Crappy Maxis Customer Service

It has been a trying day.

I lost my phone, yes yes no need to exclaim “again?”. I already know that.

Crappy customer service from Maxis. I called using Ita’s hotlink # and was told by the machine that I cannot call 123 which is the Maxis postpaid no and was told to call a 1-300 no instead. I called that no then was told by the customer service guy that I cannot request for my line to be barred coz I am using a prepaid phone and my phone is a postpaid. What a bucketload of crap.  I told him I cannot call 123 from the phone coz it won’t process, he said he will transfer my line and of course the call was dropped. I was already in a foul mood the whole day, then I lost my phone, so this blatant stupidity broke my camel’s back.

I used another phone to call maxis, this time using a postpaid line and this was the conversation that took place.

• IA: Hello, good evening. I want to request to bar my line as I lost my phone.
• Maxis: Certainly ma’am, can I have your number (bla bla bla), ok we have barred your number, please collect your new SIM card from the nearest Maxis Centre.
• IA: Thank you. I also would like to lodge a complaint about your customer service. Do I report it here or do I need to write in? I would like to have a case complaint number because I want to follow up.
• Maxis: (stammers) what sort of complaint, ma’am?
• IA: About poor customer service. But I want to have a case number. Do I tell you about it, or do I just write in?
• Maxis: You can lodge the complaint with me.
• IA: And I will get a case number? I want to be clear because I don’t want to waste yours or my time. If you cannot give me a case number then I would prefer to write directly to your head of customer service.
• Maxis: Yes you can lodge it with me and I will give you the case number.
• IA: Ok, I am very distressed because I lost my phone. To bar my line, I used a prepaid number that I borrowed. First, I was not able to dial Maxis hotline 123 and got a recorded message to dial a 1300 number. When I dialled the 1300 number, the customer service person told me he cannot process my request because my number is a postpaid line and the phone that I use to make the call from is a prepaid line. I explained to him that I am unable to call 123 coz the call is automatically rejected so can he please assist. He refused and told me to still call 123. I raised my voice and told him that I had tried that a few times and was unable to do so and can he please just transfer me to the right person if he cannot help me. He promptly disconnected the line. Now my question is, if I had been stranded in Bangkok and had to use a public phone or a Bangkok mobile phone number to report my problem, are you saying that it cannot be entertained because I was not using a Maxis postpaid no to make that call?
• Maxis: No ma’am, you can call us from any phones at all.
• IA: I know that. That is why I am complaining, so that all your customer service people is properly briefed. Can I have my case number please because I have the exact time and date of the phone call and I want the customer service person who attended to me to be given a proper briefing and spare other people from the experiece.
• Maxis: Give me your phone number ma’am and I will call you back.
• IA: (getting agitated) Didn’t I just gave you my postpaid number just now to be barred? How are you going to call me if I don’t have a SIM card?
• Maxis: I need to type in your complain in order to get a case number.
• IA: Ok, type it in, I will wait.  Then read it out to me so that we are sure that you got it right.
• Maxis: No, I will call you back after I get the number.
• IA: Isn’t that the reason why I asked you at the first place about this? If you cannot give me the case number, you should have told me from the very beginning. How do I know that you will even call me back?
• Maxis: (stammers even further)  But if I type the complain for you right now, it will take time.
• IA: I already told you I will wait. Go ahead type it.
• Maxis:  I cannot do that. I have to call you back
• IA: Then why are you wasting my time? Wasn’t I being clear about this from the beginning? What is your name, please?
• Maxis: Shila
• IA: Can I have your full name please?
• Maxis: No, that is my own personal thing.
• IA: (annoyed) You mean you are a customer service person but you refuse to let me know who you are? How do I know if Shila is even your real name? Can I speak to your manager or supervisor please.
• Maxis: I don’t have a manager
• IA: Don’t lie to me. I know how customer service centre works and I know that there is a monitor to count how long a call takes and if a call is dropped. There are several managers who will handle difficult cases. Pass me to a manager now.
• Maxis: Ok, I will check with the manager (put me on hold for 6 full minutes). Sorry ma’am the manager is busy with another customer
• IA: That is ok, I will wait. Or, you can give me his or her name so that I can call back and request for him.
• Maxis: I cannot give you my manager’s name.
• IA: (laughs) Then give me your full name as I have every intent to add this into the complaint.
• Maxis: It is up to you, you can write to customercare@maxis.com.my
• IA: Oh no no, I will write to NCC directly. What is your name?
• Maxis: (hesitated)
• IA: It’s either your name or your supervisor’s name. This phone call is recorded. I can easily trace who you are, you know.
• Maxis: Ok ok, my name is Norshila Nordin (I asked her to spell her name out and give me the address where she is stationed).
• IA: Thank you, and have a pleasant evening because I certainly had a pleasant experience dealing with Maxis.
• Maxis: -no dial tone- she obviously hang up on me.

Several things irritated me about Norshila Nordin:

1. She gave me the wrong impression about the case number. And when I offered to stay on the line while she lodge the complain, she insisted I should hang up and and she will call me back. Wtf? Sub-questions: (i) How is she going to call me when my number is barred; (ii) How do I know she will even call me back?
2. She didn’t want to let me speak to her manager and LIED about not having one. What does she take me for? An idiot?
3. When I told her I know she is lying, she refused to give me her name; then put me on hold and still refused to connect me to her manager though I offered to wait on the line.

I am sure she gave me a fake name. But it is not stopping me from submitting a complaint anyway. Stupid stupid maxis. I hope those who work with Maxis recoil with embarassment when they read this. They should be. Their service suck and their people suck.