A Week Without Posts

          I think I have mentioned both Roland and Jenna have had some nasty colds, but I seemed fine until Saturday - the 10th.  I had gone to the church as the presidency were holding interviews for those who are visiting teachers.  I could feel a sore throat coming on.  Even when I agreed to teach Relief Society only eight days later.

          I went to church on Sunday, the 11th.  I did not stay for choir because I didn't want to strain my throat.  Last week I did a lot of napping (cough medicine knocks me out) and preparing for both primary and RS lessons.  I also participated in a class discussion on a topic that I didn't fully understand.  I took the assessment (midterm) and apparently turned in my discussion notes instead of the assignment.  Brilliant.

          My lesson for the Relief Society went rather well.  I wish I could say the same for my primary class. We reviewed the last couple of weeks and I started my lesson by introducing the class to Lot.  Carly interrupted me several times with non-gospel related "concerns".  She had brought snacks for everyone and wondered if she could pass them out.  While I commended her for her desire to share with the class, I also pointed out how inappropriate I thought it was for her to continue interrupting my lesson and reminded her that it was actually a short lesson but I would have to get through it before she was allowed to pass out snacks.  

          I also continued to remind the class that perhaps one day we will meet with Danny's class to play a game and wouldn't that be awesome if our class was able to provide more correct answers than hers.  That seems to work better on the class as a whole than the snacks or the ribbons.  The passport has been working out well for us - though I have not used it with any of my "Abraham" lessons.

          Tina was trying hard to hang onto my every word.  I really appreciated that and told her mom so when she greeted me after I had given the lesson in Relief Society.

          Yesterday was definitely not my best day.  It felt as though I was agitated about every little thing.  First off there was the topic discussion for my class:

これが会計を理解する方法です。 私は間違ったキャリアを間違いなく選んだ。 私の夫は私が仕事を取れると思っています - Я просто не понимаю. Все это так чуждо мне. В любом случае, перевод может быть неточным. У меня есть последователи из России, которые могут прочитать эту часть. Приношу свои извинения за любые нарушения вашего языка. Это не намеренно. Я просто пытаюсь продемонстрировать, насколько иностранный учет (особенно предмет акций и облигаций) мне кажется대해 이해하고 있을지 모르지만 나는 그렇지 않습니다. 일본어, 포르투갈어, 아랍어, 회계. . . 내 얼굴에 벙어리 표현을 참조하십시오

題ありません。ムーディーズ・インベスターズ・サービスとスタンダード・アンド・プアーズ・コーポレーションは、公的債務問題の格付けを提供している。قد يكون لديك فهم لكل من هذه الشخصيات ، لكني لا أفعل. اليابانية ، البرتغالية ، العربية ، المحاسبة. . . انظر التعبير الغبي على  私はバイナリコードを読むことができなければ問題になるでしょう - 私はできません01010010 01100101 01100001 01101100 01101100 01111001 00111111 00100000 00100000

This may not be an accurate translation.  Doesn't matter.  I can neither read nor understand what it says.  That is how I see accounting.  I just don't understand so many terms.  I am constantly looking up words in the dictionary or accounting glossary and then looking up more words to understand the dang definitions.  Awwhhhh!!!

          I received a  notice in the mail describing a problem I have already addressed several times.  Obviously it hasn't been resolved.  More hair pulling.  Can't communicate with a machine.  Doesn't understand me.  I don't know WHY it asks for my account number.  Whenever I finally get a human, I have to provide my account number again.

          First time the machine says it will allow me through, it claims there is a 15 second wait.  It was longer than 15 seconds before I was cut off.  I call again.  After going through all the rigmarole and hair-pulling for the second time, the machine says I have a minute wait and cuts me off again.  What the hey?  Come on!!!  I storm up an email - which I decide to send to my husband before sending it to customer support - for I know that I'm angry, and although I do wish to express my annoyance, I don't want to be so unkind that they don't want to return my call just to be hung up again.  He tries.  The wait is 7 minutes.

          Meanwhile, I need to call the mortgage company to let them know that we have been contacted by our insurance agency to let us know that mortgage and insurance haven't seemed to make a connection.  Oh, great.  Another problem that may get me fired up.

          "We're sorry.  We are experiencing high volume call.  You will be on hold for 20 minutes."  What????  At least the last company that usually doesn't hang up on me does usually give me the option of calling me back.  And they actually do.  I go to their website on their suggestion.  I fill out their form and write a message.  There is no send button!  I have filled out their form and cannot send it.  What kind of a scam is this.  Now I am livid!!!

          I knew I needed to calm down.  I knew that I wasn't in the correct frame of mind to post a blog.  I still have to figure out my discussion topic.  I still have to call the mortgage company.  It's a wonder I'm not bald. 

