Dear Consumerist Editor,

I was recently billed $99.77 for a bill from Charter Communications. I had a deal with them to pay $64.91/month for 6 months (Sept. 2006 – Feb. 2007.) When my deal ran out they jacked up the price. I went to their website to see how I could contact them and found their ‘chat live’ button. I clicked on it and was greeted by a woman named Rudina. She was a horrible customer service representative and even worse in speaking, and spelling, proper English.

That conversation’s chat log, and our take on what went wrong, inside…

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Rudina: What is your phone number?
Andy: 1-906-XXX-XXXX
Rudina: Thank you.
Andy: Am I going to be billed any more?
Andy: Are you still there?
Rudina: You still have a current balance od 99.77.
Andy: Can that be taken off? I only signed up for 6 months and I paid for all 6 months already.
Rudina: Andy, you mean that you already paid the packages for the whole 6 months.
Andy: Yes. Sept.-Feb.
Rudina: How much you paid?
Andy: It was $64.91 each month.
Andy: and I paid 6 times.
Rudina: Andy, your bill is high because you are already been charge to our regular rates.
Andy: What?
Rudina: Andy, your bill is high because you are already been charge to our regular rates.
Andy: What?
Rudina: Sorry.
Rudina: It is ok because I am looking to your current account. This is for march account.
Andy: But I signed up for 6 months, paid for 6 months, and am now expected to pay 99.77 for the seventh month that I didn’t sign up for?
Rudina: andy, yes you signed up and you still avialing the promotion however, your promotion will end this 2/27.
Rudina: Allyou payments are ok.
Andy: I am not going to pay 99.77 for a month I didn’t sign up for…
Andy: Can you cancel that month and terminate my subscription?
Rudina: Andy, are you aware that billing system in charter are 1 month advance?
Andy: Yes.
Rudina: Ok.
Andy: What I am saying is that I was billed for March, but my contract only went to February.
Rudina: The 99.77 bill is your current account. According to our database the charge of your services dated 2/28 will carry now the regular rates because your promotion will end this 2/27/
Rudina: Is there anything else I can help you with today?
Andy: I signed a contract to pay $64.91 for 6 months and now I am being charged for a 7th month at a rate of 99.77?
Rudina: Yes you had signed that contract. I don’t that one.
Andy: What?
Rudina: I can also see all your payments made.
Andy: then why am I still expected to pay for something that I didn’t sign up for?
Rudina: Your login is lisaxxxxxxx and your password is chtrxxxxx.
Rudina: Please try your login and password.
Andy: no.
Andy: my login is xxxxxxxxxx
Rudina: Sorry.
Rudina: Sorry.
Rudina: Is there anything else I can help you with today?
Andy: are you kidding me?
Andy: I want that bill retracted immediately.
Rudina: I will send your current bill.
Rudina: Thank you for using Charter Communications’ Chat Support. Have a great day!
[Rudina – user has closed this session]

As you can see the lady (I’m assuming it was a lady) gave out a login and password… and it wasn’t even mine! She didn’t answer my questions properly (most of her answers I couldn’t even understand.) I wanted to bring this to your attention to warn other Charter customers and potential Charter customers that their customer service department has at least one poor employee. They should be careful.

In general, Rudina made no attempt to resolve Andy’s concern except by a garbled parroting of company policy.

Specifically, she

• Failed to communicate the policy behind the introductory rate
• Gave away another user’s login and password
• Didn’t use English correctly, undermining customer trust
• Ended the interaction without fixing the issue or getting the A-OK signal from Andy

Lastly, someone with the name Rudina is probably not destined for customer service greatness. — BEN POPKEN

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