T-Mobile- You Got Some Explaining To Do

Yesterday, on Monday around 1230 PM I was in Silicon Valley and couldn't call any of my staff on their T-Mobile phones. What I was getting was "sorry, all circuits are busy." Well it seems by today, the problem I first detected had gotten much, much worse.

I tried calling from my T-Mobile phone, then my iPhone on AT&T with the same result. So, I called T-Mobile and ran into customer service attitude. I mean, here I am, suggesting they have a network problem, and they're asking me to run tests on MY phone because that's there procedure. Let's face it. If I was able to call them, my phone was working fine. But even one of my staff who was with me couldn't call another team member, and that team member couldn't call out, even though her Blackberry services were working fine.

When I mentioned that as a member of the press world I was going to record the call, the T-Mobile rep simply HUNG UP on me. Here I am trying to help them by reporting a real problem, and they hung up. So I called back, asked if there was any network issues, and they said "No, sir. We don't have any network issues." I said I was going to record that and again, they hung up on me. Funny thing is, they can record the call for their own protection, but as the paying customer, we are not supposed to.

At the end of the day, mobile operators should listen more to their customers who are live and in the field using what they offer. Like with power companies, the customers will be the first ones to notice the service having a problem, and we'll be the first ones to report it.

T-Mobile---time to realize, your customers do know.

Comments

[twitter.com/bensmithuk]

I'm not sure if the rules are the same in the US, but in the UK the requirement is only that both parties are aware the call is being recorded... therefore if T-Mobile tell you the call's being recorded for training purposes that requirement has been satisfied.

In effect this means you can record any interaction with a large firm without notifying the agent directly.

[twitter.com/bradtem]

Andy, I have always felt that if a call begins with them telling me "(In the interests of good customer service) this call *may* be recorded or monitored"

Then they are giving me permission to record the call. The sentence can certainly be interpreted as both a declaration that they may record it (as in might) and a statement that I may record it (permission.)

Go for it.