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jmosen

551 posts

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#18334 7-Jan-2008 11:40
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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?





Jonathan


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thekiwi
295 posts

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#103297 7-Jan-2008 11:46
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Why not listen to the transcript and prove him right / wrong ?
Everyone at times have bad days, you may have struck him on one when he found his car got towed, his girlfiend left him and his house just burnt down. One person on a phone cant accurately reflect the company. And who knows, maybe he was right and you were the arrogant one?



jmosen

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#103300 7-Jan-2008 11:51
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Sorry, but as a VP of an IT company with a large customer service team, I can tell you that when you're on the front line, you are the company to the customers with whom you interact.

It doesn't matter what might be going on in someone's personal life, they are professionals paid to do a job.

And arrogant or not, it's the customer who pays his wages.




Jonathan


Xnet
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  #103302 7-Jan-2008 11:55
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Jonathan
We are sorry that you did not get the service that we generally pride ourselves on; and that expectations were obviously set unclearly. I have forwarded your post to the team and asked them to use this as an example of how not to deal with a customer.

Cecil



nate
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#103629 8-Jan-2008 19:02
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jmosen: 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?


While I can emphathise that your experience was far from ideal, it is unfair to say that this is normal WxC's customer service - a quick search of the posts on this forum will give you a glowing review of WxC.

You also have to admit that talking with Phil, the Ops Manager @ WxC, is a level of service not normally provided by the other ISPs.

Not sure if you would consider still signing up with WxC, but we are a WxC dealer and I'd be happy to personally handle the complete setup of your new account on your behalf free of charge - hopefully this will help alleviate this unfortunate experience.

Regards
Nathan Dunn, Director - 3Bit.

jmosen

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#103656 8-Jan-2008 20:29
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Hi nathan, absolutely without question Phil's commitment to responding to customers and potential customers via this forum is exceptional!

I appreciate your kind offer. I think I will stay put for a while as there is going to be a lot of change in the Internet space over the next few months, but will certainly take you up on it if I brave another attempt at switching.

Cheers,




Jonathan


euanandrews
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  #103693 8-Jan-2008 21:57
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jmosen: I think I will stay put for a while as there is going to be a lot of change in the Internet space over the next few months...

Very true...but 1 off the big features of signing up with WxC/Xnet is no contract....
Hence if you were to sign up now, and some big change came along next month, you can change ISP again with no penalty!
Not many ISP's allow that. (without penalty)

I'm not biased, i've been working on a impartial wiki all about Internet providers (NZ Connections), and in the process have learnt alot about not just their costs and comparing their services, but also comparing their restrictions and penaltys...

Have a look for yourself and make up your own mind, but I personally rate Xnet highly after doing the wiki, and have signed up with them myself after having been with Woosh, Xtra, Ihug, TelstraClear over the years.




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cokemaster
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  #103704 8-Jan-2008 22:59
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TheBartender:
Hence if you were to sign up now, and some big change came along next month, you can change ISP again with no penalty!
Not many ISP's allow that. (without penalty)


Yeah, most (if not all except for Worldxchange) require minimum 12 month contracts. So require longer contracts - beware! In any case, most also provide modems or allow for credits towards modems which have greater functionality (ie. switch or wifi) which in many instances offset the 'disconnection' fee.

However if you already have a modem, then with some providers they allow you to get an account credit as well.... but even still: If you have a modem, no disconnection fee for a service that  you didn't like is better than a ~$90+ disconnection fee (with Xtra if you don't require a modem you get a $50 credit?)...




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