Telephone service is a necessary evil when it comes to a business, or in our example our Bed and Breakfast.
In our case we inherited Qwest as our provider. First let me detail the examples of poor customer service;
- Qwest PASS: We inherited a horrible listing in the yellow pages or “Dex”. We updated this at the first opportunity, it provides little to no business. At $50 a month we saw it as pointless. Now we let it cancel, but as a third party biller “Dex” continued to bill us. To Qwest’s credit they helped us deny that portion of our bill.
- Qwest FAIL: We were offered to have our telephone number as a toll free version (same last 7 digits just 877 in front). We were told we would only be charged for incoming calls on it. No fees. So I swapped from our other carrier for toll free. Within one month they added a new $4.99 fee per month which is currently at $8.99. When I complained I was given credit for the fee for one year. Not the same but better than nothing.
- Qwest FAIL: We constantly get calls from long distance carriers representing themselves as Qwest. They want to put us on a better deal for long distance. When you ask if they are a Qwest company, they say no. Shame on Qwest for not protecting their business customers from unwanted solicitations.
- Qwest FAIL: We occasionally get nuisance calls. The latest is someone calling five times a day and there is dead air, sometimes you can hear someone like with a bad cell phone connection. I have even tried calling back. So I call Qwest and try to get help blocking this number. I am informed for $6 a month I can do so. No, they will not bundle it or swap out one of the useless features I never use. I complained and the rep agreed with me, but said he was powerless and to write to the corporate office.
- Qwest FAIL: Qwest sends us offers in the mail at least twice a week. Sometimes for services we already have, mostly for services we will never want or need. They go straight int he recycling. Environmentally a poor decision from Qwest.
So what am I to do? I believe we need the consistency of a land-line. We just need a carrier that listens. I want choice in my services and features. I want the features that actually make my life easier and that I would use.
Tags: B&B, cell phone, telephone