Hurricane I

I can't win. I get all excited about my new cell phone, only to keep discovering new problems. Apparently, this phone, a Motorola V180 (EXACTLY the same phone that I'm giving back to T-Mobile on Monday) has decided to give the finger to Voicemail. I'm supposed to be able to push #1, hold it and get my voicemail. Not complicated - Exibit A: The idiots at T-Mobile figured it out.

But it doesn't work on my phone because it says that the voicemail number hasn't been programed yet. So I call Cingular to ask them what number I should store so I can get my voicemail. Clearly, this is a complicated question. Call #1:

India: I'm having problems with my voicemail. I try to press one and hold it, but it says that the number hasn't been stored yet.

Customer Service Rep #1: Okay. (furious clicking ensues for another 2 minutes 48 seconds. I was making tea,
in the microwave, so I know this.) Okay, you should be set. I reset your password.

India: Really?

CSR#1: Yeah, I reset your password.

India: But I hadn't set up a password yet.

CSR#1: Well, I didn't know if you had or not, so I just reset it.

India: But will that work?

CSR#1: Oh yes. Is there anything else I can help you with today?

India: Um, no.

Hands up if you think that worked. Good, you're all officially smarter than all the customer service people I have delt with this week. The second guy I talked to read my own manual to me, wasted 45 minutes, and at the end of the call, admitted that he had no idea what he was doing. He also had me install the wrong number when the phone asked me for a number, and I have no idea how to fix that.

Here's To You, Customer Service Reps, Making A Difference, One Call At A Time.