Photo credit: afagen

For me, large companies need to do more to empower their Customer Service staff. They should not be constrained by the limitations of IT solutions that do not meet the customer’s need. Given the level of choice and customization available now, one size fits all solutions no longer work.

I recently switched from Telus back to Shaw. After two years of questionable Internet speeds and fairly decent, but not great TV, I needed a change. The Save Team at Telus did do a good job at trying to save me. They apparently had new equipment coming out that would improve the experience, but really I had had enough. Plus, Shaw had a great offer so I made the switch. Having worked for them I knew what I was going to be getting.

When cancelling my Telus service I was told that because I was on preauthorized payments one last payment would come out, and I would get a refund after I returned my equipment. I really didn’t think too much of it. The return process was easy. I just packed everything up in a box, took it to the local Canada Post counter and they looked after the rest.

So a month after I cancelled my service I took a look at my Telus account and noticed that I had more than $90 due back to me. Since the final bill showed my account was closed but didn’t say when I would get the refund I decided to make a call. While very pleasant, the rep told me that it would take four closing billing cycles to receive my refund. If you do the math, that’s 120 days from closing your account.

Frankly, I was stunned. I couldn’t believe a company could hold money they owe you for that long. Could you imagine if the situation was reversed and you told Telus you weren’t going to pay them for four months? I’m guessing your service would be disconnected pretty quickly. When I asked to speak to a supervisor or to have the issue escalated I was again politely, but bluntly told that was the policy and there was no escalation possible.

Since I don’t like being told my concern can’t be escalated, I tweeted Telus’ spokesperson @shawnhall and @telus to find out how this could be considered acceptable. By the end of that day Shawn got back to me and let me know that he was going to have someone call me back. I really appreciated the prompt response.

Today I spoke to Devan, one of Telus’ customer services reps. He explained to me that the first rep I spoke to was mistaken and that it normally takes two to three billing cycles for a refund to process. This is normally because third party billing to phone lines don’t show up immediately and it can take up to 90 days for charges to show up. That is why it takes so long. He also noted that since I didn’t have home phone service that wasn’t a concern in my case. He would process my refund immediately. Basically, my refund was caught up in an IT system that didn’t identify these kinds of situations.

For me, large companies need to do more to empower their Customer Service staff. They should not be constrained by the limitations of IT solutions that do not meet the customer’s need. Given the level of choice and customization available now, one size fits all solutions no longer work.

I’m now satisfied that my concerns have been heard and the appropriate action was taken. If down the road my Internet and TV business are up for grabs I will give Telus another look.

Photo by Spin Cycle NYC

Today, I accept my homosexuality as a gift life has given me. I feel blessed to be me.
Ricky Martin

Ricky Martin‘s coming out was met with yawns by the chattering classes. Who cares? It’s not like it was a surprise was the comment. And sure, it wasn’t really a surprise but the significance of his decision shouldn’t be underestimated.

Here in Canada, gays and lesbians enjoy perhaps the greatest equality under the law but we still have a long way to go until we are truly equal. Here are just a few recent examples:

• In BC, there are five alleged gay-bashing trials set to start. Xtra has reported on 60 bashings since 1994.
• The Immigration Minister ordered information about gay rights removed from the citizenship study guide and then denied it even though there are memos from bureaucrats showing the request was made by the Minister’s office.
• There are parents and elected officials fighting the inclusion of Social Justice 12 in BC schools.

Then when we look to our cousins to the south, things get even more grim. In states like California where gay marriage has been legalized it has been repealed by voter initiative. There are still protests outside productions of the the Laramie Project, a play about the brutal death of Matthew Shepard. And hate speech is regularly tolerated under the guise of Freedom of Speech. An American commentator during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games said Johnny Weir should be forced to undergo gender testing.

Around the world there are places where homosexuality is still considered a crime, and there are places such as some Muslim countries where it is punishable by death. In Latin American countries, there is still a culture of machismo and a strong devotion to the Catholic church. While there are some bastions of hope it is generally in the larger cities and even then in the gay villages that tend to develop. In 2009, a gay teenager was decapitated, mutilated and burned in Ricky Martin’s home country of Puerto Rico and the police said he deserved it. This in a country that is happy to accept gay tourist dollars.

Over the years there have been studies published that show the correlation between knowing someone gay and supporting the quest for gay equality. They way to achieve this is through coming out. The process of coming out isn’t easy, and speaking from personal experience it can be extremely scary. I have been fortunate in my life to be loved for who I am but there are many people out there who haven’t had the same positive experience.

There are many people, especially teens who have been rejected by their families and thrown out of their homes for being gay. This happens in communities in Canada and around the world on a daily basis. The biggest insult in high schools still to call someone a fag. Gay, bisexual and lesbian teens have an attempted suicide rate four times that of their straight peers.

Like all communities, the gay, lesbian and bisexual community needs positive role models. They are needed to show that you can be successful and make a positive contribution to society while living as a proud out person. People like Ricky Martin, Neil Patrick, Harris, John Amaechi, Portia De Rosi and Ellen Degeneres all can give comfort to gay people living in unfriendly places that there is hope and they can be successful being who they are.

