T Mobile Dealer Knows Little

So my cell phone died.

In the old days, that might not be a big deal.  But when your cell phone is your home phone and your work phone - you kind of need it to work.

Two days ago it died in the middle of a call.  I assumed the battery was low.  But it did it again today - and I knew I had a 1/2 charge.  The good news: I was already on my way to the mall and knew I could pop in to see a T Mobile Dealer.

Little did I know how much fun this would be.

Me: Wondering if you could help me, my phone just died in the middle of a call.
Him: (taking the battery out of the back) Ahhhh - I see the problem.  You use a car charger.
Me: Nope, never.
Him: (Gesturing to the employee next to him: ) Do you see that?  (and to me) Can you feel that?  The battery is warped.  It has clearly been given too much of a charge.
Him again: Or it could be your charge port - you might have hurt it. Don’t worry - so many people do it.
Him again: You know, I’m going to change your SIM card because we are in the process of changing over to the 3G network and a lot of people have been having problems.  We’ll see if that fixes it.
(He changes out the SIM card)
Me: So what happens with the new card?
Him: Oh nothing - you don’t have a 3G phone.

(Picture me tilting my head as though he is speaking a foreign language because I now have a 3G Sim card I don’t need)

Him: If this doesn’t work, you may have to send your phone to T-Mobile - I probably can’t do anything for you - so you can have a new one in five to seven business days.

(Now picture me looking at him as though I would like to kick him in the shins)

However, I refuse to be baited. I will deal with that if necessary. In the mean time he is asking if I would like free home phone service and then telling me I don’t qualify.  Is this guy for real?

My phone comes back on….for about 15 minutes. And then dies. Again. Also in the middle of a call.

Against my will, I return to the store.

Him: (plugging my phone into a charger) I know your problem.  Can you see that? (wiggles charger) You see how that’s moving? (here comes my favorite part) Now don’t worry, you are just part of the club now - I know how it probably happened - you’re a mom, you’re crazy and all over the place, the kids are making you frazzled, you aren’t paying attention and are just too rough with the charger and phone.

**I think it was at this moment that my look of curiosity turned to venom**

I’m crazy and all over the place?  I’m joining a club?? I’m not paying attention because I’m frazzled??  He can’t be serious, can he??  Am I being Punk’d? Because clearly he did not just say that to me.

It is at this moment that he realizes he might need to back far away from me - quickly- and he offers to put me on the phone with customer service.

Good move.  They pretty much tell me Joe Cool is a moron.  It is not a warped battery.  It has NOTHING to do with my SIM card.  It is not the charger port.

It is a software glitch that can be fixed for free via my computer.

Here’s the thing - I don’t mind that Joe Cool didn’t know how to solve my problem.  I do mind that he pretended to know and that he BLAMED me and my mothering for what?  For a cause he made up?

Thank heavens the T-Mobile guys on the phone knew what they were talking about. It took three hours to download and correct the problem.  But so far, so good.

T-Mobile - can you stick to using your employees and lose the T-Mobile Dealers?