The biggest reason I have remained a customer is because of their belief in innovation, as evident with their commitment to the Android OS and the constant improvements in their 3G network.  When I first became a customer in 2008 it was hard to believe that a major cellular company in the US was not running a 3G network.  However I took a chance because I was tired of AT&T/Cingular/Whoever we are today and thought Verizon was a bit overpriced.  T-Mobile represented the best bang for my buck and word had it that the 3G network was on the way.

While they were constantly rated tops in customer service by companies such as J.D. Power & Associates, each interaction I had with the customer service department increasingly left a sour taste in my mouth.  A typical phone call to the customer service department would go as follows, confirm my information through the IVR system, speak to an entry level CSR who barely spoke English who would then ask for my information all over again.  Next they would run through their scripted answers to my questions, none of which ever actually addressed the issue and finally I would be transferred to someone else to start the process all over again.  I would typically speak to 2 or 3 people each time I called and go through this process which each of them.

Before I give the wrong impression, I have absolutely no problem with outsourcing customer service in an effort to cut costs.  I run my own business and I know what it means to make hard decisions such as this sometimes.  However at some point American companies became so cost conscious that they lost sight of the level of service they were supposed to be providing.  It does absolutely no good to cut costs if you then butcher your relationships with your customers in the process.  I have said time and time again “if your English isn’t that great, you don’t need to be dealing with customers who speak English”.  It is extremely frustrating to talk to someone over the phone and try to explain your problems and in turn not be able to understand what they are saying back to you.  It is equally frustrating when the person on the other end of the phone is not able to use simple logic to fix a situation.

In my most recent encounter this week I had two goals, switch my account from Flexpay (prepaid) to post-paid and change to an updated rate plan.  This should have been simple enough I thought, I read what the requirements were for the conversion process and was pretty sure I qualified and I picked out the new rate plan I wanted to change to.

Phone Call #1: I go through the automated system and get to a CSR.  I tell him what I am trying to do and he checks the system to see if I qualify for the conversion.  Initially he tells me that I must pay for the next month of service on my account and I remind him that I am trying to switch to a post-paid plan which will not require me to pay right now.  He puts me on hold to check my account some more.  After a few minutes, he comes back and says again that I qualify for the conversion and he is working on processing it.  After nearly 10 minutes he says that he will have to transfer me to the activation department in order to complete the process.

Transfer #1.1: I am transferred to a rep in the activations department and start back from the beginning of explaining what I am trying to do.  This rep again goes and checks to see if I am eligible for the conversion even after I state multiple times that the previous rep said I was.  After a few minutes of checking he then says that I am not eligible because I was late with my December payment and the rule states that you can have no service suspensions for 6 months.  I agreed that I was a few days late in December, but that I had also been a loyal customer for the past 2 years and had always paid my bill on time prior to that.  Unfortunately my customer history didn’t matter and the policy stood.

Call #2: I call back and try to state my case to another CSR.  After reviewing my account and the policy she states that she sees I have been a good customer for 2 years and should qualify for the conversion.  She then puts me on hold while she enters the information in the system to process the conversion as well as switch me to a new rate plan.  After 15 minutes or so she assures me that everything is taken care of, and the conversion and rate plan change will go into effect on Jan 21 when my new billing cycle begins.  She also says that a member of the T-Mobile staff will give me a call on the 21st to ensure that everything was converted properly.

Call #3: Upon waking up this morning I see that my service has been suspended due to non payment, which means the conversion has not gone through.  I call back and explain the entire situation all over, and the rep tells me I should be eligible for the conversion and he will transfer me to the activations department to figure it out.

Transfer #3.1: I speak to a new CSR, explain the entire situation again, he then states that he is also in customer service and not in the activations department.  He doesn’t know why I was transferred to him, but he looks to see what he can do to help me.  After 15 minutes of researching the issue he says that unfortunately I’m not eligible for conversion due to my December payment glitch.  Completely frustrated at this point I ask to be connected with the cancellation department in order to cancel my account.

