Oh well, I may as well laugh …
Today, like many days, I spent my time returning phone calls for our corn maze seasonal business. I had no idea it would be like this … school groups, questions, birthday parties, etc … I am grateful for each guest, TRUST ME, I just didn’t expect what happened today.
Let me go back a few days to a call I made to AT&T (our telephone service). I asked for an additional phone line (which probably put them in shock in this day and time – ha) and the AT&T representative informed me that he could give me a better “deal” on my phone package. Well YEA, sign me up! He assured me that I had all of the same options, EXCEPT the “repeat call feature” that we never use anyway. So, I was set. An additional phone line, a cheaper plan … woo hoo!
Well, for those who don’t know, I used our voice mail like sticky notes. I left myself messages, and I saved messages instead of writing information down. (You can only guess where this is going.) I attempted to leave myself a message today just to discover that our voice mail had been disconnected. Oh yes, and it had SIX saved messages on it the last time I checked it. I have no clue what they were at this point. I’m sure it had to do with our corn maze business … numbers I needed to remember. Oh man.
So I called AT&T to inquire and I was told the representative misinformed me (well duh) and that my new package didn’t include voice mail. I could add it again for $6.00! I asked why I should have to pay that fee since I only switched because of this representative? The guy didn’t have an answer for me and I needed voice mail, so there ya go. BAD SERVICE if you ask me. Argh.
I’m guessing I should purchase some type of device where I can keep messages on a calendar. A palm pilot? Waaaaaaaaaaaa. But if something goes awry with that I’ll lose all of my information too. Sigh. Right now I am carrying around a big calendar as I schedule parties, employees each weekend, etc … PLEASE, NOBODY TAKE MY CALENDAR. I’d be in big trouble.
Do you use a palm pilot? If so, what do you think? Can you enter unlimited information under each date?
Busy in North Carolina …
Love to you all!
Use your blackberry, it has a calendar feature with reminders. I use my iphone, but often resort to my handy dandy paper calendar. If its gone, I am soo SOL!
I'll email you with something that might work. Crazy story, ugh! How frustrating.
Busy means that you are having success. Good for you. I would carry a big calendar around too!
That stinks! I think I would call back, ask for a manager and let them know that this misinformation has caused you to lose important information for your business!
I'm glad business is going so well for you. I pray that you get more organized so it can be more peaceful for you!!
Praise God for the business picking up so well. That is just awesome…Oh girl..I went through something very similar with our old phone company,,,yes old..I switched over EVERYTHING on June 23rd..yes, I even remember the date,,lol
I've saved our family 70 dollars a month,,forgot to tell ya,,lol
That sounds like something that happened with me one time. Very frustrating! I hope you get it all figured out.
I still like the old calendar. I love to be able to just look and there it is!
Good luck sweetie. Glad the maze is going so well.
No palm pilot, but I've been known to write notes on the palm of my hand (I am not making this up)! š
I use our voice mail the same way. When I'm working, I leave myself messages at home, and vice versa.
I hope you get everything straightened out with the phone co.!
Oh nice. Gets you to move for better features and oh, yeah, sorry….no features and by the way, please pay additional for the stuff you already had before. Nice. You're welcome and hope you enjoy the headache!
I remember calling to cancel my parent's telephone after my dad died and my mom moved in with me.
The gal said I couldn't cancel because it was in my dad's name and only he had the authority to do it. She wouldn't even accept my mom's authority.
I said "But I just told you he died!" and she was like, "I know. But I still can't cancel it without his permission" and she didn't know what to do.
I asked if I could send his death certificate for proof and she wasn't sure if that would be o.k.
I even said something like she could send the bill to the cemetary but we were cancelling this account. Finally asked to speak to her supervisor who had us send a death certificate.
Then, they said they'd cancel it but my mom kept getting bills and I had to do it all over again!
Forgot to say that I'm glad that your business to doing so well!
Ugh..those things are the worst. Sometimes you don't get anywhere w/ anyone.
There have been times when I had to call our customer service people for help w/ our computer, and I kid you not, I should have been the one getting paid!
