Straight Talk, the discount mobile carrier that’s a partnership between TracFone and Walmart, is very popular among our readers. What a $45 per month bring-your-own-device mobile plan gets you, though, is not top-notch customer service. Reader R. says that you don’t even get middle-notch customer service. After less than a month, he and his wife are already frustrated with the service, and one employer helpfully suggested that they leave for a different carrier.

This suggestion was probably very wise, but not very helpful in solving Mrs. R’s technical issue.

My wife just had a horrendously terrible experience with Straight Talk’s customer service. It seems asinine that we’ve had the service for less a month and we’re already having complaints.

She had called to resolve a technical issue, and was instead routed to a worthless recording that offered no help whatsoever. When she finally got back on with a human being, his broken English and indiscernibly heavy accent repeatedly told my wife that he cannot help her, no one from the company could help her, and that no supervisor would agree to speak with her. In an attempt to spur him into doing his job, my wife suggested that maybe our entire household should switch to a different carrier, to which he unexpectedly agreed.

My wife soon called back, directly asking for a supervisor this time. She was put on hold for nearly a half-hour and was made to listen to a recording about how important customer service is and how valuable customers are. The woman who eventually answered seemed fantastically disinterested in our concerns, the quality of services provided by her company, as well as the conduct of her supposed subordinates. She merely parroted off that our service is what it is, and made zero attempt at customer-satisfaction.

If a company cannot convince even its employees to sell their product, then why the hell should we be buying it? Straight Talk is not getting any more of my money, and my household will be switching carriers as soon as it is feasible.

-UPDATE
I eventually received an extremely impersonal response that raised further red flags, as if I already hadn’t been disenfranchised enough by their extreme lack of giving-a-damn. It seemed a little late start now.

It opened by telling me that they were responding to my inquiry (which I made none) and made mention to how important feedback is. Maybe they should actually read my message then.

Their response contained only a brief portion that attempted any measure of reconciliation. Rife with horrid grammar, the bulk of their message follows, word for word:

“Please accept our deepest apology, we do not want our customer to gain this issue. We really like to keep you, not as an unsatisfied customer but a happy customer. Thus, please give us a chance to resolve your issue so that you could stay with Straight Talk a little bit longer.”

Note the stark contrast between how much information I sent them (to glean their precious feedback from) and the quality of their response. Even their “please don’t leave” pitch seemed catatonic in its veracity.

It’s about time we started holding these bastards accountable. They have a responsibility to their customers, and if they want our money, they are going to have to earn it.

Well, good luck with that. Maybe someone at their executive customer service number cares a little bit more about convincing customers to stick around.

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.