Dear COGECO, @COGECO and the world!
The third COGECO modem in a year died Thursday. In twitter e-language - #cogecofail, #cogecoepicfail, #fail.
I went to a COGECO store Friday as directed by CSR, on the telephone, both of which are not what you think they are. Adventures of indifference and apathy and broken customer service follows.
AS directed, I can wait a week for a field technician or I can go to a COGECO store. I opt for the store and use my gas, my time and I bring home a new "faster" modem. Install!
No signal. Store has not set up the new modem properly,
no MAC id. I still have no internet connectivity.
Next, call COGECO (third time now in less than 12 hours, give name and number and info FOUR times, to four different COGECO
support people (See a pattern here?)
and finally get to an "internet technician".
COGECO internet technician" on phone is useless. COGECO
"technicians" are CSR reps who can read messages on their computer
screen confirming what you already know.
Told they would have technical support, inside COGECO, fix and install the correct MAC id and modem would be “provisioned properly” and running Saturday. HAH!
Called Saturday morning about status of technical support on
my “order” and told it could take another 24-48 hours. NOT A HAPPY CAMPER but
monopoly means no choices.
When calling COGECO Saturday morning, caller (me) has two
choices, push 1 if you wish UFC pay TV tonight, push 2 if you need customer
support. Can you guess? CORRECT! No access to COGECO customer support by
pushing 2 as directed.
So, I reluctantly push 1 and get a pay TV CSR who would be
pleased to take my $49.95.
COGECO claims to provide in home telephone service. They can't get their own phone service working as CSR noted they were having troubles. Glad I called to confirm what I knew.
After playing something like “chatroulette” when COGECO
transfers you, I am transferred to other silo for CSR support. Notice they
don't call this customer help. And they definitely work in narrow vision silos
at COGECO.
Well you can guess … after transfer, this also took me the
mandatort routine of giving ID and all personal info FOUR times and then I reach a
CSR "internet technician". Now ask for someone to help. NOT A HAPPY CAMPER.
After much soul searching by COGECO CSR rep, I am deigned worthy of speaking with a Technical internet supervisor, who is actually technically literate and knows their systems. Supervisor says modem not set up properly and tries to help but RF indicators out of spec. Confirms what I know and called to tell them.
Really upset at this point with indifference of everyone in COGECO, CSR Support and technical support. They should be called CSR No-support reps.
Supervisor finally agrees to send out a technician tomorrow
(Sunday) however I would have to remain at home all day. I AGREE to this because I want what I am paying for!
After hanging up, I go back to the start of my home cable
connections and unplug everything and re-plug same setup and make sure all my
cables are still plugged in and tight, as they were before.
Amazingly, after about 20 minutes, I finally get an internet
signal connection through my new high speed modem and voilà, I have
THE Internet. YEAH!
Called back to COGECO to see if they wish to save some money and
not have a field technician come out because I am now working and have internet connection. (You know the drill, same routine their phone system still not working and usual 4x to give personal info before you can actually speak with someone).
Can you see why they are less profitable, as reported yesterday in their earnings release? Maybe someone in executive management should actually try calling their own support services.
Not deemed significant enough to speak to same supervisor I spoke with fifteen minutes ago, we both agree that maybe there is a signal degrade outside the home, and the technician will still be sent and I need to stay home ALL day Sunday. (better than a work day as to availability for me). COGECO equipment technician will still come out.
So, I will be under
“COGECO house arrest” Sunday, all day, because COGECO has poor
quality, poor training, poor service and poor customer assitance.
COGECO is fast becoming a Rogers cable clone and they are taking aim at becoming the totally indifferent uncaring business that Air Canada is known for. Customer indifference!
These same cable companies were the same cable companies that spent tens, if not hundreds of millions of share holder equity telling the public and coercing the CRTC that they should keep their monopolies and charge customers MORE for even less support, service, poor quality cable TV, internet services and phone services.
Tomorrow, I am chained to my computer from 8:00 AM Sunday to 7:00 PM (I do this during the week however I get remuneration) wasting more of my time. If it is sunny and warm and I miss a whole day of time, money and living waiting for COGECO … well you know!
So COGECO, I will be cancelling my cable TV Monday. Yes, I know it will take me the four times to connect with a person to cancel my cable TV. But I will endure so I don't have to in the future.
Maybe ongoing loss of revenue will convince COGECO that customers are important to their operation and ultimate survival.
COGECO if I could get another internet provider here in monopoly land I would be totally gone from your indifference and lack of service.
