Admittedly I’m not the best when it comes to keeping up with bills and personal finances. Not because I don’t have the money to pay them or anything, but because I’m just pure lazy! I forget to pay my credit card bill, I forget to pay my internet bill, and I just can’t seem to remember when each one is due every month!! It is as simple as that. I forget and then my line of credit or internet gets shutdown, leaving me stranded until I get around to actually going to the bank or the shop to pay. All the warnings and phone reminders in the world can’t get me to pay my bills on time. But a recent technological advancement (in Egypt, not so recent in other countries) has helped me get a handle on this immature habit of mine – online bill payment!
A while back I was reminded of my outstanding mobile bill when I ended up being literally stranded and cut off from communication while abroad. The nature of my work means I travel in and out of Egypt a lot. In my line of work, I also have to manage tons of phone calls all day, every day. So basically, my phone is the MOST important object in my life, right alongside my laptop. You are all probably wondering what it is that I do. I can’t divulge that just yet…But back to the point, while traveling for business during an Egyptian holiday (meaning everyone was off of work), my phone line cut (gassssppp)!!!!
Ensue panic attack, tripping, running around the room aimlessly, yelling, “Where and how am I going to pay my bill?” at the top of my lungs, since everything was closed and I wasn’t even in Egypt. “You mean I’m going to go four days without using my phone? Ya right.”
So, I pick up a colleagues phone and call my provider’s customer service hotline:
Me: Alo, you cut my line, DO YOU NOT KNOW HOW BIG MY PHONE BILLS ARE, HOW DARE YOU (same line I pull every time, but I really do pay a fortune each month and I’m a supposed VIP client)
Customer Service: Yes but you’re a week late in paying and it is company policy.
Me: YOU HAVE NOT GIVEN ME ANY WARNING, NOT EVEN AN SMS (I probably got the SMS, deleted it and yet again was too lazy to get to the shop)
Customer Service: We really are sorry but you will have to pay your bill in order to resume your regular services. The most we can do is give you a 24 hour extension.
Me: HOW AM I GOING TO PAY WHEN IT’S A NATIONAL HOLIDAY AND I AM OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTRY? YOUR 24 HRS WILL DO NOTHING FOR ME!
Customer Service: Do you know that you can simply pay for your line with a Visa card on our website?
ME: OH Really?
Customer Service: Yes, all you have to do is go to our site, enter your information, telephone number, and payment details and you’ll never have to worry about paying your bill in person again.
Me: Well why didn’t anyone tell me about this before? Do you realize what kind of service you would have been doing this customer if you had told me earlier?!
This happened approximately 6 months ago. I haven’t had another encounter with the customer service hotline for mobile provider since, all because I keep my Visa close enough to use in any type of emergency!
And that’s how my Visa saved my life and my communication lifeline while abroad!