Transfer #3.2: I am connected to the customer retention department, confirm my personal information, tell the entire story all over again.  She is sorry to hear about my situation and offers to see what she can do to rectify the situation.  After sitting on hold for nearly 10 minutes I am magically disconnected.

Call #4: After waiting a while to calm my nerves I call back, verify all my information again, tell a new CSR that I want to cancel my service, and then am forced to explain the situation all over before she will transfer me to the customer retention department.

Transfer #4.1: I get a new rep, explain the entire situation again.  She informs me of the ETF of $200 and I agree to pay it just to be done with this entire situation.  She then says I can cancel my current account and then apply for a new postpaid plan, and I decline since I would rather have a hole in my head than continue to deal with this.  She then informs me that she will have to future date my cancellation till next month since my service cycle just started…lol.

Well that’s it folks.  4 phone calls and 4 transfers later my service is still disconnected and I have to wait another 30 days before I can actually cancel my account.  The truly sad thing is there is really no good alternative.  Cellular companies have been comfortable in their position as being a necessity in our lives.  While I’m sure this situation is somewhat unique, I fear that it is more commonplace than should be acceptable.  My mom grew up in a time where the corporate mantra was “the customer is always right” and “do anything it takes to please the customer”.  While I don’t think that is always the case, it is a sad day for me as I have always been proud of my relationship with T-Mobile and the service they provided.  Now I am just mum.

*Update* This is the response I just got from the @TMobile_USA twitter account…

@geekycyberdad We are sorry to hear about the ordeal you have been through and decision you made.  Hopefully things will be better for you.

CLASSIC!

I remember sitting in the room that morning with 100 other people and giving the following oath:

“I, Shawn Scott, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”

I remember getting off the bus in the middle night being yelled at from a million different directions, calling everyone a sergeant out of sheer fear and ignorance.  I remember the first week of in-processing, going through the variety of stations required to become a soldier.

I remember getting off that cattle truck and the world as I knew it coming to a screeching halt.  I remember standing in the blaring sun for 3 hours with a duffle bag on my back and cradling another to my chest.  I remember the sheer exhaustion of just standing there, listening to drill sergeants bark out orders while sweat poured down my face.

I remember the countless times of getting “smoked”.  I remember all the times when I heard “half left face” and just moaned because I knew what was coming next. I remember the many nights of pulling fire guard, especially when my time fell between 2-4 am.

I remember mail call, the anticipation of getting a letter from home, and the disappointment when my name was never called.  I remember the feeling of joy I experience the first time my name was called and I received an envelope with my name on it.

I remember the morning going into the gas chamber and the feeling of losing total control of my body.  I remember the confidence course and climbing the 50 foot wall with nothing to support me but the fear of falling.

I remember graduation day and the feeling of accomplishment I had for making it through the entire experience.  I remember watching my friends hugging their parents and family members, longing to know how that would feel.

I remember the bus ride from Dallas to Fort Stewart, GA.  I remember stopping at every little town in between over the course of that 36 hour trip.  I remember when I finally arrived and the week that followed with more processing and lots of immunizations.

I remember my first deployment, of all places to go it was Ft. Bliss, TX.  I remember stopping through DFW on the way home and my mom meeting me in the airport and the easter basket she left me with.  I remember the look on her face when she was finally able to see that I was OK and really maturing.

I remember being in the field with the Rangers for a week, unable to bathe or shower.  I remember digging my first foxhole with a handheld shovel.  I remember all the gun ranges and all the stuff I shot and blew up.

I remember the car wreck that changed everything.  I remember driving by the guy that hit us as he pulled over to get beer out of his trunk.  I remember sitting at the light one minute and the big crash the next.  I remember the pain I experienced over the next few weeks as I recuperated from my body absorbing the impact of that crash.

I remember getting the choice to go home or stay, and choosing to come back to Texas.  I remember the long drive home cross country in my new car.  I remember the next 7 years of my time in the reserves.

I remember the phone call from my mom saying I had a letter from the Department of the Army.  I remember her telling me it was my final discharge papers and that I was finally done, in the midst of a brand new war.  I remember the relief.