I am so f@#ing fed up already.

[AnqeiicDemise]

Every.Single.time. we need help with something and we need to speak to a *live* representative with T-mobile, its such a pain in the goddamned ass.

As some of you know, we lost our debit card a few weeks ago and had to get a new one. Since the phone is one of those few things we have on auto pay we *just* remembered we have to change the card info.

So I hop on the website and the card won't take. After like four minutes of arguing with the stupid automated system to get to the live rep, we're told the live rep can't help us set up our new card info, so we're transferred with the easy pay set up the new information. It tells us we need to speak to a live representative; the live rep tells us "sorry, we can't help you, you need the easy pay.", so we get sent there.. then we get transferred to the live rep.

Rinse. Wash. Repeat.

I'm so pissed off, I'm at the verge of tears. Seriously, its always t-mobile. ALWAYS t-mobile. I love their actual phone service and their representatives are absolutely sweet... but the corporation's desire to streamline shit to make it "easier" on us the customers and their representatives Is BULLSHIT.

[Jack T. Chance]

Every.Single.time. we need help with something and we need to speak to a *live* representative with T-mobile, its such a pain in the goddamned ass.

As some of you know, we lost our debit card a few weeks ago and had to get a new one. Since the phone is one of those few things we have on auto pay we *just* remembered we have to change the card info.

So I hop on the website and the card won't take. After like four minutes of arguing with the stupid automated system to get to the live rep, we're told the live rep can't help us set up our new card info, so we're transferred with the easy pay set up the new information. It tells us we need to speak to a live representative; the live rep tells us "sorry, we can't help you, you need the easy pay.", so we get sent there.. then we get transferred to the live rep.

Rinse. Wash. Repeat.

I'm so pissed off, I'm at the verge of tears. Seriously, its always t-mobile. ALWAYS t-mobile. I love their actual phone service and their representatives are absolutely sweet... but the corporation's desire to streamline shit to make it "easier" on us the customers and their representatives Is BULLSHIT.

Next time when you call in, ask to speak to the billing people. If you already ARE speaking to them, cut the rep off and tell the rep that the automated system told you to speak to a PERSON. If the rep still starts to repeat their bit about the automated system, cut them off again and demand to speak to a supervisor or manager.

T-Mobile's customer service people have always been great for me, so I don't like being a jerk to them, but if the message isn't getting through to the reps, be firm. If the rep you get initially won't help you, escalate it to a higher level. Demand to speak to the supervisor, that will get their attention and make them take you seriously.

[NightWatch]

I know how you feel. They fuck me over ALL the time. But the service is better then AT&T and Verizon. They've fucked me over to the tune of $400 before... but I don't know that I would be willing to deal with the other major carriers. They're no better.

[protege]

Of course, you could always do what I did to USAA back in 2007...

Someone had helped themselves to my Visa number, and made a crapload of calls to Australia. So, as I'm trying to take care of things, I kept getting bounced around between various menus of their automated system. After about 15-20 or more minutes of this, and getting nowhere, I was a bit pissed. Got transferred *again,* and I lost it. I screamed into the phone "Put a fucking rep on the fucking line right now, dammit!" As if on cue, someone came on and "USAA Financial, how can I help you?"



But, I somehow calmed down, and told the rep the problem. She reversed the charges, canceled the card, and got me a new one. Before I hung up though, I said that the new automated system sucked...and she agreed with me. I also said that yes, I was pissed, but not at her. I didn't yell at her, because it wasn't her fault the system sucked

But still though, I can understand why some callers get pissed. Think about it--you want to get the problem solved quickly, yet have to jump through 15-20 minutes of hoops? Pardon my French, but fuck that. I have no problem waiting for a rep while on hold. I do have a problem with getting bounced around multiple times by an automated mess, and returning exactly to where I started.

[Jester]

Remember, you can be firm with them without being a jerk. I learned from The Master (aka Mom) how to deal with bureaucracies in a firm, polite, businesslike manner.

"I appreciate that Bob, but I have already attempted to do this with the automated service, repeatedly, and it has referred me to a live representative, repeatedly. So I would be very grateful if you would help me get this done, or transfer me to another representative or supervisor who can."