          Stay tuned for "St. Patrick's Grunge Pledges" and "By Divine Design - Relief Society"

Quality Customer Service? A thing of the past

          I'm actually quite impressed with Roland's phone skills.  I got rid of cable as we were paying outrageous amounts each month.  We have been able to pick up six stations with an antenna we purchased, but there was a day when I'm assuming the weather had interfered and we were only down to two.

          As mentioned previously, Jenna and I could live without the TV or cable.   We watch it because it's there, but would not miss it if it wasn't.  But Roland likes having the TV and had called another company to see how much cable would run.

          So our internet was with Charter.  We NEED the Internet.  Roland works from home online.  We both go to school online.  We need the Internet.  We do not need the cable.  Nevertheless, Roland found a great deal in which Frontier promised a cable and Internet package for the same amount that we were paying Charter for Internet only.  The first call placed was answered by a young guy from California who was living in Salt Lake.

          Why the heck would we be calling Salt Lake?  I had never even heard of Frontier until we got to Oregon.  The guy was friendly and after the information was exchange, we got a little personal (which I know is how he's from California) and he told us some jokes before he hung up.

          Our cable contract is through Dish and NOT Frontier.  And of course we are locked into it now because apparently Roland's electronic signature proves that.  The cable box was sent - but Roland wasn't sure how to connect it.  Someone came out to connect it and we had a SLOW connection.  Not even 12 full hours. Fortunately we had not cancelled Charter.

  

          I don't know how many times Roland has been on the phone with Frontier - asking employees for their first and last name and employee identification (because thus far none of the employees have been willing to give his or her last name - which I don't blame them.  Most have been good to give their employee number - or a number anyway (how do we really know) as Roland explains for the umpteenth time that "I need this for work . . . I was very clear about that from the beginning"  He always tells the employees to make notes on file and asks for the supervisor and that supervisor's supervisor.

          He is calm.  Although he is frustrated, he doesn't express anger.  But he does become more irritated with each call explaining himself again and again.  We still have the box.  We have asked for a box to return it in.  I have even taken it to the two locations here in Myrtle Creek - a warehouse downtown and the communication center? in Tri-City.  It was closed.  I wonder if it ever opens.  Or why it's there. 

          Frontier will probably go out of business.  We heard that from an employee.  No kidding.  I don't guess their exceptional customer service would have anything to do with it.

          I've been dealing with crisis of my own.  We're doing our taxes.  Need I say more?  No matter how prepared we believe we are, we're always missing forms.  At least three 1099s.  And so I've been trying to make contacts with each of the companies getting nowhere fast. 

          Actually, I did make progress with one company.  I've listened to at least 7 different recordings for another.  I finally left my phone # when I was given the option to leave with a promise of a call back within 24 hours.  Oh, they did call back alright.  But it was the WRONG company.  I was contacted this morning by one who received my phone number.  It took us a few minutes to realize that the number I retrieved from the other website had been connected to the other at one time, but was no longer a part of them - therefore she couldn't help me.  (Ugh)

          And the one human I get has an accent so thick that she had to slow down when pronouncing "Annual Summary" because I was hearing "Animal Movie" and I knew that is not what she was saying.

          I wish I had the patience and control that Roland does when he is speaking over the phone.  I am just too dang emotional.  Customer Satisfaction really hasn't seemed very satisfying this century.   

       I told Roland that one of the things I really like about living in Oregon is that I feel like a person and not just a statistic.  When I am calling corporations I feel even less than a statistic.

Thank you Debbie – I Feel a Great Kinship for You

       

            I AM THE PRIMARY CARRIER ON THE PHONE PLAN – ALWAYS HAVE BEEN.  SO WHY DOES T-MOBILE AND CONSUMER CELLULAR INSIST ON CALLING ROLAND’S PHONE?   Roland always seems to be passing the buck because “they won’t talk to me.”

            “Why won’t they talk to him?  He’s on the plan.”  I don’t know how many times I told T-Mobile that Roland “Does Have Authorization” I am so tired of being a third party between Roland and the company or Roland and the neighbor or worse – having him try to communicate with my brother-in-law through me and Kayla.  Give me a break!

            At least Consumer Cellular is human.  Even T-Mobiles “caller” is a machine that tells you to press this button and that one.  HEY – you called me.  I don’t have to accept – especially for a machine.

            Roland and I have been married almost twelve years now, and he still hasn’t seemed to figure out that I REALLY DON’T LIKE THE PHONE.  Just because he and my boys seem to be surgically implanted to their cell phones does not mean I even want to use mine.  I purchased it in case of an emergency.  Calling the cell phone provider (especially the former never-will-use-again provider) does not quality as an emergency.

