Today was bill-payment day, when I login to my bank’s website, remember that Firefox somehow causes Desjardins an “internal error,” switch to Safari, login again, and pay my bills for the month.
Two bills, for cable/Internet and hydro, I get in the mail. One bill (credit card) still goes to my parents’ house, but I have all the info online anyway so I don’t need it.
And then there’s Rogers. A few months ago I switched from paper billing to online billing because I wanted a copy of my call history. And the only way I could get that for free was to have online billing. But since then it’s been a nightmare trying to get access to my bills. And even when I do get access, my “call history” is either entirely blank or throws up an error when I try to read it.
Today, my login was “unsuccessful” and my account suspended for no apparent reason (the password was good, and it was my first login attempt). I gave up and decided I’m going to have them switch me back. And since I can’t login to their website, it’ll have to be by phone.
My request was simple: switch from online to paper billing
I press 8 for English, and go through their voice menu. I have to answer a bunch of questions (is my problem “billing” or “account management”?), get stuck in dead-ends (no I’m not trying to pay my bill) and after a half-dozen of these menus (finally telling it I want to speak to a representative), I get another menu asking me if it’s for wireless, cable, Internet or other, then another asking if it’s about a cellphone, blackberry, pager or other, then another asking me to enter my 10-digit phone number, then I’m put on hold.
First representative asked for my phone number, my name, my postal code and my date of birth. She’s very nice and after I tell her my problem she explains that she’ll need to send me to something called “E-care” and they’ll fix it right away. She also says I can do it online much easier, but when I tell her Rogers.com is a nightmare to use she’s sympathetic and says something along the lines of how some people have problems.
Second representative asked for my phone number, my name, my postal code and my date of birth. I tell him my problem and he says the system that takes care of this is “not available to (him) at the moment”, so he’s going to transfer me to another representative who’ll take care of it right away.
Third representative asked me for my phone number, my name, my postal code and my date of birth. I tell her my problem and she explains that her computer can’t make that change and she’ll need to send me to “e-care” so they can reset it. She also says I can do it online. I am confused, because I already thought I was at “e-care”, but she corrects me. So I guess Rep #2 screwed me there.
Fourth representative has a thick Indian accent. He asks me, one at a time, for my phone number, my name, my postal code and my date of birth. I tell him my problem, and he asks me why I want to change. Rather than spend 20 minutes trying to argue with this guy about the hellhole that is Rogers.com, I bite my tongue and just say I prefer paper billing. He explains I can do it online, but he can do it himself as well.
He explains he’s made the change and now my previous bills (that were only online) are now inaccessible. I ask him how the heck I’m supposed to get copies of them for tax purposes now. He says he can put me back on online billing, and I can download the bills and then switch back. I figure now I have to tell him about not being able to login, and he unlocks my account lockout. I login (with the same password I used before) and I get access to the system. He explains (”Do you see the girl on the couch? Just under her…”) what to do and I end the call.
Total call time: 12:37.
I go to this month’s bill, and click on the button that gives me a PDF version. I get this:
System Error / Erreur système
We’re sorry, the epost service you have requested is temporarily unavailable. Please try again shortly. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Désolé, le service postel que vous avez demandé est temporairement inaccessible. Veuillez essayer à nouveau un peu plus tard. Nous nous excusons de tout inconvénient que cela pourrait vous causer.
So I can’t download my bills, which means I can’t unsubscribe from online billing, which means I just wasted 20 minutes.
Thanks Rogers.
Online billing, paper bullshit
But, I hear you ask, what about all the trees I’ll be hurting?
Well, since I’ll need to print my bills out anyway, the effect is pretty minimal. They pay postage, so that’s not a factor.
Besides, Rogers doesn’t really seem to care about the environment themselves, as evidenced by a letter I received in the mail this month.
The letter, by Rogers Wireless president Rob Bruce, has nothing but bullshit marketingese like “continued loyalty”, “never take for granted”, “working hard”, “committed”, “exceed your expectations”, “unprecedented”, “Canada’s Most Reliable Network” (capitalized, of course), “clearest reception and fewest dropped calls.*” (their footnote, not mine), “moving forward”, “even more innovative technology”, “improve your experience with us”, “our commitment” and “work relentlessly”. And he wishes me and my family a “happy upcoming holiday season.”
What gets me about the letter is that it was mailed to me on thick bond paper (about as thick as a business card) in a thick envelope. Could they not have just emailed this BS to me?
8 Comments
Oh my God! You hate your wireless provider too ?!
I have a buddy that works in the PMO over at Rogers and he’s completely fed up with me complaining to him. Ever so often he listens in on CSR calls. You would not believe the abuse these people take and for next to nothing per month he tells me.
