Does Customer Service still call you to help you solve issues?

[glblanc]

I have 3 Public Mobile accounts with the most recent activated in April 2018 on the $30 per 30 Days plan.

The most recent number suddenly stopped working. No incoming or outgoing calls. If I try to call the number I get "You have reached a number that is not equipped for incoming service". Tried the SIM on two different Public Mobile phones and it shows "Unregistered SIM".

This is obviously a sign of something wrong with the network provisioning of the SIM card -  which seems to happen sometimes to new signups or when you port a number. But it is strange that it would happen to an existing, already working number. I have the account setup on autopay so no issues with the account (already verified by a customer service rep).

My question is, does the customer service still call you to try to resolve issues? When I first joined Public Mobile a few years ago and had issues with porting, I remember getting called by Customer Service when they were helping me. Is that no longer in practice?

I understand that Public Mobile is a "no frills" service and I understand that it is cheaper to have us contact them through Private Message and through Community based Customer Support. Also totally understand that each time you send a message it can take anywhere from an hour to 4 hours, if not longer, for them to get to your message and help you. But my problem is that when they get to you, they can send you a quick - "Please try to reboot your phone or try in another phone" and leave you hanging for another round of few hours to get back to you. If they called me, I could have tested it right away and eliminated that possiblility and they could have moved on to trying to fix it on their end.

I wouldn't mind the wait of even upto half a day for them to get to my issue - as long as they are committed to helping me solve it once they it gets to my turn.

My last message to them was yesterday (May 17) evening 6:18 PM that I have already tested on different Public Mobile phones with no luck - showing "Unregistered SIM".

No more communication or status updates since then.

Here's hoping we can get this resolved today before the long weekend.

[glblanc]

...in case anyone is wondering...

It's been 6 days (2 days to get a ticket opened with the technical team + 4 days since the ticket to the technical team was created) and I'm still waiting without service...

[glblanc]

If what you say is true, then I guess someone could still be lucky enough to get a Customer Service rep who will take that extra step to try to help you resolve it as soon as possible.

I understand that the way support is structured, the Customer Service reps on these forums are helpless to solve most technical problems - everything needs to be escalated to the technical department.

But taking two days to finally escalate an issue due to this time-delayed messaging back and forth - while service is disrupted - seems like it can be greatly improved on.

Support by private message is not bad - and it certainly gets things done. But it works well for non-essential support like billing issues, etc.

After my latest "update" post got deleted twice yesterday, I finally got a message by a different Customer Service rep who informed me they have created a ticket to the technical team - and now will take anywhere from 24 to 48 hours (maybe sooner) before it is completed.

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@@computergeek541 wrote:

There are sometimes cases in which Public Mobile customer service has contacted a customers by phone them, even they are on an online-only support price plan.  Most of the time, you will be sent a private messages from Moderator_Team, but it's not unheard of for a customers to be contacted by phone by Public Mobile.

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[computergeek541]

There are sometimes cases in which Public Mobile customer service has contacted a customers by phone them, even they are on an online-only support price plan.  Most of the time, you will be sent a private messages from Moderator_Team, but it's not unheard of for a customers to be contacted by phone by Public Mobile.

[glblanc]

Hmmm.... very interesting!

Looks like my latest "update" posts are getting deleted.

At first I thought I clicked on something in error and deleted it - so I reposted it. Now it's gone again. 🙂

[glblanc]

Update: 3:41 PM

In your previous messages, you mentioned that you were able to use text and data plans. That won't be the case if your phone says "Unregistered SIM".

(I have never mentioned I could use text and data. How could I if I have an Unregistered SIM? My guess is they still haven't tried calling the number (LOL) - so they think the audio message I was telling them about "You have reached a number that is not equipped for incoming service" was a text message of some sort.)

Still insisting on me providing answers to the questions - so I provided them

•    Provide an example of Time, Date and calling number

May 18, 2017 - 4:03 PM (tried again just now) - called from

416-xxx-xxxx (Public Mobile Number)

905-xxx-xxxx (VOIP Number)

My suggestion that you try calling the number is so you can also experience first hand what the error message is - not only based on what I am telling you.

•    Is the calling number a landline, cell or voice-over-IP (VOIP)? Which Carrier?

see above

•    Does the service work when the device is on HSPA only or on LTE only or both? 

doesn't work in both

•    What is the signal strength AND indicator (3G, 4G, LTE) displayed on the device?

Indicator doesn't indicate 3G/4G/LTE but the signal strength is full (4 bars)

Looks like this is not going to be solved anytime before the long weekend after all. 😞

Now that I have provided them the answers (lets hope they don't come back and ask me for more stuff before they can talk to their technical department).

One of the options they gave me me to go buy a new SIM Card because they think the SIM Card might be defective. I am going to hold off on that for now. Whats the use of spending more money if they haven't even spoken to their tech department yet to see if it's on their end? Is it really so hard to get hold of tech department?

If it doesn't get resolved soon, I think I might as well just lick my wounds and move the number out to another provider.

2 days now....

[glblanc]

Update: 3:41 PM

In your previous messages, you mentioned that you were able to use text and data plans. That won't be the case if your phone says "Unregistered SIM".

(I have never mentioned I could use text and data. How could I if I have an Unregistered SIM? My guess is they still haven't tried calling the number (LOL) - so they think the audio message I was telling them about "You have reached a number that is not equipped for incoming service" was a text message of some sort.)

Still insisting on me providing answers to the questions - so I provided them

•    Provide an example of Time, Date and calling number

May 18, 2017 - 4:03 PM (tried again just now) - called from

416-xxx-xxxx (Public Mobile Number)

905-xxx-xxxx (VOIP Number)

My suggestion that you try calling the number is so you can also experience first hand what the error message is - not only based on what I am telling you.