            I’d much rather do things in person or through the Internet than over the phone.  The rep at costumer service said the same thing.  I didn’t get her full name, but I would gladly accept a friendship request from her were she to offer.  But I don’t know that I provided my maiden name with consumer cellular.  My married name is way too common.  She’d need them both to find me - provided she’d even be interested in having me as a friend.

            I asked her why she would be answering phones for a living if she truly loathes the phone as much as I do.  Some people, unfortunately, have to settle just to make ends meet.  Perhaps she took the job out of desperation.  She does at least get to type along with answering the phones. 

            Debbie made a marvelous impression.  She was very helpful and kind.  I really enjoyed talking with her and wish we could have had a more personal conversation.  I really would like to get to know her better.  I’ve really got nothing to go on accept for the name of the company for which she’s employed.  That doesn’t narrow it down.  I have no idea what state she’s in.

            Often when I try contacting Roland in Salt Lake City, I get connected to the Phoenix location.  Talk about frustrating.  Normally I just text his cell phone or e-mail him messages (I really don’t like to text either – having a full size keyboard makes it so much easier.)

           How great it would be if we didn't need phones anymore!

Good-bye T-Mobile: I Now Have Consumer Cellular!

 

I have had so many problems with T-Mobile the last couple of years, it’s a wonder I haven’t dropped them sooner. I created this post last year and had actually taken it down for two days when I thought that the problem had been resolved – but returned it two days later as there was still miscommunication.  

My brother-in-law had also switched to Consumer Cellular – but was without service for a month.  He blames T-Mobile.  I don’t have all the details, but because of my own experience, I think that sounds pretty accurate. 

I decided that we would just keep our phones and have new SIM cards through Consumer Cellular.  I was pretty distraught to learn that I would still have to call T-Mobile to get the SIM unlocked as we wished to keep our current phone numbers.  I ended up going through four people before I was given instructions and could receive the rest by email.

It really didn’t take as long as they said – well at least for my phone.  I was able to follow the step by step instructions that T-Mobile sent me (surprise) and was able to connect no problems and now I am no longer with T-Mobile.  However Roland’s number is still on the T-mobile plan because they had indicated that the set up will not work at this time but that we can try again in 40 days.  What the flip????

I won’t be billed for Consumer Cellular for at least another month. But thus far I like them like a zillion times better.  And I can’t imagine that I will ever be as upset with them as I am with T-Mobile – though I have had some really professional treatment from some employees – I’ve had to deal with more that seem clueless or don’t have the authority, major buck passers – major run around.  No wonder their mascot is a droid. I am so tired of it.

I think we need to find another way to free up Roland’s SIM before waiting forty days.  Because really, what guarantee do we have that it will work in 40 days?  What a bunch of bogus crap.  I’d like my days of dealing with T-Mobile to be behind me FOREVER!

I Bet the Enterprise Crew didn’t Have to put up with the same Malarkey

Actually you can use your own adjective in place of malarkey.  I can actually think of better words, but so as not to offend certain parties, I choose malarkey for the sake of keeping the post clean.

          Long before Jaime Lee Curtis started advertising Activia – she used to act out skits for VoiceStream commercials.  I made my first cell phone purchase through VoiceStream.  My mom and I got two lines – one for each of us – but the plan was (and still is) in my name.

          My phone line was for emergencies.  I bought it for that reason – not to be a camera, not to text (though neither was offered when I initially opened my account) and certainly not to be my primary source of phone use.  I don’t even like the phone

          After a while I started getting what I believed was junk mail from T-Mobile.  Never heard of them.  Wasn’t interested.  I didn’t realize that T-Mobile had bought VoiceStream out.  

          I never had a problem with T-Mobil until quite recently.  A word of advice:  DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH A STORE THAT ISN’T CORPORATE – though it doesn’t seem to matter – bet the run around at corporate is exactly the same.  DON’T ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY – SCREW THE CUSTOMER AS MUCH AS YOU CAN . . .

          I have two accounts.  One plan was for me and my mom.  The other had my husband’s phone which we couldn’t add to my plan – so I had two.  Later on I decided I wanted my mom’s phone going to her house and Roland’s coming to mine.  I was told I couldn’t switch my phone line with one store, but was told I could by another.  I could save money.  HA!  This T-Mobile has been the biggest nightmare ever!!!

          First off they are charging me for a line that I was told would discontinue.  My pre-existing number now shows up on both bills.  I sent a letter to corporate and one in with the bill (which as I predicted would get ignored) and now I’m even more upset about it than I was two months ago. 

          *I did remove this post for a couple of days, but have opted to put it back.*
July 17 update:  FINALLY they removed the extra line.  They took my phone off one bill and placed it on the other.  But instead of saving money (as I was led to believe) I am now paying over 45 dollars more.  I am upset at myself for allowing myself to believe that they were looking out for my best interest.  What a crock!