For those of you who follow me on Twitter or Facebook, I marveled at the distance they were willing to go to help you in stores while shopping. Well, that’s changed now. I really and truly dislike being followed in stores – literally, they are on my ass, wanting to help. I’m thisclose to screaming at them to leave me alone. If I want help, I will ask. I hate it. I send one away, only to have one more show up a fraction of a second later, wanting to help me. I know they’re just doing their job, but they watch and see if one is sent away, another will appear to help. I am being tag teamed in a store! Help. haha
All I wanted to do was price out a hair dryer and a ceramic hair straightener – that’s it. I walk down the aisle and am descended upon by not one, not two, but THREE sales people. I was already cranky and pissy to begin with so when they all followed me and tried to ask if I needed help, I snarled, "IF I NEED HELP I WILL FIND YOU. UNTIL THEN, LEAVE ME ALONE." and…I can’t believe I freaking did this…I waved them away as if they were hired help. Ugh. Of course, a fourth sales person popped up as soon as I drove the other 3 away and when he asked if he could help me I said, "yes, you can. Leave me alone until I ask for help." At that point, I was too irritated and I just walked off and went outside to cool off.
Normally I am not like that with sales people in general (at least I hope I’m not), but you have to understand exactly what prompted me to be such a mega bitch…
It all began on March 20th – with a text from the phone company – "Your phone bill is due on the 24th. Kindly remit payment by then. Thank you." — approximately 3 texts that day, reminding me payment is due. You think I’d forget that? nope. I’m a big girl now and I even told Colin that it was due. He said he’d pay, but it got busy and he forgot. I didn’t want to add on to his last minute frenzy of packing.
March 21 – same text, from noon until 8 pm, every hour. It went on like that until the 24th.
Sidenote: The bill hasn’t been paid yet because Colin’s in the US and forgot to pay before he left on March 22.
Ah…March 25, no payment has been made and the phone calls started. From 1pm until 8pm, calls from some anonymous number I didn’t want to answer because I didn’t know the number.
March 26 – calls again from some odd number. I finally answered and it was AirTel (our provider here) wanting…DEMANDING payment. I told them my situation.
March 27 – calls again which I ignored
March 28 – more calls and I was snippy this time because I answered it.
March 29 – (today) I got a somewhat aggressive man and I said, "All your company’s phone calls and texts isn’t going to make the payment get to you faster. This is HIS WIFE. Stop the calls. Stop the texts. You will get your damn money on Tuesday – got it? After we pay I am canceling this account because this harrassment is ridiculous. GOT IT?" The man was apologetic and he backed down. He asked if there was anything I wanted to know about AirTel. I said, "How do I get AirTel to stop calling me and texting me before a bill is due?" He apologized and said he couldn’t help me. I said, "I thought so. Thank you. Goodbye." and I hung up before he could say anything.
So far since that happened no calls *knocks on wood* and no texts from them. It’s ridiculous because I hate those phone calls and texts. We also have AirTel as our phone and DSL provider and true to their form, a week before the bill is due, they are calling the house phone reminding us of when payment is due.
Oh AND we also get a messenger who hand delivers bills to the door and wants you to sign for it. They are also authorized to take payment. I thought that kind of stuff went out with the 50s and 60s? Well…welcome to India, where they are years behind the rest of the world. Ah, that good old bureaucracy.
The level of bureaucracy here is disgustingly stupid. In America, you get the bill and you look at the due date – that is when you know it’s due and it’s up to you. You miss it? Oh well, pay the penalty. Bill collectors only start to call after 3 months (or so I’ve been told).
So imagine this aggressive calling and texting for bills that are due or past due. It happens every 2 weeks and frankly, I’m sick of it.
Can you blame me? I am going to ask colin to get me a post paid (pay as you go type of thing) so the phone calls will stop. At least I can deal with one harrassing thing, but the constant phone calls and texts are ridiculous. Talk about harrassment.
I don’t know how the Indian population puts up with it. I really don’t. I’d kick every single CS person who ever called me. Oh and the irony of all this? Air Tel still can’t get parts of my phone bill correct. LOL
I told colin I want to go to Vodaphone because the new blackberry is there…I wonder if the Blackberry storm is worth it – anyone have one that can tell me if it is?
Ok, rant done – for now.
Over and out.
-Carina-
Was this post interesting? Come read more!
