Bell: Hello
Me: Is this Bell Aliant?
Bell: Who is calling?
Me: I’m Clark MacLeod and I am calling about the Fibre Installation that was scheduled for this evening
Bell: Give me your account number
Me: Let me look. #0000000
Bell: You’re calling from Nova Scotia?
Me: No, Prince Edward Island
Bell: Give me your postal code
Me: I can’t remember my postal code, I just moved in and it’s on the phone I am using to talk to you
Bell: Address?
Me: (I give address) Are you coming this evening to do an install?
Bell: I’m going to put you on hold for a minute
Me: Sigh Ok

A few minutes later.

Bell: They are working on it.
Me: What does that mean?
Bell: They will call you
Me: Thats all you can tell me?
Bell: Yes, they will call you
Me: Ummm, Thank you

I ordered Bell Fibre and was first told an install date of Tuesday evening, which after an evening phone call from a 877 number was asked to select another time. I selected the evening period over the “all day” period (who would select that?) and rushed home for 5pm in order to guarantee I was there to greet the technician. 3 1/2 hours later I made the above phone call.

There are two things that are guaranteed to make me upset, rudeness and wasting my time unpaid. Bell ticked those boxes. Not a smidgen of polite language did whoever I talked to on the phone use.

Certainly there is a better way than this. An automated system letting you know they aren’t going to be on time or a simple phone call. My previous interactions with the engineers that come to install have been good – they call just before they are about to arrive and generally stick to the promised schedule. Bell Alliant must be a different animal.

Hopefully today, or before the weekend, I can once again bask in the glow of high speed internet.