•    Is the calling number a landline, cell or voice-over-IP (VOIP)? Which Carrier?

see above

•    Does the service work when the device is on HSPA only or on LTE only or both? 

doesn't work in both

•    What is the signal strength AND indicator (3G, 4G, LTE) displayed on the device?

Indicator doesn't indicate 3G/4G/LTE but the signal strength is full (4 bars)

Looks like this is not going to be solved anytime before the long weekend after all. 😞

Now that I have provided them the answers (lets hope they don't come back and ask me for more stuff before they can talk to their technical department).

One of the options they gave me me to go buy a new SIM Card because they think the SIM Card might be defective. I am going to hold off on that for now. Whats the use of spending more money if they haven't even spoken to their tech department yet to see if it's on their end? Is it really so hard to get hold of tech department?

If it doesn't get resolved soon, I think I might as well just lick my wounds and move the number out to another provider.

2 days now....

[glblanc]

I was *hoping* they would call me as they did when I first signed up. I didn't know they changed the "eligibility" till I was just made aware.

In any case, my endgame is to try to resolve the issue as soon as possible and yet, we're playing this extremely delayed version of SMS where they're asking me questions that they could have got the answers to from either my previous responses or by just calling the number themselves.

Maybe it's just my rationalizing, but as someone who is supposed to troubleshoot problems, I would think that the first thing they might have done was to try calling the number themselves to verify that it is indeed having an issue.

If they had done that, they might have immediately isolated the problem to a network provisioning issue - because, if it was a bad phone or a faulty SIM, any incoming calls would have been sent directly to voicemail.

In my case, the caller is getting a message saying "You have reached a number that is not equipped for incoming service."

Plus, I've already told them that it cannot make outgoing calls, and (because) the phone(s) say "Unregistered SIM" in my very first message to them.

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@stonechucker wrote:

@glblanc, really, why would you think they would call you, when there is no voice support offered to customers after whatever date it was in January 2015?

If you have given this information before, copy and paste.  

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[LEGO]

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@glblanc wrote:

Update today: 12:29 PM

From Customer Service:

....I'm afraid that at this step the only thing to do is to send a ticket to the technical department so they can fix the issue. It's definitely a port issue as the transfer was successful.

 (how can it be a port issue when the number was working properly for over a month already?) 

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It depends who is replied to your message; they might not read it thoroughly before answering. Sad, but this is a reality! 

[stonechucker]

@glblanc, really, why would you think they would call you, when there is no voice support offered to customers after whatever date it was in January 2015?

If you have given this information before, copy and paste.  

[glblanc]

Update today: 12:29 PM

From Customer Service:

....I'm afraid that at this step the only thing to do is to send a ticket to the technical department so they can fix the issue. It's definitely a port issue as the transfer was successful.

 (how can it be a port issue when the number was working properly for over a month already?)

In order to send the ticket, please get back to me with the following: 

 •    Provide an example of Time, Date and calling number

They didn't bother to try calling the number. (not my number - the number having the issue). If they did, they could have been the "example" - just log their time of calling, etc.

•    Is the calling number a landline, cell or voice-over-IP (VOIP)? Which Carrier?

Same as above. Same message whether calling mobile of landline.

•    Does the service work when the device is on HSPA only or on LTE only or both? 
•    What is the signal strength AND indicator (3G, 4G, LTE) displayed on the device?

Already told them I before that tested on different Public Mobile compatible phones and it gives the same message - Unregistered SIM. That has nothing to do with signal strength or frequency. 

And Yes, looks like they are NOT going to call me to ask me these questions.

Wow!! @CS_Agent

[closng]

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@glblanc wrote:

Okay. 

Back when I signed up, there wasn't this option available.

(Also shows that I have not had any reason to contact Customer Support since I signed up).

Back then, we couldn't call them - but the Customer Service called me to help me with my issue.

Which is why I am asking whether they still call - for new accounts? I am not asking if we can call in using *611.

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@LEGO wrote:

Any customer who has  activated before January 27th 2015, may call in by dialing *611 from your phone or 1-855-4PUBLIC for Customer Support.

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Unfortunately, all new accounts will only receive support through the community by means of private messages to the Moderator. Do not expect to have customer support call you 🙂

[glblanc]

Okay. 

Back when I first signed up, there wasn't this option available.

(Also shows that I have not had any reason to contact Customer Support since I first signed up).

Back then, we couldn't call them - but the Customer Service called me to help me with my issue.

Which is why I am asking whether they still call - for new accounts? I am not asking if we can call in using *611.

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@LEGO wrote:

Any customer who has  activated before January 27th 2015, may call in by dialing *611 from your phone or 1-855-4PUBLIC for Customer Support.

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[LEGO]

Any customer who has  activated before January 27th 2015, may call in by dialing *611 from their phone or 1-855-4PUBLIC for Customer Support.

[glblanc]

come again?

There is some "eligibility" for different kinds of support?

And also, yes, it is my most recent activation - but it is currently an existing, working number. Working for over a month already. This is not a new number porting in. It just suddenly stopped working.

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@LEGO wrote:

Since this is your most recent activation it is not eligible for Customer support over phone. You are limited for online support only!

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[LEGO]

Since this is your most recent activation it is not eligible for Customer support over the phone. You are limited for online support only!

[will13am]

Unless there is unusually heavy traffic maybe due to a system wide bug or a promo resulting in a lot of new customer coming on stream, the turnaround time with the moderator team is around one hour.  When interacting with them, it is important to be precise with describing the problem.  Provide information on troubleshooting that may have already been tried but was unsuccessful.  Basically, set them up for success the first time.