Big Data for Little Problems
-OR- What happens when the customer has better data about the service than the provider and has better networking, better press coverage, better clout, better market reach and reputations?
(Feb 23) My good looking wife just spent 2 hours trying to straighten out Frontier's billing machine... it's not easy. The amazing thing I observed for my recliner while sipping an adult beverage was her influencing techniques. Now another amazingly disconsernation (not a word) is that Frontier has some awesome support people. But oh-my-god do they have a tough job. It's the system that has failed. And they have to figure out how to make some legacy piece-of-crap work.
But it's not going to lead to happy satisfied customers (testify).
Her father, Jim, moved into the home with us in December, he loves Western movies, and is an encyclopedia of knowledge better than IMDB. So we called up Frontier (our FiOS provider for 6 years) and added cable and a voice line for Jim. We cut the cable some years ago.
That's when the troubles began, December 28th. A techie came out to the house and worked 6 hours, all the while on a phone line to his partner back at the home office (I now understand why it required this constant contact to install the new system). When he left we had higher speed internet (from their 50Mbpm to 150Mbpm service), cable channels - Stars Encore Western premium channel, and a voice line (old school) phone tied to a wall socket. Most every thing seemed good.
But the ability to login to their Frontier web site and get a TV guide didn't function, as well as some other issues of seeing our account info online. We were told to wait a few days as the data took a while to move through their systems (in Frontier's universe data does NOT move at the speed of light).
I noticed that if one tries to take their Frontier problem to Twitter, @AskFrontier is an effective defensive machine that kicks in to appease the person. They cannot do anything except type into a twitter post, and escalate your issue to a thing referred to as "an Account Manager". I tried that technique and received a call one week later - yes over 6 days to address an issue raised on a social media platform know for instant messaging.
We found out last night that while we have been paying $193 for a basic plan and the Stars Western channel - that Frontier would be happy to offer us ALL their premium channels for $198. Something that the competition Spectrum is quoting online visible with detail for about $150ish (yes I'm writing this from memory of my influencing wife's exasperation attempting to get the support person to recognize her point of view at being fleeced by Frontier). Frontier's business model includes an interestingly complex system of quoting the cost for a service. They encourage one to call in to talk to their pleasant but hamstrung sells reps. Who can only read from a screen that may change any day now on the pricing that appears to be very time dependent (you never know if tomorrow they will have a sell and better price for what you will be receiving everyday for years to come). Now the prices and "packages" you agree to buy will not be the names and labels on your bill. Those will be completely different and if you can find a subset of items on your bill that sum up to the $198 you thought you had agreed to - well you should work for the IRS.
After that 2+ hour conversation with a great Frontier support specialist, my very intelligent wife influence her way to some deep refunds, and what we hope will be all the movie channels that Jim could watch in a week. Yet after 2 solid months of working with Frontier's business model - we are done. We plan to see what the next bill shows (it's a mystery)... and when the dust settles switch to Spectrum.
The phone logs for ONE month - let the Record show:
Frontier Customer Support Line is 800-921-8101
779 minutes of my life... give or take a migraine
Jan 25, 2017
6:45pm Outgoing Call 2 hours 25 minutes
1:53pm Incoming Call 1 minute
1:28pm Outgoing Call 18 minutes
1:16pm Outgoing Call. 9 minutes
Jan 24, 2017
10:39am Missed Call
7:11am Outgoing Call 54 minutes
Jan 23, 2017
4:59 pm Outgoing Call 2 hours 10 minutes
Jan 22, 2017
11:00am. Outgoing Call. 2 hours 22 minutes
10:34am Outgoing Call 22 minutes
Jan 22, 2017
10:08am Missed Call
10:06am Missed Call
10:00am Missed Call
9:59am Missed Call
Jan 21, 2017 Saturday
8:19pm Outgoing Call. 37 minutes
Jan 16, 2017
7:00 pm Outgoing Call. 1 hour 17 minutes
6:38pm Outgoing Call. 58 seconds
3:59pm Outgoing Call. 40 minutes
Dec 28, 2016
7:41am Outgoing Call 31 minutes
Dec 27, 2016
4:09pm Incoming Call. 43 seconds
Dec 24, 2016
11:18am. Outgoing Call. 14 minutes
Oh - why oh why - did Steve Jobs died before he fixed the living room TV problem? There is no GOD. Can an 85 year old man learn to use this complex thing call a cable box remote from his recliner and almost infinite time?
My experiences say NO, Freaking WAY! Hell, I can't figure this complexifictor out and I've got 30 years in the computer industry making these complexifictors for companies that say the want customer satisfaction.
After spending all this time on the phone to straighten out the tech part of the service - getting one account etc. The next month we spent hours on the phone about billing items... my wife found a great billing support person and it appeared she was understanding and had credited our account for many things (on the order of over $300) so we thought it was all behind us.
Then we received this bill. Most of the credits have been slightly altered and we are owing hundreds of dollars again.
Forcing flyers to check luggage when they don't want to just about guarantees a poor customer experience.
-OR- What happens when the customer has better data about the service than the provider and has better networking, better press coverage, better clout, better market reach and reputations?
