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while I'm at it...
Speakeasy is utterly and irrevocably fired as my ISP.
Tues AM, Jan 4th:
Called Speakeasy about DSL outage, talked to a service rep, was told I'd have a new modem overnighted to me after some basic troubleshooting and tests... I explained the problem as not having internet, the modem acting as though it wasn't getting signal. Service rep told me, incorrectly, that the modem should show a flashing light when it had DSL signal (I see solid green when the signal is present). Didn't get the Seattle/tech vibe from the rep, got more of a salesdroid feel with a little condescension of the "pat the nice lady on the head and just promise it'll all be better" sort. No, I don't know your tech jargon; that does not mean I'm a technophobe or that I'm incapable of doing basic troubleshooting tests, observing and reporting what I see, or interpreting the results. I work in biomedical research, design and troubleshoot assays, have been doing that for about 25 years - really, I understand testing. I'm just not fluent in network/hardware...
Emailed (from work) my work/shipping address to the rep in response to one of his emails later in the day, also asked that billing be prorated for lack of service.
Weds, 1/5 - no modem, no response to emails, no tracking number.
Thurs, 1/6 - no modem, no response to emails, no tracking number. Called customer service Thurs evening, spoke to a (different) service rep. She verified that the modem HAD NOT been shipped out, assured me that she could have it overnighted to me Friday for receipt Saturday, that there *would* be home delivery on Saturday... She had no explanation for why the modem hadn't been shipped Wednesday.
Friday, 1/7 - late afternoon, still at work - checked the tracking number I'd been emailed - UPS had not even received the package by 3:30, although they did have a record of the tracking number/shipping label being generated. If I'd known the modem wouldn't go out until late for delivery on Monday, I would have given the service rep my work address, since I'm almost never home on weekdays to sign for packages. It would have been disappointing, certainly, to hear on Thursday evening that I wouldn't get my modem until Monday, but it would have been honest - as it is, I felt lied to. Again.
Sat, 1/8: no modem delivered.
Either Sat or Sun, 1/9: received a call from Speakeasy, from the service rep I spoke to on 1/4. He had no explanation as to why nobody had shipped the modem Tuesday or Wednesday, offered to attempt to have the package rerouted from my home address to my work address since I would not be at home to receive the modem on Monday. In his defense, he said he was out sick (although he sounded healthy on Tuesday, for what that's worth). On the other hand, if you are a customer service person, and you're out sick, don't you make sure that somebody else handles your customers? If you are an organization with some dedication to the idea of providing service to your customers, shouldn't you have mechanisms in place to make sure that customer service issues get handled regardless of which employees are present and working on those issues? And, if you are an ISP, don't you have an obligation to do what's necessary to Provide that Internet Service?
Monday, 1/10: got lucky-ish: a neighbor was kind enough to sign for the modem, since it did NOT get rerouted to my work address. Plugged the new modem into computer, got no internet connection (DSL light on this model of modem alternated between a slow blink and a fast blink). Plugged the modem directly into the wall jack using new cables, got the same pattern of blink in the lights, called customer service - talked to a third rep who said this issue obviously needed a technician visit, that I should let them know when I might be available. Have now been without DSL for a week.
Tues: I emailed (from work) my availability for service calls (kind of scant this week, as we had a lot of patient studies scheduled - it's such a shame that the modem didn't show up the week before when people were still recovering from the holidays and I could have been at home for a service call pretty much any time), came home to a phone message telling me that my availability this week was too limited for Covad to make an appointment and giving me choices of 2 4-hour windows any weekday, basically either morning or afternoon.
Weds, 1/12: called customer service (from work) to arrange tech visit, gave possible windows of Thurs AM, Fri AM, or Mon AM since one of our patients did me the favor of canceling a scheduled visit, and canceled creditcard auto-payment on a hunch. Did not receive any confirmation of a service appoinment, either by phone or email. Sent emails (from work) to three different customer service addresses asking about generating a shipping label to return the modem that had not fixed the problem...
Thurs AM, 1/13: called customer service to find out if I had to stay home to wait for the tech that morning, found out that a service call had been arranged for Friday AFTERNOON when I had NOT said I could be available and could NOT be available, had to be at work. I cancelled that appointment. No response to emails about shipping label, but I did receive an automatic reminder that my bill was due next week...
Friday, 1/14: no response to emails about shipping label. Left a rather pissy note on the "trouble ticket"...
Saturday, 1/15: funny - no phonecall from Speakeasy apologizing for the various fuckups, no offer to make things better somehow. (called another provider to set up an account with them... not interested in going in to work just to see if there was email from Speakeasy.)
Sunday, 1/16: no phonecall from Speakeasy.
Monday, 1/17: I've now been without DSL for TWO WEEKS, which is much too long. I haven't tracked how much time I've spent on this while I was at work, but that's also much too long... (no phonecall from Speakeasy... ).
Tues, 1/18: No emails, either...
Weds, Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun: see Tues. I did receive the modem from the new provider, along with a caution that ATT was doing something arcane with some connection somewhere in SF and that I might not have connection until the 25th - at least they were honest about it!
Monday, 1/24: I've received an email notifying me that I'm delinquent in my Speakeasy bill. Riiiight... Went back, checked my emails, marshaled my facts, and called customer "service" and proceeded to have a frothing-at-the-mouth meltdown at the poor soul who picked up my call. Net result?
Tues, 1/25: Email from Speakeasy with instructions to print a return label for the (useless) modem. The rest of my work-day was too damn busy to check to see if the billing snafu got corrected.... need to do that tomorrow.
