Customer Service

Me, going into a shop, trying to top up my phone plan.

--Hi, I’d like to top up my phone please.

--What do you want? (Not in a mean way, but not in a very friendly one either)

--I had a 20 £ Freedom Freebie (that’s the actual name of it, I’m not making up funny-sounding words here) and I’d like to renew it for this month.

--Okay. Our system had problems this morning, so it might not work.

--I’m sorry?

--Our computer system in all our shops crashed, so it might not work.

--Okay… (unsure of what else to say)

--I’ll check. (I’m terribly sorry that you have to do something for my money)

--(stares at screen) Yeah, It doesn’t work.

--Okay…(still unsure)…so…

--Just come back – maybe in, like, an hour?

--Ah, okay…thanks!

Now I already had the urge to switch to a different network provider, but then I’d have to change my number and so on, so I decided against it. I went back into the shop about 45 min later, and there was a different girl there.

--Hi! I was here earlier, they told me to come back – I wanted to top up my phone, but there was a problem with your system-does it work now?

--Yeah, Yeah, want do you want?

--I’d like to renew my 20 £Freedom Freebie (I cringe on the inside every time I have to say this out loud.)

--Okay…(stares at screen)…that’s 20 £.

I give her the money, she hands me a receipt.

--There you go!

--(confused) How does this now work?

--Just call this number (circles number on receipt) and follow the directions.

--Ah, okay, thanks! I’ll try it right now, just in case.

She looks at me with a bewildered expression, which I ignore. So I call the number (still in the shop) follow the directions, enter the 12-digit code – and it doesn’t work. So I try again, same thing happens. So I go back.

--I’m sorry, but it doesn’t seem to work.

--Yeah, we had some problems with our system today, just try again later, maybe every 20 minutes until it works.

Ah, thank you – I have no plans today anyway.