Bell Express Vu

Satellite TV Service provider. Worst customer service ever.

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Bell Express Vu

I see I’m not the only one who has experienced the Bell customer service meat grinder.

I can’t believe a company could possibly contrive such consistently terrible customer service unless they designed it that way on purpose.

I did not spend a lot of time or energy with them compared to some of the people in the stories I’ve read, but I have not received the credit I am owed on my Visa so far, so I’m thinking I might not be clear of these idiots just yet.

I get the impression that the customer service people are poorly trained, limited in knowledge, have few or no management resources at their disposal, and are encouraged to lie (whether overtly or by design of the system).

And lets just say the language issue only adds to the overall poor communication and leave it at that.

I ordered a satellite system online and cancelled the whole works within 24 hours of installation. Over the course of two weeks and numerous calls to customer service I was subjected to a barrage of incompetence and lies from start to finish. It completely baffled me how this company manages to keep any business when it treats its customers so poorly.

As I mentioned, I ordered the system online this past January 2007. The offer at the time was 6 months at 50% of the normal rate. The all-in-one package seemed to me to be the way to go since I wasn’t really interested in owning the PVR as, with technology changing so fast, I didn’t feel I wanted to put money into ownership of something like that.

Customer service lie number one started before I had even placed the order. The web order system gives a delivery/installation date that is always defaulted to two weeks from the time you place the order. I know this because I had tried the order system several times and always stopped just before the part where I give them my credit card number. (This was a sign, I now believe).

Since the installation date I was given didn’t really work for me, I decided to call the Bell customer service number and find out if I could do better by talking to a live person. First I talked to a person who decided they would look after the order right then and there. Then decided they couldn’t do that and put me through to the sales department. The salesperson went through all the particulars and then said I should just order it on the ‘net because she couldn’t give me the 50% off offer. Then I got tossed back to customer service.

I was told that they could not do anything until the order had been placed. I should just place the order online and then call back and they would arrange a time that would be more suitable to my schedule.

Let’s clarify now that every single call to any function of Bell begins with an interminable wait for service. EVERY CALL, ALL THE TIME. So throughout the story when I say “ I called Bell” you know to add, “I waited about 20 minutes or so on hold”

So, I place my order online, pick the next available date for installation and call Bell again. I explain that I want to reschedule the installation date on the order I just placed and that I had been told previously that if I called back I could do that. The person I talked to this time could not seem to comprehend what I wanted. She “checked” their installation date availability and gave me the same date I was given on the ‘net. Despite my continuing efforts to explain that I was told a better date could be arranged, she just could not get it. I asked to speak to a supervisor. She finally threw me through to someone else who offered to get back to me with a new date if one could be arranged. Apparently none of this was standard operating procedure and the guy I’d talked to prior to ordering had pretty much straight up lied when he gave me the song and dance about calling back after the order was placed to arrange a different date. So I resign myself to just dealing with the date I had originally been given, as I was beginning to see the way they operate at this point.

I get home from work and find a message on my machine giving me a date that was neither the original date on the order nor anywhere near the date I’d requested. The date given in this message was unworkable. The caller left a different number to call if I needed to change the date again. So I called the next day. (Yes, on hold for 20 min.) Another explanation and some resistance ensues. First date offered is a week later than the original date I had booked. Finally, service guy asks what date I’d like. I tell him this coming Saturday would be nice and, - Done. He’ll schedule for this coming Saturday – 4 days from the day I called.

It strikes me as very odd that after all the B.S to this point, it suddenly became that simple.

So, I wait around on Saturday morning, fully expecting a call to tell me that the installation would have to be rescheduled. Somewhat surprisingly, the installer shows up more or less when scheduled. “Hey, maybe this isn’t so bad after all,” I’m thinking.

First thing the installer says to me is, “Why did you order a second box”? With the PVR box, apparently you really don’t need the second box as you can control two different sets with the one box. Then he proceeded to run down his own Bell customer service people as ignorant and incompetent. Though I placed the order online, I had queried a live person on the phone to get details such as this clear. Kind of a waste of time I now realize.

