When a client calls me and asks to change words in a press release, adjust the time of a briefing or do something that is in their best interest we do everything to make them happy, unless it is something requiring divine intervention (or if the other party just can't change).
So for the past two hours I have been trying to get my RIM 7230 working correctly after months of not having full capability (i.e. SMS doesn't work, messages downloaded from the server after turning the RIM back on evaporate before they are even read, attachments don't open.)
After being routed around T-Mobile once, having that call dropped. Calling back in via Gizmo, starting all over again I finally reached the Tier Two support desk. Their solution was to begin reloading applications. Unfortunately I'm on the road, with a Mac, not a PC and RIM requires a PC. I call that being a technology bigot or racist. While I have access at home to a PC, I rarely use them and in reality don't need to any more. Besides, I shouldn't need to play techie, waste hours and then find that after all the effort it still doesn't work and delay the inevitable, which is replace the device.
Since I'm about to turn my company's Assistant AE onto Blackberry (giving her mine) while I move up to the new Pearl and also the E61 when it gets reflashed, all of this support gymnastics is rather ridiculous.
I requested of the tier two person at T-Mobile that they just send me a working device. A new one, like the one I have, so my wonderful Exchange hosting company, LanLogic who really understand support, and who never fail us in any way, can add Danielle to Blackberry Enterprise Mail and then switch me over to the new device.
This is a lot of wasted effort to get a simple problem solved. When someone tells us that one of the Nseries phones we send out in the Blogger Relations Program has a problem, if the problem can't be solved quickly, as in it's DOA, we send them a new device, or have it sent to Nokia to be reflashed. We don't waste time. We pay for the shipping, and we end up with a happy camper. We don't make people sit on hold or go back and forth while approvals get secured. We empower our people, and they in turn pass that empowerment onto those they deal with.
Now let me add further insult to injury. From the very start of my call to T-Mobile I have asked for a RIM support person. Until the third, yes THIRD LEVEL SUPPORT, T-Mobile support person, and after going through a series of steps, she finally said, "oh, since this is an Enterprise Server issue I need to get you over to RIM." This is the same group that I have been previously told by T-Mobile I cannot speak to and that it's T-Mobile who handles the support. The person at T-Mobile transferred me to RIM, but to the server team. The nice person there realized this quickly and now some 108 minutes after the first call, I am being transferred to the handheld team.
Now at over two hours and twenty one minutes awaiting a support person from RIM.
Update--The smart person at RIM, Glenda on the Handheld Team, within 45 seconds diagnosed the problem. The RIM has run out of memory. That was one of the comments/questions I first made to one of the T-Mobile people with whom I spoke with over two hours ago. Of course, they didn't know where to have me look. Time of call almost three hours. Time to cure problem, under a minute. T-Mobile, that's an embarrassment and worse speaks to how bad customer service is. What's worse is when your customer knows to ask RIM for help, putting artificial barriers in the way only causes irritation and angst, none of which is needed.
Bottom line if you are a BlackBerry user on T-Mobile ALWAYS ASK FOR A REAL RIM PERSON and avoid the loss of time. Gee, isn't that why we buy a BlackBerry in the first place.
t-mobile customer service is just absolutely horrendous. i still have nightmares about dealing with them over my cell phone plan.
Posted by: joonian | October 07, 2006 at 07:01 PM