Singapore Expats

Hi everyone,

I thought I'd like to share my unfortunate (ongoing) experience with all of you.

I just changed to Singtel from M1 for a new phone plan. Lately, I received over 30 missed calls in 3 days (over the weekend) The caller rang once and hang up resulting in my bombarding my mobile phone with numerous missed calls.

As what people do usually, I called the caller and asked him to stop calling as obviously, I wasn't who he was looking for! To my dismay, the calls kept persisting leaving me no choice but to file a police report.

I thought the whole matter would cease as a police report is filed and Singtel can take action, however, it only stopped for a day and the next day, the caller this time, called using un unknown line or phone booth with hidden number (smart right?). Obviously he has been warned with the possibility of police interception yet this caller persisted.

The caller is in fact some blangadesh immigrants or workers; sharing the same phone (I gathered); I'm not quite sure as I didn't catch a word of what was said to me or in my voicemail. (anyone interested, I can forward and you can translate to me what he really wants...OMG

So, I rang up Singtel once again complaining about this disturbance and infringing of my privacy. Singtel Customer Service personnel were not at all helpful nor capable.

Talk about customer service and retention. I have to pay S$30 to change to another line or pay $10 for call barring even if this was not my fault in the first place! This is clearly a recycled number problem (even the police said so) and I had to change my number again at my inconvenience, not to mention the people and business contacts I have to inform all over again. SIGH

I can't imagine what kind of customer service is Singtel or even any other telco companies executing? Are they so efficient and capable when and before sealing a deal but when it goes to after sales, you get brushed off like a flea?



I just can't believe it when Singtel says I have to accept 5 and more MISSED CALLS in order for them to activate call tracing according to their infamous protocol. How am I going to accept a call if it just rang for once and the caller hang up right after? (God knows how) The police can't do anything, neither will Singtel empathsize with me? Am I to bear the consequence of Singtel's recycled numbers policy?

Up to now, as I share with you this, the sage continues, I'm still checking on my phone to see if I have any missed calls and wondering what the next move is without having to succumb to avoiding the problem by changing to another number and paying 30 bucks...

I hope none of you have experienced this.

I'll update you guys tomorrow...

The sage continues....

And what did you learn from this! Yes quite right SINGAPORE is crap, for customer service.

In fact this is the worst Country every for customer service. and they don't bat an eyelid, they are so hard faced, ignorant, and rude.

Sometimes i feel they are so incompetent to this extent: 1.Not legally qualified
2 : inadequate to or unsuitable for a particular purpose
3 a : lacking the qualities needed for effective action b : unable to function properly nt:

I would without question sack them all on the spot! Brainless unprofessional time wasters, that only create more problems.

I get the impression that they are just drawing a salary and not actually helping in after sales. To the extent that the customer has to be put to inconvience and actually such a S&#&D up system or protocol that when such nuisance calls problem arise, they can only say: OH BUT THIS IS REQUIRED BEFORE THIS AND THIS CAN BE DONE. In most cases, people pretend that nothing happens and everything just magically goes away.

I'm so annoyed with this since this has been been such a sore in my eyes.
sigh

ksl wrote:And what did you learn from this! Yes quite right SINGAPORE is crap, for customer service.

In fact this is the worst Country every for customer service. and they don't bat an eyelid, they are so hard faced, ignorant, and rude.

Sometimes i feel they are so incompetent to this extent: 1.Not legally qualified
2 : inadequate to or unsuitable for a particular purpose
3 a : lacking the qualities needed for effective action b : unable to function properly nt:

I would without question sack them all on the spot! Brainless unprofessional time wasters, that only create more problems.

The only company I found very helpful with over-the-phone customer service were Singapore Airlines... still looking for others worth mentioning.

The worst so far (for me), is starhub.

They are supposed to have a 24 hour customer service line. But try ringing it and noone answers after hours.

I once rang at 2:30am when the cable was suddenly disconnected (brother-in-law forgot to pay the bill) - I left it on hands-free. Noone picked up all night.

When we did finally get to talk to someone, we asked them "isn't this a 24 hour line?"

The reply we got was (quoting verbatim):

"yes, but it's world cup, so they were probably too busy to answer the phone"

(I presume that meant, too busy to answer "in between matches")

They will tell you the recycle number was "free" from the pervious for more than half a year. I am also using a recycle number (because i like the number) but get lots of unkown called.

For customer service, they are not well trained and different customer services officer give you different information . (especially mobile servcies)

There is one mobile service company, when you intend to terminate the line they will kept asking you why you wanna to terminate the lines and so on. And give you no peace at all.

Do I have to fish out the typical local expression "bad luck" or any equivalent?

After a police report, the telco is binded by law to carry out call tracing or the relevant to remove such disturbance. However, I reckon that due to many grey areas (probably no-one ever thought about it) the telco tries to get away with it. Leaving the unsuspecting subscriber to his fate or luck. This should not be the way. Wonder if anyone thought about coming up with new laws to curb crimes (big/small) committed due to the evolving technology....?

ksl wrote:And what did you learn from this! Yes quite right SINGAPORE is crap, for customer service.

In fact this is the worst Country every for customer service. and they don't bat an eyelid, they are so hard faced, ignorant, and rude.

Sometimes i feel they are so incompetent to this extent: 1.Not legally qualified
2 : inadequate to or unsuitable for a particular purpose
3 a : lacking the qualities needed for effective action b : unable to function properly nt:

I would without question sack them all on the spot! Brainless unprofessional time wasters, that only create more problems.

...but surely, you are allowed to be as rude and say as you please.

That is OK?

Guess What: the caller still make that same missed call!

It's time to make that line switch.

Anyway, beware of this number: 81161948.

Alot of big Singapore companies have many stupid and unreasonable ruling, just because there are big firm with Temasek Holdings backing behind them.

For example DBS Bank, Capital Land, Singapore Power, SIA etc.

They always having such attitude like if you are not happy, you can go to other service providers, anyway, it is still belong to our big boss....Temasek Holdings.

I have a friend who has the same problem like you, some Indian workers keep on calling the the same number even my friends get a Singapore Indian friend to inform the caller that the caller he is calling no longer using this number.

The is the problem with using Singtel service, they are the oldest telco company in Singapore and they have long list of old numbers have been recycled for numerous time.

An advise to you is to get a new number starting with "8". Or perhaps you are a foreigner, Singtel have allocated a long list of recycled numbers for foreigners use. This is because, most of the foreign worker are here for short term work.

Hi Acez2,

Thanks for your tip. A stupid question: new numbers starting with 8 doesn't have a 9 in front? it's something like 8XXXXX and not 98XXXXX



I'll be grateful if you can reply me before I go to singtel today for a change of number.

Thanks!

New number series starts with "8"
Started last yr...

bright_wave wrote:Hi Acez2,

Thanks for your tip. A stupid question: new numbers starting with 8 doesn't have a 9 in front? it's something like 8XXXXX and not 98XXXXX



I'll be grateful if you can reply me before I go to singtel today for a change of number.

Thanks!

Hi Bright wave,

Yes, you are right, a mobile number starting with "8" and it is also 8 digit number. No number 9 in front.

Anyway, it is not a stupid question at all, there are still people don't know about that. Hope that I have help you on this part. Goodluck!!