Non Customer Service Story- How the deaf are 'aided' by one UK mobile phone provider

I heard today an interesting story from a friend about customer no-service, imbecile scripts and shoddy training. She is translator for the deaf. 

Deaf people use mobile phones most of the time, pretty obviously for texting.  They have become a lifeline, one of the more useful useful devices and often really on them so if something breaks it makes life a bit pretty tricky. So if it does you would imagine that your mobile phone provider would have system for dealing with just this situation I mean we have we have ramps for building access…

Our hero today? Let's call him Colin, because that’s that is his real name,  and let’s call his cell phone provider ‘Four ’as that’s pretty close. You figure who it is..

Colin’s phone has broken so he enlists the help of my friend who can translate for him using sign language

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So his interpreter rings up 'Four’s’ customer services.

The conversation went something like this:

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‘Hello, I’m speaking on behalf of one your customers.  He  is deaf so I am translating for him…

‘OK, but I need to authenticate that he is the owner.’

‘That’s a bit tricky. He can’t speak.’

‘But  I need to speak to him.’

 

Well, as I say that’s a bit tricky as he is deaf and you probably wouldn't understand what he is saying.’

‘But we need to speak to him to authenticate that he is the user.’

‘OK I’ll put him on.’

 Colin tries his best but he’s not very good a vocalising because… he is profoundly deaf.

‘Did you get any of that?’

 

No. Not really. Are you speaking from the phone  number of the owner?

No. That would be lovely but we can’t because it’s because it’s broken' that is why we are ringing you'

‘Well  I can’t process anything until I have authenticated him…’

‘Look, I have all his details, his credit card,bank details, his pin number, his date of birth, is that not enough to prove that he is who he is.?’

‘No’.

‘Well can I speak to your manager  then?’

‘I can’t pass you through until I’ve authenticated the account.’

Interpreter looses it… Creative expletives.

‘I’ll put you through then..’ Phone rings for five minutes then cuts off.

Eventually they take him into the City to a ‘Four ‘shop.  They explain the problem, their staff are pretty helpful…they do not have the phone he needs so they say they will contact him to tell him where he can pick it up from.

So they do, and leave him a voice message!!

Did we learn nothing from 2012?