Today I was frustrated in trying to get my DSL service with Verizon upgraded. So I had to vent somehow. I decided I need to vent often enough that I should just start a blog. Some of you might enjoy this post about being on hold to technical support.
I started a BLOG
- Thread starter rogerbum
- Start date
Pat Anderson
New member
Great blog, Roger, keep up the good work!
Rick from Maine
New member
Funny you should mention that. Last week in NH, a senior citizen was arested and jailed for threatening a federal offical. The poor guy had been on hold on the Social Security line for an hour, and when someone finally answered, he said: "I'm gonna kill someone". So, he ended up in court.
Ends up he was concerned that his social Security check had not been direct deposited into his account on the usual day. He forgot that on-line he had switched from direct deposit to receiving checks. He got his check the next day when he was bailed out.
Having personnally been on hold on that Social security line for long periods, I know how he felt.
Rick from Maine
Ends up he was concerned that his social Security check had not been direct deposited into his account on the usual day. He forgot that on-line he had switched from direct deposit to receiving checks. He got his check the next day when he was bailed out.
Having personnally been on hold on that Social security line for long periods, I know how he felt.
Rick from Maine
I tried starting a blog. I found out that I didn't have much to say that anyone really wanted to read...including myself.
I came to the conclusion that it sucks when you're as boring in type as you are in person. Such is my life.
I wouldn't blame anyone if they just skipped over this message without reading it.
Maybe it was the name of my blog...."Monotony"
Oh well, same old, same old.
I came to the conclusion that it sucks when you're as boring in type as you are in person. Such is my life.
I wouldn't blame anyone if they just skipped over this message without reading it.
Maybe it was the name of my blog...."Monotony"
Oh well, same old, same old.
Pat Anderson
New member
OK, since we are ragging on Verizon, this is my experience over the last half hour.
My credit card for my internet service is expiring soon, so I log on to update credit card information. I enter the correct information, it says "Sorry, unable to validate credit card information." Patty comes in, she does it - same result. Just won't take the correct information. So I want to tell them, there is a problem here, I want to give you the correct information so you won't cut off my service.
So I call 800 567-6789, the customer non-service number. The automated menu has no choice for what I want to do. Repeated responses "I'm sorry, I do not understand." I am reduced to screaming obscenities, "Connect me to a f**king real person!" All to no avail. Patty says "Press 0." I should have thought of that.
So I press 0 and voila, I get a real person - Narwal (I am merely imagining his name, it could be something else, probably is) in India (or Pakistan or Indonesia?), with whom I cannot possibly communicate in a million years. He doesn't speak English and I don't speak whatever his native language is (he is, I will grant, ahead of me on this score, but only barely).
Back to the web site. Get support by email says "This will generate an automated response. No agent will read it." Gosh, that is helpful. "Chat with a customer representative" is not a link - just plain text, nothing happens when you click on it.
Nada - no way to communicate with these bastards. They have effectively shut themselves off from having to deal with customers. And they are going to cancel my internet service because my credit card has expired...
There ought to be a law.
My credit card for my internet service is expiring soon, so I log on to update credit card information. I enter the correct information, it says "Sorry, unable to validate credit card information." Patty comes in, she does it - same result. Just won't take the correct information. So I want to tell them, there is a problem here, I want to give you the correct information so you won't cut off my service.
So I call 800 567-6789, the customer non-service number. The automated menu has no choice for what I want to do. Repeated responses "I'm sorry, I do not understand." I am reduced to screaming obscenities, "Connect me to a f**king real person!" All to no avail. Patty says "Press 0." I should have thought of that.
So I press 0 and voila, I get a real person - Narwal (I am merely imagining his name, it could be something else, probably is) in India (or Pakistan or Indonesia?), with whom I cannot possibly communicate in a million years. He doesn't speak English and I don't speak whatever his native language is (he is, I will grant, ahead of me on this score, but only barely).
Back to the web site. Get support by email says "This will generate an automated response. No agent will read it." Gosh, that is helpful. "Chat with a customer representative" is not a link - just plain text, nothing happens when you click on it.
Nada - no way to communicate with these bastards. They have effectively shut themselves off from having to deal with customers. And they are going to cancel my internet service because my credit card has expired...
There ought to be a law.
Pat, whenever I have to make phone calls where I know I'll be instructed to select from a list of options, wait for my time to speak to the "next available representative" etc. etc., I place the phone on speaker phone, kick back in my chair with a S. F. 22 oz. bomber :beer and hopefully, by the time a real person comes on the line, I'm still able to talk in more than a 2 word sentence..... 
.
(So, if possible.....look at it this way.....it is good for YOUR business. :thup )
.(So, if possible.....look at it this way.....it is good for YOUR business. :thup )
Pat Anderson
New member
Roger, when may we expect the next amusing installment of Roger's Mutterings? There must be other frustrating things going on besides the DSL connection!
Hey Pat,
I've dealt with Verizon customer (DIS)service enough to know that your situation is fairly typical. When I get someone who's English I can't understand, I politely ask if they can transfer me, rather than have to go through the "press 1 and hold FOREVER routine. Joan says to check on your bill to see if there is a customer service or billing number. I suppose as a last resort, you could go into a Verizon Store and say, "If you people cannot connect me to customer service or help me right here, I am going to switch to AT&T." 8)
As long as you don't have to talk to the company, Verizon has been great with our use in our travels. Apparently one of the requirements from the state utilities commission is crappy customer service.
