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<Growlrantsnarl> Stupid METRO!!
Mk, so the great city of Houston (Hey, typed that with a straight face!!! Sorta...) offers discounted public transportation rates for various reasons, one of which is college students. So, me, being the type to have an anal retentive attention to detail, I called the METRO service phone line to determine what, exactly, I needed to do to go about transferring my full rate fare Q Card to the reduced rate student fare Q card. (Half price fare! Woot!)
I get a very nice woman named Allison (name changed), who transferred me to the Q Card office. I got another, seemingly polite woman in the Q Card customer service office, who informed me that if I was to get the student rate, I had to meet specific criteria. I needed a state issued ID (check), a valid/active university ID (check), verification of a student ID number (Check, check) and proof that I was taking a specific number of credit hours, which vary on the type of degree. (12 for undergrads, 9 for grads, 6 for doctorates, I believe she said) Excellent, I have all that, I decided I could go in this morning, get there as soon as they opened, and get it all taken care of, neat and tidy.
Or so I thought. Seriously, would I be posting here if it was that easy?
I get to the METRO HQ downtown (Downtown Houston at 9 a.m. <Shudders!!>). I go to the RideStore, as I was told, and wait in line. I'm then told I'm in the wrong line, I need to go upstairs to the treasury office, to transfer my remaining balance on my card to a new student card. Okie dokey, I mosey on upstairs to do so, get lost in the veritable maze of hallways until I find the sign that says treasury office.
I wander inside, get to the window and hand over everything, ID, schedule, etc, etc. Woman looks it over nods in agreement, and then tells me to go back DOWNSTAIRS, fill out a form, and then go back up so she can process everything.
<Sigh> All right. I do so.
Go back downstairs, stand in line, get form, fill out form, go back upstairs, stand in line again, hand over every piece of paper. And wait.
And the SAME woman looks up at me, and asks for a document I didn't have. A fee bill showing I paid for classes this semester.
I wasn't told this, and when I asked if this was new, she snidely informed it was the same process that had ALWAYS been in place, ever since the program started. she essentially told me if I didn't have it, go away and come back when I did.
I asked if there was a computer nearby, where I could pull it up, or if there was wireless access, so I could access my account on my laptop and show her the info she asked for. She said there was no reason to take up a public access computer for something like that, and besides, they didn't have anything for me to use anyways.
When I explained that I had called and assembled all info originally told to me, she shrugged and told me that I should've made absolutely sure that I was told everything.
I DID do that, bitch! Seriously!
she said that it's not HER fault I asked for the wrong info, and she couldn't help me until I did things correctily.
I politely took her name from her name badge and went on my way.
So now, I'm at school, about to go to class in 5 minutes, after printing out my fee bill and account activity in the computer lab. In the 2 hour block between classes I have to haul ass BACK to METRO HQ downtown, go back, get shit taken care of, and hope I make it back in time for my next class.
I'm peeved and irritable because this is the FOURTH time this month I've dealth with a company/organization that mismanges information and blames customers for their fuck ups. What. The. Hell!?
Meh, after shedding a few tears in frustration and almost $5 in fare fees, I get to spend another $5 in fare fees going back, just to get a reduced student rate. And I'm also going to ask to speak to a supervisor about the twatpumpkin's attitude.
This should be fun.
Yay for going to class aggravated!!!
I get a very nice woman named Allison (name changed), who transferred me to the Q Card office. I got another, seemingly polite woman in the Q Card customer service office, who informed me that if I was to get the student rate, I had to meet specific criteria. I needed a state issued ID (check), a valid/active university ID (check), verification of a student ID number (Check, check) and proof that I was taking a specific number of credit hours, which vary on the type of degree. (12 for undergrads, 9 for grads, 6 for doctorates, I believe she said) Excellent, I have all that, I decided I could go in this morning, get there as soon as they opened, and get it all taken care of, neat and tidy.
Or so I thought. Seriously, would I be posting here if it was that easy?
I get to the METRO HQ downtown (Downtown Houston at 9 a.m. <Shudders!!>). I go to the RideStore, as I was told, and wait in line. I'm then told I'm in the wrong line, I need to go upstairs to the treasury office, to transfer my remaining balance on my card to a new student card. Okie dokey, I mosey on upstairs to do so, get lost in the veritable maze of hallways until I find the sign that says treasury office.
I wander inside, get to the window and hand over everything, ID, schedule, etc, etc. Woman looks it over nods in agreement, and then tells me to go back DOWNSTAIRS, fill out a form, and then go back up so she can process everything.
<Sigh> All right. I do so.
Go back downstairs, stand in line, get form, fill out form, go back upstairs, stand in line again, hand over every piece of paper. And wait.
And the SAME woman looks up at me, and asks for a document I didn't have. A fee bill showing I paid for classes this semester.
I wasn't told this, and when I asked if this was new, she snidely informed it was the same process that had ALWAYS been in place, ever since the program started. she essentially told me if I didn't have it, go away and come back when I did.
I asked if there was a computer nearby, where I could pull it up, or if there was wireless access, so I could access my account on my laptop and show her the info she asked for. She said there was no reason to take up a public access computer for something like that, and besides, they didn't have anything for me to use anyways.
When I explained that I had called and assembled all info originally told to me, she shrugged and told me that I should've made absolutely sure that I was told everything.
I DID do that, bitch! Seriously! she said that it's not HER fault I asked for the wrong info, and she couldn't help me until I did things correctily.
I politely took her name from her name badge and went on my way.
So now, I'm at school, about to go to class in 5 minutes, after printing out my fee bill and account activity in the computer lab. In the 2 hour block between classes I have to haul ass BACK to METRO HQ downtown, go back, get shit taken care of, and hope I make it back in time for my next class.
I'm peeved and irritable because this is the FOURTH time this month I've dealth with a company/organization that mismanges information and blames customers for their fuck ups. What. The. Hell!?
Meh, after shedding a few tears in frustration and almost $5 in fare fees, I get to spend another $5 in fare fees going back, just to get a reduced student rate. And I'm also going to ask to speak to a supervisor about the twatpumpkin's attitude.
This should be fun.
Yay for going to class aggravated!!!
(Seriously, I've got knots on my knots. Can't imagine why I'm so stressed. I'd kill for a good massage right about now...)
Now THAT's scary. But hey at least you survived the Triangle of Doom! Just imagine actually driving in it. *shudders* Like I will be in a few hours 
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