It's shiny...(Part 2)

So, yesterday morning I called up customer service and talked to a customer service rep about my ring tune. I *used* to have Buffalo Soldier by Bob Marley as the tune and I wanted that one back. The customer service rep had never heard of that song, OR for that matter, Bob Marley and asked if it was a pop or classical song. OY!

He told me that IF they had it, I could download it again for free. He started clicking around on the site but couldn't find the tune. He told me that I now have the option to choose ANY song I want, but I have to pay $4.00 (the full price) for it. HUH?!

That's not too customer friendly, is it?

So I gave the guy an argument saying that it wasn't fair that had they had the song I could get it for free, and since they didn't I'd have to pay for it.

Am I right?

Anyways, he thought about it and said that there was nothing he could do. (Wait, it gets better)...

Since I had him on the phone I decided to go over the package I signed up for. I had told the saleslady the previous day that I did not want the browser option on the phone or text messaging capabilities, since really, I spend enough time online as is...why would I browse from my phone, and I've never text messaged before, why would I start now? Is there anything that's ever THAT important?

The customer service rep told me that I should keep it and then opt out in a month.

(Bell uses a bit of reverse marketing, if you *don't* want a particular service on your phone, you have to opt out of it by a given date or you're charged for the entire month. But if you do want the service, you don't do anything).

I explained that I wanted it off the phone completely, I'll never use it and I don't want it even if it's free for a month. He started clicking away and said "I don't understand why you wouldn't want something for free!" I again explained that I don't want it and I'll never use it. He put me on hold, I'm sure he was sitting there pulling his hair out...

He came back and said "Ok, I took off the mobile browser and the text messaging option, but now we have to charge you $10.00 a month for the rest of the features."

Back up the truck a minute...

Had I kept the Fuel package, I would have had them all free for a month, but since I don't want two of them, they have to charge me? This was starting to get a bit frustrating. By the way, I was paying $8.00 a month previously for the features I wanted. I'd like to know how he does his math...

I again stood my ground and told him what I wanted and that they shouldn't charge me for things I don't want, nor should they charge me for things that are supposed to be free for a month.

Was I asking too much?

He put me on hold for a couple minutes and I was literally drowning in Christmas music. He came back and said "ok, we'll give you the options you DO want for one month."

So I talked to him about the missing ring tune again, since it was bugging me. I told him that as a "valued customer", I wanted to be compensated for the fact that they were playing a bit of bait and switch with the ring tune "issue", so I asked him for the package that I was getting free for one month to be free for two months.

He sighed and said "well we can't do that, if we did everything our customers wanted..." and at that point he realized what he had said and quickly put me on hold again. He finally came back and said "you know what? I'm in the Christmas spirit, I'll give it to you free for two months!" Yeah, I'll bet it was "Christmas spirit". :P

So I have exactly what I want, for longer than I was supposed to have it. Whee!

(I'm usually not this much of a mega-b*tch about minute details, but it was the principle of the matter. :P)