That's quality customer service

[Gerrinson]

My company has about 15 separate lines/services with Big Red Checkmark. This includes landlines, cell phones, cell data, and internet service.

The department which receives the internet billing, and provides the internal authorization for me to pay it, is usually fantastic. Last month, there was a mistake and they turned in 2 months of invoices together - 1 of them was already past the due date. I'm not blaming our staff, so much - they're supposed to be a dept. of 7 and have only 4 staff, so things are going to get dropped in that kind of scenario.

I went online and paid the past due invoice 1 day after the due date. Not a huge deal, in my mind.

Big Red Checkmark has called every day for the last 3 days, to follow up on this past due invoice. The first day, I give them a pass - they called within 30 minutes of the payment, it hasn't had time to process.

The next morning, they call again. I check and see the payment has not yet cleared. Okay, I'm little irked, but still less than 24 hours since I made the payment which is still in processing. The rep understands and it's all good - this was like a 45 second phone call.

Then today, day 3, occurred.

Me: <- This guy
BRCR: Big Red Checkmark Rep

BRCR: *usual spiel, recorded for quality service, yadda yadda* I'm calling about a past due invoice on your account.

Me: Yeah, is this about invoice XXXX on account YYYY for $ZZZ?

BRCR: That's correct. Do you want to make payment with me right now?

Me: Well, I already paid this bill online. And I confirmed that with you folks the past 2 days in a row. Could you check your records and see if the payment has cleared?

BRCR: There's no record in the notes of you speaking to anyone.

Me: Okay, well, I did. Could you check to see if the payment cleared, please?

BRCR: Alright. *tone indicates disbelief and annoyance*

BRCR: ...

BRCR: I see you done made a payment of $ZZZ which cleared yesterday.

Me: Great, then we're all set.

BRCR: No, sir. That payment was not for the invoice I am calling about. I am calling about invoice XXXX on account YYYY for $ZZZ.

Me: Yes, the payment you saw for $ZZZ was for invoice XXXX on account YYYY. I've opened up the account online and I have a transaction number from your system for it, number AAAA.

BRCR: Let me look at that. You said transaction AAAA?

Me: Yes.

BRCR: Alright *again the tone is disbelief mixed with annoyance.*

BRCR: ...

BRCR: I see that payment was for $ZZZ for invoice XXXX on account YYYY. But I'm calling about a different invoice.

Me: Um, didn't you just say you were calling to follow up on payment of invoice XXXX on account YYYY?

BRCR: That's correct. Would you like to make the payment right now on the phone with me?

Me: You literally just confirmed the payment for that invoice cleared. I've already paid it, we're not paying twice.

BRCR: Sir, you watch yourself! This line is recorded. Now you can make payment or I will suspend service.

Me: Let's be clear, I said nothing wrong. There is nothing wrong about refusing to pay twice for the same invoice. Confirm this for me: You're calling about payment of invoice XXXX on account YYYY for $ZZZ, right?

BRCR: That's right, and you best watch your tone if you want your service to stay active.

Me: Fine. Do me a favor, please, and write down in front of you the invoice, account, and dollar amount.

BRCR: And what will that prove?

Me: Nothing yet, but please humor me.

BRCR: Fine. *very annoyed tone now*

Me: Great, now pull up the payment with transaction AAAA and write down the invoice, account, and dollar amount under the info I just asked you to write down.

BRCR: This won't prove nothing.

Me: You are absolutely correct. It won't prove nothing. *Well, maybe that at least one of us understands double negatives*

BRCR: The transaction paid invoice XXXX on account YYYY for $ZZZ. What is the point of this?

Me: The invoice, account, and dollar amounts you wrote down both match, correct?

BRCR: Um, yes.

Me: Then that proves I paid the invoice. Now I'd like to speak to your supervisor.

BRCR: It don't prove... ... ... Wait, this is all the same. OH! You paid it, already! Why didn't you say that at the start instead of wasting all my time? You have a good day now! *line goes dead, call disconnects*

Me:

Yes, I did call back, escalate to a supervisor, and ask them to pull the tape from that call. I doubt they'll call back, but hopefully it will lead to one less customer disservice rep in a call center.

Given my prior experiences with Big Red Checkmark, they'll probably give her a high five and a raise, so I'm not getting my hopes up.

Also, happy Friday the 13th. I guess.

[CyberLurch]

The moment he started threatening to suspend service, I'd have asked for his supervisor to join in the call, and not said another word until one had done so. And yes, I'd have wanted both the rep and the sup on the line. And I'd have torn the rep a new ass while the supervisor was there. Not for the error - everyone makes mistakes - but for ineptitude and that bullying attitude. It's unprofessional and completely unacceptable.

[Arcus]

It was customer service like this that I dropped Red Checkmark after being with them for over 10 years. What pushed it over the edge for me was when they told me that the phone they just sold me was the reason I was having called get dropped at home. It was my third phone in 6 months, all with the same problem, but they said that I needed to get a new phone. They ignored me when I told them that I, my niece, her husband and everyone else with Red Checkmark that visited the house would lose service. When they insisted that it was my their new phone, I sighed told them never mind. I was tired of spending my money on new phone that don't do anything so I will be looking for a new service provider. That was 3 years ago, but I still get a weekly email from Red Checkmark trying to get me back. Not going to happen because I haven't has any problems with my service since.

[BPFH]

I'm hoping I don't get service like that from them, because based on having asked questions during his college visit, the only other provider with decent (read: data) coverage in the Upper Land of Ravenous Weasels is Death Star. And given how sparsely populated it is up there, I'd rather the Elder Spawn not have to rely on being able to stop to ask for directions.

[dalesys]

... being able to stop to ask for directions.

He's a guy. He won't.

Like Dan'l Boone, he'll claim he warn't never lost... jest a mite bewildered fer a wahl... (days... weeks... months...)

Perhaps a crash paradump course in Orienteering & Wilderness Survival without a GPS!... passing means eating McDonald's rather than raw salamander... He gets to keep his compass, maps, and the skills to read and analyze them and highway signs...

[EricKei]

That was 3 years ago, but I still get a weekly email from Red Checkmark trying to get me back. Not going to happen because I haven't had any problems with my service since.

Back at accountingfirm where I worked for a few years in the late aughties, we had once had landline service from the Death Star phone company. The boss found them to be overpriced, with poor phone service, and poor customer service, so they dropped them after awhile and went with another company. Ever since then, during the first 2 business days of every month, no fewer than five of their reps called the office trying to get us back onto their service...reliably, every month, ignoring our pleas (and, I'm sure, the occasional threat and/or call to HQ) telling them to stop calling us, and that their repeated calls were only making us MORE determined to never go back. Never did any good. The firm last had their phone service back in the mid-nineties.