Just a Rant on Customer Service and Spending Limit

[sboydver]

After almost two decades of Sprint service, I swapped to Verizon during the Sprint/TMobile merge. The rep said my monthly bill would be less while receiving more benefits. Sounded good. 

The bill was about the same, just a few dollars higher. That wasn’t an issue. The bill rose throughout the next several months. Used to that with any company.

However, I reached a point in my life at the end of last year and beginning of this year where I was truly struggling to even keep my power on though I was working as much as I could throughout two major deaths in my family and an illness I couldn’t shake, likely stemming from the grief and stress. I had become the sole caretaker of a toddler and a home. 

I had called Verizon customer service in a panic as I needed my phone for work but my bill was late. Not their problem, I know, so I was very gracious for any help provided. I explained I had a line turned off and was just waiting for it to be removed from the account as scheduled, which kept my bill higher than I could pay at the moment. He told me I needed to get it removed from my account, as if I didn’t JUST say that. At one point the customer service rep had the audacity to smugly “give me a life lesson” by telling me to “never count on anyone else with your financials” because of the line I was waiting on to be shut off since that person was no longer here to use it (which accounted for my struggle to pay that bill). I am in my late thirties and need no life lessons - I’ve learned enough tough “life lessons”  as it is and know that deaths and other issues in life happen unexpectedly and not on anyone’s schedule. However, I was so shocked that he thought this was appropriate that I didn’t even have a good, smart reply (also to mention, it seemed pretty counterproductive for the company since they promote family accounts, adding lines, and all the discounts that go with it which I still get constant promotions for).

I am finally caught up and have been paying my bill on time the last  couple of months, only to be hit today with the “your spending limit has decreased” document. It’s a soft credit check but I’m still salty about the customer rep’s words to me so this felt like just another kick. 

I realize it’s just a scheduled thing for them to check credit, but I didn’t ask for a spending limit increase nor did I want it. I didn’t even want to be told about it. I just want to pay this phone off and move back to Sprint/TMobile. I always had excellent customer service with them and never had a single representative go off-script with condescending, unrequested advice. They always spoke with respect even if they could not help me and I regret leaving them for Verizon. 

Thanks for reading if you made it this far. Also, beware of bad customer service reps and don’t just roll over and take the abuse like I did.