How much more can I get frustrated? (Maybe I should not ask....)

Y'all. I am at my peak. The summit. The edge. The end of my rope.

And today it is all because of FedEx. This breakdown brought to you by FedEx - a champion of aggravation!

I use FedEx because:
1. The drop off is blocks away from my house - the house full of crazy. I can walk when it is not sweltering outside. (Let me refer you to my previous post - 2 months ago.)
2. I have an account there and don't need to worry about paying.
3. It is easier to use FedEx ground that USPS.

It has been quite awhile since I have used FedEx until last week. As I normally do I fill out a slip, either online or by hand, pack up my package, drop it off and charge it . Easy cheesy.

I received a letter this week from FedEx. The credit card on the account has a problem and that I needed to go online to pay the charges or call FedEx. I chose go online.

The online experience was so trying. I input my email address. Could not be found. I input my other address - could not be found. OK. I sign-up, input all required info, input my account number and input the last 4 digits of my credit card. I assumed (silly me) they meant the credit card I wished to use on the account, seeing that I had to register the account online and it did not have any info tied to it. I hit submit and it asked me again to input the last 4 digits. I did that and it takes me back to the registration prompt. I quit. I did it all again and I get back to the prompt. Quit. Did it again. Yelled at the monitor. Ok. Three times I am the idiot now. So I decided to call.

I spoke with a rep, rather quickly I might have to say. She asked me the name on the account, to verify the address, and the last 4 digits of the credit card number on file. I did not know the last 4 digits. We opened that account umteen years ago. I do not even know what card has the issue - has it expired, is it the one we had to have renewed due to fraud? I do not know. She said she can't help me unless I had an invoice number or the cc #. I told her that I did not have an invoice, that I drop off my packages and that is that. She said she can not help me. Sorry. FedEx policy. Sorry. Policy. Sorry. Sorry.

Now let me refresh your memory. We received a letter stating I need to contact FedEX to give them new credit card info. I was calling to put the new credit card on the account so they can charge me. FedEx wouldn't go any further with me because I did not know what credit card I used years ago on the account. Is it me or does anyone else see the Catch 22 in this? I searched files, I pulled out old cc #s. I get madder and madder.

Then I have a thought - check the mail. Voila - an invoice. I give said invoice number to her and miraculously we can get through everything else as needed. All I needed to know now was could the charges on the account be put on the cc. I had to be transferred.

As I waited she came back on about 5 times to say she was trying to connect me but she was having phone trouble. (Did I say yet that it sounded like she was whsipering through a can rolling in gravel during all of this but when she put me on hold, Beethoven's 5th was on the highest volume the phone could tolerate before exploding the speaker out?) Finally I heard breathing (really I did) and I said "hello". The agent said"umm hello". I said "hello" and Beethoven blasted me off the receiver. I waited and she came back and then Ludwig was back. Finally she came back (hallelujah) and asks if I wanted to put the charges on the card. She took care of all and we were done.

The call alone took about 20 minutes, in all about 40. 40 minutes of my life I will not have back again. Couple that with the Sprint "courtesy" call I got today from somewhere outside of the US. Well, if he was not outside the US, then he was definitely not from the US. (I love all people from all over the world but dang nab - please- if someone works in customer service, sales or support - please, for the love of God and all that is good - please speak English correctly, audibly and with understanding. I know everyone needs a job but some jobs require English speaking skills.) I tried to kindly twart the call but ended up a 20 minute excrusiation instead.

I told him I was at work and he wanted to know if he could call me tonight. Sure - let me kick back tonight and talk with you while the kids need a bath, dinner needs to be made, homework needs assistance and to be checked, so you can tell me why since I am a valued Sprint customer, you need to sell me a new line for $9 a month for a family, friend or loved one. They'll even throw in a new phone (which believe me was so dang tempting since I have a hate/hate relationship with my phone) but I explained that I am just waiting for Paul's contract to expire and for the day that I accidentally drop my phone behind the tire of my van and roll over the stinking thing so I can get an iphone.

Why is everything so dang difficult these days? Why is customer service taking a national plunge? Why is technology making my life harder instead of easier? Why are other people who I am in no way related to, aquainted with or have any connection other than we are from the same species sucking time out of my day?

So all this has driven me to blog. Pretty or eloquent -no. Therapeutic - yes.

Got to go now. Time to experience life and gather more blog fodder. Have a customer service/telemarketing-free night all. Dah Dah Dah Dahhhh.