After a lot of reading on Geekzone and some terrific dialogue with Phil, I took the plunge and decided to sign up with XNet and get my tolls with WorldxChange.

I completed the on-line sign-up process during Christmas week, and was contacted on new year's eve in the early afternoon.

The operator I spoke with went through the process of recording my consent to switching providers for both phone and tolls. He at first informed me that I would be able to access my tolls after midnight on new year's day using code access, then later had to phone me back to say he was wrong about this, and that in fact I would have to wait until my broadband had been switched over before I could use the tolls. This wasn't at all a problem.

He advised that as it was the 31st and that it takes two to three working days, I could expect my connection to be switched on the Friday. This would make sense, since counting through, we have the 31st, the 3rd, and then the 4th (Friday). He said he would make a note to check the account on Friday to see if it was activated, so he could then do what he needed to do to get the tolls up and running.

Because I had some important Internet-related business to transact on Friday, I specifically asked him if there was likely to be any significant down time, since I know that Telecom sometimes can get these transitions wrong.

My broadband still hadn't been changed over by this morning, so at around 11, I called, not to complain since I appreciate that there may be a bottleneck due to the holidays, but just to make sure that there wasn't some sort of issue with the Telecom account or something, as I know they are very particular about all the details being absolutely correct. As long as I have broad band from someone, I really am not too bothered about how long it takes.

As it turned out, I spoke to the same operator who phoned me to do the sign-up. He proceeded to tell me, in a quite dismissive tone of voice, that it wasn't likely that I was told the connection would be activated by Friday since they were advising everyone that there were delays due to the holidays. I told him that in fact I was certain Friday was the given date, but really I was just checking that everything was in order.

He then proceeded to suggest I'd got it wrong and that to prove it, we could listen to the voice recording together. I found this unnecessarily confrontational. I was merely checking to see that all was in order with the transfer, and here I was having a debate with this guy over the provisioning date, and him seemingly intent on wanting to prove a point.

I told him that I didn't appreciate being treated as incompetent, I was quite clear about the estimated date. Yet again, he suggested we listen to the voice recording. At this point I told him to just forget it, I was cancelling my account. I just don't have time for this.

The key point is that the customer is always right. Even if I am incorrect, which I am very confident I am not, the point is that the situation could've been so easily defused by moving on and saying there have been delays, all is in order, and it'll get done as soon as possible and thanks for your patience. Instead, I got drawn into a debate I didn't want to have, about who said what.

So much for XNet's supposedly great customer service. I've been frustrated with Orcon’s hold times and inaction at times, but at least I've never seen arrogance like this.

It's only 30-40 GB a month and probably about 20 bucks a month in tolls, but they're not getting it after this. Surely it must be possible to employ staff who are both technically proficient *and who know about customer service?