Prompted by Rado's post about Mtel not fixing a business customer Internet connection I want to tell you a story about how the big company totally fucked up their online invoice system and give you a few more hints about how stupidity reigns supreme even in big companies, especially in Bulgaria.
I've never received a paper invoice for my phone bill and used the website to access any information about my bills and calls duration, etc. The problem is that I ported my number to another operator.
Porting a number away from Mtel automatically cuts access to your previous invoices online
The problem in technical terms
This is a tech blog so let's be technical. Users can register at Mtel's website via username and password. If they are customers then they can add their numbers to their profile. Once the number is verified (via SMS code), the user has access to additional services one of which is online invoices and monthly usage reports.
Migrating away to another operator "erases" your number from the system but this is not true actually. All the information is still there because they can give me print outs if I pay all the extra fees and simply because no business will voluntarily erase their database records.
The genius who designed the if-number-migrated-then-delete-from-user-profile-and-cut-off-access business process/software implementation is the biggest idiot in the world.
How Mtel handled my complaint
My request for explanation (see below) was answered with a nice letter, basically telling me to piss off. None of my questions were answered. To make things worse they want to charge extra fees for detailed print outs.
What I've asked for:
- To be granted access back to all of my invoices online. Not only I paid for them but this is something of a personal information;
- To be given copies of my last 5 invoices, preferably via email;
- To be given explanation why my online access to previous invoices was cut off;
- Mtel to stop doing this and allow access to online invoices for everyone of their past or current customers;
I've also told them I'm available to help them fix their system if they don't have the resources to do so (hint, hint: it's an if-then condition or something very close I bet).
A copy of my complaint and the response to it (in Bulgarian only):
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