Horrible service at Bell Canada

URGENT MESSAGE FOR MR LARRY JONES--referred by Chantal, Chelsea, billingTuesday, September 1, 2009 12:30 AM

To: executive.office AT bell.caCc:

Dear Mr. Jones,

I am a Bell Canada customer.

I have been extremely ill and unemployed for several months. I would like to remain a Bell client as I have been for decades.

I need your help Mr. Jones, desperately.

I know that no systems are perfect but the abuse I have suffered at the hands of some of your representatives impacted on my medical condition and so shocked the people at one of your billing call centres, that the representative and her supervisor insisted I contact you. For the record, I do not know which city they were in, but I thank Bell every day for having such incredibly excellent customer service at this if no other offices. The supervisor is Chantal, and the two separate agents beneath her were Bishop # EX1078 and a lovely lady called Chelsea, who excitedly detailed to me, a meeting she had recently been invited to attend, regarding customer service, where she met you and was thrilled to hear how much you care about your clients and their experience.

My situation is as follows:

I have been unemployed for several months, and in an out of hospital. I am having a very hard time right now. Not by choice. In an effort to get close to meeting my commitment to Bell, I called the overdue accounts credit department to make a payment arrangement. The agent I spoke with was lovely (probably on the record) and made me a wonderful offer, happy that I'd made the call to her. She offered to allow me six months of equal payments to wipe out the overdue amount, $438 and some cents. As well, I was to pay the current bill each month as well.

Last week, knowing my first payment was coming up and that I am poorer than I ever imagined possible at 50 years, but closer to employment, I called the same department and asked kindly if I could please delay the first payment a very short time. The clerk there began screaming at me before I even finished my sentence. She refused to tell me her name or employee reference number, so I asked for her supervisor. She yelled at me very harshly saying I am not allowed a supervisor and did I realize how much trouble I was in and just kept badgering me at full shouting saying that if I dared to go back on my arrangement, I will not get my line back unless I pay in full, pay the disconnection fee and leave a security deposit on the account of several hundred dollars, then disconnected me.

Even if that is the rule, a tiny bit of common sense would indicate that if I can't pay the minimum (around $100), how would I be able to pay a thousand? And what would be the impetus? I am aggressively job hunting and would like to be able to be reached by telephone should an opportunity present itself, for a prospective job interview.

If I don't have a telephone, I can't get a job and will never be able to pay the bill. It is hard enough to be in this situation

Her message was that she would happily lose that money for Bell permanently, as long as I didn't get a chance to make it right. I believe from all I hear about you, that this not the way you would like your clients (of over 30 years) to be treated. She was hostile and nasty, hung up on me and did not record the call on my file so she could not be tracked. I can only hope that her supervisor heard the recorded call and dealt with her.

Distraught but not ready to throw in the towel, I spent the entire Friday just passed, on the phone with Bell in an effort to rectify my situation. I decided to try customer service. I reached India, where I told my story and was told there is nothing they can do. I asked for a supervisor. The agent initially refused but I insisted and he asked me to hold. I held patiently for 1/2 hour and then he disconnected me.

I tried that again, and received the same result, refusal to get a supervisor.

I called the billing department and reached Costa Rica. They were ill-versed in what they could and couldn't do, so I asked for a supervisor and was refused. By the way, they had never heard your name, and were completely unconcerned about that. (which came out of a Monday call, today.)

I then went back and forth with India for a while, one of the horrid experiences was with employee # EX60225, Sayia. I remained calm and continued although my asthma was getting out of control.

I wish I had started taking every employee name/number as there are people getting away with murder at Bell. I have found that unfortunately there are only 2 kinds of agents. The incredibly amazing, welcoming, kind type and the belligerent, rude kind for whom either their egos are too big to be effective at their jobs or just plain hate their jobs!

I personally by the way, would love to have a job at an amazing, solid, landmark company like Bell.

One of the other frightful experiences was with Monika # EX38481.

