Another observation from the world of customer service

[Orrex]

As I've described previously, I work in phone-based customer service, and a lot of people call in on their cellphones.

Without question, the absolute worst cell reception comes from the cellphone providers of major carriers.

For comparison, I have a $7 Tracfone, and when I call my friend who lives 500 miles away, I can hear him on his $7 Tracfone as clearly as if he's sitting next to me. But when I call the Acme Wireless Store to discuss billing, the manager on his high-end corporate-issue phone sounds like he's shouting into a crumpled tin can at the bottom of a deep well.

And it's not one carrier, either; it's all of them.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. I have never been able to make a connection between

specific carriers and cell phone reception, but an important reason I keep my landline is that I can hear better on it, even if the other person is on a cell. And all too often people move their cell phone in such a way that their voice fades out -- this is very different from the crappy reception problem -- and that can make me crazy. Doesn't seem to happen with regular phones. I think that's because the cell phones are so very small that the little microphone is far enough away from the mouth that the effective area/range where the voice can be properly picked up is also very small.

Although if someone sounds like they're at the bottom of a well, chances are they're on speaker mode. THAT problem has been around for well over 50 years.

[yallerdawg]

2. I got a good one from customer service.

My wife called in to pay a bill, and they said there would be a charge for the phone transaction. Companies do this all the time, so she agreed. They just add it to the bill you are paying.

The next month, got a bill which was only the phone transaction fee for $9 - with a warning that a late payment would be $37.



I called them up. I said, "If I pay you over the phone now, will I get another phone transaction fee?"

The answer was, "Of course."

"And then I pay that bill over the phone, I get billed again? This could go on forever?"

"Yes, that is so. Unless you use the automated system available to you. Then you just key in the info - no charge. Would you like me to transfer you?"

[Orrex]

3. If they call it a transaction fee, that's a step up.

Most of the time it's a "convenience fee."

[kimbutgar]

4. I have always used tracfone

Rarely get dropped lines. And $20 a three months is a great deal. I do upgrade to better phones once a year but I save a lot of money.

The big carriers are rip offs but you get locked into these darn contracts.