Hurricane I

My cell phone bill is $210.07 this month. Last month, it was $99.42. Clearly, something is amiss, so I called the Cingular people.

I would like to give a tip to all the Customer Service people in the world - when you are in the business of serving people, you really should make an effort to not treat them like they are idiots.

Part of my problem with this month's bill is that I went over my minutes. I'm not surprised. However, the reason I went over my minutes is because the lady at the store told me I had more minutes than the rate plan tells me that I do. My contract does not specify the number of minutes, so I was forced to rely on what she said. 600 is much different than 450.

Correct response by Customer Service: "I'm so sorry for the misunderstanding m'am. Let me credit your account this time, but next month be more careful or there's nothing we can do."

Actual response by Customer Service: "But it says on your contract that you're paying $40 a month. That gives you 450 minutes, you were supposed to know that, we don't have a plan where you pay $40 and get 600 minutes."

It might be true that I would have gone over my minutes even if I did have 600, but since I have Cingular, and I paid about $100 last month, I thought there was roll-over from last month. There was not, apparently. The Cingular website will not tell me any information about my account, so I really had no way of figuring it out.

Correct response by Customer Service: "I'm sorry m'am. We should have been clearer, let me credit your account."

Actual response by Customer Service: "So, what do you want me to do? I changed your rate plan so that you have 600 minutes now, what else do you want me to do?"

Me: "What about the roll over from last month?"

CS: "You didn't have roll over. You got a bill, didn't you look at it?"

Me: "I'm not at home right now, I'm relying on your website - which doesn't work - and -"

CS: "Did you ask to get your bill forwarded yet?"

Me: "No. I'm not at my permanent adress."

CS: "Why not?"

Me: "That's really irrelevent to my point. I want to know why you still tell me that you want me to pay $140 for this month after I paid $100 last month."

CS: "What else do you want me to do? You went over your minutes, we charge you for that."

Me: "Do you have a supervisor I can speak with?"

CS: "What issue would you like to speak with him about? What else do you want me to do?"

Me: "This issue. This whole issue."

CS: "Why?"

Me: "Because I'm mad that I'm getting bad service and I want to make sure that this does not happen again. May I speak with your supervisor?"

CS: "What do you think he can do? You went over your minutes! And if you were confused, why didn't you call sooner like you called this time! You could have called sooner, and then you wouldn't be confused!"

Me: "May I Please. Speak. With Your Supervisor."

The supervisor was "busy" and will call me at his convenience. Also a bad way to treat your customers.

Maybe I'm overreacting, but I've had a really, really shitty day and this is just one more thing.