Then its time to get started on installation.

In Western Canada, you need a southern exposure facing eastward for the dish. This could easily have been accomplished as I have a clear view to the southeast with no trees, neighbors, or other obstruction. Only problem is that would mean the dish would be on the opposite side of the house from the television. Well, the installer convinces me that the best installation option would be on the west side of the house and that the dish could be pointed eastward and still have a clear line so reception would not be affected and that would involve less cabling and drilling on the house itself. I ask if we can’t just connect through the cable box to the interior cabling that already exists. The cable box being on the east side of the house, where it seems the mounting would give the optimal exposure. Nope, he says, can’t use the existing cabling.

Now, I wanted the professional installation because I have no experience in these matters, so I figured the installer knows best. I deferred to his expertise and away he went. When the installation was completed I commented that:

A) The dish appeared to be pointing directly at the roof of my house.

B) There seemed to be a tree in close proximity to the dish.

I posited that both these issues may be a concern in regard to reception.

I guess, in retrospect, the installer did not appreciate my questioning as he became quite blunt and businesslike at that point. Not quite rude, but close. He brushed off my concerns and advised me that he did have a degree in electrical engineering. I’m not sure that that’s required for installing satellite TV systems, and I can’t imagine it’s the ultimate in job satisfaction for the degree holder either. Things with him moved pretty quickly from here.

So we proceed back indoors where he sits down and gets to setting up the programming. Fiddles around a bit with the PVR box, does some tinkering with the TV settings both upstairs and down, programs the remote controls, and then starts getting a bit impatient. We’re not getting the programming to download as he seems to think it should. After a bit of time fiddling with the PVR box and getting on the phone to someone he announces that, “sometimes the programming doesn’t download right away.” “It can take up to two hours for the connection to be established and the programming to be downloaded”. He leaves at that point, advising me that if nothing has happened in two hours, call the customer service number and they’d help me out.

Now the aggravation really begins.

Two hours pass. Call customer service. Wait. Connect with a rep who advises me to unplug the box, wait and plug it back in again. Nothing. Unplug again. Wait again. Plug in again. Nothing. She inquires as to weather conditions.

Overcast.

Is it raining?

No. Wait, actually, a little bit.

Well you might not be able to get service when it’s raining……..

Are you kidding me? I live in Vancouver. If the thing doesn’t work when it’s raining its pretty worthless here. Her immediate and emphatic response was, “ If you’re not happy with the system, you can cancel.”

“You have ten days to cancel.” “Do you want to cancel your service?”

Seriously, if you’re telling me it doesn’t work in the rain, its pretty useless. I don’t know if I’m happy with it because it hasn’t been working yet. I’m not ready to throw in the towel just yet. She then tells me it can take up to 24 hours to connect in some instances. She suggests unplugging the box again for a half hour and then plugging in and waiting for another two hours. If nothing happens then contact us again.

I’m dubious, but I really want to get this thing resolved so I do what is asked of me. Another two hours pass with nothing happening so I call customer service. I explain the whole thing and let him know I’m getting a little upset at this point. He goes through a checklist and we find that:

Wrong software is installed in the box

Satellite setting and transponder setting are programmed incorrectly.

My first question is, “Why did my previous call not uncover these facts?” Was the previous person negligent or just incompetent? I mean, we got to the part about rain and she just basically signed off at that point. And why did the installer not pick up on this fact?

So this customer service guy explains that not all of them are familiar with the 9200 box as its pretty new and has some different things on it and so on and so on.

Great, it’s like a lottery then. Maybe you get someone who knows, maybe you don’t. So I guess I should be feeling lucky at this point.

We reset all the settings and something is still not right. He finally asks me to check the power supply. We find that the power supply to the inline signal booster thingy is not connected.

I’m not having a lot of faith in the installer at this point.