Tues AM, Jan 4th:
Called Speakeasy about DSL outage, talked to a service rep, was told I'd have a new modem overnighted to me after some basic troubleshooting and tests... I explained the problem as not having internet, the modem acting as though it wasn't getting signal. Service rep told me, incorrectly, that the modem should show a flashing light when it had DSL signal (I see solid green when the signal is present). Didn't get the Seattle/tech vibe from the rep, got more of a salesdroid feel with a little condescension of the "pat the nice lady on the head and just promise it'll all be better" sort. No, I don't know your tech jargon; that does not mean I'm a technophobe or that I'm incapable of doing basic troubleshooting tests, observing and reporting what I see, or interpreting the results. I work in biomedical research, design and troubleshoot assays, have been doing that for about 25 years - really, I understand testing. I'm just not fluent in network/hardware...
Emailed (from work) my work/shipping address to the rep in response to one of his emails later in the day, also asked that billing be prorated for lack of service.
Weds, 1/5 - no modem, no response to emails, no tracking number.
Thurs, 1/6 - no modem, no response to emails, no tracking number. Called customer service Thurs evening, spoke to a (different) service rep. She verified that the modem HAD NOT been shipped out, assured me that she could have it overnighted to me Friday for receipt Saturday, that there *would* be home delivery on Saturday... She had no explanation for why the modem hadn't been shipped Wednesday.
Friday, 1/7 - late afternoon, still at work - checked the tracking number I'd been emailed - UPS had not even received the package by 3:30, although they did have a record of the tracking number/shipping label being generated. If I'd known the modem wouldn't go out until late for delivery on Monday, I would have given the service rep my work address, since I'm almost never home on weekdays to sign for packages. It would have been disappointing, certainly, to hear on Thursday evening that I wouldn't get my modem until Monday, but it would have been honest - as it is, I felt lied to. Again.
Sat, 1/8: no modem delivered.
Either Sat or Sun, 1/9: received a call from Speakeasy, from the service rep I spoke to on 1/4. He had no explanation as to why nobody had shipped the modem Tuesday or Wednesday, offered to attempt to have the package rerouted from my home address to my work address since I would not be at home to receive the modem on Monday. In his defense, he said he was out sick (although he sounded healthy on Tuesday, for what that's worth). On the other hand, if you are a customer service person, and you're out sick, don't you make sure that somebody else handles your customers? If you are an organization with some dedication to the idea of providing service to your customers, shouldn't you have mechanisms in place to make sure that customer service issues get handled regardless of which employees are present and working on those issues? And, if you are an ISP, don't you have an obligation to do what's necessary to Provide that Internet Service?
Monday, 1/10: got lucky-ish: a neighbor was kind enough to sign for the modem, since it did NOT get rerouted to my work address. Plugged the new modem into computer, got no internet connection (DSL light on this model of modem alternated between a slow blink and a fast blink). Plugged the modem directly into the wall jack using new cables, got the same pattern of blink in the lights, called customer service - talked to a third rep who said this issue obviously needed a technician visit, that I should let them know when I might be available. Have now been without DSL for a week.
Tues: I emailed (from work) my availability for service calls (kind of scant this week, as we had a lot of patient studies scheduled - it's such a shame that the modem didn't show up the week before when people were still recovering from the holidays and I could have been at home for a service call pretty much any time), came home to a phone message telling me that my availability this week was too limited for Covad to make an appointment and giving me choices of 2 4-hour windows any weekday, basically either morning or afternoon.
Weds, 1/12: called customer service (from work) to arrange tech visit, gave possible windows of Thurs AM, Fri AM, or Mon AM since one of our patients did me the favor of canceling a scheduled visit, and canceled creditcard auto-payment on a hunch. Did not receive any confirmation of a service appoinment, either by phone or email. Sent emails (from work) to three different customer service addresses asking about generating a shipping label to return the modem that had not fixed the problem...
Thurs AM, 1/13: called customer service to find out if I had to stay home to wait for the tech that morning, found out that a service call had been arranged for Friday AFTERNOON when I had NOT said I could be available and could NOT be available, had to be at work. I cancelled that appointment. No response to emails about shipping label, but I did receive an automatic reminder that my bill was due next week...
Friday, 1/14: no response to emails about shipping label. Left a rather pissy note on the "trouble ticket"...
Saturday, 1/15: funny - no phonecall from Speakeasy apologizing for the various fuckups, no offer to make things better somehow. (called another provider to set up an account with them... not interested in going in to work just to see if there was email from Speakeasy.)
Sunday, 1/16: no phonecall from Speakeasy.
Monday, 1/17: I've now been without DSL for TWO WEEKS, which is much too long. I haven't tracked how much time I've spent on this while I was at work, but that's also much too long... (no phonecall from Speakeasy... ).
Tues, 1/18: No emails, either...
Weds, Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun: see Tues. I did receive the modem from the new provider, along with a caution that ATT was doing something arcane with some connection somewhere in SF and that I might not have connection until the 25th - at least they were honest about it!
Monday, 1/24: I've received an email notifying me that I'm delinquent in my Speakeasy bill. Riiiight... Went back, checked my emails, marshaled my facts, and called customer "service" and proceeded to have a frothing-at-the-mouth meltdown at the poor soul who picked up my call. Net result?
Tues, 1/25: Email from Speakeasy with instructions to print a return label for the (useless) modem. The rest of my work-day was too damn busy to check to see if the billing snafu got corrected.... need to do that tomorrow.