Rogers--the saga ends

In the interest of not boring you to death, I'll write the Readers Digest version of this personal story. I wrote the previous sentence before having written the story. Let me apologize ahead of time for the length of this sordid tale.

Last year, bugs in the log-in process for my cable TV provider's website prevented me from getting in to view my account. I used to log in monthly to make sure I knew the right amount to pay since I had signed up for paperless billing. At the time, I felt I did the right thing for the environment, myself and Rogers Cable.

Anyway, I called them up to report the problem and they assured me they would fix it and that I should try it again in 30 minutes...which I did...and which they didn't. Various permutations of this scenario repeated itself from every few days to every few weeks between myself and a different customer service rep for the next three months or so.

On my next call I angrily told the agent that I was tired of repeating my story without results and demanded to speak to a manager. Rather than apologizing to me, the agent instead raised his voice to me saying that if I wanted him to help me, I need to tell him what the issue was. I told him again that I wanted to speak to his manager. He gave me an ultimatum:"Do you want my help or not?" I was equally adamant in my demand: "I want to speak to your manager". The next thing I know, the phone went dead. The S-O-B actually had the gall to hang up on me.

I sat there incredulous for a few minutes collecting my thoughts. I vowed then that I would terminate my service with this company--a company I had given my business to for some 25 years. Unfortunately, since then, I have been unable to find a suitable replacement. However...

Recently, I was talking to someone I know who works at Rogers who told me that it is well known within the company that their customer service leaves a lot to be desired. He gave me the name and e-mail address of someone newly appointed to deal with dissatisfied customers. I immediately sent out an e-mail and basically relayed my disgust about how I was treated and that I intend to terminate my TV service because of it.

That was last Thursday. Late this afternoon (Tuesday), there was still no response. I phoned Rogers to follow through on my promise. Of course, I was asked why I decided to cancel. I said "Frankly, your customer service sucks". At his urging, I repeated one last time the sordid story. He genuinely seemed appalled.

He proceeded to profusely alternate between apologizing and making offerings of discounts and free hardware. I refused his "trinkets" and told him that if others in his company that I had dealt with were as cordial and understanding of the value of a good and loyal customer, neither his company nor I would find ourselves in the current situation.

The kicker, and the word is very appropriate since it really is Rogers last kick at me, is that their policy is that the service is not terminated for 30 days from the date of cancellation. As mind-boggling as it seems to me that they can get away with such a ludicrous thing, I didn't even bother to argue the point.

Sooo, I will be sans TV service one month from now. I'm sure I will miss it--after all, I've been an addict since I was a small child. But, like going cold turkey on any addiction, the pain will ease over time, and I expect a full recovery. And I wish nothing but the...worst for the longtime supplier of my "fix".

Goodbye and good riddance to bad rubbish.

It's now official

The world has exhausted all possible aspects of creativity. There are no more good songs, movies, novels or TV shows being produced. The last nail in the coffin of novelty as we know it came in the form of a TV program.

While engaging in an evermore act of futility, namely surfing the breadth of the cable TV offerings, I came across a familiar face. It was the mug of Steve Davis. For those of you who are not familiar with Steve, or his visage, he was one of the best snooker players ever to poke balls with a stick.

You'll notice that I said was. You can guess that this day saw Steve without his trusty tool of the trade. What was Steve doing on TV, today, you ask? He was playing poker. And why do you suppose he was playing poker? Because having won world championships in snooker multiple times, he was looking for new challenges? I doubt it.

I did not rest on the particular channel very long, but I was there just long enough to learn that at least one of his opponents was also previously a successful snooker player. This leads me to believe that this was the theme of the program: washed-up-pool-players-who need-money-and-will-do-anything-to-make-rent.

Don't get me wrong. I am a big fan of both billiards and poker, but having watched every conceivable angle of poker on TV, little of it exciting, you have to draw the line somewhere. What's next? Danny Bonaduce and Shirley Jones square off in a wild game of strip poker? Was that the sound of your lunch hitting your keyboard?

Are you sitting down? The above scenario is not beyond what someone would think to put on TV. You see, Ms. Shirley Jones, aka the wholesome Mrs. Partridge of The Partridge Family fame, is about to "bare all" in an upcoming issue of Playboy. Did I mention that the old bird is 75 years old?



New York Post story.

Here's a freebie for all you faithful readers

I have documented my displeasure with Rogers Cable customer service very well in this blog. I have been anticipating giving them their walking papers, but it's difficult to wean myself off TV viewing. I'm hoping that it won't be long that I can get for free or a minimal charge, my TV fix from the web. Paying $61 a month for what is mostly crap on the idiot box these days is um, idiotic.

I already have available a multitude of sporting events that my second tier cable subscription doesn't include by going here. The site also has a lineup of network, specialty and comedy programming, some of which are 24-7, here. And not only is it free, but no sign-up, log-in or e-mail registering is required! Don't say I never give you anything.

On the horizon, is a piece of hardware that you pay for once for about $100, and you never have to pay a red cent for all the programming you can stand. Ever. Now, that's the kind of deal television executives should have been providing all along instead of charging a king's ransom for a half decent lineup and then nickel and diming us to death for converter boxes, digital cable, high definition, etc. Read all about it, here.

Rogers, your days are numbered...

Rogers update #5

Another week and another non-e-mail from Rogers. I think I've been patient enough. I just sent the following to Rogers in regard to their last e-mail that said the issue was handed off to another department and I was assured someone would contact me:

Tell them not to bother. I have my answer. Not only does Rogers have no scruples, stooping to tricking people into viewing their ads, its customer service stinks. I'll be passing along the message to as many people as I can all over the web, on message boards, through e-mail, blogs, etc. As soon as I find a suitable replacement, I'll also be terminating my Rogers account.

Have a good day, sir.

Shame on you, Rogers

For anyone who doesn't know, Roger Communications, Inc. is a media and telecommunications giant. You want to know how big? It has a market cap of $21 billion. That's with a capital "B", folks. Recently, I joined a free poker site that uses "FreeD" as currency that you can exchange for real money. How do they make money, you ask? By displaying ads incessantly. And they entice you to click on theads by giving you a FreeD for each one. What has all this to do with
Rogers?

Lo and behold if it wasn't an ad for Rogers. There is no message and no Britney25f. Now, I could understand it if it came from a small, fly-by-night company, but for an established (and respected?) company with almost 100 years of history behind it, it surprised me, and to put it bluntly, stuck in my craw. How low will Rogers stoop to try and get my business, which, by the way, it already has. I've been sending a cheque every month for the better part of 30 years for cable TV service, which currently is over $60.

Shame on you, Rogers. Such tactics cheapen you. I expected better. Will you do the right thing and remove the offending ad? The poker site is nopaypoker.com

I sent Rogers a copy of this post. I'll post their response.

I should mention that the same ad promotes Bell, Fido, MTS, Sasktel, Telus, and Virgin Mobile.