Source: rdracer17
I hate talking on the phone. I rarely answer it and unlike my former 16-year-old self, want to get off as quick as I can.
I have embraced the “let your fingers do the talking” concept.
Add calling customer service to the mix and I am beside myself with dread. It’s the chore that I like to do least. I’d rather clean kitty poop.
Many companies let you do things online. Most want you to call if you are canceling. Bummer. I was canceling.
I have Sirius XM for my car on a special discount deal that was set to expire. I would be switched to the regular price which is outrageous especially for the amount of time I spend in my car.
In order to be a customer service representative you need to have English as your second (or third or fourth) language or at least a heavy accent. You also need to talk fast. Very fast. Faster than my pitiful old eardrums can listen.
It’s like those car commercials. At the end there is a paragraph of disclosures that are repeated so fast you have no idea what they are but it complies with laws. You can’t sue or say you didn’t know.
I put this task off until two days prior to the expiration of my special offer. It was my yucky task of the week.
I wasn’t looking forward to it. I had no idea if I would spend half the day on the phone getting patched to different places (many companies make it difficult to cancel) or in queue.
None of that happened. My call was answered quickly. As soon as I said I was cancelling, she reoffered my old deal (which was really cheap).
What ensured then can only be compared to a Keystone Kops movie.
They pulled my account (or what they thought was my account) from my phone number. It was my husband’s account (but we didn’t know it yet). I was told my offer expired in January and I negotiated a new deal complete with a credit for the outrageous charge in January.
I was on the phone for 15 minutes (many of which were going through disclosures and reiterations of what we had agreed to).
Something in my gut wasn’t sitting well but I couldn’t put my finger on it. My records clearly showed my expiration date as February 13, not January. As they confirmed the email address on the account, I realized that I had just negotiated this fabulous transaction for my beloved husband who had not called to either cancel or renegotiate a new rate.
That meant I had to start all over again. At the end of an hour, both cars have a cheaper contract. I was exhausted from listening to disclosures said at a very challenging rate of speed.
The beloved husband owes me. Starbucks is offering a Valentine’s special Friday afternoon. Hmmmmmm….
A cat after my own heart!
PS: Sirius XM’s customer service is the best I have experienced in the last few years. Except for her rate of speed, I understood the woman every well and she was very patient. The account mix-up was not the fault of the company. I had my account under my former corporate phone number so it didn’t show up under our land line. Oh yes, no one paid me to say anything nice especially since I rarely do.
Views and Mews by Coffee Kat 
Kate … I love your disclaimer and your story. Glad it turned out well.
When our daughters were still teens, our eldest sleepily answered her phone one morning and unwittingly agreed to whatever was being offered on the phone. It was a water filter – which she would not need. To return it meant navigating a very confusing maze. The rules: she wasn’t supposed to have opened the package if she wanted to return it. But to get the invoice number to return an item, you had to open the package. We finally got it all worked out, but I thought it would take an act of Congress to do so. 😉
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They make it as hard as possible! When I was young someone guilted me into buying light bulbs for a “worthy cause.” I didn’t return them but I became very cautious. Now even kids can’t get me to buy stuff I don’t want!
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I think that I’ve found my kindred spirits here. So many commenters + you dislike talking on the phone, an activity that I loathe. Wonderful to learn that I’m not alone with this personality quirk.
And more to the point, happy to find out that you succeeded in solving your problem while using the phone. Good on you!
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I can’t believe that I used to live on the phone when I was a teenager. You are not as quirky as you think.
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Good for you!
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Woohoo!
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I feel your pain. I too hate to talk on the phone. I have two chatty sister-in-laws who I love dearly but rarely call because I don’t want to hang on the phone that long. I feel bad about that but I guess I’m just selfish with my time. I’m happy to text because the time spent is limited by how fast one can type and the strength of ones digits.
I canceled Sirius last March after my free year expired. They kept trying to convince me with better and better deals but, like you, the time I now spend in my car post-retirement is very little. I am still receiving calls from them trying to get me back. Each time I politely tell them that if they can match my old price (free), I’d be happy to re-up. So far they haven’t taken me up on my offer.
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I was intent on canceling but I do enjoy the music in the car. Like you, I don’t drive as frequently but I am usually out and about every day. I didn’t get free but I did get $25 for 6 months and thought that was ok. I rarely call anyone on the phone. On phone calls there is so much extra stuff that people add in addition to the topic of the call. Much easier to email or text.
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Gah, he does owe you!!! Oh this sounds so familiar to me. I wrote a post quite a long time ago about the time I ordered 2 dozen jockstraps for hubby, and it was similiarly frustrating!
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Two dozen jockstraps? Holy cow!
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My sympathies.
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Thanks!
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Ugh…the phone…I’m not a fan either, Kate. Yesterday as soon as I walked in the door from work, we received three different solicitation calls within five minute. So much for the Do Not Call Registry. I’m happy to hear your call was successful.
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Do not call doesn’t do anything. I don’t think there are any teeth to it. No one get’s prosecuted.
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Everyone speaks so fast on the phone these days. That’s what companies do though, but I understand, who has time for customers. However when I get older I’m moving to the United States where they speak English. Oh and thanks for the photo Kate, now I know why cats are so fast.
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Most customer service centers are not in the US so don’t move here just for that! Cats love Starbucks too.
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Well then I’ll just stay right here in California, and avoid the US at all cost. So all the cool cats hang out at Starbucks huh? On my way to Starbucks for a Latte.
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Everything is better at Starbucks!
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The smell of grounded coffee beans in the air, already chomped addictive pastry in my mouth, and my laptop on the table in front of me. Seattle would be proud Kate.
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OMG, I was JUST thinking about our own subscription today. But then I remembered it’s good till at least July. It’s such a game with them, isn’t it?? You know you don’t have to pay the fee they’re wanting to charge you, so you have to wait till they offer the discounted one. Glad you took care of it for another year.
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It is a game and I don’t like it. You have to be on top of it or it renews automatically like it did for my husband at an astronomical rate.
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What a wonderful outcome for you and your valentine! Hope he gives you a chance to cash in those bonus points you earned!
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Hope he pays for it!
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