To: [email protected]

From: Angie C.

Date: December 4, 2003 1:16 PM

Subject: 3 Reasons Why Rogers Sucks

1.  During their massive Rogers Digital Campaign a Rogers Technician visited several houses in our area and told us that the way our cable is set up is causing problems with the cable for the whole neighbourhood.  He came into our house walked all over in his dirty boots and basically messed up our cable so that none of our TVs get clear reception and all we see half the time is static and then suggested we get Rogers Digital Cable.  We call to complain about this technician and they suggest we get Rogers Digital Cable, but they'll send out a technician.  We have to wait for hours during a business day and the guy never shows up.

2.  My friend moved into a new apartment.  The guy living there previously had Roger's Digital Cable and Rogers Internet.  She calls them to tell them he left the equipment there and would they like it back.  They tell her to wait at home between 9-12 and they dont' show up.  They call her to accuse her of not being home when they eventually come and accuse of her stealing the equipment. 

3.  My cell phone is on prepaid billing.  My Visa got stolen and I forgot to report the new number to Rogers.  They call everyday at 8:30am.  I pick up the phone and it says "Please hold.  Rogers AT&T has an important message for you regarding your cellular account and they put me on hold.  They call me @ 8:30 AM to put me on hold for an hour.  Who the hell has time for that.

Customer Service - more like Customer Irritation and Annoyance.

Angie

IhateROGERS.ca Comments

Angie you have put together 3 of the most popular reasons ROGERS sucks. These are 3 complaints I have heard over and over and over again. I applaud you for being so succinct in your profiling of these mega media morons. Well done Angie!

To: [email protected]

From: Gordon N.

Date: December 6, 2003 3:40 AM

Subject: My New Rogers Phone

A lot of people have cellphones; most get the contract ones. I decided, about 5 years ago, to try Rogers (RogersAT&T, now Rogers Cantel) Pay-As-You-Go service.

I'm a pretty decent consumer; I look out for myself and don't expect a bunch of "hand-holding". In other words, you can make a lot of high-profit, hassle-free money off of me. If you're in business, I'm the one of those guys you want as a customer. People like me pay for your rent and the lights, leaving a lot of company resources left over to grow your business.

My job involves spending about 6 months a year outside of cellular coverage areas; and by that I mean not even for a second am I within hundreds of miles of a tower. If I want to make a cellular call, I have to get on an airplane and fly for 2 hours to do it, and then fly back so that I can work the next morning at 6AM.

The rest of the time, I am laid off, and spend my time happily hanging out where towers are as common as convenience stores. I can really use a cellular phone then. It's handy.

I studied my options. At the time, I had my choice of two providers. I go into a purchase decision with the assumption that my choices are "average-equal". In other words, I take you for your word, but I research my options as well.

The choice with the best service (better coverage) has a deal where if you don't make a cellular call at least once every 60 days, they cancel your account. Rogers won't do that unless you don't make a call for 12 months. (This later turned out to be very important. Read on).

That's the one for me; I don't want to have to re-apply for my account every time I finish my work in the middle of nowhere. Prices were similar, phones were similar. I called the other provider and asked about that provision, explained why it didn't work for me (and others in my situation; I like to call them "potential customers"). They couldn't change that (that's their business, fine), so it's Rogers for me.

The first phone was a Nokia 918; a nice, easy to use Analog phone. I liked it, it did the job. I happen to know one of the Regional Managers for Nokia in the US. She tells me the phone wasn't current manufacture when I bought it, and that companies like Rogers buy them cheap as
closeout/discontinued. She was suprised to learn I bought one in Canada; at the time she though they were selling them only in Russia and other 3rd world markets. I knew I wasn't buying a Cadillac, so fine, but there you go for those that might be interested).

Rogers allowed me to give them my Credit Card info, so instead of buying time with those prepaid cards, I could just call at any time and add minutes. Perfect.

The phone worked good, and all was well. The battery in this particular model is NiCad, which needed to be recharged once a day. I can live with that.

For about 2 years, all was grand. Coverage was limited, but I knew that and had accepted it. Nolo Problemo.

Then, all of a sudden, they couldn't access my CC number. I had to give it to them each time I wanted airtime. They never really explained why, but it meant that I had to renew with a landline instead of my cellphone (never give CC numbers over an unscrambled cellphone, folks. It's a radio; I like to refer to talking on a radio as "broadcasting").

Fine for about a year. However, the NiCad battery is showing it's age. It only holds a charge for about 6 hours now. I knew that would happen. A new battery is (apparently) rare and expensive. It costs pretty much what I paid for the phone.

