Monday, September 17, 2012

Cray Cray

Yes, frustration.  That's what you get when you deal with bureaucratic craziness.  Here's my latest example:  I used to have a cell phone contract with Sprint.  Yes, I'm naming the carrier.  Probably not a good idea.  Definitely poor taste.  But, whatever.  Anyway, I used to have a cell phone contract with Sprint, as I said.  That was three years ago.  I didn't mind Sprint.  I was reasonably happy with Sprint.  But, we found a better plan and changed to it.  It was with a different company.  A company that is not Sprint.  Another decent company not much better and not altogether worse.  Whatever.  However, lately, I have begun to hate Sprint.  Detest Sprint.  Have horrible dreams about Sprint.  Why?  Sprint is a prime example of bureaucratic craziness. 
It seems I overpaid the last payment of my last Sprint bill by 72 cents.  Yes, that's right, 72 cents.  So, Sprint dutifully sent me a statement informing me that I had a credit of 72 cents.  I called them and told them that I am no longer a customer and therefore, would never be in need of my 72 cent credit.  Could they send me a check for 72 cents?  No, Ma'am, they couldn't.  They can't cut checks for less than a dollar.  Well, then, I said, just keep the 72 cents.  No, Ma'am, they couldn't do that either.  Accounting controls.  Well, what should we do?  Did they want me to send them 28 cents so they could cut me a $1 check?  No, since I was no longer a customer, there was no way to pay into my account. 
 
X*&!#Z!
 
So, what happened?  For the last three years, I have received a monthly statement from Sprint telling me that I have a 72 cent credit with them.  I've called them several more times and had repeats of the above conversation with different representatives.
 
Grrrrrr
 
 
So, if Sprint goes bankrupt because they have had to send me a hundreds of statements in the mail, each with 42 cents worth of postage, and have had to buy the paper to print those statements and have had to hire the people to process those statements and to keep track of my account that is closed . . . well, don't blame me.  I tried.
 
Do you have a frustrating story about bureaucratic craziness?  Do tell!
 
 
 
 
 

3 comments:

  1. Girlfriend, I feel your pain, and raise you one. I once had to prove I did NOT have a renter's insurance policy. Not any particular company's renter's insurance policy. Any at all! How do you prove you don't have something?

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  2. After about three times of being referred by one recording to a number where I had just been referred to the prsent one, even though I was choosing different options, I screamed "Let me talk to a person, a real person!" Another recorded voice came on, saying something like "Please hold for a representative," and a human being took over the call and helped resolve the problem. Later, I learned that in such situations, we should punch zero twice and we'll automatically be referred to a flesh and blood employee.

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  3. Oh, my . . . the nuttiness never ceases, does it?

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