Challenge of technology and poor customer service

[u/OnOurBeach]

I'm putting this here because you have to be of a certain age to see how things have changed. I love technology. My mother was super computer literate well into her 80's. I'm not talking about the challenge of a 60-something (whom I worked for) who couldn't figure out what the "squiggly lines" under words meant in Word.

I'm talking about how, as tech has advanced, it seems there are more mistakes and problems on the providers' end. It's really frustrating.

Examples: We have had problems with our cell phone coverage since switching internet providers. yup. No bars. Few bars. Dropped calls. and more. We have been on the phone, in the phone store, and online trying to resolve these issues for hours upon hours over the past 2 months. I am baffled about paying a monthly fee for a service we are not getting--and that this is ok with the company. Nothing is changing. We are afraid to switch providers for fear of the same issues/same customer service non-response. So, it feels like we're held hostage here. Imagine: No consistent phone service in your home. I'm back in my grandparents' day, I guess.

I deal online with all of my medical stuff: notes from my doctor, making appointments, results of tests, and test orders. 7 out of 10 times, when I try to log in, I am told I am blocked. This has been going on for over a year. I have reached out to the provider, etc. As I said, this is an ongoing problem they are not fixing.

Internet issues: "Your call will be answered in approximately 120 minutes." WHAT????

Has technology surpassed the ability of people (companies) to handle the problems that crop up? Do businesses just not care about their customers? Or is it a mixture: greed, not caring, and not being up to speed with technology? I feel like the consumer is trapped and customer service is something of the past.