Best wishes,
Jim
I've dealt with Verizon customer (DIS)service enough to know that your situation is fairly typical. When I get someone who's English I can't understand, I politely ask if they can transfer me, rather than have to go through the "press 1 and hold FOREVER routine. Joan says to check on your bill to see if there is a customer service or billing number. I suppose as a last resort, you could go into a Verizon Store and say, "If you people cannot connect me to customer service or help me right here, I am going to switch to AT&T." 8)
As long as you don't have to talk to the company, Verizon has been great with our use in our travels. Apparently one of the requirements from the state utilities commission is crappy customer service.
Best wishes,
Jim
Bill Uffelman
New member
Here in Carson City NV for 120 days of legislative session have Charter for computer and TV -- Charter has filed for bankruptcy.
Apartment complex provides basic TV and internet -- had to rent modem and buy router to hook up two computers -- my wife is a meeting planner and just had 6000 of her closest personal friends at the Sheraton and Seattle Convention Center.
Our first apartment was flooded by the idiots upstairs between the time our rental furniture was delivered in mid January and our actual move in so they moved us to another apartment. I had to go to Charter, change our address get a box to upgrade for HBO, etc on the first weekend here. I prepaid all services through June.
One month later our service was cut off because someone moved into our first apartment and started their service. 15 phone calls to India later they sent a service man to reset our boxes.
On Saturday April 11 we got a refund check for service through June and a bill for service through June AND the technician service call! My wife is visiting Charter's office because if I go I will make headline news for using my Marine Corps training to beat some idiot to death with a cable box!
Customer service -- what's that?????
Bill Uffelman
Lobbying in Carson City NV until June
Apartment complex provides basic TV and internet -- had to rent modem and buy router to hook up two computers -- my wife is a meeting planner and just had 6000 of her closest personal friends at the Sheraton and Seattle Convention Center.
Our first apartment was flooded by the idiots upstairs between the time our rental furniture was delivered in mid January and our actual move in so they moved us to another apartment. I had to go to Charter, change our address get a box to upgrade for HBO, etc on the first weekend here. I prepaid all services through June.
One month later our service was cut off because someone moved into our first apartment and started their service. 15 phone calls to India later they sent a service man to reset our boxes.
On Saturday April 11 we got a refund check for service through June and a bill for service through June AND the technician service call! My wife is visiting Charter's office because if I go I will make headline news for using my Marine Corps training to beat some idiot to death with a cable box!
Customer service -- what's that?????
Bill Uffelman
Lobbying in Carson City NV until June
Captains Cat
New member
Bill, sounds like they picked on the wrong couple this time.... Go get 'em.
I've got a daughter that's like a bulldog. She took on a movie chain once and ended up with passes for life just to get her to go away!
Charlie
I've got a daughter that's like a bulldog. She took on a movie chain once and ended up with passes for life just to get her to go away!
Charlie
OK-
1.regarding speaking to a 'human being' at customer service I have this to report:
Usually when I use the can at my kid's house I pick up one of my sons magazines, maybe "Aviation Weekly" or "Car and Driver". This last time I grabbed one of the daughter-in-law's magazines "Real Simple" or something like that. It had lots of good stuff, including a listing by company, of what key you push or word you say to get directly to a human. Next time I'm over there I'll rip out the list and post it here.
2. regarding trouble getting HBO:
at my high school reunion I was dancing with my old steady girlfriend from high school days whom I hadn't seen for over 50 years. We were talking about the good times we had with (and in) my old Oldsmobile. I mentioned how I would recklessly fly home from her house over some pretty bad back roads. We laughed and, still smiling, she asked me rhetorically "was it worth it?"
I love my HBO.
1.regarding speaking to a 'human being' at customer service I have this to report:
Usually when I use the can at my kid's house I pick up one of my sons magazines, maybe "Aviation Weekly" or "Car and Driver". This last time I grabbed one of the daughter-in-law's magazines "Real Simple" or something like that. It had lots of good stuff, including a listing by company, of what key you push or word you say to get directly to a human. Next time I'm over there I'll rip out the list and post it here.
2. regarding trouble getting HBO:
at my high school reunion I was dancing with my old steady girlfriend from high school days whom I hadn't seen for over 50 years. We were talking about the good times we had with (and in) my old Oldsmobile. I mentioned how I would recklessly fly home from her house over some pretty bad back roads. We laughed and, still smiling, she asked me rhetorically "was it worth it?"
I love my HBO.
As promised, this should facilitate getting a human on the line. After that you're on your own;
http://www.gethuman.com/us/
MartyP
http://www.gethuman.com/us/
MartyP
Marty - good link. As many have noted, I haven't posted anything to the blog other than that initial one. It's not that there is not an abundance of things talk (whine?) about, it's just that I've been WAY too busy this spring writing grants. As you may or may not be aware, the National Institutes of Health was awarded a big (but temporary) bit of funding as part of the stimulus package. While we certainly can argue if this was the right thing to do, it was done. Hence, like every other NIH funded researcher in the country, I've been busily writing grants in an attempt to bring some of the funding to my lab and others at the UW and the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center. I think by early May, I will have time to sleep again. But until then I barely have time to breath.