Innovative Data Technology

This is an honest and accurate account. On Friday, September 4, 2015 at 11:39 am, I called Innovative Data Technology and asked when they could come to my home to repair some network wiring I have which stopped working. I was told it would be two weeks and was asked to call them back on September 18, 2015 to set up a time for that day. I called back on September 18 at 8:42 am and left a message. They called me back at 8:43 am. I reminded them about our phone call on September 4 and asked them when we could set an appointment that day. I could tell they were searching for how to set it up that day and they'd offered that day or the next so I asked them what day works better for them. They chose Saturday, the next day and related they would have more time on Saturday. I asked what time would work best and they chose 10 am which I accepted. My intent was to allow the vendor to choose their best case so I'd have the best experience. Saturday morning I was asleep until 10:35 am when I woke naturally without my alarm and I remembered the appointment and immediately texted them, "Hope I didn't miss you." About a minute or so later, the vendor replied, "Yes, I went by." I replied with, "Too late, Never heard the doorbell." When I hadn't heard back to that reply, I added in text, "You didn't call or text me when you went by and I didn't hear the doorbell or knock. What house was it?" I always in the past have had vendors call me when they don't get an answer at the door or text me as sometimes someone might be in the yard or somewhere else on grounds and it's a courtesy which is a reasonable accommodation. Thirty-two minutes went by and I called them. There was no answer. A total of 40 minutes went by from my initial text that morning with no reply and no call from IDT. In my estimation 40 minutes is a fair time to expect a reply. I called Altex in Arlington who had recommended them and I let them know of my experience and that I hadn't heard back. They told me this vendor primarily does security systems. They provided another vendor in Fort Worth. I noticed IDT has an account here on Angie's List and texted IDT back a longer response describing that forty minutes had gone by and I had not received a response to my recent text or call so I explained I had called Altex and reported my experience and that I consider the appointment cancelled. I related that all vendors I'd worked with in the past from other companies offered the courtesy of calling or texting me when they show up for an appointment and I don't come to the door and recommended they do this in keeping appointments. I apologized that I wasn't awake when they came by (I said at 10:30 but meant 10 am), but that I had no evidence they did their best to reach me when or if they were there (I was a little skeptical they'd actually come out). I reminded them that I had let them pick the day and the time and that they'd said they would have more time with this schedule. I mentioned I had never asked for pricing and had trusted them. Also that I understand schedules change and understand I was asleep, but that it's always worth the time for good customer service which can be reasonably expected. I received a phone call within a minute of this text, but I chose not to accept it as I had communicated I considered the appointment cancelled. IDT texted that they had left a business card on my door which I confirmed so they had come to the house and they said that they were on the phone. I still believe 40 minutes from my text and after a previous call there was sufficient time to respond to me. They also corrected my mistake in typing that the appointment was at 10 am not 10:30 as I had mistakenly typed in a previous text. I had asked them not to contact me further and that I would not do business with them now or in the future. I let relayed to them that Altex told me they were primarily a company which does security systems which I had not been aware of from any previous conversations with IDT. I relayed to them that I still believe it is easy to call or text when you appear for an appointment and the customer does not come to the door. This is something I always do in the work I do at homes. I believe it is a fair accommodation to make. At this point I blocked the vendor's number so there would not be continued back and forth allowing them to move on since I'd said I considered it cancelled, that I did not want to do business with them and that they not contact me further. I was certainly wrong to have been asleep at the time of the appointment, that was discourteous of me and I also believe had they made a phone call or text or had they responded to my statement wondering if it was too late or my phone call sooner than 40 minutes and only after I let them know by text I considered the appointment cancelled, I believe it had the chance to be a good customer experience. I've moved on, but hope the exchanges with me help them understand the value of making contact with a customer by phone or text when at first the customer doesn't come to the door.