The solution apparently is to connect the power supply to the inline signal booster thingy, disconnect the power to the box and let it sit for a while. Apparently its hard drive needs some time to sort itself out.

So I hang up, unplug and wait. Then plug it back in and wait some more. For the next two hours or so I watch the thing go through this little cycle where it acquires the satellite signal,(never more than 65% strength) boots up, plays some preset advertising for about 20 seconds and then powers down by itself and starts the whole process all over again.

We started this set up process at about 10:00 a.m. this morning and its now about 7:30 pm. I was hoping to be watching a hockey game on HD but instead I’m listening to it on the radio while I sit on hold for Bell Customer Service – yet again. I explain this to the rep who finally answers the phone and he laughs, then apologizes for laughing. I laugh. I tell him I suspect the box is f*cked. He suggests we see if we can get it going anyways. We spend an hour or so going even deeper into the workings of this box. Fiddling with a myriad of different settings, but all the while the thing keeps shutting down on its own at sporadic intervals. Finally, this guy admits defeat and “I know you probably already realized this” but this box needs to be replaced.

OK.

Progress.

When? How? Where? There’s a Bell store in the mall down the street. I’ll take it down there first thing tomorrow and exchange it.

Nope. Can’t do that.

I’ll have to contact customer service again first thing tomorrow and they’ll send someone out with a new box, I’m told.

I’m defeated, worn down and not prepared to argue at this point. It seems like every time I’ve phoned I’ve been towed just a little further down the road, but no closer to the destination.

My wife compliments me on my patience. I am quite surprised myself.

So I get up early on a Sunday morning, hopeful , optimistic and prepared for anything.

I call. I wait. I wait. I get a rep. I explain the previous days adventures leading up to the last call of the day where it was acknowledged that the box was shot and needed to be replaced. My story does nothing to convince the automaton on the other end of the line that she should deviate from what must be the designated course of action in these situations. She says I need to discuss the problem with tech support – yet another level of “service”.

God help me.

I get put through to tech boy who is completely unmoved by the fact that I spent several hours on the phone yesterday with various people who could not get this thing to work. He seems to feel I have finally come to the right place. He will solve this!

So I get to play the game again for another half hour or so. I can tell this techie guy thinks I am a total moron and I’m probably too dumb to even push the right buttons so all his good work is being wasted. This goes on for a while until he finally gives up and we get again to the inevitable conclusion that we need a new PVR box.

Hallelujah!

How soon can you have someone out here?

Uh.

(long pause)

Uh-oh, I’m guessing I’m not going to like this………..

“We can have a new box out to you in 5-7 business days.”

I snapped.

I lit up like fireworks on Canada Day. Don’t give me any 5-7 days bull**it! We should be talking hours, not days! I want something done today! If not then you can pick up your crappy box off the street in front of my house. (My wife says she’s never heard my voice sound like that before.)

That’s just not gonna happen. We can keep trying to fix it if you want.

I think we both realize that you’re not going to get this thing fixed. Get a new one for me now or get me to someone who can.

“I’ll put you through to a supervisor”, he says.

OK. About time. Finally going to get put through to someone who can make a decision.

“Hello.” “There are no supervisory personnel available to take your call.” “Please leave name number and account # and a supervisor will contact you in 24-48 hours.”

The jackass put me through to a voice mail.

Un-be-leivable.

I compose myself, leave a tirade of a message and hang up. Strangely, no supervisor ever returned my call. To this day.

Surprise, surprise.

Then I grab another cup of coffee, sit down for about ten minutes and think.

This has been a really, really bad experience so far. Long waits, blatant incompetence, careless attitude, systematic inflexibility. Every call takes me to a new step. Never allowed to talk to anyone who is in charge. This is not working for me. I had been advised on a couple of occasions over the past 24 hours that I had the option to cancel my contract now. As long as its within ten days, no cost, no obligation, if I’m not satisfied.