So, off to the phone store for a replacement. I buy a fancy new one, another Nokia. Analog/Digital, fancy new stuff, holds 100 (instead of 40) numbers. $150.

Getting the phone up was a problem. As a returning customer, no free minutes. I figured as much. But, I had to get a new phone number, I couldn't use my old number for some reason.  All this was done over the web; by this time (2002) there was no customer support over the phone for Pay-As-You-Go.

Here's where the fun begins.

To activate the phone, you deal with an advanced voice-activated menu system. Note: "Advanced" means better than the last system we knew how to make; it does not mean "breakthrough in technology and ease of use".

What happens is you speak to a computer; it hears your response, and moves you through what amounts to a menu of choices or services. What you can't do, like you could before, is use the keypad to enter choices. This is the "advanced" part.

The computer had a hard time understanding me. I would get through about half the stuff, and then I would hear a sweet voice say "I'm sorry, I didn't get that. [repeat choce]". After about 2 hours, I gave up. Maybe I'm tired, I thought. I will call back when my voice is easier to understand.

6 days and about 20 calls later (they take time) my phone is activated. Hint: yelling doesn't help the friendly voice understand you any better. This must be the advanced part; because yelling often works with humans.

The phone didn't work as well as my old one did; the digital signal seemed to be noisy, and coverage was poorer even when I called from the exact same places as before. I often ran about my own home trying to keep a call alive.

I had laughed when I saw others doing it before. Now I'm the joke. Oh, well, that's cell service for you.

Meanwhile, one of my best friends tells me his whole company had abandoned the other provider for Rogers. He couldn't make calls while sitting at his desk. Apparently he had to move to the basement of his building to make a call now.

I run out of minutes on my phone. I go to add minutes. To do this, you must use the friendly computer babe again. I tried one night. "I'm sorry, I didn't get that" was heard about 20 times. I give up.

I try the next afternoon. "I'm sorry, I didn't get that". I am reminded as to how the yelling is a poor method to communicate with the female computer voice.

By now, I am having second thoughts about the sweet voice. It seems to me that when I spoke with her, I no longer associated the voice with the sweet college girl I had once imagined. To me, this takes away somewhat from the experience, but everyone needs a job.

Next day. Nope.
Day after. Having some problems, here.

I go on the web. I can't seem to find any way to contact Rogers Pay-As-You-Go.

I go on a bit of a wild card chase; I eventually find a number for contract phone users. I call them.

The guy (a real human being this time) was friendly, and tried to be helpful. However he did inform me that he "wasn't allowed to help me" because I was not a contract phone customer.

During this week I read a glowing article in the Globe&Mail, quoting Rogers representatives saying how the "new generation" of computer voice thingys were, essentially, perfect. He went on to explain how Rogers was able to reduce the cost of providing any service whatsoever to their "less profitable Pay-As-You-Go users".

That's me, I think to myself. Up to now, I was under the (obviously mistaken) belief that Rogers liked the $400 a year I gave them. I realise that I've given them about $1500 so far, and yet I seem to be an onerous financial drain on the Rogers balance sheet. Oh, well.

I eMail them, telling them a much shorter version of what I'm telling you. They reply (after 2 weeks and a few reminders) that there is not a single person in the whole Rogers Corporation who has the time to speak to me on the phone for even a moment.

I eMail them and say, well, it's been swell, but I am afraid I have to cancel my service and sell this phone to someone who speaks the same dialect of English the computer does, because I simply cannot envision spending weeks trying to add time to my phone every month. It seems, to
me, that Rogers was becoming an onerous drain on my free-time balance sheet.

The reply back (after a few weeks and and after I send them a few reminders) that they cannot cancel my service so that I can sell the phone. They explain that the only way to cancel my service is by calling the evil troll-like trickster that I now imagine belongs to the computerized voice at the other end of my phone (First computer: " ... then I gave him the 'I'm sorry, I didn't get that' and he started to bawl like a little girl! Ha, Ha Ha!" "Stop it, you're killing me, ha ha ha" the other computer responds).

Meanwhile, I report my troubles to my friend, over a beer that I recklessly chose over another pleasant evening with the computer's soothing reminders of how pathetic a human I am. He informs me that problems with his business communication demanded a radical change. It was so bad, the whole company ate the cancellation fees for dozens of phones and went back to the original provider. I guess it cost them many, many thousands of dollars in penalties for this little 4-month
"experiment" with Rogers Wireless service.

