Telecom troubles

Two years ago when launching this blog, I was singing the Bell Blues. The song goes on, but now it’s Telecom Troubles.

Lousy customer service is common among telecom providers. People are fed up with long waiting times on the phone and persistent billing errors that can’t seem to be resolved.

When a billing dispute lingers, telecom firms are quick to call in outside bill collectors, threatening to besmirch customers’ credit records.

There’s now a federal agency that handles complaints, but its powers are limited. Just check this confusing chart and tell me how easy it is to decipher. When you use words like “forborne” you’re not speaking the language of the consumer.

So, keep sending me those telecom complaints, since I can usually get them resolved quickly. Companies set up terrible systems to deal with ordinary customers, but they sure know how to get things done when the media are looking over their shoulders.

As for Bell, I’m still hearing frequent tales of woe. I wanted to ask Kevin Crull, president of residential services, about his progress. But alas, he’s not available for an interview, despite several recent requests.

Guess it’s hard to turn around a giant ship when the captains keep changing.