So I decided that I definitely was not satisfied and that I did, in fact, wish to cancel. I called the customer service line again and told the guy who answered that I wished to cancel. Come and take your crap down off my house and get your junky, worthless PVR out of my sight.

“Well we don’t really do that”.

Do what? I’m canceling.

“ Take down the dish” “We don’t do that” “You can keep it”.

What the hell do I want it for? You guys put it up, you come and get it down.

“Nope, not gonna happen. We send a Purolator Courier box to you. You package the box up and send it back.” “We don’t care about the dish.”

Fine, Lets get on with this. I just wanted to wash my hands of the whole thing at this point.

Cancelled.

Done.

What a waste of time and energy that was.

On Monday I noted a charge on my Visa for $113.00. I got on the phone to the Visa dispute resolution people and they called Bell with me on the line.

Again we dealt with ignorance, incompetence and just plain flat out lies. I asked if they were planning on giving me a credit since I’d cancelled.

She had to check with someone. Yes, a credit would be issued.

We asked when.

She had to check with someone. We were told that I would not see a credit for 30 days.

I asked why that was.

She had to check with someone. Because that’s how their billing cycle works.

I asked how a credit would be issued. By cheque or credit on the Visa account?

She had to check with someone. Either way, we were told.

OK, credit to my Visa.

Oh, just wait, I’ll check. OK, still 30 days.

Can we have a confirmation number for the cancellation and can we have a confirmation number for the credit to be issued.

Not sure on either count. Of course she had to check with someone again.

I am wondering why we cannot just speak to the person who this person is speaking with. It would save a lot of messing around.

But then it dawned on me. I think they do it this way on purpose. The people with any power to make a decision are kept insulated, one step away from the public. They can only be reached by the customer service intermediaries who are kept in a permanent state of semi-ignorance.

They just wear people down.

They simply will not commit to anything unless pushed completely to the wall. They’re like a minimum wage gauntlet saving the more costly workings of the company from being overtaxed by dealing with petty day-to-day issues like crappy service and customers being ripped off. They will tell you anything if they think it will get you off the phone. Then, it’s a game to see if you’ll jump through the hoops again to get some resolution. If the issue was not big enough, you’ll go away. If it is, next time you phone, it’s someone else’s turn to put you through the wringer.

So at this point I have a commitment from Bell to give me a credit and a confirmation of same. This, in large part, thanks to the assistance of the Visa dispute resolution people. I am certain the call would not have gone near as well if they had not been involved. I’m not holding my breath for the credit to come through. It simply doesn’t seem to be in Bell’s corporate make-up to actually give money back.

I got the box to return the PVR via Purolator. I contemplated keeping it until I get the credit I am owed. I decided not to give them any cause to withhold the money. So I packed it up and sent it back via Purolator. The Purolator guy comes in, grabs the box and off he goes. I have nothing from Purolator showing that they took possession of the box. This leaves me in a bad spot. What if Bell claims they never got the box back? Whether due to pure malice or just internal record keeping errors, if they had no record of receiving it back, it would leave me high and dry. I would not put it beyond this organization to pull something like that. So I ask the Purolator guy to sign off that he received the box. He has no proper bill of lading so I get him to sign his name on a copy of the shipping instructions from Bell. At least I have something.

So, to summarize:

Shoddy equipment

Incompetent installation

Dismal technical support

Obnoxious customer service

No decision-making capacity on front line.

Interminable wait times.

Dishonesty.

All in all just no redeeming value in dealing with this company whatsoever. I didn’t think anyone could make the local cable company’s customer service look good, but Bell made me embrace them like a long lost friend. Certainly one of the worst companies I’ve ever had the displeasure to deal with. Thank Christ I didn’t actually buy the PVR box. Then I guess I might have been screwed over even worse.

I wrote this a while ago and didn’t quite get around to posting it. So now I can update by advising that, as I fully expected, Bell did not process my credit as they promised. No shock. More lies. I’m sure it just “got lost in their system” somewhere…..