Horrible Customer Service

I have been an Xbox live member for over a decade. I recently purchased a subscription to Game Pass. For about a week I have been unable to get any Game Pass game to play. I carried out all recommended steps on the Xbox support
but have been unable to resolve the issue. I have also been unable to find any convenient or easy way to identify a service issued associated with this product internal to my Xbox. After several hours researching, restarting, redownloading, etc, the online
troubleshooting portal recommended contacting a help line.

On my first call (which took 41:31 mins), it took me about 5 minutes to navigate the call menu until I was transferred to Teshana. This agent asked me to verify who I was by providing identifying information and by receiving a text
message with a security code. After working through these security steps I explained that I would either like my subscription to work or I would like my subscription cancelled and the time in which I paid for it in which it did not work to be refunded (a fair
request considering that I had also made purchases for additions to game pass games that would be now be useless without me purchasing the game outright). She initially indicated she could help me with this but at around 11 mins she indicated she would need
to transfer me to the Xbox section of this customer service line and placed me on hold.

She came off hold around 12 mins and introduces me to Richard. Richard identifies himself as a member of the Xbox support team and that he will assist me. I thank Teshana and get off the phone. Richard then asks me about the problem
I am having. I am quite surprised as I just spent my time explaining all of this to Teshana, so I ask Richard what notes he has regarding my call so far. He indicates that he has been told some games aren’t working.

I explain my situation yet again. He then asks me to verify who I am by providing the same identifying information and by receiving a text message with a security code. I asked Richard why I would need to provide this again and
pay to receive another text message from Microsoft. He indicated that when calls are transferred the information is usually lost and that representatives have no way of transferring a customer to a peer without duplicating their entire security process. I
ask if I can be transferred to a supervisor. I am put on hold at around 15:30.

A man comes on the line around 18 mins and introduces himself as Bruce. I summarize my experiences up until that point with the support options available to customers of Xbox/Microsoft. I ask him to verify the information told to
me by Richard. He states that Richard is correct and that each new employee will need to repeat their security process including sending their customers a new security code via text message.

I ask Richard why Xbox/Microsoft would so blatantly force costs upon their customers and not instead build a better handshake process to service customers. He states he cannot answer that question.
I reiterate my experiences thus far. I state that given the disparity between the ease with which I can have Xbox/Microsoft take my money to sell me a product and the incredible difficulty I was having getting them to make that product work coupled
with the poor customer service experience I had led me to believe I should end my accounts with Xbox/Microsoft. Bruce indicated he did not have an answer for my question but would try to get me to someone who could.

Given my experiences thus far, I asked Bruce if he could provide his Employee ID # so I could ensure my call was not simply dropped out of convenience. Bruce indicated his companies policy was to not provide employee ID#s to customers.
Bruce stated the only identifying characteristic he could provide was his first name. I asked him how I could identify what occurred on this call if it were to end unexpectedly. Bruce indicated that they would have notes on my account detailing what happened.
I asked him again how I (stressing the “I”) would be able to identify what occurred on this call. Bruce indicated that they had a reference # associated with this call that was created after the first text message security code was sent. I noted that this
was the first time I had heard of this code and asked him for the same. He provided reference # [Mod Removed-Personal Info}. He then put me on hold at 29:16.

At 40:58, an automated answering machine came on stating that no one was available at the requested line and the call terminated.

My 2nd call took around 5 minutes as the automated call processing system (which you cannot avoid or circumvent) led me to a period of dead air for about 2 mins before I hung up.

My 3rd call took 59 seconds. The automated system recommended I use the online customer service portal (which after spending hours going through their recommended routine directed me to this number) and hung up on me.

My 4th call took 28:24. After now more carefully navigating the by-now-infuriating automated customer service system, I was transferred to Melissa. Melissa asked me to provide identifying information and a security code
received via text message. I did so. I then asked for the reference # created by this action and she indicated it was reference # [Mod Removed-Personal Info}. I summarized my experiences up until this point. I then expressed a desire
to sever all accounts I had with Xbox/Microsoft and receive a refund for the services I had paid for which they had failed to deliver.

Melissa then stated I didn’t pay for my accounts. I asked her to clarify this statement as I had verified my billing was current early on in this troubleshooting process and again right before this call session. She stated my Microsoft
account was free. I asked her if she saw any other subscriptions on my account. She stated she saw my Xbox Gold and Game Pass subscriptions. I noted I had earlier informed her the reason for my first call was regarding Game Pass games.

She then stated that I had she could cancel my accounts but I would need to go online to request a refund. I asked where. She provided me with the online customer service portal which had previously directed me to calling this number.
I pointed this out. I then asked if there was any way to document a complaint regarding my experience up this point. She stated she could write notes into the account detailing the same. I stated I had expected her to already do so as a result of her having
received a call from an obviously dissatisfied customer. I asked again how I could document my experiences via some sort of customer service complaint.

She again directed me back to the online portal and stated I should post an open post expressing my experiences. I stated I could not locate anywhere available for such a post. After some discussion, she informed me I needed to
be at a computer rather than on a smartphone to post a comment. I asked her how many of these comments are addressed and she indicated Xbox/Microsoft responds to every single one.

So now, numerous hours into this frankly unbelievably difficult troubleshooting experience with a purported tech company, I am posting this comment with the hope that someone will actually do something to address the causes of my
experience and assist a loyal and tenured customer with what should be an incredibly simple request.

Make your products work or get me a refund.

:)