And that my friends, is why Ricky Martin’s coming out really matters, whether it shocked you or not.

PHOTO CREDIT: shioshvili

Do you remember when Fido used to be the customer friendly mobile phone company? I know I do.

Well, recently my iPhone envy got the better of me. I was heading to Mexico and didn’t want to bring a phone, camera, iPod and laptop. Simple solution, get an iPhone. I called Fido fully knowing that I had one year left on my contract to see what my options were. Unfortunately to keep my phone number my only option was to pay full price for a phone. My other option was to downgrade my current phone to their lowest package and get a new contract to get the new customer rate for a phone. I asked to speak to their “save desk” since this is often a great way to get options that regular customer services reps aren’t authorized to offer. The rep from that area was very stern and told me “those were the only options available”. There was stunned silence when I say, so what you are telling me is that you would rather have $15 per month for 12 months than a long term customer with an $80 monthly bill. I asked her to downgrade my phone.

Since I was going to have to have a new contract I decided to do some investigation on what plans the other companies that have iPhones were offering. In the end it came down to Fido and Bell. When you compare the plans at $80 Bell offers the best value when it comes to data 2 GB instead of 1 from Fido. Fido offers more anytime minutes and earlier evenings but Bell gives you nation wide Fab Five (unlimited calling and texting to five people) which is perfect for me. In the end I decided to go to Bell.

I LOVE my iPhone and so far Bell has been a great company to do business with. Sorry Fido, you are a lost dog.

Eddie: We’ll go on a public transport, Pats.
Patsy: Are you mad? I’ve got nothing to wear on public transport.
Eddie: Yes, but sweetie, I will not have my daughter thinking she’s so great, because she can use public transport. Anybody can use public transport, darling!
Absolutely Fabulous, 1992

Having sold the car two weeks ago I have been taking public transit to work. At the same time, as if by spite, mother nature has decided to give Vancouver one of its worst winters ever! All tolled it really hasn’t been that bad of experience. I have had to be creative in getting around when the new million dollar trolleybuses haven’t functioned. I have really come to appreciate people who clear their sidewalks.

The one thing I don’t get is why people need to stand in the doorway of buses, even when there are seats available and lots of room. They are often oblivious to people wanting to get off and you need to almost shove them out of the way. On behalf of all transit takers, if you aren’t getting off the bus at the next stop, get out of the door.

photo credit: thedarkerside.to

From Michael Geist, the 30 things you can do to help stop this bill in its tracks.

In typical style, the Conservatives (please don’t call them Tories) have gone on the attack against Elections Canada. Many of the candidates in the so-called in-and-out scheme have refused to be interviewed by Elections officials. According to a legal representative for one of the Tories’ candidates in Toronto expressed reservations about the accounting plan, saying he “found this move was being a little too creative.”

It is clear that the Conservatives have broken the spirit of the law. In an election as close as the last one the spending of an extra million dollars on advertising – especially considering the negative tone – could swing enough voters in key riding to swing from the Liberals. Its inexcusable considering they were promising clean government.

In another stroke of bad judgment the Conservatives invited some media outlets, but not all to a briefing yesterday – including the CBC and the Canadian Press. According to the CBC report:

When other media organizations, including the CBC, learned of the meeting, party officials scrambled to avoid them, switching hotels, slamming doors and scampering down fire exits to escape pointed questions from journalists who weren’t invited.

Is this the image a governing party should be portraying? Scampering down fire escapes to avoid reporters? Any first year PR student knows this isn’t the way you respond to a crisis. You invite ALL the media and are as transparent as possible.

The Conservatives have tried to control the media since winning the election and the Prime Minister has had a bully’s swagger when anyone dare challenge him. Now they seem to be running scared.

I sent this email to their customer service:

Hi,

I got Invoice #7 in the mail today for a magazine I never subscribed
to. The account number on the invoice is ——-.

Can you please explain to me:

1.) How this subscription started? Was it a comp that you are trying
to convert to a paid subscription?
2.) Why you are invoicing me for something I never asked for?

Regards,

Rob

I got this response:

Dear Mr. McMahon,

Thank you for your recent e-mail to Money Sense.

We are sorry to hear that you no longer wish to receive Money Sense. As requested, we have canceled the unpaid subscription account in your name. Kindly disregard any further notices you receive in regards to this account over the next few weeks.

We thank you for your interest in our publication. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.

Sandhya
MoneySense Customer Service
Manage your subscription account online at: http://www.moneysense.ca/service
Toll Free: 1-888-268-6868

It really didn’t answer the questions I had. I didn’t really expect one. I can’t wait to start getting the invoices for the other magazines they have been sending me.

Back in February, Starbucks in the US closed all their stores for three hours one day to do barista re-training. When I first heard this I thought it was amazing. Just what they needed. The sad part is that training didn’t spill across the border into Canada. Lately I have found the quality of the beverages has been lacking, specifically not getting exactly what I asked for. And to be fair, its not all baristas. There are two stores I visit regularly in Vancouver – Burrard @ 3rd and Oak @ 23rd and both of them have an employee that should be held up as a shining example.