Rogers has major issues with their website and the inside scoop that I have is that it ain’t gonna get better either. Why should it? Old Ted is rolling in dough. http://www.canadianbusiness.com/after_hours/lifestyle_activities/article.jsp?content=20061204_83955_83955&gclid=CMTjn4D8lJACFQeNHgodcAocQQ
I can’t decide if I should wait it out or pay the cancellation fee and jump ship, But if I jump ship, where am I gonna go? Bell ?Yech! Telus ? Hmm, maybe the iPhone will make it all better.
I got the same letter and get the same service as you when there is a problem. I can’t afford to jump ship, I still have 2 years with them, God help me.
I’m a rep for a relativeley small call center, and if for example I can’t help a client after I’ve identified him, I’ll transfer him to another department through a conference call so the other rep won’t have to ask him again the same sort of questions. From my point of view, it simply seems that Rogers, as well as other big corporation, just don’t want to waste their time with these longer, yet much more efficient procedures. And that end up with customer service horror stories such as yours. It might be the size of the organisation makes it more complex, or it might just be that the direction doesn’t understand the client’s point of view.
In these situations it is also far more efficient to ask for a supervisor or the complaint department that to burst out against the rep, however oblivious they might sound…
There must be a way to speak to a human about a fouled up Rogers bill.
If any oone knows how to contact a human in the Rogers Wireless empire, please advise me.
Better still, advise them (Rogers).
I am going to try not paying their bill, when (and if) I receive one.
I have the original paid cheque that they cashed and deposited to their account.
They are complaining that it is unpaid, in a letter I received. The letter said they are going to cease my service unless it is paid immediately.
It included the message - Please disregard this letter if your payment has been made.
I told the agent at the store in Dieppe that if it isn’t corrected by Dec 31, 2007 to come and pick up everything Rogers has installed in my house. Cable, internet and home phone.
I am going back to Aliant and get their cable also.
Hey guys. I know exaclly what You going through. I have found a way to get what i want .
You need a human to talk to? Keep pressing zero on your phone or say agent many times.
if a regular representative is not doing what is suppose to do, or you dont want to waste any more time to talk to them ask for supervisor or manager. Make sure You know what you want and be firm dont let them tell you what is better for you. You can mention also that you are going to report them to better business bureau http://www.ccbbb.ca/ and to all your friends . And if you really fed up with them just ask for cancelation department, they may be able in order to keep you as costumer fix all your problem. Good lack to You all
I renewed my contract six months ago since then I havent recieved any online bill. I have requrest several times to resolve this issue with the billing deparment. When I request the hard copies I was charge 4 bucks on my next bill with out prior consent. Rogers is a rip off service provider and Ted Rogers is a wicked man.
I made the mistake of switching to Rogers in January and have had absolutely nothing but problems since (if I can’t get out of my contract before then, when it’s up, I will not be renewing). Every bill has been wrong, they keep changing my account set-up and the last straw was a $60 charge for extra, over the allowable 2500, text messages - they claim my daughter sent over 3000 texts in a 30 day period. Her phone log and usual texting practices say otherwise.
Rather than doing what they expected me to do and just pay the bill I paid the amount for the bill minus the extra texts and told them that I wouldn’t pay for them until I saw proof of their having been sent. I quite reasonably asked for a printout of the sent text log and, surprise, surprise, two months later I am still waiting. They claim to be unable to provide me with this log for “security” reasons. Whose security are they protecting by not providing me with a simple list of texts sent from a phone that I own?
I have filed a complaint with the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services (CCTS)*, rather than just accept their treatment. I made it quite clear in my complaint that I was not averse to paying the bill if, in fact, the texts had been sent but that, since it seemed unlikely, I required proof. Rogers is required to respond in writing to both the Commissioner and the complainant within 20 days of receipt of the complaint. Not at all surprisingly I got a phone message from them today requesting that I call them to “discuss” my complaint. I responded to them in writing asking them not to call me again but to respond in writing as required by the CCTS.
I highly recommend that everyone having billing issues with Rogers file a complaint with the CCTS. I have some small hope that it may show them that we are not about to allow them to rip us off for the duration of our contracts and this may have some positive impact on their business practices.
*http://www.ccts-cprst.ca/en/
I hate ROGERS!! I can’t fucking stand them…
MY GF and I have had an account there for 3 years. I have changed a million things on the account, order phones, made payment arrangements etc.
Our avg bill was around $250 a month, than last month it went too $605!!
We are then sent text messages saying to pay the bill. My GF was away camping, so I make the call to see what is wrong with the account and why it was so much.
I wait 10 mins or so to speak with the wrong rep, than a rep that can’t tell me anything as they say I have no access to the account. After 3 years they apparently decide to start enforcing a policy that I was told existed for years. We were given 2 days to pay or we lose service and they wouldn’t speak with me.
My contract with them is up soon, and I will NEVER BUT ANYTHING FROM THEM AGAIN!!! TED ROGERS CAN KISS MY ASS!!! I WILL NEVER WATCH ANOTHER BLUE JAYS GAME IN TORONTO UNTIL THAT FUCKING PRICK SELLS!!
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