Rogers customers disputing price hikes report unequal treatment
Rogers won’t address why some customers get a break and others don’t
Sharon Vincent says it's "disgusting" that Rogers Communications gave some customers a discount when they complained about price hikes to their monthly bills, but others — such as herself — got nothing.
She's one of hundreds of Rogers customers who've written to Go Public, frustrated by monthly price increases to their bills they say were unexpected. Now, some are angry that friends and family who've complained to Rogers have had their bills lowered while others have struck out.
"I thought that they should give me a deal … because I had been a loyal customer for so many years," said Vincent, who was a longtime Shaw customer before the company merged with Rogers in 2023. "But whoever I was speaking to on the other end wasn't having any part of that."
Canadians shouldn't get unequal treatment from a company that's received over $110-million dollars from the federal government over the past few years, says NDP MP Brian Masse, who's raised the issue of Rogers' price hikes on Parliament Hill.
"This is a heavily regulated and also protected industry where privileges have been given to the telcos," he said, referring to massive subsidies granted to Canada's major telecom providers by federal and provincial governments. "It's a protected industry."
Vincent, from Parksville, B.C., agreed to a two-year contract for TV and internet services with Rogers last August. Shortly after, she saw a $21 monthly increase to rent three TV boxes — $252 a year more than she says she was promised when she locked into the contract.
"I never thought for a second that I would be paying anything different," she said.
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After spending an hour and a half on hold with Rogers customer service, Vincent was told she could accept the increase, cancel her contract (and incur cancellation fees), send back the three TV boxes, or switch her cell phone provider to Rogers to qualify for a better TV deal.
Fuelling Vincent's frustration is the fact that some Rogers customers have managed to reduce their bills when they've called to complain.
"I think it's terrible," said Vincent. "Treat all your customers the same way."
Masse says he's been hearing that same frustration from constituents in his Windsor West riding who are worn out from doing battle with Rogers.
"Some are getting modest results, some are getting no results," he said. "A deal should be a deal."
Masse says the inconsistent treatment Rogers customers receive when they call customer service is not just frustrating, it can make people anxious.
"The anxiety gets worse as you try to advocate, knowing that [other people] got a better deal because they actually got the right person on the phone at that moment in time," said Masse. "Realizing you're getting ripped off creates really harmful feelings."
A spokesperson for Rogers declined an interview request. A written statement did not address concerns that some customers disputing price hikes manage to obtain discounts while others don't, saying the company is "committed to delivering the best service possible" and works with customers "to meet their needs and budget."
Hit and miss for Rogers refunds
While Vincent, and other customers Go Public has heard from, struggled to get their Rogers bills lowered, other customers have had some success — such as Tony Genco of Vaughan, Ont.
"I asked them to honour the commitment, and, in my case, they did — so it didn't cost me any more," he wrote.
"After numerous calls etc., I was offered the original contract amount, but I had to sign — that day — for another two years," wrote Susan Waters of Calgary.
Jolene Crump of Saskatoon says she had to escalate her call and ask for a manager in order to get a partial refund. "I have three kids, divorced, work full time," she wrote. "I have limited time, but even less spare money."
But most Rogers customers who've contacted Go Public say that, like Vincent, they've had no luck lowering their bills — with customer service agents pointing to a clause in the contract that allows the company to increase monthly prices while customers are locked into the agreement.
"Having winners or losers … is just not acceptable," said Masse.
Masse raised Rogers' different treatment of customers when company CEO Tony Staffieri appeared before the Commons committee on industry and technology last month — summoned to answer questions after hundreds of people contacted Go Public about Rogers contracts they say are misleading.
"Explain to the Canadian public the ethics of you and your board … allowing your own customers to be divided," Masse said to Staffieri.
"What you see play out is the dynamics of a competitive marketplace," Staffieri replied, which Masse then called a "predatory practice."
Go Public asked Rogers to explain what Staffieri meant by his reply, but a spokesperson declined to elaborate, saying that Staffieri was making a "general point" on the "competitive market."
Call centre insiders say lowering bills not encouraged
A customer service agent for Rogers says he's fielding "a lot" of calls from frustrated customers who didn't know their monthly bills could increase during a contract.
CBC is not identifying him because he worries about professional repercussions. He says managers don't encourage front-line workers to actively help customers reduce their bills, because the focus is on making sales.
"Most reps really do sympathize with the customer, but are put in thumbscrews by upper management regarding sales targets," he said. "The empathy is there, it's just frowned upon to show it."
A customer service representative who recently quit after working several months at a call centre contracted by Rogers also said there was "strong incentivization to omit information that might make a customer less likely to complete a sale."
The former employee, who CBC is also not naming due to professional concerns, said she signed people up, but never saw customer contracts.
"I had no idea about the clause saying that Rogers could increase prices during a contract," she said. "So of course I never told customers about it."
"Our job is to read what's on the screen — so that's what I did," she said, explaining that after a customer signs up, the system automatically emails a contract.
A Rogers spokesperson said a "small percentage" of employee pay is based on "a number of metrics," including how customers are supported and whether they are satisfied after their conversation.
He also said Rogers has "comprehensive training programs" and that "sections of service agreements" are reviewed with new agents.
As for the clause that allows Rogers to increase prices during a contract, the Rogers spokesperson says customers are informed that "price guarantees apply only to the base services" — which Vincent says she did not understand meant that parts of her bill could increase.
Complaints about Rogers billing issues skyrocket
Customer complaints about Rogers are skyrocketing, according to an annual report recently released by the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS), which mediates complaints between customers and telecom providers.
Complaints related to "disclosure issues" were up 79 per cent compared with the previous year, suggesting that contracts either weren't properly explained to customers or didn't match what they believed they had agreed to.
The CCTS report also found that complaints from Rogers customers about "billing issues" — things like unexpected charges or unexpected price increases — shot up 103 per cent compared with the previous year.
A Rogers spokesperson said the telecom giant works hard "to do the right thing" for customers and noted that out of millions of customers "only a small number result in a complaint," adding that "we know we can do better."
'Quiet wheels never get the grease'
An expert in customer service says she hears from a lot of people who are unhappy with their telecom provider, and has some advice for Rogers customers struggling with recent bill increases.
"One thing is for sure," said Amy Fish, a Montreal author who has written a book about how to effectively complain. "The quiet wheel never gets the grease."
Fish recommends that people prepare for a long wait if they're calling about a billing issue. Have your list of questions ready, she says, and either record the call or take notes that can be referenced later. If the matter isn't getting resolved, says Fish, ask to escalate the call to a manager.
If it still can't be resolved, Fish recommends people end a contract if the penalties are low or non-existent.
"It might be easier to change providers than it is to get what you want from the provider you're working with," said Fish, adding that most telcos don't reward loyalty. "So that means the best thing for us is to be the new customer."
After Go Public contacted Rogers about Vincent's case, she called the company again. This time, a customer service agent offered a monthly discount on her TV box rentals for the duration of her contract.
"All of a sudden there was no fight there at all," said Vincent. "He could miraculously knock off $18 bucks."
Vincent says she's glad her bill will go down, but remains frustrated she had to push in the first place.
"For it to get to this point where I had to spend the last six months having a fight about this … you shouldn't have to."
Next month, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is set to hold public consultations that will, in part, look at price increases during contracts with all the big players — Rogers, Bell and Telus — including examining early cancellation fees. People who want to participate can make a submission here.
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