Jeffrey Veen

Change your email address in 13 simple steps

A friend working in IT for a large telecoms once told me, "Sixty percent of your phone bill comes from making your phone bill." That is, the telecommunications industry is so massive, bureaucratic, and slow-moving that the process of billing you costs more than the service they provide.

So it's not surprising to find that changing my email address with MCI is a 13 step process -- with an additional four warnings that this is all for my privacy and security.

And here I foolishly though this could be accomplished with a text field and a submit button.

This is what I was told when I asked MCI how to update my address:

Dear Jeffrey Veen,

Thank you for contacting MCI ® e-Customer Service.

I have received your to update your e-mail address. We appreciate
your efforts to update your MCI account information in Online Account
Manager. To change your e-mail address, simply follow the steps
below:

To discuss account specific information via e-mail, make account
changes, and to protect your account security, please send account
inquiries from Online Account Manager at www.mci.com/service. By
requiring you to log in to your existing account using a unique
username and password combination, or to sign up for a new Online
Account Manager account, we can ensure the privacy and security of
your account information. Once your e-mail is received, we will
answer your questions and/or make changes as quickly as possible. We
apologize for any inconvenience.

Establishing an Online Account Manager account is fast, easy, and
free. Simply follow the steps I've provided below:

1) Visit our Online Account Manager website at www.mci.com/service

2) Click on the "Create Account" button under "Create an Account"

3) Enter your telephone number.

4) Enter your MCI account number OR MCI Calling Card PIN to
verify your identification and maintain your account security.

5) Select your username and password (Your username and password
must be between 6 and 20 characters, and the password must
contain a combination of letters and numbers. You will use
this information every time you wish to access your online
account).

6) Enter your e-mail address.

7) Tell us how you heard about Online Account Manager.

8) Read the Online Account Manager terms and conditions and
click the "Register" button.

Once you have logged in, simply click on the "Contact Us" link for
assistance.

1) Log on to Online Account Manager at www.mci.com/service

2) Click on "Account Maintenance" from the navigation bar, or click
on the "Your Information" (orange color) bar on the left of your page

3) Select "Update Your E-mail Address"

4) Fill out the online form provided

5) Click on "SUBMIT"

MCI is committed to ensuring you make the most of your service.
If you have any additional questions or concerns, please visit
Online Account Manager at www.mci.com/service.

Sincerely,

Randy
e-Customer Service

That's really confusing -- and I'm only trying to update my email address. I can't imagine how difficult it must be to add something like Caller ID to my service. I wonder, are the new breed of VoIP services any better? Or will they fall into the same rut of complexity as they grow, too?

This entry was written by Jeffrey Veen and posted 7 August 2005 at 10:19 AM. It was filed under Technology. | View blog reactions