Sigh...Call Centres

Ok. I hate calling call centres to begin with, but they are a necessary evil. Who else will deal with complaints. GAWD knows no one is available in person. I hate going through the plethora of automated menus - press one, press two, press pound, BLAH BLAH BLAH! And then you get put on hold forever, if anyone even bothers to pick up the phone. And can someone please explain to me why call centres continue to hire people who can't SPEAK ENGLISH!!! I get SO DAMNED IRRITATED when I call and have to keep explaining myself because the idiot at the other end of the line can't understand English. I live in Canada. We have two official languages...English is one of them. I am not in Quebec, so therefore I should be able to receive service in English without having to repeat what I am saying a dozen times.

Today was no exception. I have been having issues with my phone jack in the living room. I've fried three phones now by touching it and getting zapped with static electricity. The phones have died, mid-ring, never to work again. So after the third phone fried, I decided to call the phone company. The first call, three menus later, I get a ringing phone...that no one answered...WTF? So I hung up after about 20 rings, and tried again. This time I got a person, English speaking...groovy...we're in the zone. I explain the problem to her and she agrees to put in a "service ticket" and someone will call me tomorrow. I provide her with numbers to reach me at, and the call is over...great.

About 30 minutes later the phone rings. My phone rarely rings, so I dash off into the bedroom to answer it (I refuse to plug yet another phone into the jack in the living room, only to fry). It was the phone company and I was not in the zone. Some foreigner was calling to tell me that he received my service ticket. I explained the problem and he told me someone would call me tomorrow. So I asked him what the purpose of his call today was, considering the person I spoke to just 30 minutes ago told me exactly the same thing. He didn't understand the question...so I explained it to him again, in plain ENGLISH. So then he said someone would come out to check it out tomorrow. I asked him when, because I work tomorrow in the afternoon, but am home in the morning. He said someone will come out tomorrow. Um, listen idiot, I know that, but when tomorrow...there are 24 hours in the day...can you at least pick one of them? So I clarified again what I meant, in plain ENGLISH. He doesn't respond and tells me there will be a charge. WTF? Why do I have to pay for an unsafe jack in my apartment? He tells me that the phone company doesn't repair anything inside of a building...oh for fuck's sake...you have GOT to be kidding me. I am not talking about a god damn Radio Shack jack, I am calling about a builder installed wall jack. Sorry, ma'am...there will be a charge. So I tell him to forget it, I am not paying to have someone else's equipment fixed. He tells me my landlord must fix it...WTF? They don't have phone technicians...they have Tony the handyman...

Sigh...so then I tell him not to send anyone because I am not paying for it. He repeats what I said and informs me he is writing a note on the file that I will not pay for anyone to come and that someone will call me tomorrow. Um, what? So I ask him why is someone going to call me when you aren't going to fix the jack without charging me for it, and I told you I am not going to pay for anyone to come? He says "he will come tomorrow". Sigh...so then I got pissy and hollered something rude like "why can't I speak to someone who speaks English???" and hung up the phone. I wonder if someone will phone me or come...

I hate call centres...