I was astonished when my mobile phone bill was double the usual amount this month. When I checked the breakdown carefully, I realized that they had included last month’s amount by mistake, even though I had paid it as I usually do.
I immediately called the customer service number. An extremely polite young man answered the phone. After checking my number, he asked: “Is this Mr Mohamed?
“Yes I am Mohamed, but the “Mr is your invention, I said.
“There is no problem at all as long as you paid your bill last month. We’ll check and get back to you in 24 hours, he said.
I was reassured that this was a minor problem that would be solved in 24 hours, so I postponed paying the bill until they got back to me with the correct amount. But when 24 hours passed and no one had gotten back to me I called customer services once again. A different representative answered, so I told him the whole story again and made it clear that the representative who took my call had promised that the problem would be resolved within 24 hours.
This young man too was extremely polite. “Is this Mr. Mohamed?
“Yes, I’m Mohamed, I said.
“No problem at all Mr Mohamed, please hold for a moment until I check.
He got back a few moments later and after apologizing for keeping me on hold, he said, “Mr Mohamed when you called us three days ago we lodged a complaint in your name stating that you had paid last month’s bill..
At that I cut him off. “I know all that and I’m calling to confirm that the problem was solved so I can pay this month’s bill.
“We’ll call you in 24 hours to confirm, he said.
“That’s what I was told last time I called, but nothing was done, so what’s the problem?
“There is no problem Mr Mohamed, he said quickly.
“Why didn’t you call me back then? I said.
“You said that you paid last month’s bill at the bank, is that correct? he said.”Yes, and I sent you a copy of the receipt.
“But as you know Mr Mohamed the banks have been closed for the feasts, so we’ll just have to check again with the bank and get back to you in 24 hours, he said.
I didn’t argue and considered the issue resolved.
Anther 24 hours passed and then suddenly I realized three days later that I hadn’t paid my bill, so I decided to pay the amount due this month until the issue concerning last month’s amount is settled. But the messenger I sent to make the payment at the bank on my behalf called and said that the bank had refused to accept half the amount due and that I had pay the full amount.
So I decided to call the customer service once more, at which point a third representative answered as politely as the first two.
“Is this Mr Mohamed? he asked.
“Listen. my name is Mohamed and not Mr and my problem is that you’re asking me to pay last month’s bill twice and the bank won’t accept the amount due this month only, so don’t tell me there’s no problem then ask me to wait to check it out then come back to apologize for keeping me on hold only to tell me what I already know that you’ll contact me in 24 hours to settle the issue!
“There is no problem at all Mr Mohamed, please just hold on a moment ., he said, at which point I just hung up to save myself the trouble and waited the 24 hours during which, as he was about to promise me, the problem will be solved.
Indeed, 24 hours later and for the first time, they did something to solve my problem – which according to them is not a problem at all – and cut off my line completely.
Once more I called customer service from my landline to ask why. A fourth representative answered. He was extremely polite as he said, “Is this Mr Mohamed?
“Yes this is Mr Mohamed and, I can even send you an official document to vouch for that and I know that there is no problem, I am also prepared to pay last month’s bill for the second time but please reactivate my line because I’m expecting many overseas calls that cannot wait 24 hours.
Again he answered very politely, “No problem at all, Mr Mohamed your line will be reactivated immediately within 24 hours of paying your bill.
Mohamed Salmawyis President of the Arab Writer’s Union and Editor-in-Chief of Al-Ahram Hebdo.