I respond back, by eMail, that my only remaining option was to wait (remember the beginning of my tale) the remaining 11 months until Rogers cancels my contract as per the user agreement, for not making a call for 1 year. This was a given, since I had no means of using the phone without airtime, and I had no means to get more airtiime. Even if you use the prepaid cards, you have to run it past the evil computer-woman.

It's now been just over a year. I'm about to get the phone out and give it away for free via the newspaper. I can't imagine giving it to someone I actually like, and to charge money for it seems to pretty much guarantee I will never make it to heaven; knowing that I am sentencing the unlucky new user to a lifetime of certain torture.

Thanks for listening. For anyone out there who is considering Rogers Pay-As-You-Go service, I want you to close your eyes, step back from the keyboard, and repeat 80 times:

"I'm sorry, I didn't get that".

IhateROGERS.ca Comments

WOW. My head hurts from reading all of that. A condensed version of that story would have been appreciated, but a rant is a rant is a rant. Next time try something like this:

I tried ROGERS Pay-As-You-Go service. What a mistake! I had a beer with a friend. His company also thinks ROGERS sucks ass.

See how easy that was.

To: [email protected]

From: Amer

Date: December 8, 2003 2:55 PM

Subject: I Hate Rogers Too

Hey Guys/Gals

Thank god the only experience I have ever had through Rogers was a Mobile phone I used for 2 Hellish Years, I got the Typical Rogers Billing Fowl ups and get this, they had a policy to stop sending you bills to your address if your where late paying the others (who the genius who thought that one up)? Anyway After speaking to The CEO at Rogers and him promising that it would all be fixed 2 months down the road they mysteriously lost my mailing address again AND EVERYTHING STARTED ALL OVER AGAIN. I will never ever, ever go back to Rogers for anything even if it’s free.

As for the Morons sending in hate mail to this site get your heads checked or do you get certain pleasure from Rogers Screwing you?

MCA

P.S. The site is great I love it.

IhateROGERS.ca Comments

A head checking is certainly in order for anyone that sends me hate mail, no question. Although I do enjoy getting it…and you’re right, this site is great!

To: [email protected]

From: sureamannoyed

Date: December 10, 2003 11:39 PM

Subject: you have no idea…

Hello,
  I thought I would take this opportunity to provide an "i hate rogers" employee perspective.  Yes,
unfortunately, I too have fallen prey to the demon that is Rogers.  I have screwed myself over perhaps in the worst way of all.... as the dreaded customer service representative (pity replies accepted).  I do want to address first that in the defense of MOST of the representatives, we are intelligent individuals...however,  we're just discouraged completely from using our own sense of logic.  Please don't feel as though we actually believe or even understand the policies that the company has set in place, nor do we find it easy to make up bullshit excuses to cover their mindless decisions to save our jobs.  we usually find out the latest ways they've discovered to screw over their existing customers when we get the call telling us what happened from you.
That's why you're getting the "I'm not sure..." response... WE HONESTLY AREN'T TOLD ANYTHING until it's already in place. Just as an example of this genius marketing team's latest decision, they have recently decided that we will now be automatically consolidating cable, internet and wireless accounts without notifying the customers that it will affect.  As well, we will not provide new
customers the option of having separate bills.... oh, and did I mention that the accounts they consolidate (not done manually... that would require THOUGHT which doesn't really apply to this scenario) may not even be accounts that are for the same person?  Yes, enjoy your joined bills with your other family members, parents at another address, maybe even your neighbours!  ha ha....
it's a fucking nightmare. So, as reps we're now expected to defend this decision, explain the "logic" behind it, and on top of that not get upset when all the customers call in legitimately complaining that they didn't want it and that they weren't notified in any way.  beautiful. As well, Rogers prides themselves with a "Respect & Dignity" policy which they advertise to new employees and basically is used mainly by upper management to blow hot air up each others' asses.  They constantly ask for employee feedback, which we are asked to provide through monthly surveys, feedback forums with
upper-management who occasionally come to over-see things, and by providing it to our management team.
This, of course, never gets implemented or even addressed back to us.  It's basically a waste of our
time filling out, and a waste of their money paying us to do it. (not that I don't mind NOT being on the phone... who wouldn't when all you get is yelled at all day) 
Promises are made for advancement and compensation as well which never seems to actually take place.  It's basically a screw your way to the top situation... and for the rest of us, just bend over and prepare yourself for the same dry hump we're dosing out for the customers!!!

IhateROGERS.ca Comments

That ladies and gentlemen came from someone named Ted Rogers III. Just kidding…relax.