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Kwazy's shared his experience with his cell phone company, I'll tell you mine.

I have been with Alltel since 1991. I didn't want to have the bill charged automatically to my credit card each month, (though I relented after what happened) and so I would call in each month to pay my bill. It's a free call and was a way to use the down time while driving in my pre-XM days.

Invariably, I would be transferred to different billing departments. I live in the nether regions, and it was difficult for them to find who I should actually talk to.

Time and time again, after being online for twenty minutes, or more, I would be disconnected. Over the next few days, I would make several calls, and eventually the bill got paid, but sometime after the due date.

After explaining events, I asked that any late fees be waived cause I thought I had made diligent attempts to contact them.

Most CSR's had no problem with that, and off I went.

One time however, one rep took it upon himself to add the following notation to my account, DO NOT WAIVE LATE FEES ANYMORE!!!

I actually saw it on a computer monitor when I went into a store to upgrade my phone. I was a little peeved, but took it in stride.

Well, at some point a computer glitch caused my name to be removed from the top line, so when I called people, I was identified on their caller id as, DO NOT WAIVE LATE FEES ANYMORE!!!

I mean couldn't have been WETS BED!!!, or THINKS BRAD PITT IS HOT, NOT THAT HE"S GAY OR ANYTHING!!!

Well, about this time my mom had an accident at my sister's house in Richmond. I refuse to say, 'she broke her hip', because that is usually followed by, 'and she passed away shortly thereafter'.

I was on the road a lot and putting on some serious long distance minutes. I used one return trip as an opportunity to contact Sprint and ask them to perhaps update my moniker.

I explained the situation, the guy said, "you're kidding?!" I explained I wasn't, and he asked me to wait a moment.

Fifteen, or twenty minutes later, a supervisor came on line. I think her name was Tammy Hill.

She apologized repeatedly and you could tell she was disturbed by this. I explained it really wasn't that big a deal, and if she would, just correct it.

She then said, "I notice you have a lot of long distance calls this month." I said, yeah my mom had a fall and I had been doing a lot of out of state traveling.

She said, "let me get rid of those for you." I told her it wasn't necessary, but the gesture was appreciated.

The point, other than I have a man crush on Brad Pitt is this:

In life, you are going to come across two different kinds of people, those who give a damn, and those who don't.

If you lay out your problems to someone who doesn't care, all your threats, complaints, and anger amount to naught. In fact, I am convinced, pissing you off is a unwritten fringe benefit of assholes, in lieu of better pay, and inner happiness. You see we got your 401 K, some sick leave, oh, and you can stick to people and they can't do a thing about it :)

However...

I told my little problem to someone who cares, and in some ways it's worse.

Assholes ignore, or even dig your problem.

Decent people hurt over them.

This lady was troubled by what happened. She was embarrassed for her company, and her tone dripped of this embarrassment.

When I have issues with customer service, I try to remember this. Thank you Mrs. Hill. I wish you well.