In early January 2026, Vicki Sloot was assured by a Bell chat agent that she could retain her specialty programming sports channels like TSN and Sportsnet while saving $5 a month if she upgraded to a new Bell Fibe TV box. However, upon receiving her new equipment the next day, she discovered that the speciality channels were missing. Bell informed her that she only had a “basic starter plan” and that an additional $25 per month was required to regain access to those channels.
This marked the beginning of an eight-week journey through Bell’s customer service channels for Sloot, involving extensive live chats and phone calls with various agents, culminating in an escalation to Bell’s resolutions team. Sloot, a resident of Toronto, expressed frustration at the inconsistency in responses from different support agents.
Numerous customers, including Sloot, have voiced their dissatisfaction with the customer service provided by Canada’s major telecom companies – Rogers, Bell, and Telus. Common grievances include prolonged wait times, multiple transfers, dropped calls, and poor communication, leading to delays in resolving seemingly straightforward issues.
According to employees from Rogers and Telus who spoke with Marketplace anonymously, frontline representatives face diminishing incentives to issue credits or reduce bills, as their performance is measured based on bill increments rather than issue resolutions. The surge in complaints against telecoms in the past year, with over 23,000 grievances lodged with the CCTS, primarily concerning billing discrepancies, underscores the growing challenges faced by customers.
Mohammed Halabi, the founder of MyBillsAreHigh.com, highlighted the increasing difficulty for customers in resolving issues with telecom companies, emphasizing the need for improved customer service.
Amas Tenumah, a customer service consultant, noted that the system within companies like Bell is structured to create frustration among consumers to discourage them from pursuing solutions, ultimately leading many to give up.
Despite facing unresolved issues initially, Sloot eventually received a $90 credit and a $30 discount on her future monthly bills from Bell after Marketplace intervened on her behalf. Bell acknowledged the unnecessary complexity Sloot experienced in resolving her problem, emphasizing their commitment to enhancing customer interactions.
In response to the growing discontent among customers, some employees from Telus and Rogers expressed their own frustrations with the system, highlighting the pressure to limit credits and focus on upselling customers, rather than addressing their concerns effectively.
The introduction of legislation in Spain mandating stringent customer service standards for companies could serve as a model for improving customer experiences globally. The law requires telecoms to answer calls promptly and resolve complaints within specific timeframes, with non-compliance risking significant fines.
In Canada, although there is no standardized customer service benchmark for telecoms, stakeholders acknowledge the need for enhanced service quality. The CRTC oversees the CCTS’s jurisdiction but is exploring international practices, such as Spain’s regulatory framework, to inform potential future regulations.
Despite the limitations in regulatory oversight, consumers are urged to escalate unresolved issues to the CCTS for assistance, as efforts continue to improve customer service within the telecommunications industry.
[Source](https://www.cbc.ca/news/marketplace/rogers-telus-bell-telecom-customer-service-9.7131890)
