After upgrading my iPhone to IOS 16, I could no longer use my phone for calls or texts. I use Visible for my cell service. One of the trade-offs for Visible’s low price is that you can only get support via their website, user forums and tech support chat.
Naturally, all of the troubleshooting options on their support website were of absolutely no use. How can it be that whenever I have a problem, other than a password reset, every company’s support website is of no use whatsoever?
I’m not that unique. I can’t be. My problems can’t be that unique either.
Because Apple just rolled out IOS 16 and at the time released the latest iPhone, I suspected their were many people trying to chat with tech support at Visible. Sure enough, their website said they were “experiencing unusually high volume”. Then again, that seems to be the standard for any customer service line, anytime, for any company. (Except FedX, Amex, REI, Vanguard and a few others).
I waited in the chat queue for over an hour before giving up because I had other stuff to do.
I figured my issue might spontaneously clear up. Apple would release a patch to IOS 16. Visible would update their software or systems other side. Or the surge in new activations would taper off and I’d be able to connect.
Three days later, still with no phone service after spending hours googling for possible answers and trying everything, I figured out a solution. There’s no point in detailing it here.
It’s not documented anywhere, but I will go onto the Visible forum and explain it for other users in case they have a similar problem.
This, my fellow consumer, is how companies lower their customer service service costs. They outsource it to the end user.
We’ve seen this everywhere and accept it without question anymore.
- We pump our own gas.
- We scan and bag our own groceries.
- We troubleshoot our electronic devices.
- We google for answers.
Often I think, “I prefer it this way”, I’m faster and better than having a disinterested employee doing it anyway. Getting gas is faster. My groceries are bagged exactly the way I want them. I end up fixing most of my technical problems without ever leaving my house and take pride in figuring things out.
It’s a brilliant scam by the companies though. Provide no support, keep prices as high as the market will bear, pocket the profits and don’t think twice abut the customer experience once you get their money.
This is what I despise about capitalism.
It’s one reason why I buy as little as little. Less stuff, means less work for me to support it.