Saturday, June 16, 2007

Computers, and those who serve them

We all have Verizon cell phones. Brian however has been getting calls with a pre-recorded messages twice a week, "This is Cingular, now AT&T. There is a problem with your wireless account. Please call us back at this 800 number so that we can resolve it."

I called back the number and asked why AT&T was calling my 13-year-old who had a Verizon phone. It took a while to convince her that I wasn't kidding.

"Can you give me your son's phone number?"
I did so.
"That number is not ours."
"That's sort of the point."
"Pardon?"
"Your company is calling him every few days and it is not your phone."
"Well...they must be calling the wrong number."
"Uh huh." (She's catching on!)
Silence.
Me again, "How do we get your computer to stop calling his number?"
"I don't know. I mean, it's just calling a wrong number."
"Yes, but who can tell the computer who makes the calls to stop calling this number?"
She puts me on hold and finally comes back, "Can I have your social security number?"
"Um...no."
"Well, it's the only way I can look up your account."
"None of us have an account with you. If I don't have an account with you, you won't have my social security number in your files, right?"
"Right."
"So giving you my social security number won't allow you to look me up."
"If you don't want to give it to me, you don't have to, but without it I can't look up the account."
"Never mind, I will ask Verizon to change his number so that none of us will ever have to talk to anyone at AT&T again."
"Okay."
"Goodbye."
"Goodbye and thank you for using AT&T. "

5 comments:

  1. Uh yeah, that would be more like "thank you for not using AT&T."

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  2. Anonymous8:21 AM

    I have Cingular/AT&T and I swear, this conversation is typical. They suck beyond belief.

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  3. You didn't do the "may I speak to your supervisor" routine? Generally, the supervisors are less committed to a particular "script"...

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  4. muhhhhahh (sinister laughing) it is all part of the villianess Ma Bell is wreaking her revenge on a nation that tried to destroy her. LOL After the destruction of her monopoly she has decided to numb the nation with confusing and substandard service. Soon we will all be begging for a single service to rule them all.

    I am almost convinced that customer service phone lines are really cults in disguise. They make as much sense.

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  5. rofl. too good. You should watch Idiocracy. I wonder if that is what the world is coming to :p

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