Finally, almost the end of Friday, I called billing again, to try to move forward. This is where I was lucky enough to encounter Bishop, the first wonderful agent. He was remarkable. He was positive, kind, helpful and I asked for his supervisor's name to let her know. I didn't speak to the supervisor at that time, but he advised me that he could not help, not because he wasn't anxious to, but because this arrangement had been made with the credit department. I thanked him and assured him I would speak with Chantal at some point so she knows her people deliver!

I tried again with the credit department and it was a horrible encounter again. Treating people who call in with the intention of trying to get back on track, with gross disrespect as if we are criminals, is counter-productive to the situation. I'm sure you concur.

I was so impressed with billing that I tried them again, just for some advice. I reached Chelsea, the wonderful, concerned, warm agent. I commented to her that I had just had another amazing experience at billing, with Bishop. She was excited to inform me that he is actually in her department. At this time I requested her supervisor, Chantal, to let her know how much I appreciated how I was treated by her people. She contacted Chantal who told Chelsea to continue helping me and when the matter was resolved, she would take that call. Again, generous and anxious to prioritize my resolution.

Chelsea also went above and beyond her call of duty to put me on hold and contacted the credit department herself, explained to them that I'd been ill, that I have been trying and trying to rectify the situation and could I have a few days or a week more. As predicted, they were unnecessarily rude to her and advised her no matter what, I would be disconnected unless I paid by the 1st.

Chelsea told me of the meeting with you and how to report my situation to you. She told me there is a direct email link to you, that has your name, that it was on the website and wanted to direct me at that time, at my computer. I was unable to leave my bed at that time and decided to get it a few minutes later and write you begging for your help in my situation and yours regarding ill service.

When I got to the computer I couldn't find the link to you. I spent the rest of Friday evening looking.

Again distraught and mildly aggravated that I lost an entire day to the matter and endured the abuse I did, I decided to rest over the weekend and begin again Monday morning.

Today, Monday, I called the "safe" zone, billing, just to find out exactly how to reach you. This time I reached Hamilton Ontario. Two clerks and their supervisor told me there is no one at Bell named Larry Jones.

I tried customer service again, to try to get the info to reach you, and reached India, where I was told there was no such thing. Employee Sam # MZSSHAR tried but had no idea, and allowed me to speak to his supervisor Daniel # MZDJE, who pompously refused to help.

I was in need of some rest so I gave a friend who was helping out, all the information on my account including full user name, birthday, security questions and the balance. I asked her to find out the exact amount agreed to for tomorrow and she would lend me the money for the smaller part of the payment. I told her how to reach the credit dept. She reached India, explained the situation with all of the back-up and explained that even though she is not allowed exact information due to privacy, would he just round up the amount and give her some indication of how much to pay? Abhijit # EX50989 refused, but not because of privacy but he didn't really understand what she was asking. He kept on asking her how much she wanted to pay?

She eventually got his supervisor, Haninber # EX33409, who was "obnoxious" she said. Of course we got no information. I understand the privacy issue but again, she indicated the total amount, all the security info, and only wanted to know how much to pay for tomorrow.

She would have paid it right away but now she has gone out of the country.

She will be back and can pay the next one if I can't, next month.

Regarding the waits each time, all day Friday and Monday, a recording informs you that there is technical difficulty and the wait may be very long, to try the next day instead. I chose each time to wait and went through 3 phone batteries. Both days I had to hang up and re-charge them and then start over again. The average wait each call is 15+ minutes.

Determined, I continued.

Mr. Jones, I am not trying to get out of paying, I am just in an impossible situation. I don't wish to default. I am begging you for intervention. Please, please, I know this is alot to ask of you, but could I please, please have one more month? It would literally be the difference between carrying on my life and not. In which case no one gets paid and I demise.

I need to get back on track and really want to. Please help me, I am at your mercy. And please, if nothing else, deal with the inconsistent and negative customer service. It has cost me self-esteem, physical health, tremendous stress and of course all the time it took to get nowhere. I believe this is not what you consider acceptable.

Please, my payment is due Tuesday September 1st, today is Monday August 31st, help me out. I will honor the full committment. I am not asking for anything toward the unfair treatment, I just need to rest knowing I am not being cut off of life. The telephone is my link to my job search and for any requests for help I may need physically.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and consider. I hope you will restore my good faith in Bell.