Metro by T-Mobile Customer Service

I'm looking for a low-cost cell plan for my father, so I've been making phone calls to mobile providers to see what they have to offer. I've learned pretty quickly that all of the major ones are too expensive, so I've been looking at smaller brands that piggyback off the big ones, such as Metro PCS. He doesn't need much, but he does need a working line for safety purposes and so he can keep in touch with his family members. He doesn't even need a data plan because he couldn't figure out a smartphone even if he wanted to.

Metro PCS was on my list because it's partnered with T-Mobile, and I figured that the big carrier might bring a little legitimacy to the table while also offering some low-priced plans. I know the company partners with the federal government on some type of cost-saving program, as well. I figured the customer service might not be great, though, because when you pay less for a service you end up paying for it somewhere. However, to my surprise, it took less than a minute and a half to talk to someone and he was very helpful. If I wasn't locked into a plan, I might consider Metro for myself after that quick service call.

I called on a Sunday afternoon when I had an hour or two free. I figured I would just leave the phone on speaker while I watched the game. When I called, the automated system greeted me by saying, "Thanks for calling Metro by T-Mobile. What's your 10-digit Metro phone number?" Now this seemed silly because not every caller will have a Metro phone number. So, instead of entering my phone number, I just said, "I don't have one." I expected to fight with the system a bit, but instead, it said, "Hmmm. I think you said you wanted to talk to someone, is that right?"

This was a pleasant surprise and perfect for what I needed, so I said, "Yes." I'm not sure whether that's the standard response when the system doesn't recognize the phone number, but it worked out for me. I had to listen to some chatter about the federal program for low-cost Internet, and then about the company's privacy policy. After about a minute and a half, it finally transferred me to hold music. Luckily, the hold music only lasted a few seconds, and then a man named Eli picked up. He had a thick accent but was able to offer me some pricing plans, which was the information I wanted.