The Red Brick Times

Taking control of your life (but only if they let you). A modern tale.

In January, I got a notice from a Vice President of Century Telephone informing me that, to keep costs to customers lower, they were involuntary switching me from my chosen intralata ("local toll') supplier to their own Century Toll service. Of course, my monthly charges would be somewhat higher due to the nasty surcharges and taxes that the gummint forces them to impose.

Well, I am not your average idiot. Some years ago I responded to monthly "access fees" for interlata ("long distance toll") service by telling them to get stuffed. I elected a "No Pick" option, for no long distance provider to avoid the fees that are charged even when you don't make any long distance calls.

So now I tried, via the internet, to access my Century Telephone account and change the "local toll" to the same No Pick status. I could find no place on their web site that permits a customer to control his own account by changing service levels or by cancelling service.

So I called them. "Hi there" they said. "What's your password?" "Password?" I replied. "What password?" "You have a password on your account," I was informed. Well, if I did this, I don't recall. But the upshot was, no password, no talk. They told me to go to my local office, show a picture ID and have the password removed.

Friday I went to the Lorain office of Century Telephone and talked to the lady behind the bulletproof glass. "I need to make some changes to my service" I said. She pointed me to the phones in an adjacent area to talk to customer service. "They won't talk to me," I explained. She looked up my account and asked me for my password. The upshot was, no password, no talk.

I showed her my driver's license. She asked for my SS number. Since they are not the IRS, I do not use my SS number for casual ID. So she looked at her screen, wrote my SS number on a scrap of paper and asked me to confirm it. Unfortunately, now my SS number was sitting on a scrap of paper for everyone could read. Fortunately (I think), it wasn't my SS number.

So I have a phone account with Century Telephone. I cannot change or cancel the service because their files say I am not me. Like the lady said: "No password, no changes." I filled out an account freeze form to prevent any changes to my toll providers, and have called several times today to try and review progress. Voicemail messages and no callbacks yet.

And then, my bank just called. But that's another story for later.
Posted 2:11 PM by Andy (1) comments

       Comments:

Back from the event horizon. There exists one truly able and effective soul at Century Telephone who actualy HELPS people. Her name is Norma Phillips, and she works at the Lorain Office. She went above and beyond in acting as my advocate within her own company. She got the blocks removed, the account changed per my wishes, and even took it apon herself to check for unexpected costs or fees. There is a fee of $10 to change toll provider choices, but Norma said that this has apparently not been charged to my account. She told me to contact her if it does and she would try to get it waived. This level of help is astounding in my experience with Century Telephone. Ever since I was a telecom worker in the 1970s Century (then Lorain Telephone Company) has been a hotbed of stubborn monopoly and obstruction. I am astounded that someone of her sensitvity survives in that fetid swamp of self-absorption. She goes on the list of people I would want to hire for my own company, had I one.

# posted by  Andy : February 28, 2006 7:52 AM
 
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