I just got off the phone after a very annoying phone call with a Three "customer support" person.
The guy was just rude, obnoxious and uninformed.
I’ve had a 3G card from 3 for the last 18 months and never used it. But I’ve paid my $29 a month – so they have done very well out of me.
When I did try to use it a couple of days ago – because my TPG account has been capped for a couple of days – the throughput on the card was terrible, I’m talking single digits. I rang 3 support and was told their network is overloaded in my area (inner suburb of Brisbane) and that it might take a month to resolve.
So I rang them back today and asked them today to cancel my account – and was told there would be an $80 charge! When I explained they are not providing me with the service I signed up for, the guy on the phone had the temerity to try to tell me that it is MY FAULT because I recently moved house!! And that just because they agreed to give me coverage in one location, didn’t mean they provided access across 100% of the country!
I explained that I’m not in Alice Springs – I’m in an inner suburb of Brisbane where they normally DO provide access but they haven’t provisioned their network sufficiently.
But he just kept talking over me, not listening at all. I had to raise my voice for him to even stop talking for a second to let me finish my sentence.
Eventually he went and "spoke to a supervisor" and agreed to cut my cancellation charges in half. I said that I refused to pay them a cent more and asked to speak directly to a supervisor. He said someone would call me – WITHIN 48 HOURS.
It takes 48 hours to get someone to call me back?
What kind of operation are they running?
Network is down.
48 hours to get a call center supervisor to call me back.
Pathetic.
They have made $522 bucks out of me on this card and provided ZERO SERVICE.
Update: After writing this post, and sending a complaint to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman, I was contacted by someone from Hutchinson who resolved my issue. They canceled by account and didn’t charge me the fee.
I asked the lady who called me why the person I spoke to earlier today didn’t resolve my issue. She apologized for the pathetic service and said the she is in the department that deals with people who have made TIO complaints, therefore she has more authority than the person I spoke to the first time.
But I asked “why do I have to complain to the TIO before I get someone who gives a shit? Why doesn’t the FIRST person I talk to care enough to help?”
She couldn’t answer my question. I think this is at the heart of why people are so angry with telcos in the country.
I’m collecting all complaints about 3 or as many as I can could anyone with any bad experiences please get in touch. If they’re bad on in Australia, trust me they’re just as bad in the UK
Funny you should mention Alice. The only coverage I can rely on here with wireless is Telstra- no choice and you have to sell body parts to pay for the service.
Its not just telcos its call centres in general. I used to work for an online gaming company, the push is to get people signed up, most people wouldn’t be as forthright as you – comes down to economics why bother providing well trained customer service operators, just get the punters in.
they annoy me i called them regarding when i can update or when i can cancel, he then said ‘So you want to upgrade’ talks 100000mph about some phone i dont even want and you have to speak over them to get a word in.
Then i mention a blackberry bold which is £30 on the internet no additional costs he says it will cost me £50 per month plus £150 for the phone. i told him what phone i want yet he is not pleased about it, calls me back to say he can make it £50 for the phone i say no thankyou goodbye and i get a 2nd call back. Leave me alone