Imagine being trapped in a never-ending loop of hold music and endless transfers, with no resolution in sight. This is the customer service nightmare that Rogers clients are facing, and it's a story that needs to be told.
Anil Sedha, a Winnipeg resident, thought canceling his Rogers business internet service would be a simple online process. Little did he know, it would turn into a seven-hour saga spread across several weeks.
"It was a constant theme of heavy call volumes," Sedha shared. No matter the time or day, the outcome remained the same: hours of waiting, speaking to unhelpful representatives, and being disconnected, only to start all over again.
Sedha's experience is not an isolated incident. Dozens of Rogers customers have reached out with similar complaints, highlighting long wait times, complicated cancellation procedures, and poor service.
But here's where it gets controversial: many are questioning Rogers' recent call center layoffs and the dominance of the three major providers - Rogers, Bell, and Telus - in the industry. Together, they control the majority of the country's mobile, TV, and internet market, a situation that critics argue was exacerbated when Rogers acquired Shaw in 2023.
Customer service experts like Eugene Chan, an associate professor at the Ted Rogers School of Management, believe this lack of competition is the root of the problem.
"It reduces the incentive for these telcos to compete and provide good customer service," Chan explained.
A Rogers spokesperson declined an on-camera interview but issued a statement claiming the company works hard to deliver a great experience, despite recent call center layoffs.
While Rogers promises to create 3,000 jobs in western Canada by 2027 as part of the Shaw merger conditions, the recent layoffs at Foundever, a company that employed hundreds of Canadians handling Rogers customer service calls, raise concerns.
The company's investment in AI assistance, such as the Agent Assist tool, is also a point of contention. While it may streamline operations, it risks removing the human element that customers value.
"I think it will cause customers to feel the coldness, not the warmth," said a former Rogers customer service agent. "How can AI have compassion when dealing with sensitive matters?"
Another former employee shared that Rogers' policy often requires agents to upsell customers, even during difficult calls. While human agents can choose not to, AI agents might not make the same distinction.
Meanwhile, countries like Spain and Germany are taking steps to mandate minimum customer service levels and make contract cancellations easier. Canada, however, lacks such legislation, aside from a law allowing users to cancel mobile services by signing up with a new provider.
Keldon Bester, executive director of the Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project (CAMP), believes there should be legislation to ensure customers can easily end a service.
"It should be as simple to cancel as it is to sign up," he said.
After weeks of frustration, Sedha finally learned he needed to send an email to cancel his service - something no one had mentioned during his numerous calls.
"My first reaction was, 'Are you kidding me?'" he recalled.
Sedha's ordeal finally ended in August, but he remains concerned about others facing similar issues.
"What if this were a senior citizen or a new immigrant? How would they handle it?" he asked.
Have you experienced similar issues with Rogers or any other provider? We want to hear your stories and shed light on these customer service challenges. Contact Go Public at gopublic@cbc.ca to share your experiences.
