Day 011 - Customer Disservice
Jan. 11th, 2012 09:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wolfsbrideA couple months ago, I called Reader's Digest and closed my mother's account with them because:
1. They were sending her Reader's Digest
2. They were sending her Best Health
3. They were sending her Our Canada
4. They were sending her a billion and one pieces of YOU ARE ELIGIBLE TO WIN A TRILLION DOLLARS!!!! mail.
And I got sick and tired of having to recycle a small forest.
Today I just got in the mail a bill from them for sixty five dollars and some odd cents. Excuse me, what???? Luckily, I picked up the mail before 5pm so I got on the phone.
Let me pause for a few minutes to say how much I LOATHE the automated service agent. Even worse than the annoying Press 1 for this; Press 2 for that, is the Please state the name of the area you'd like to reach. I've actually had to help friends go through these things because their accents befuddled the system. This was before I found out that there's an override - usually "0" or "*". However, my brain hasn't been working on all cylinders lately, so it never even occurred to me.
After going through the whole, what is your account number, name, address and date of birth, I get a live agent, WHO THEN PROCEEDS TO ASK ME THE VERY SAME INFORMATION I JUST SPENT FIVE MINUTES TELLING THE DAMN AUTO THING. It was on the tip of my tongue to say something but... BREATHE.
So I ask the lady, what is this bill for? It's for the January/February issue of the two magazines listed above. But I closed my account three months ago. We don't show any record of it.
WELL! Then I got mad :D Because I hate when companies pull this crap.
So I said: Someone in your office took my call and someone said they would process my request to close my account and SOMEONE assured me that as I was closing the account in the middle of the subscription, they would have to still send me the magazines up to the end of December as I had prepaid for them but after that subscription ended, that would be it.
Agent: Well, you're on an auto renewal plan.
Me: That doesn't matter because the account is closed.
Agent: I don't....
Me: I closed the account in October. It is not my responsibility to make sure the request gets processed properly IS IT?
Agent: *Long pause* Well, yes. I'm sorry for the mix up and confusion. I'll just go ahead and process the account closure now.
Me: You do that. And make sure it's closed this time. I don't want to get your magazines, or your books or your sweepstakes mail and PLEASE TAKE ME OFF YOUR EMAIL LIST. I have unsubscribed at three times and I'm still getting emails from Reader's Digest.
Agent: Okay, I will do that right now.
Me Fine.
AND THEN SHE PROCEEDS TO TRY TO GET ME TO BUY SOMETHING ELSE.
Agent: As you have been a client of ours for many years, would you be interested our book offers at half price?
Me: I don't want anything from you! CLOSE MY ACCOUNT!
Agent: Okay then. Bye.
Jimmy Cricket.
1. They were sending her Reader's Digest
2. They were sending her Best Health
3. They were sending her Our Canada
4. They were sending her a billion and one pieces of YOU ARE ELIGIBLE TO WIN A TRILLION DOLLARS!!!! mail.
And I got sick and tired of having to recycle a small forest.
Today I just got in the mail a bill from them for sixty five dollars and some odd cents. Excuse me, what???? Luckily, I picked up the mail before 5pm so I got on the phone.
Let me pause for a few minutes to say how much I LOATHE the automated service agent. Even worse than the annoying Press 1 for this; Press 2 for that, is the Please state the name of the area you'd like to reach. I've actually had to help friends go through these things because their accents befuddled the system. This was before I found out that there's an override - usually "0" or "*". However, my brain hasn't been working on all cylinders lately, so it never even occurred to me.
After going through the whole, what is your account number, name, address and date of birth, I get a live agent, WHO THEN PROCEEDS TO ASK ME THE VERY SAME INFORMATION I JUST SPENT FIVE MINUTES TELLING THE DAMN AUTO THING. It was on the tip of my tongue to say something but... BREATHE.
So I ask the lady, what is this bill for? It's for the January/February issue of the two magazines listed above. But I closed my account three months ago. We don't show any record of it.
WELL! Then I got mad :D Because I hate when companies pull this crap.
So I said: Someone in your office took my call and someone said they would process my request to close my account and SOMEONE assured me that as I was closing the account in the middle of the subscription, they would have to still send me the magazines up to the end of December as I had prepaid for them but after that subscription ended, that would be it.
Agent: Well, you're on an auto renewal plan.
Me: That doesn't matter because the account is closed.
Agent: I don't....
Me: I closed the account in October. It is not my responsibility to make sure the request gets processed properly IS IT?
Agent: *Long pause* Well, yes. I'm sorry for the mix up and confusion. I'll just go ahead and process the account closure now.
Me: You do that. And make sure it's closed this time. I don't want to get your magazines, or your books or your sweepstakes mail and PLEASE TAKE ME OFF YOUR EMAIL LIST. I have unsubscribed at three times and I'm still getting emails from Reader's Digest.
Agent: Okay, I will do that right now.
Me Fine.
AND THEN SHE PROCEEDS TO TRY TO GET ME TO BUY SOMETHING ELSE.
Agent: As you have been a client of ours for many years, would you be interested our book offers at half price?
Me: I don't want anything from you! CLOSE MY ACCOUNT!
Agent: Okay then. Bye.
Jimmy Cricket.
