My Quest to Fix Qwest

I can't begin to tell you how much I hate Qwest.

Ever since we moved into our house in FEBRUARY, they have sent me a wrong bill. Every month I call them. Every month they've tweaked something in my account that's supposed to bring the cost down and fix the mis-billing.

Every month they give me a new amount to pay, which I do, and every month I get another bill with the extra $35-40 on it that still hasn't been written off.

And today, I called, and for the first time in 6 or 7 months, I was told that they would NOT adjust this amount they had promised since March, and that there was nothing they could do about it.

Q: Can I talk to the supervisor?
A: I am a billing supervisor.

Q: Can I talk to YOUR supervisor then, supervisor?
A: The only people above me are executives, and they don't take phone calls.

Q: REALLY?
A: Really.

Q: So you're telling me after eight billing cycles where you've promised to fix my bill, you won't fix it?
A: We are sorry, but that is correct.

Q: Did you know your company sucks?
A: We are sorry, but that is correct.

OK, that last one didn't go quite that way, but the rest of the conversation pretty much went like that, with a few variations, especially from me.

Mom was here watching Nora when I got my latest Qwest ebill, and I figured I could call again, get the promise to fix it, and get the "real" amount for my bill.

WRONG.

Seventy-two minutes later (I checked my phone when I finally hung up), I had talked to not one, not two, but THREE Qwest representatives, who decided, finally, after I feigned a near-nervous breakdown and threats to cancel all my services and take my business to Comcast, they decided they could do something for me after all.

So what did they do?

They decided to keep me as a "loyal" Qwest customer, I get 50% off my phone and Internet service for the next three months.

Total value? $120.

Now, tell me, people, what screwed up corporate world thinks that sticking me with $40 on one bill and giving me $120 back in free services is somehow fair trade?

Qwest does, apparently.

What a bunch of yahoos.