Why Does This Have To Be So Card?
(In The Netherlands, public transportation companies try to reduce cash transactions and paper tickets as much as possible by introducing a (rechargeable) card with cash on it, good for bus/train fare. That did not go smoothly. A couple of years later my father, a senior citizen, moves to a new place. I help out, and so also with the rechargeable bit. For that, I need online access. The following conversation spans about three months:)
Me: “I cannot sign up my father. He has never been online before and moved months ago.”
Customer Service Rep: “Wait a couple of days; maybe you made a mistake. Let the system reset.”
(Days later:)
Me: “I still can’t sign him up, and I am getting a strange error on the site.”
Customer Service Rep: “There is a bug in the system and we are working on it. Can you please wait a couple of days?”
(Days later:)
Me: “I still can’t sign him up and I am still getting a strange error on the site.”
Customer Service Rep: “I see this card still is registered to the old address. Please use that. The card on the new address is expired.”
Me: “I also can’t sign him up using the old address.”
Customer Service Rep: “Very strange. I’ll have it looked at.”
(Days later:)
Me: “What’s the progress?”
Customer Service Rep: “On what?”
Me: *explains*
Customer Service Rep: *gives call center standard explanation on website use*
Me: “Is there no way somebody there can try this card number?”
Customer Service Rep: “We will call you back.”
(Days later, after never being called:)
Me: “What’s the status?”
Customer Service Rep: “On what?”
Me: *explains again*
Customer Service Rep: “I have no records of such issue.”
Me: “Can you restart the investigation, please?”
Customer Service Rep: “No. For privacy reasons your father must be the on setting it up.”
(Losing it, I hang up. Although along the way being tempted to “lose” dad’s card I always keep thinking someone will eventually get this simple issue and will fix it, if I only can get through to second line support behind this “wall.”. Months later, he really loses the card. Not wanting to call myself after I lost my cool, he calls for the replacement himself.)
Dad: *explains*
Customer Service Rep: “Mister who? We have no record of him owning a card.”
(I have no idea how they are running this organization…)
Question of the Week
Tell us your story about a customer who couldn't understand the most simple concept.
