that the agency that she was representing was the one who approved my application. I also pointed out to her that the estimated income for the prestudy period was far less than the estimate that I had made AND the amount I made during the study period were also less. When they audited me AFTER they had already given me the loan they pointed out in a letter that I met the criteria for the loan and that the audit showed that I HAD NOT been given an overaward. I also proceeded to not so nicely remind her that if it were not for "people like me" going to university and needing student loans that SHE would not have a job. After I finished tearing strips off her I demanded to speak with her supervisor to take care of the matter. She did everything but kiss me feet (more out of fear of being reported than anything else). I actually hope that was recorded....it was amusing and I am sure it will provide many hours of enjoyment for someone. LOLThe supervisor was not better....even stronger accent and actually told me it was very hard to understand me due to my strong accent. EXCUSE ME??!!! I am calling NOVA SCOTIA student loan. I am from NOVA SCOTIA!!!!! My East Coast accent really should cause MAJOR communication barriers when calling with in my own country let alone my own province. I spared him a rant and decided that they must have a rule stating that for every intelligent customer service agent they hire they hire ten agents whose sole job is to irritate and infuriate the public. At the risk of sounding like a broken record stupidity annoys me. After paying the over award the "supervisor" tries to explain about a "special paper" I'll need for income tax showing the amount of what was owed...interest and summary of payments and yada yada yada and that this would be sent in the mail and emailed to me as well. When I checked my email I got a link that was no longer being used. Being cranky I call back and demand to speak to my good buddy the supervisor. I explain that the link he emailed me was dead. He laughs and says you cant be dead you speaking to me. I assured him that I was not dead and since I was alive would need him to mail me the document ASAP. I left it there...for once I was speechless....