The Good, The Bad, and The Stupid!

A little background:

From the fall of 1999 until February of 2004, I had cellular phone service provided through AT&T wireless. I finally left AT&T in February for what I thought would be “greener” pastures with Cingular Wireless. Wow, I couldn’t have planned that disaster any better myself.

Wouldn’t you know it……I left AT&T due to terrible customer service, general incompetence AND the fact their coverage area, well in a word, SUCKS! Not 2 weeks after I leave AT&T it’s reported in the national media that both AT&T and Cingular would be merging within the year. Wow, just wow.

The coverage area offered by Cingular has trumped that of what I received through AT&T. I’m actually finding myself being able to complete a call when need be through Cingular. This in itself SHOULD be humorous due to the fact it’s LAW that ALL cellular providers SHARE resources.

Here’s the catch: I gained coverage area and lost whatever advantage (however small) I had in the ease of being billed promptly and correctly. This has come to light twice in the almost 10 months I’ve employed Cingular as my cellular service provider.


The “Milton Waddam’s final straw”-


Here’s their latest mistake that has sent me into a customer service rampage:

Yesterday evening, as usual, I stopped by my post office box to get my day’s mail. To my SHOCK, I had received a LATE NOTICE from Cingular Wireless.

First of all, I am NEVER LATE ON ANY PAYMENT. In fact, not only am I on-time, but I NEARLY ALWAYS over pay. Why you ask, the answer is simple: In case of a rainy day I have a little credit saved for the next month’s bill. In addition, it’s to Cingular’s advantage that I do this. The balance of the over payment sits in their bank and gains interest until used on my next months bill. In fact, I’m paying them to KEEP my money for me. Sounds like a decent arrangement, right? Well, so I thought.

This late notice alleged I never sent in a payment for the month of October due by the middle of November. This was incorrect, I had mailed a check and it HAD POSTED to my account.

The time was 6:40pm and I decided to visit the closest Cingular location which was only a mile away and in fact the same location I did my original business with. I knew they closed at 7:00pm and would theoretically still be open. Wrong again.

I arrived at the location at 6:45pm to find half the lights off and the door locked. Inside, I could clearly see 3 employees playing a friendly game of grab-ass around the counter. Alongside my fiancé, she knocked on the door and one of the village idiots came to the door with a “Gosh, do I have to talk to the customer” look on his face.

I asked him when they closed for the day and he replied 7:00pm. I reminded him it was only a quarter till seven and he replied, “NO SIR! It’s seven by our time and WE’RE CLOSED!!” I then asked for his name. He informed me his name was "T" (we'll call him) and I informed him I would do everything in my power as a customer to insure he was jobless for the holidays. He responded, “Whatever!” and slammed the door.


The longer root of the problem:

I then called the 1-800 number located on the late notice. After 6+ minutes of hold time, I spoke with an associate who informed me that they received my payment in the amount of TWENTY DOLLARS. The problem? The check was made out for TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS!!!!!

She then had me hold as she viewed the check through some in-house system in which they keep a copy of the customers check. When she returned to the line, she concurred that my check had indeed been made out for $200. This was indeed a $50 overpayment.

It seems some FAT FINGERED MORON in their data entry department missed either a zero or a decimal point. Either way, THEIR MISTAKE was causing ME THE CUSTOMER, much grief.

Through further conversations with the customer service / billing department, I was informed of what I would have to do in order to right the problem.

1) SEND CINGULAR A COPY OF MY BANK STATEMENT THAT WOULD PROVE THE AMOUNT ($20) THE CHECK HAD POSTED FOR.

2) SUBMIT A SECOND PAYMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $180 TO THEM TO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE.

3) WAIT 3-5 BUSINESS DAYS FOR THE PROBLEM TO BE RESOLVED!!

WHAT THE _______!!!!!!!!! IT’S NOW SOMEHOW MY JOB TO JUMP THROUGH FLAMING HOOPS TO CORRECT THEIR FAT FINGURED MISTAKE?



A new law that screwed you while you weren’t looking:

This information prompted me to immediately check my bank statement. Within it, I identified a new “pet peeve”.

It’s like pulling teeth to get banks to actually send your canceled checks back to you once they’ve been submitted. My bank as stopped doing so. Instead, they photocopy my checks and send me one page with all of my canceled checks (all so etty bitty) on one page. This "feature" is an additional charge.

As I looked for this check in question, I realized, IT’S NOT THERE!!! All the checks around it (dated before and long after) are there…but this one, the only one I need, isn’t there.

