Merepek

It’s like this. The bills came yesterday and I being someone who dislike to handle a piece of paper more than once, decided to go over to one of the ‘companies’ to settle all in one go…the electricity, water and phone bills.

I walked in, looked at the queue number machine and OK, Button ‘A’ for ‘Payment' and Button ‘B’ for ‘Installation’ and I pressed **teeeeet** ‘A’. Okie, just 3 more numbers to wait. Heard my number called and I plonked myself on the chair in front of the cashier. I saw someone paying with credit card and I too whipped out my card and gave the stack of bills to the cashier.

Cashier : Dis and dis, phone punya can use card. Itu water and letrik punya, you pay cash.

Me : Why?

Cashier : It’s lidis.

Me : Ok, nevermind. I'll pay cash for all.

Me : And I want to pay for this phone line too. The bill not arrived yet. Dunno lost or what.

Cashier : I cannot check. You go reception and check and come back here and pay.

Me : Why?

Cashier : Because the system is lidis. Only can collect payment. Cannot checking punya.


To the reception I went. And queue up again lar. While waiting for them to print the latest bill for phone line no. 3, I realized that there was a mistake in the other bill for phone line no. 1. The receptionist printed the latest bill for line no. 3 and I was to pay at the cashier’s and as for the other complaint of wrong billing, I had to take another queue number from Button ‘B’ for ‘Installation’. Whatever lar.

But Holy Cow, I was like 19 numbers away and let me tell you, to move one number, it takes an average of 20 minutes, and a few I noticed, been stuck on the chairs for more than 30 minutes, and I saw too, a customer at one of the counters yelling his head off. Wah....I felt my temperature rising already. I stood there for about 10 minutes or so, my eyes staring intently at the numbers flashing on the screen, as if to will them to skip and jump 18 numbers faster.

Anyway, 2 numbers down and I then heard another 2 consecutive numbers being called but no takers, so I just walked to the corresponding counter and sat down there. I told the service executive that I was at this office last month in April to sort out everything AND her colleague who attended to me assured me that the transfers has been done AND that the bill for the new package plan would be effective May 4 2007 BUT now the bill in my hand dated May 4 2007 still showed the old billing! Then she said to me, “Sabar, sabar (Be patient)…let me check.”

So she check-check here and check-check there and check-check everywhere and then told me the new billing will commence on June 10 2007. What? Why? How? I wanted to know.

Executive : OK, I go ask my senior.

She walked inside and got a senior to come to the counter. This senior came and keyed in some buttons on the computer and then told me the same story…something similar to 'that your mother is a woman'. As if I don’t know. **roll eyes** Get the drift? You all, my frens, I know you know. **geezzzz***

I shot my questions at the senior and she tried to give some convoluted explanation which I of course don’t buy lar. **tskkk…tsskkk…** And she then got another gentleman to “tolong explain, sekejab” to me. Wah....as if I am so dense or thick or what? Wahhh….I felt smoke coming out from my ears already…..

The junior executive had to brief the gentleman again, the story beginning from April 24 2007 and I had to take a piece of paper to write out why I think the billing dates are all wrong and I want them to correct it pronto. He nodded and then asked me to fill in a complaint letter and then only they will investigate and then only do the adjustments.

Me : When?

Gentleman : Wait. We check and call you.

Me : When?

Gentleman : Dunno yet. We check first.

Me : Whatever. But I expect a full adjustment.

Executive : Meanwhile, now you no internet for 24 hours.

Me : WHY????

Executive : It’s lidis.

Me : **slaps forehead**

The dispute is regarding the BILLING for the phone line. How come the physical line is affected? Oh, I forgot, “IT’S LIDIS”