Recently I saw this sign on one of the espresso machines that has given me hope. I’m not going to be shy about saying this isn’t right. It feels like they are starting to make the right moves to recapture some of the customers they have lost. At $4.25 for a Grande Skinny Mocha Latte, I think I should get what I want.

Yes, all of the seats were held by the Liberals in the last election and Bob Rae and Martha Hall Findlay both won their ridings with around 60% of the vote. What none of the ‘pundits’ bothered to mention about the Northern Saskatchewan riding is that it is a swing riding, has been held by all three national parties and was only won by 67 votes in the last general election.

That brings us to Vancouver Quadra. Yes, it is very tight right now. As I write this Joyce Murray has about a thousand vote lead and I’m sure she’ll be able to pull it out. The political panel kept harping on how it was terrible that she was doing so poorly in a “safe” Liberal riding.

To give some context on the riding, look at who the previous MPs from that riding are: Former Prime Minister John Turner, constitutional scholar Ted McWhinney and former BC Ombudsman Stephen Owen. While Joyce Murray was a competent MLA she certainly does not have the credentials or the reputation of any of the last three Liberal MPs for the riding. Her Conservative opponent was no push over with an impressive CV of her own and beating the preferred candidate for her party’s nomination. She was in for a fight from the beginning.

I guess what really annoyed me about the coverage tonight was the tone of the commentary from the NDP and Conservative pundits. It was very American in its style and it didn’t seem to matter that they were pushing the lines of truthiness. I just always hope the the political discourse in the country could be better.

I am troubled by the House of Commons voting to extend the “mission in Afghanistan” until 2011. When we first joined the US in invading and ridding the country of the Taliban and Al Queda it was a good idea. They are our neighbours and allies and they were attacked. As part of commitment to NATO we were obligated to come to their aid and we did. But many years on Canada still has a major presence there in some of the toughest parts of that country. I am really disappointed in the Liberals for not sticking to a time line of 2009 for withdrawl.

But what doesn’t make sense to me is that the rest of the alliance isn’t doing their part. We have asked repeatedly for assistance and it hasn’t been forthcoming. Our soldiers are doing an amazing job in very hard conditions in some of the most dangerous parts of the country. I feel terrible for the families who have lost their loved ones over there.

This isn’t about cut and run. We have done some great work there but it is time for Canada to rotate out and other NATO members to take our place. Our military needs and deserves a break. There are many other ways we can continue to assist the Afghan people.

For me there has always been something a little bit too slick about Obama. When someone can catch fire like he has because of his powerful speaking abilities you have to wonder if he’s all sizzle or if there really is some steak. That’s the point Clinton is trying to make.

It all comes down to authenticity. When the words you are using to inspire people are not your own you should give credit where it is due. Unless of course those words are known to everyone, like “I have a dream..” or “Ask not…” By using the same words that Gov. Patrick did and not attributing them to him, whether they are friends or not, is intellectually dishonest.

I hope this controversy makes people take a moment to see if there is any steak or if its all sizzle.

I have even turned off the news because the US Presidential election takes up so much bandwidth – even on BBC World and local Vancouver news. I can’t suffer through another story about Obama, Hillary, McCain or that guy named Mitt. And my guilty pleasures of The Daily Show and Colbert Report are obviously all over the ClusterF(#$ to the White House so I need to find some new distractions.

Tonight I caught a show on MuchMoreMusic called Behind the Music That Sucks. It’s a really funny animated spoof of VH1′s Behind the Music. I have no idea how long the show has been out there but it’s new to me and that’s all that matters. I Googled it right away and found heavy.com and watched a bunch of them tonight.

This week I was sick to my stomach with some of the stuff being pulled by federal Conservatives – present and past. With Steven Harper deciding he’s a nuclear physicist and ordering the restart of the Chalk River Reactor, John Baird holding hands with American climate change nay-sayers to block real negotiations in Bali and Lyin’ Brian’s return to the hill to talk about getting envelopes of cash in hotel rooms I was in need of some serious pepto.

It made me miss Jean Chretien more than I already did. I’ll save my “How Paul Martin Destroyed The Liberal Party” sermon for another day. But suffice it to say, it was really good to see le peite gar on The Hour this week.

Stéphane, its time to step up and put this Tory government out of our misery!

One of the big events that happens every year is the Celebration of Lights fireworks. I’m fortunate enough to be able to watch from my apartment so I don’t have to join the half million or so people who head down to the beach to see it. The fireworks are always great but it’s always disappointing to see the trash left all over the place after.

Thursday morning a group of volunteers was criticized by striking city workers for cleaning up the garbage left on the beach after the fireworks. I really think this was out of line. One company’s employees volunteered their own time and other civic minded people went down rolled up their sleeves and pitched in.

I don’t know enough about the issues involved in the strike to a side in the dispute. The one thing I think is in poor taste is criticizing citizens for taking pride in their city and going out and picking up garbage.