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Whatever happened to the art of customer service?

I wrote almost a year ago about the horrible customer service experience we had with the TV/internet provider at our apartment complex. Basically, our apartment management has contracted with this third-party rinky dink provider for television and internet services. You aren’t allowed to just get cable/internet from the local provider (Cox). Last year, we were never able to get their internet to work. Every time we would call, we would get a rude person who knew NOTHING about what was going on. (”We don’t know what’s wrong or when it will be finished. We’ll let you know when we do.” For three weeks.) We solved that issue by just going with DSL.

However, you can’t go with anyone else for television. Our TV signal is both cable and D!recTV. The “basic” (first 40) channels are cable and the rest are D!recTV. Well, a couple of weeks ago, the cable portion suddenly changed four channels around without warning. Consequently, T!vo was screwed up. I submitted a request for a lineup change with T!vo, but they need an official lineup sent to them. The apartment management said I’d have to contact the dreaded crappy internet/cable provider to get a copy.

I called them this morning. After none of their telephone menu items matched what I needed, I decided to choose 3 for Billing. Surely Billing will know. Got the “billing manager.” I politely and cheerfully explained the situation and asked if I could be sent a copy of the new lineup. She replied very curtly with, “Well, we didn’t change the lineup, so I can’t help you.” I informed her that the lineup had, in fact, changed and asked what I should do. She said, “Well, like I said… I’m not showing that the lineup changed.” I paused for a few seconds and said, “Okay… so…?” She said, “I guess just go through and write down whatever the channels supposedly changed to and give them that.” Basically she was calling me a liar and was unwilling to help, so I thanked her and hung up.

I then called my apartment complex manager and told her what happened. She was furious, and said she would get to the bottom of it. Next thing I know, my phone rang and it was the OWNER of the TV company. He apologized and said that basically they had changed some channels around only for our complex because of an equipment failure, but that they should have been changed back already by now. He sent a technician out to fix it today, and left me his cell phone number.

Regardless, why was the “billing manager” such a beyotch? Ugh. I’ve never had a positive experience with that company. Luckily we’re stuck with them for only another year.

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