Rogers & Internet: How can they screw it up?

Back in May I reflected on my experiences with migrating my Aurora Cable Internet (ACI) to Rogers services. I've since realized that I haven't finished the story to include Rogers' incompetence in this migration process for Internet.

(As an aside, if Rogers can screw up the Cable and Internet migration from ACI to Rogers, how much better can the transition for Rogers Home Phone customers actually be? I will not know since my phone is not through Rogers....MEMO TO ROGERS...do not approach me for Home Phone service as I'm not interested at this time and not for some time to come due to your incompetence of your Vice-President's "Specially Trained Advisors" and Store Staff when I migrated from ACI to Rogers' services for Cable and Internet...but then again...if your staff can't take down a simple cell phone number or bother to call me at work...Rogers' staff is probably not reading this...so I digress....)

On Saturday May 9th I ventured over to Rogers Plus Store #311 at 14879 Yonge Street, Aurora to migrate my Aurora Cable Internet (ACI) Internet over to Rogers High Speed Internet. Yvonne and I had reviewed our needs and decided to go with the Rogers Lite Speed Internet for our use rather than the Rogers Express Speed Internet. Rogers was offering the Express Speed Internet at the same price as the old ACI Internet. Yvonne and I decided for the amount of Internet we used, Lite Speed would work and if, for whatever reason, we could always updgrade to Expess if the need arised.

Obviously with my experience with the incompetancies of the Rogers' "Specially Trained Advisors" in trying to figure out my cable needs, I didn't want to do it through them.

Yvonne and I got in line and waited thirty minutes to speak to a Rogers Associate to complete this migration. Yvonne had to run home to get a few things as I was dealing with the associate to complete the conversion. I explained and pointed out in the Rogers brochure that I wanted the Rogers Lite Speed Internet. The Associate circled what I wanted on the brochure and inquired if I had any questions. I didn't at this point as I had completed my own research and was happy with this particular package because I could always upgrade to something more if my Internet needs changed.

It took about ten minutes of typing and to cash out in order to complete the conversion from ACI to Rogers. I even took advantage of purchasing my own Rogers Internet Modem which gave me three free months of Internet and, following this, three dollars a month Modem rental fees. This basically gave me a free modem and savings each month of the modem fees.

As I was leaving the store I realized that nothing had been signed by myself and the Rogers Associate to show an agreement had been made. All I had was a receipt to show my purchase. So I called the Rogers Migration department as shown in the Rogers' Migration letter written and signed by Rogers' Vice President Phil Hartling (1-866-566-8306).

The representative picked up the call and reminded me the call may be recorded for the usual "Quality Assurance Purposes" (insert guffaws here). I explained I just finished migrating my ACI Internet Service over to Rogers and was double checking what speed Internet I had just signe up for at the Rogers Plus Store. To my shock and amazement: "Extreme Speed" was the response.

I turned back around to the Rogers Plus Store #311 and got back into line again. This time I started to talk to the other ACI Customers around me about my experience of that day. To say the least, it wasn't long before I was invited to get out of the line and to talk with the Rogers Plus Store Supervisor, Jay about my issue.

Jay quickly refunded the "Rogers Express Service" and put on the "Rogers Lite Service". He signed the receipt and I signed the receipt as well.

I walked outside the store and called the "1-866-566-8306" number again. I received the same information as before that I was still signed up for the Rogers Express Internet Service. I inquired how this could be when the Rogers Plus Store Supervisor, Jay, had done it. The Agent said she would reattempt but couldn't because my account had been locked by someone at the store who were working on it. I inquired as to who the Rogers Plus Store #311's store manager was. I didn't get a reply on the phone but did in front of me. Deb, who was assisting another customer, said she would be right with me. I hung up my cell phone and waited.

Deb inquired what the issue was. So I started at the beginning with the cable issues. She inquired if I wanted cable now and I replied that I wasn't interested as if Rogers couldn't answer a simple question on the first try on one of it's "bread and butter" services the obviously couldn't complete a connection involving a guy on a latter as that may prove too complicated.

I then went through the disaster of hooking up with Rogers Internet at this store. I then said that I would give them one last chance to make this right otherwise I would be requesting a full refund and leaving Rogers' services for good. Deb didn't take kindly to that saying it was only "a threat". Recognizing that she was probably using the Rogers Customer Service lines to try and guiltify the customer into backing down I continued on. I replied that at this point it is "a threat" and that if she wanted me as a customer she should get to work on resolving the issue where her staff had failed before or "the threat" may come true.

Deb then investigated the billing system, it was completed right. She then had the associate call the store's technical contact. The technical contact fixed the issues and confirmed with me on the phone what I ordered and that the billing and Work order matched. I was now, after 2 hours of screwing around with Rogers' "Specially Trained Customer Service Agents" and in the store satisfied.

On May 13th, the day my ACI service was turned off and my Rogers service was turned was interesting. I unhooked my ACI Cable modem and began hooking up my Rogers Modem. No problems so far. I flicked on my computer and began surfing. Everything seemed to be working fine (GREAT!). Next, I signed up for a Rogers online account entering in all the numbers that were supplied to me, etc. I was shocked to find I owed fifteen and change. Of course since I hadn't received my first bill, the charges weren't explained. So I called 1-877-236-7208 included in the modem package and selected the appropriate option and waited a minute before a Rogers Agent picked up the phone.

To my shock and horror the person actually: 1. Spoke plain Canadian English. 2. Knew exactly what she was talking about and 3. Was able to resolve my issue.

The Rogers Agent explained the charge was for activation of the Internet. I explained the story about how I came to be a Rogers customer. The Rogers Agent agreed that theoretically I was more of an "Adopted Customer" rather than a "New Customer". She said a credit back for the activation was in order but she would have to check with the supervisor on how to properly do this so there wouldn't be any issues in the future. After a couple of minutes on hold the Rogers Agent came back on the line to say she had put through the credit and it would show up on my next bill. She also confirmed my three free months of internet were there and I was still signed up for Rogers Lite Speed Internet. I told her I was satisfied and hung up.

To say the least, Rogers Customer Service needs an overhaul. With the exception of the Rogers Agent who fixed the Activation fee billing, I've dealt with incompetence from start to finish. It is no wonder Rogers continues to be sucking up money left, right and centre.

As I review my history (most of it pretty recent) with Rogers, I wonder why I'm still with Rogers and haven't transferred to Bell. Oh wait a minute, Bell has similar issues with Customer Service, Billing and other issues.

Kudos to either Bell or Rogers who will stop advertising in the Toronto Star and other newspapers about how Rogers beats Bell on Home Phone service and how Bell beats Rogers on Wireless and Television service and instead advertise how one or the other has better Customer Service. But then again, if one had better Customer Service than the other then this wouldn't need be adverised, Customers would just know and flock to that company. But that again makes too much sense. And apparently Rogers, at least, doesn't care about making too much sense with Customer Service because if they did their Vice Presidential called "Specially Trained Advisors" would know what they are talking about and be able to resolve my issues and, shudder, copy down a telephone number without it having to be repeated five times. Only if...but then again, I've been called too practical sometimes. Apparently Rogers can't be too practical as that would be too easy.