The Switch Didn't Happen.

I told you I hate making changes. I have been a customer of Aurora Cable since Aurora Cable came into being and of Bell Telephone longer than that.

I know Bell isn't what it once was and I had no experience of their television or Internet services.
But Rogers wasn't what Aurora Cable was and I yearned for that.

I decided to switch and take Bell's package.

Back in July, I spent more than an hour discussing the package.. It would cost less than I was paying to two providers. The hour I actually spent in discussion did not include the time it took to actually reach a living voice.

Don't you just love it when after several minutes of disembodied instructions, you find yourself presented with several options to choose, none of which fit your purpose?

Then, mindful of the time it takes to get that far, you take a stab at one. It puts you in touch, with someone who can't help you but transfers you to with someone they hope can...help that is. But there's no guarantee.

My eventual discussion ended with agreement I would call on Monday to confirm the order. It meant I had to call Rogers and cancel at a date which would mean service would not be interrupted.

I didn't do that.

A month later , on the agreed upon date which had not been confirmed by me, two technicians showed up separately at my door.

It was Saturday

I sent them away. Since I had not confirmed and notified Rogers, I felt it was wise.

Subsequently, at the end of August, I went through the process again . I did notify Rogers, with regret, to disconnect the service on October 4th because I was switching to Bell on October 3rd.

Again it was Saturday.

Rogers sent me a bill to close the account. I paid that.

The day came.

I waited for phone calls. announcing separate arrivals of two technicians.

Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Amen.

At two-thirty pm, I called Bell. Went through the tortuous routine noted above. After thirty minutes of waiting because my call was important to them, I finally reached one of their operators.

Of course it wasn't an operator who could handle the matter. I was transferred. After lengthy explanations and checks into this and that ,we had almost concluded the matter, when the phone disconnected.

I waited for a call back. It would certainly have been easier to reach me than it is for me to reach the person I was talking to, whose name and department I knew not, after waiting Heaven knows how long because my call was important to them for the next available operator because all of their operators are busy at the moment because they are having an unusually heavy list of calls.

It didn't happen.

Oh my Lord, I had to do it all over again. Now it was about 4.30p.m.

This time the operator I eventually reached ,discovered the appointment was still on but it was for p.m. That meant they would be here around 7.30p.m.

I waited . In vain.

Now.... my service with Rogers would be terminated on Sunday and I would be isolated from the world .

That didn't happen on Sunday.

But on Monday morning , I was without Internet service.

I called Rogers. Explained my dilemma. Discussed their newly advertised bundle. Learned I could have more t.v.channels and other upgrades for less money than Bell's bundle.

I bought it.

The switch didn't happen.

I have not contacted Bell.

They have not contacted me.

Now I am going to tell you with absolute certainty....things never used to be like this.