Polite. Firm. Calm. Professional.

And from experience, I can tell you that this approach Gets Things Done.

[AnqeiicDemise]

I did speak to a supervisor; their system has been altered as such that they *can't* update the credit card information and it all needs to be done on the automated system...or their website..

Which has had us going in circles for the latter half of an hour.

When I finally got fed up and handed the phone off to my husband, we got lucky and got one of the representatives that could think, you know, outside of the damned box.

Whereas she couldn't change the information on the card, she had the ability to see the last four digits of the card as well as its expiration date-- so she ran that over with us to ensure that the information on her system was the same information we had been trying to update for the last hour. Ends up it had been. She then proceeded to tell us that there must be something wrong with the auto system because we were the fourth complaint she had received about the system having customers on an infinite loop in the last hour. She was also kind enough to place us on hold while she went and spoke to her supervisor to have a ticket opened up to have that checked out. She came back on the phone and asked us, once more to make sure, what the issue was as the information was needed to open said IT ticket.

But, seriously, just to get a hold of a live rep from the get go is still a pain in the ass.

Remember, you can be firm with them without being a jerk. I learned from The Master (aka Mom) how to deal with bureaucracies in a firm, polite, businesslike manner.

"I appreciate that Bob, but I have already attempted to do this with the automated service, repeatedly, and it has referred me to a live representative, repeatedly. So I would be very grateful if you would help me get this done, or transfer me to another representative or supervisor who can."

Polite. Firm. Calm. Professional.

And from experience, I can tell you that this approach Gets Things Done.

I had attempted this on the third rep I spoke with but all she could do was rinse-wash-repeat her script. Which is the part that had me so fed up I was about to cry. Before I lost it, though, I told her that a) I had reached my limit and b) I'd have her speak to my husband, because although I understood it was not her fault and she was simply sticking to policy, I had no more patience at this point.

I mean, she was nice enough, but after being on hold -- with her alone for like ten minutes while she spoke to a supervisor (she forgot to put me on hold the third time and I heard her conversation. :P) I just about had it. (She was the third person I spoke with already. >.<)

[Jester]

I had attempted this on the third rep I spoke with but all she could do was rinse-wash-repeat her script. Which is the part that had me so fed up I was about to cry.

Ah. That's the one part I forgot to mention about my above approach. That being that you need a whole hell of a lot of patience, as it is very likely that you are going to have to go through several representatives and perhaps several levels of bureaucracy before you get what you need done done.

From experience, I can tell you that sometimes this can take hours. Like I said, it takes a LOT of patience.

[Jack T. Chance]

But, seriously, just to get a hold of a live rep from the get go is still a pain in the ass.

That part, at least, I can help you with... assuming they haven't changed the menu system since the last time I had to call in for something. When the pre-recorded voice comes on and asks you to say what you're calling about, just say "representative". It should then ask you for more info to help it direct you to the right person, so you can say something indicating what you're calling about. And it should then direct you to a CSR.

Another trick that used to work with just about every company is to just not press anything when prompted to press buttons. If it got no response, after a minute, the system would assume you had an old, outdated rotary phone, and would route you to a rep. But some companies (Cricket Wireless, just to name one) are starting to discontinue that practice. If you call Cricket and don't press any buttons, the system tells you to try your call again later and then hangs up on you!

[SG15Z]

That part, at least, I can help you with... assuming they haven't changed the menu system since the last time I had to call in for something. When the pre-recorded voice comes on and asks you to say what you're calling about, just say "representative". It should then ask you for more info to help it direct you to the right person, so you can say something indicating what you're calling about. And it should then direct you to a CSR.

Another trick that used to work with just about every company is to just not press anything when prompted to press buttons. If it got no response, after a minute, the system would assume you had an old, outdated rotary phone, and would route you to a rep. But some companies (Cricket Wireless, just to name one) are starting to discontinue that practice. If you call Cricket and don't press any buttons, the system tells you to try your call again later and then hangs up on you!

Pressing 0 also works with a lot of automated systems. Not all, but most.