Automation woes

I may not be the most technologically savvy person I know but I'm pretty savvy. Comes with working as a PC technician for the past 19 years.  I may not be the first to adopt a new technology but I'm usually pretty competent with new technologies.

Admittedly with my paranoia and distrust of the internet for anything that has to do with finances I'm not that keen in tracking my accounts online.  I still demand most of the companies I deal with send me paper invoices - just because I'm old school.

During the Canada post strike I've been having to make due with other ways of dealing with paying Bills and it hasn't been a huge success. Both the Fido customer support representative at Fairview and the one over the phone told me I could get my balance directly without talking to a representative using *28.  I dunno if anyone has used it successfully but I called 3 times last night and all 3 times when I pressed account balance, was transferred instantly to a representative.

You know what annoys me? It's like going through the automated menu at MasterCard. They ask you to enter your card number, and then once you get a person, you have to tell them all over again.  They argue "Yeah well it didn't show up on my screen". Well then perhaps those who design those menus could think about it. Why have person keep putting his card or account number if the person who picks up the phone will ask for it again. What I have nothing better to do? Yeah in the scope of things putting a number in several times isn't a big deal, unless you have ADHD and it takes a lot of focus for me not to mess up a long number. Then people wonder why I find it so incredibly irritating to have to deal with customer service representatives.

So this morning I figured I'd go through the internet based interface at Fido to access my account balance to see if I can get the new phone. Won't be able to get new phone until balance shows 0. Otherwise they want me to pay it upfront. I've already payed it at the bank last week.  So I made sure I could log into FIDO but when I try to access my account I get "Sorry! Your request cannot be completed at this time due to a technical issue".  So it leaves me with no other option then to call yet another representative. It's highly irritating.  Why have 20 ways to access something and in the end none work and you still are stuck talking to a representative.