All I Wanted Was to Block My Son’s Data

Written By Mathieu Fraioli

When Customer Service Makes It Hard to Be a Customer

All I wanted was to block the mobile data on my son’s phone. That’s it.

Instead, I spent nearly two days navigating a broken Automated Interactive Voice Response System (IVR), waiting for callbacks, and repeating myself — just to complete a task that should have taken 30 seconds.

It wasn’t just frustrating. It was a clear example of how even well-known companies can unintentionally make it hard to be a customer.

This isn’t just a Fido problem. It’s a reminder that when service design prioritizes internal systems over real-life customer needs, things break — and loyalty erodes.

What Happened

Since the self-serve portal didn’t offer the option to block data, I called their customer service line. But instead of being able to speak to someone, I was met with a callback voice system that couldn’t understand my request.

Am I really the only parent trying to manage their teenager’s data usage?

The agent who called me back said the block had been applied. But based on prior experience, I had doubts — and I was right. For some reason, customer service agents don’t have access to complete this task properly. Only tech support can do it.

So I called again and requested technical support. The earliest callback slot? 24 hours later.

That call came — but from another frontline agent, not tech support. After another round of verification, explanation, and time on hold (which took over 9 minutes), I was finally transferred to a technician, who resolved the issue in less than a minute.

What This Says About Customer Service

The agents I spoke to were polite and clearly doing their best. The problem wasn’t them, it was the system they were stuck in.

And that matters.

In The Effortless Experience by Matthew Dixon, the authors make a simple but powerful point:

Loyalty doesn’t come from delight — it comes from reducing effort.

In my case, the effort was high:

  • No way to solve the issue myself

  • Automation that couldn’t understand my request

  • Long delays just to reach someone qualified

  • Having to repeat my problem multiple times

  • A process built around call volumes — not customer needs

It Shouldn’t Be This Hard

This wasn’t a complex request. And yet the process was anything but simple.

Companies often invest in automation, callback systems, and satisfaction surveys — all with good intentions. But when the journey demands too much time, too many steps, and too much patience, the experience becomes exhausting.

This doesn’t require revolutionary technology. It requires designing systems around how people actually interact — not how departments are structured internally.

The Real Cost of Friction

When customer service adds effort instead of removing it, it sends a clear message — even unintentionally: solving your problem isn’t easy here.

That’s a dangerous message for any business to send.

Fixing it doesn’t mean removing humans from the process. It means enabling customers to solve problems quickly — through intuitive self-service or through empowered agents who can resolve issues the first time.

Because in the end, most customers — like me — aren’t asking for much.

All I wanted was to block my son’s data.

Mathieu Fraioli