Fido to charge $10 for certain customer service calls

On May 14, Fido will start charging customers $10 per call or live chat for certain customer service calls or live chats, the company said Monday.

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The company, which is owned by Rogers Communications, explained that not all customer service issues will be subject to the fee; some requests, like asking about your account and asking how to use the self-serve services, will still be free.

But fees will apply to services that are already available online or on the self-serve app, like resetting a voice mail password, updating your contact information or making a payment.

Charges like these are already in practice at other wireless providers such as Koodo and Chatr. (Koodo is owned by Telus, and Chatr is also owned by Rogers Communications.)

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The company said the charge, which was first reported by MobileSyrup, is part of an investment in digital services.

“As more Canadians choose self-serve options to manage their day-to-day needs, we’re continually investing in digital services to give customers more control and greater ability to manage their accounts easily, anytime they want,” company spokesperson Zac Carreiro said in a statement.

Some Canadians have expressed concern that these fees will be applied to the elderly or other customers who aren’t comfortable with technology.

The spokesperson said there will be exceptions for customers with special needs but did not explain what the requirements for the exemption would be.

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Internet advocate Laura Scribe, executive director of Open Media, called the fee “frustrating” and said it was a “clear result of Canada’s broken cellphone market.”

“Customer service should be a way for companies to win favour with customers — but instead, it’s become just another revenue stream,” Scribe told Global News.

“If we had more choice in providers, companies wouldn’t be able to get away with this kind of price-gouging.”

Last month, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CTRC) launched a comprehensive review of the state of mobile wireless markets in Canada.