[slytown]

Well, I'm on my parents family plan, since I don't use my phone much. They recently renewed their plan again and made it so I had authorization to get a new phone. I live in a different city. All my Dad said I needed was my driver's license.

I went their yesterday and the kid said I had to have the last 4 digits of my Dad's SS# to get a phone. So, today I went back. This girl their (messing around on the internet) said I couldn't get a phone at all without my Dad signing something and faxing the form over to the store.

I don't care about the phone. What bugs me is the ignorance on the part of U.S. cellular to make it so hard for customers to buy things from them. Also the fact that kids aren't paid to know anything at these service jobs, only follow these stupid rules and try not to get fired.

For the life of me, I don't understand why this is a policy or why corporations continue to hire people to press buttons and annoy you. Most stores I run into have employees with little knowledge or care about their jobs. I find the entire corporate business ethos really depressing and irrational.

 

[chud]

are you really boggled by the policy?

what's to stop one of the members on the plan to go and make changes to the account at any time?

on my plans i can charge devices to my account. i wouldnt want little Billy walking in and charging a $600 phone to my account without my prior knowledge.

 

[slytown]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chud /img/forum/go_quote.gif are you really boggled by the policy? what's to stop one of the members on the plan to go and make changes to the account at any time? on my plans i can charge devices to my account. i wouldnt want little Billy walking in and charging a $600 phone to my account without my prior knowledge.

But why does U.S. cell care? Aren't they out to make more money? Isn't that the job of the parent to keep their kids from buying stuff? Why do so many companies feel they have to be moral teachers to us or hold our hands?

The point is my Dad gave me authorization, and they still wouldn't let me get a phone.

 

[FlyingInABlueDream]

That's a fairly poor argument.

Let's say I stole a credit card and headed to a local electronics store. You are saying, as a company out to make a profit, they shouldn't care how they make money as long as a sale is made. By your logic, the person who lost their card is at fault, and the company shouldn't bother with such things as checking an ID to make sure who's it is.

The account is in your fathers name, and such, US Cellular has the responsibility to make sure that other people cannot access or change his account without his direct consent (or in this case, just a fax).

 

[Uncle Erik]

That's typical poor customer service.

You can't blame them for requiring authorization. However, you can blame them for not knowing their own policies and making it confusing.

 

[slytown]

But I gave them ID, had my Dad's last 4 digits, and had authorization as a secondary. They are checking ID and I'm not saying a company shouldn't care about identity. I'm not blaming them for requiring authorization either. I'm saying with everything that they told me was required, these two clerks still did not let me buy a new phone.

The argument is that U.S. cell has a policy to act like parents to kids on family plans, as well as hiring people and teaching them nothing, or at least giving them no incentive to do well at their jobs. These two clerks probably just were told not to sell anything to the main account holder when they started and stuck with it without thinking about it or questioning it. I'm guessing U.S. cell changed their policy because people didn't like having to always go to one store to buy stuff from when they were somewhere else, especially college kids like me.

 

[chud]

Quote:

Originally Posted by slytown /img/forum/go_quote.gif But I gave them ID, had my Dad's last 4 digits, and had authorization as a secondary. They are checking ID and I'm not saying a company shouldn't care about identity. I'm not blaming them for requiring authorization either. I'm saying with everything that they told me was required, these two clerks still did not let me buy a new phone. The argument is that U.S. cell has a policy to act like parents to kids on family plans, as well as hiring people and teaching them nothing, or at least giving them no incentive to do well at their jobs. These two clerks probably just were told not to sell anything to the main account holder when they started and stuck with it without thinking about it or questioning it. I'm guessing U.S. cell changed their policy because people didn't like having to always go to one store to buy stuff from when they were somewhere else, especially college kids like me.

i agree with your complaint about you being in compliance with their policy and still not being able to proceed.

but the rest of your points are what are a bit outlandish in regards to them not wanting to make money and being the police of the accounts.

all the training in the world won't prevent a bad customer service rep from infiltrating the ranks. sorry you got stuck with a bad one.

 

[nylan8301]

Me and the little woman have had US Cellular for years and haven't ever had a lick of trouble. Then again, we aren't trying to do something as complicated as you. It does suck that no one can give you a straight answer, but try not to be too hard on retail employees. Perhaps you first talked to a new employee and later spoke to a seasoned employee who knows more of the "ins-and-outs" of their store policy. These sorts of things happen. Even I don't know how to do or sell everything where I work-I'm technically still very new to my department even though I have four years of retail sales experience (fat lot that does me).

All I can do is what I would do with any customer that would have frustrations: apologize and empathize...so, um, that sucks and I'm sorry to hear that.

-Nylan

 

[LeeMark]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif That's typical poor customer service. You can't blame them for requiring authorization. However, you can blame them for not knowing their own policies and making it confusing.

Absolutely, and it is more common now than I have ever seen. It is as if they could care less. Saying it is a low paying job is one thing, but they should have at least a modicum of pride in what you do, no matter what it is, and do it well. I expect it from any service but rarely ever see it.