AT&T is really losing it. After we moved in they told us it would be 3 weeks before we could get service. We went with Time Warner who got there in a week, which I still thought was 5 days too long. Once upon a time, when life was simpler and people knew each other, when a representative messed up, they swallowed the mistake. Not the customer swallows the mistake. They don't know your Mama. They don't know your kids. They don't know you kid won the spelling bee or graduated. They don't know and they don't care.
Now, after THAT condemning note, BE BLESSED. God will provide the information you need! It's a shame they don't know you're a daughter of The King.
AT&T is really losing it. After we moved in they told us it would be 3 weeks before we could get service. We went with Time Warner who got there in a week, which I still thought was 5 days too long. Once upon a time, when life was simpler and people knew each other, when a representative messed up, they swallowed the mistake. Not the customer swallows the mistake. They don't know your Mama. They don't know your kids. They don't know you kid won the spelling bee or graduated. They don't know and they don't care.
Now, after THAT condemning note, BE BLESSED. God will provide the information you need! It's a shame they don't know you're a daughter of The King.
How about a mini tape recorder? You can carry it with you and just rewind whenever you need to remember what you saved? Wow! You are one busy woman but I pray all is well with the corn maze and that many more will go see it and experience it! Take care and God bless.
Oh no… Thats no fun!! Sounds like God is blesing you all with lots of customers: )Sorry its been forever since I have been over to your blog. My crazy computer has had some issues again but now its back to normal.. Have a great week!
Oh…the sod company out here has decided NOT to do a corn maze this year….I'm so sad…which I was on that coast so I could go…maybe I can find one in another county…I LOVE THEM!
OOh, I hate when that happens. We switched my cell plan (I use 5 minutes a month maybe tops) and they ended up charging me over $30 for a plan that they told me would be $15-20. AARGH! Needless to say, I returned their 'new free phone', and went under something completly different with my old one. Now it's $22/month instead. I wish I could bring it down, but the 'buying minutes' doesn't really work either. Sigh.
I had no idea the corn maze was a business for you each fall. How long does it last? I'm guessing through early November.
That's cool.
Did the phone people stick to their guns and make you pay the $6? I am always so leary when I sign up for something wondering if "this" customer service person is new or is forgetting some detail. Like this guy did for you.
I've never used a palm pilot. I'd say the safest way is the old fashion calendar. What if you got a small day planner. I have one I leave opened at work. It's only 3" by 6" when closed. The one I get has weekly calendar and then the monthly calendar glance right before each month.
I like to be able to flip and see it all without moving between screens. Beloved had a palm pilot and I hated it.
Scanned your comments which I normally don't have time to do. I love the story of momstheword. I mean, how ridiculous. The deceased had to call in to cancel. The person should have simply routed her to the supervisor since she didn't know how to handle the death. Such tight reigns on things but yet, how can people OPEN false accounts through identity theft but we can't close accounts. I've been through id theft twice and it's awful. Fortunately, the second time was just email theft.
Love,
Paula
Sorry, Beth, I cannot help you in the palm pilot department, but I can say that I have recently had the same kind off poor service with AT&T, although, I wonāt trouble your dear overloaded mind with the detailā¦just wanted you to know I stopped by to sat āHelloā.
ā„Hope
That would be such a bummer. I just keep notes the old fashioned way still. I am such a dinosaur. LOL
Hi Beth! I use the old-fashioned method: write it down in a little notebook I take EVERYWHERE!! Good luck with this solution. I'd be sure to somehow screw up a Blackberry and be in big big trouble~
Blessings….
Carol
Oh gosh, Beth, that's terrible! I'm not real fond of the phone company. They told us when we moved that if we bundled everything it would be cheaper. It wasn't! We got this huge bill that was way more than the three separate bills. We made them take it off immediately. I use my iPhone for everything. It has a wonderful calender feature that syncs with my macbook pro.
I hope you are having a good week!
UGHHHH! ATT–they are hopeless. I have them too and unfortunately they are the best carrier right now, but their customer service could use a major overhaul. Glad business is doing well.