An encounter with customer service

When I switched my phone service last year, I selected the basic local service package. At least that is what I thought. It turns out I had agreed to add a long distance package that was free. Sometime between July and October of last year, the phone company added a sentence or two to the monthly bill informing users that the long distance package was no longer free and would cost two dollars monthly. Subscribers were asked to call a number and remove the package if they did not want to incur the charge.

Apparently I missed the fine print, a fact I was unaware of when I called customer service yesterday in the afternoon. I was assisted by a rather gruff and unhelpful rep. I began by explaining the problem and took umbrage at being charged for a service that I had not ordered. Of course that raised the rep's hackles and the conversation turned sour. Removing the long distance service the rep said would incur a onetime charge of seven dollars and ninety-five cents. Imagine that! All the phone company has to do is remove the damn long distance service - which I assume is to flip a switch somewhere or program some hardware - and they want to be paid for it. I was adamant that I should not be charged for no fault of mine and I asked the rep to waive the charge, a request he promptly refused.

This morning, I called again and was connected to a female customer service rep. I began by agreeing that I had missed the fine print but would appreciate it if the company removed the long distance service. This time I was told that the one time charge was six dollars and seventy cents. Go figure! I politely requested that the charge be waived and to my surprise my request was honored.

The same customer service organization wouldn't even listen to me yesterday when I asked them to waive a charge and this morning they did it without bickering. Goes to show you what a little persistence and sweet talk can do. Moreover I have a hunch that when you call first thing in the morning, you are more than likely to talk to someone who is fresh, starting the day with a clear mind and therefore more agreeable.

About that fine print inside the monthly bill - I think that is a bad business practise that must be outlawed. I am sure there are many who signed up just like I did, missed the fine print in their bills and don't know that they are being charged for something they assumed was free. All to the phone company's delight.