When most companies electronically submit a check, the money is promptly debited from the person’s account and the transfer completed. The physical “check” is THEN mailed to your bank and you receive either a copy of it, OR the actual check along with your monthly statement.

Now, thanks to Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act (or Check 21) which went into effect this fall, they don’t have to! It’s all done electronically now and it’s legal! No longer does a business have to actually submit the physical check to your bank, they can simply type in the information (or misinformation) and have it atomically debited from your account! It’s up to the sole discretion of the business in question whether to send the physical check to your bank so that it can appear in either hardcopy or photocopied form on your next statement.

Q: Does Cingular provide you with a copy of your check? Give you, the customer, a receipt of your payment?

A: WHY DO THAT?? This way. CINGULAR IS NEVER WRONG!! If the customer has no receipt (or proof) as to the amount of their intended payment, they're wrong, not the business, right?

Cingular either keeps the hardcopy check you sent them or at the least photocopies it for their own records.

Q: IF it’s a simple photocopy, what happens to the original?

A: One thing is for sure, IT IS NOT SENT TO YOUR BANK SO THAT IT CAN APPEAR IN YOUR NEXT STATEMENT!!!! Yes, from that point forward they have your bank’s routing number, your account number, and your checking history with them. There is no telling what happens to the original check and furthermore, how safely guarded your checking account information is by Cingular! This information is an “identity thief’s” wet dream!

Now, the only proof I have as to the amount the check was written for is the carbon copy contained within my checkbook. As you know, this is little if any proof.


Cingular’s National Department of the Treasury:


So, I gathered the information Cingular requested of me and had my bank fax it to Cingular’s, get a load of this “S”, “Treasury Department”. “TREASURY DEPARTMENT”? A LITTLE ARROGANT AREN’T WE???? I’m sure the real, “big brother” version of the “Treasury Department” would have a little something to say about that!

So, I have this information faxed to the almighty “Treasury Department” in the sky. I try to call them in order to determine wither they actually received the fax on their end. However, Cingular customer service replies to me with the following, “There is no number in which you, the customer, can contact them. They do not speak with the customer.” Yes, this IS the answer I received.


All this and more for less money than it takes to feed a starving child in Africa......


Let me make sure I have the facts straight:

1) Cingular “F’ed” up to begin with but it was I who received the “Late Notice”.

2) Their associates on the local branch level are so beaten down with their jobs they close their stores 15 minutes early, are smart asses, and insist on making a bad situation only worse. Furthermore, they couldn’t care less about the customer who pays their measly little piss ant salary.

3) It is now MY job to PROVE to CINGULAR the check I issued them was electronically submitted for only $20, ALTHOUGH CINGULAR is the first source I RECEIVED that very information from? They are the ones who told ME it was only a $20 payment? I’m lost here…..

4) It’s also my job to jump through flaming hoops to fix THEIR MISTAKE. I am not a Cingular employee. Who pays for my time? I was offered a $20 credit…..in which I found laughable. At the point in which the credit was offered, I had already spent 4 hours on this issue. I’m sorry; $5 an hour doesn’t begin to cut it with me.

5) I have zero way of knowing wither Cingular’s “Treasury Department” even received the evidence in question. They “don’t talk to the customer”.

6) I’m left waiting 3-5 business days to find out what the hell is going on with MY CREDIT and MY ACCOUNT.

Congratulations Cingular! You’ve made my “S List”!



A friendly, live and local post script:

OK!! My original "P.S" was a bit harsh.....I lightenend it up a little. Maybe this will be more productive:

"T" (as we'll call you), although your actions at the local branch reminded me of “Newman” from Seinfeld, I do not wish ill will up on you. However, I will give you some advice on how to gain respect from the customer.....you know, the little people that pay your way through life.....

1) Close ON-TIME. Not 15 minutes early beacuse no one happens to be in the store. YOU could have been a HERO by helping to fix the issue, you made it worse. Deal with that.

2) Don't lie to the customer. You knew darn well it was NOT 7pm yet. Just because you say it doesn't make it true. Try fixing the problem. Try earning your money till your actual closing time...it's 15 minutes dude.

3) Instead of performing to a standard of what "get's you by", so to speak, try going above and beyond! Dude, you could have received RAVE REVIEWS here! You could have been the one bright spot. YOU could have prevented this whole article!

Think about this:

1) Let's say you let me in and help resolve the issue.

+

2) You get the "fix" of the issue into motion.

=

3) This article never exsists AND you're a hero. Maybe, just maybe, I would be writing about that!

Think about that....seriously!