(Feb 23) My good looking wife just spent 2 hours trying to straighten out Frontier's billing machine... it's not easy. The amazing thing I observed for my recliner while sipping an adult beverage was her influencing techniques. Now another amazingly disconsernation (not a word) is that Frontier has some awesome support people. But oh-my-god do they have a tough job. It's the system that has failed. And they have to figure out how to make some legacy piece-of-crap work.
But it's not going to lead to happy satisfied customers (testify).
Her father, Jim, moved into the home with us in December, he loves Western movies, and is an encyclopedia of knowledge better than IMDB. So we called up Frontier (our FiOS provider for 6 years) and added cable and a voice line for Jim. We cut the cable some years ago.That's when the troubles began, December 28th. A techie came out to the house and worked 6 hours, all the while on a phone line to his partner back at the home office (I now understand why it required this constant contact to install the new system). When he left we had higher speed internet (from their 50Mbpm to 150Mbpm service), cable channels - Stars Encore Western premium channel, and a voice line (old school) phone tied to a wall socket. Most every thing seemed good.
But the ability to login to their Frontier web site and get a TV guide didn't function, as well as some other issues of seeing our account info online. We were told to wait a few days as the data took a while to move through their systems (in Frontier's universe data does NOT move at the speed of light).
I noticed that if one tries to take their Frontier problem to Twitter, @AskFrontier is an effective defensive machine that kicks in to appease the person. They cannot do anything except type into a twitter post, and escalate your issue to a thing referred to as "an Account Manager". I tried that technique and received a call one week later - yes over 6 days to address an issue raised on a social media platform know for instant messaging.
Once burned - twice shy... I didn't fall for this in February.@davidakoontz If you would like an Account Manager to assist you, please send us a DM. ^KLB— Ask Frontier (@AskFrontier) February 24, 2017
We found out last night that while we have been paying $193 for a basic plan and the Stars Western channel - that Frontier would be happy to offer us ALL their premium channels for $198. Something that the competition Spectrum is quoting online visible with detail for about $150ish (yes I'm writing this from memory of my influencing wife's exasperation attempting to get the support person to recognize her point of view at being fleeced by Frontier). Frontier's business model includes an interestingly complex system of quoting the cost for a service. They encourage one to call in to talk to their pleasant but hamstrung sells reps. Who can only read from a screen that may change any day now on the pricing that appears to be very time dependent (you never know if tomorrow they will have a sell and better price for what you will be receiving everyday for years to come). Now the prices and "packages" you agree to buy will not be the names and labels on your bill. Those will be completely different and if you can find a subset of items on your bill that sum up to the $198 you thought you had agreed to - well you should work for the IRS.
After that 2+ hour conversation with a great Frontier support specialist, my very intelligent wife influence her way to some deep refunds, and what we hope will be all the movie channels that Jim could watch in a week. Yet after 2 solid months of working with Frontier's business model - we are done. We plan to see what the next bill shows (it's a mystery)... and when the dust settles switch to Spectrum.
The phone logs for ONE month - let the Record show:
Frontier Customer Support Line is 800-921-8101
779 minutes of my life... give or take a migraine
Jan 25, 2017
6:45pm Outgoing Call 2 hours 25 minutes
1:53pm Incoming Call 1 minute
1:28pm Outgoing Call 18 minutes
1:16pm Outgoing Call. 9 minutes
Jan 24, 2017
10:39am Missed Call
7:11am Outgoing Call 54 minutes
Jan 23, 2017
4:59 pm Outgoing Call 2 hours 10 minutes
Jan 22, 2017
11:00am. Outgoing Call. 2 hours 22 minutes
10:34am Outgoing Call 22 minutes
Jan 22, 2017
10:08am Missed Call
10:06am Missed Call
10:00am Missed Call
9:59am Missed Call
Jan 21, 2017 Saturday
8:19pm Outgoing Call. 37 minutes
Jan 16, 2017
7:00 pm Outgoing Call. 1 hour 17 minutes
6:38pm Outgoing Call. 58 seconds
3:59pm Outgoing Call. 40 minutes
Dec 28, 2016
7:41am Outgoing Call 31 minutes
Dec 27, 2016
4:09pm Incoming Call. 43 seconds
Dec 24, 2016
11:18am. Outgoing Call. 14 minutes
Oh - why oh why - did Steve Jobs died before he fixed the living room TV problem? There is no GOD. Can an 85 year old man learn to use this complex thing call a cable box remote from his recliner and almost infinite time?
After spending all this time on the phone to straighten out the tech part of the service - getting one account etc. The next month we spent hours on the phone about billing items... my wife found a great billing support person and it appeared she was understanding and had credited our account for many things (on the order of over $300) so we thought it was all behind us.
Then we received this bill. Most of the credits have been slightly altered and we are owing hundreds of dollars again.
"That's it - that's all I can stands - I can't stands no more." -- Popeye.
See Also:
Want to Make a Good Final Impression? Look at What Airlines Do WrongForcing flyers to check luggage when they don't want to just about guarantees a poor customer experience.
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