The other day I was attracted by TM’s latest offer of unlimited local and nationwise calls for just RM10 a month if you have a Streamyx (broadband) line, and rushed to register my number, probably along with several thousand other subscribers. It is, after all, a pretty good offer, and will save me a significant sum monthly, as, despite the Internet, I still have to use the phone a lot in my job (if you can call it one).
Part of the offer included a free cordless phone, which the person I spoke to told me I had to collect from my nearest TM point. However, as the offer would only start from my next billing date, the phone would only be available then. All I had to do was to trot along and collect it any time after that date with proof of identity.
Obviously, no Penangite worth his salt, honorary or not, will turn down a free phone, so off I did trot, a few days after said date. No easy task as it involved driving all the way to town, parking the car, feeding the meter then walking under the blazing sun to the one in Burmah Road. Only to be asked, “Have you received a phone call to tell you to collect the phone?” No, I replied; I am only doing what I had been told to do. “Were you told by us?” No, I replied. “Ah then you were misinformed. There is no stock available, and you have to wait for a call.”
When I asked, quite reasonably I felt, why I hadn’t been told this on the phone, her response was basically “Nothing to do with us”. So much for customer service.
Annoying though the experience was, it was compounded by the fact that she did not even once apologise. Although it wasn’t her fault personally, she represents the company, and a simple, “I’m really sorry; you have been misinformed” would have defused the situation.
As it is, I am now blogging this to tell the entire world .. well my reader anyway(!) about their inept and incompetent service. About par for the course - their broadband service is about the same level - poor, and nobody seems to want to take responsibility for it.
What makes it even more irritating is that they are still advertising this offer, and of course more and more people will sign up for it, but all will be making that journey to their nearest TM point for nothing.
Part of the offer included a free cordless phone, which the person I spoke to told me I had to collect from my nearest TM point. However, as the offer would only start from my next billing date, the phone would only be available then. All I had to do was to trot along and collect it any time after that date with proof of identity.
Obviously, no Penangite worth his salt, honorary or not, will turn down a free phone, so off I did trot, a few days after said date. No easy task as it involved driving all the way to town, parking the car, feeding the meter then walking under the blazing sun to the one in Burmah Road. Only to be asked, “Have you received a phone call to tell you to collect the phone?” No, I replied; I am only doing what I had been told to do. “Were you told by us?” No, I replied. “Ah then you were misinformed. There is no stock available, and you have to wait for a call.”
When I asked, quite reasonably I felt, why I hadn’t been told this on the phone, her response was basically “Nothing to do with us”. So much for customer service.
Annoying though the experience was, it was compounded by the fact that she did not even once apologise. Although it wasn’t her fault personally, she represents the company, and a simple, “I’m really sorry; you have been misinformed” would have defused the situation.
As it is, I am now blogging this to tell the entire world .. well my reader anyway(!) about their inept and incompetent service. About par for the course - their broadband service is about the same level - poor, and nobody seems to want to take responsibility for it.
What makes it even more irritating is that they are still advertising this offer, and of course more and more people will sign up for it, but all will be making that journey to their nearest TM point for nothing.
