Telco Customer Service

Sometime last month, I was instructed by Dad - please get in touch with Singtel to fix the problem with my pre-paid SIM card as it cannot be recognised by the phone.

I also had a problem with the collection and/or delivery of a broadband device from Singtel.

So I decided that I should get in touch with LHK who is with Singtel and so far my only saviour for sanity in dealing with Singtel.

This is the story of my woes:

My client asked me to sign for broadband services and this stick USB connection for the office. He was busy, so I signed for it. I provided the business profile, completed the form and signed for everything. Some human delivered the wireless modem router to the office and installed it for us – no problem. Then SingPost was tasked to send that USB stick to us. In the midst of moving we could not find the company rubber stamp. When SingPost came the first time, we weren’t in. When they came the second time, I could not find the rubber stamp. I offered my IC to the delivery guy to verify that I am the person who applied for the service. He said: No letter of authority, no rubber stamp – NO MODEM. I told him to go back and decided to take the matter with Singtel.

Then of course I had that SIM card problem so two "problems" warranted disturbing LHK.

Shortly after that email to LHK, I received a phone call from his colleague Y. Y said that she would arrange for a new SIM card to replace the faulty one and for us to keep the number. Y also said that she would look into the matter of that broadband devide and I could collect both at the same time. On the day agreed that I would go to the Singtel Shop at 31 Exeter Road to get the new SIM card in exchange for dad's faulty card I started my headache.

OK, this is why I started the blog - to rant about stuff that bother me.

I arrived at the shop and went to the information counter - I told my story of the faulty SIM and collection of the modem. The guy asked for my name and the mobile number, looked at his computer screen and said - Yes, it is in the system. Hooray - no hitch there. I took a queue number from him and waited for the 5 persons in front of me to clear. When I was I turn, I went to the counter and told the young man there my story of the SIM card - his first answer to me was: CANNOT, YOU NEED TO BUY A NEW SIM CARD AND YOUR STORED VALUE WILL BE GONE.

I told him that I had made arrangements for a replacement SIM and he was adamant that it could not be done. I stood my ground but my blood pressure was already going up. The customer service guy at the next counter then told this young man - better check behind for that special SIM. So this young man went behind to check for the special SIM. Lo and behold, he came out with the replacement SIM.

Then came the registration of the SIM card - they insisted that I needed to give them my particulars for this SIM because they need to register it to someone. The number was registered to dad - they have his particulars, but the idiots insisted that the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) want to have mine. OK, to avoid my blood pressure going up anymore, I let them register the SIM in my name. I am going to take the matter up with IDA on how stupid the system is.

Then came the problem of that broadband device. There was a mix-up in the communications and the modem never made it to the Singtel shop. The poor store manager spent about 15 minutes hunting all over the store room at the back for a huge box (for a large modem) but couldn't find anything. I finally received the modem from the girl who had signed for our line. I had been at Exeter Road from 10 am to 12:15 pm and was late for my lunch appointment.

I have come to the conclusion that Singtel maybe good at the services they provide - basic telephony, mobile, broadband and whatever else, the people individually are wonderful, but they are so big and large that they have absolutely no idea what is going on around them. Do they live in outer space??