Given the mess* in "customer service" call centers, should consumers
> tape record their calls in case of subsequent trouble?
> [public replies, please]
Yess, because there is no accountability in these boiler room call centers. I have had, on several occasions, people blatantly lie just to get off the phone and get out of dealing with a complicated problem. Later, when I called back, they had even annotated the account with information completely to the contrary to what we discussed, just to cover their tracks. Even the smallest customer service issue could turn into a mess, especially if it is something that could involve your credit. If/when you finally speak to someone at their corporate headquarters (many times it comes to this to get real problems resolved) and you let them know that you're conversations have been recorded, they seem to take a much greater interest rather than ignore you. It's a shame that it has come to this, but simply having something to fall back on when you find out you were lied to can save you several hours of wasted time later.