Inefficiency or Incompetence?

When was the last time you had to call your cable company, utility company, phone company, or some other service provider? How long did it take? How many reps did you have to talk to before you were finally talking to someone who actually had some authority to help you?

I feel bad for the reps. They're doing a job without being given the tools to do their job. They ask tons of questions, which you patiently (I hope) answer and then find out they can't help you because they're in the wrong department.

So they transfer you to another department. After a lengthy rendition of elevator music punctuated by occasional ads, you are connected to the next rep. Then the horror of Groundhog Day begins for possibly the next couple of hours. You keep getting transferred, and you keep having to explain why you're calling. Again. And again. And again.

Companies frequently confuse streamlining with efficiency. Maybe it makes sense to them, but that is inefficient and incompetent customer service. Oh, the keyword is "service." The customer is not there to make life easier for the company. The company is supposed to serve the customer for the best possible customer experience.

But no, some corporate jobsworth thinks each employee should specialize in only one aspect of customer service (if you can call it that), and the customer should be passed along like at an assembly line. No, I do not want to explain my issue to the 10th person after having explained it to nine of your colleagues already (look it up on your computer screen; I'd hope they had all been taking notes!) plus having to endure annoying elevator music with the intermittent ubiquitous ads about all the services you offer!

So, reader, I am asking for your stories. Tell me about the times when you had to deal with less-than-satusfacory customer service: How did you handle the situation?

As always, please keep it civil and relevant. I promise I will refrain from commenting on your experience, but I might be curious enough to ask questions to better understand your story.