My car came with a 3 month trial subscription to SiriusXM radio. I was super excited and couldn't believe I was FINALLY bringing Howard Stern back into my life. 11 years ago I used to listen to him faithfully on the FM radio in my car on the way to work. Next thing you know, he migrated to satellite radio and I stayed at home having two kids. It's been 11 long years. Here was my chance to make mornings fun and saucy again! It goes without saying, I don't listen to him when the kids are in the car. This is just a treat for me when I am kid-free.
I knew immediately I would become a subscriber when the trial ended. Beyond Howard, there are some pretty fantastic channels I am enjoying...."Seriously Sinatra", "On Broadway", "XL Stars", "Today Show", and yes, for Sam "Radio Disney".
I received marketing material after marketing material with pricing on what it will cost for me to keep the subscription going. I decided to do 6 month increments and have it auto renew each 6 months afterwards.
On October 7, I get in the car and head to my preschool job. There is no Howard Stern. The channel is showing an "unauthorized channel" message. OMG! I look at the date and realize this is day one of the paid subscription. Without missing a beat I call Sirius (from the car on the way to my job) and find out from a gentleman (who doesn't speak English as a first language and is very hard to understand) that my paid subscription does not give full access to all the channels. WHAT!!?!?!?!?! In none of the many wastes of papers that were mailed to me (mind you, they kept coming long after I had called in my credit card number) did it say that I was paying for one set of channels that were completely different than the channels in my trial period. I felt like this was a major bait and switch!
To say I was less than pleased is a major understatement. First I need to confirm all my information before this guy will tell me what the difference is in price. I have to give my full name, my husband's full name, my relationship to my husband, my address, my phone number (both home and cell), email address, and the make/model of my car. The difference in price is $29 for the 6 months. Fine, please charge my credit card and let's get on with it.
The guy starts saying something and I'm not understanding him. I tell him to just let me know the difference in price and keep going with making this transaction happen. The next few minutes are not pretty and then the guy has the nerve to say, "My phone connection is not good, you need to call back." That was all and then HE HUNG UP ON ME! Yes, HE hung up on me! Now smoke is coming out of my ears.
I immediately call back and this time a woman answers. I tell her I want to speak to a supervisor. She says fine but first needs to confirm all my information. OMG! So yes, I go through all the info again. All of it. She puts me on hold for a minute and then supposedly a 'supervisor' comes on the phone. Um, it's the same exact voice! The same exact accent and everything. Amy is pretending to be a supervisor. Whatever! I tell her how the first representative intentionally hung up on me, I tell her how I feel like a major bait and switch is happening with the access to the channels on trial vs paid subscription. All she says is "I will make a note in your account". So I press her on this...."What does that mean exactly? What happens when you make a note? After the note is made, then where does it go?" She tries to tell me that they take the notes very seriously. So I reply, "So someone will follow-up with me to discuss the note in my account?" Nope, no one will let me know what happens with my note. Now its her turn to talk and all she wants to know is "What Sirius channels do my kids enjoy in the car?" Um, what? I am not subscribing for my kid's listening pleasure. I say, all I want is Howard Stern. Again she asks, "What channels do your kids like listening to?" This is crazy. I tell her stop asking me about my kids. Just get me Howard Stern. She says she wants to make sure that my kids don't miss out on their favorite channels. I am pretty sure no is charging extra for access to Radio Disney.
She then charges my account the $29 difference in cost for getting the Howard Stern channel for the next 6 months. After that it will be $143 every six months. Yowzer! Again with the enormous price hike. Somewhere Mr. SiriusXM is sitting there counting his money, because he is making a lot. And let me tell you, it's not being spent on quality customer service.
When my morning was over at the preschool, I got back in the car and to my dismay, the Howard Stern channel was still not accessible. So I make another call. And another 5 minutes verifying all my information to tell them they haven't done what their supposed to do. As I say to the woman (who also has a really strong accent) that I am Jeff's wife, she interjects "his loving wife you meant to say, right? Really? Is this any concern of hers? What if I wasn't his loving wife? What if the guy hits me and I am ready to run for the hills and escape? Whatever, I go through my whole spiel as to how the channels don't seem to be working still. This time just as I am finally getting somewhere, the phone disconnects. UGH!
And yet another call is made within seconds of realizing I am no longer speaking to a human being on the other end of the line. And this time I say from the very beginning, please just connect me to a supervisor. I am tired of making these calls. I just want a supervisor. I refuse to verify any of my information until a supervisor comes on the line. Frank puts me on hold for a minute and comes right back on the phone "This is Frank, I am a supervisor". Seriously!??!? Another representative pretending to be a supervisor?
Me: Frank, you are not a supervisor. You are the guy who just answered the phone.
Frank: Yes, I am.
Me: No, your not.
Frank: Am to.
Me: No, your not.
Frank Am to.
Me; No, your not.
Frank Am to.
Me: OMG!!! Please stop this insanity!!
(magically now Howard Stern comes on!)
Me: Look, I was calling because I am supposed to have all channel access and up until 10 seconds ago I didn't have it. Now I do. For the record I would like to say, this is the worst customer service ever. Worst marketing materials ever. And if it wasn't for Howard Stern I would cancel my subscription right now.
Frank: Can you verify your account information?
I laugh. I really laugh. Then I give him all of it without him even having to prompt me for the next item. I give him my full name, Jeff's full name, my relationship to Jeff, my cell phone number, my home number, my address, my email address, and the make/model of my car.
Frank: I am sorry you are so frustrated. I will make note of this in your account.
Me: Wow Frank, that would be great.
Fast forward to the next day. I get an email asking to take a survey for feedback on my call to SiriusXM. I can't wait to see if they do anything with all the information I typed back.
THINGS I'VE LEARNED ABOUT SiriusXM:
1. They do not employ any supervisors.
2. They do not have any employees that have English as a first language. I am pretty certain all 4 calls were directed to a call center in India.
3. Their marketing materials sent to potential customers needs major help; it was not clear that I was paying for a limited amount of channels and would not be getting everything my trail had included. The marketing materials also did not stop arriving and arriving and arriving encouraging me to be a new customer even after I had already given them my credit card and signed up.
It's shame there isn't more competition (or any?) in this industry to make them step up their game. They've got us where they want us. And with 3 months of loving the trial, I am officially sucked into their game. I'd say they are by far the winners in all this.
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