…and I mean REALLY REALLY SUCKS.
I FINALLY got Net access yesterday. I FINALLY got my phone service TONIGHT.
We were supposed to have Net access installed Wednesday. The PHONE was supposed to be on as of this past MONDAY.
Oh, the saga of this bullshit…and it’s all AT&T’s fault.
I initially called them over three weeks ago to change the address on my phone service. Please note this — the whole reason I called AT&T was to change my address & get phone service to the new place. This is important.
The rep took down the new address, said we couldn’t keep the old number, had to get a new one, got the new number assigned at the new address, blah blah blah, to be turned on Monday. Fairly standard.
Well, towards the end of the call, this wench said, “Oh, I see we just got our new fiber optic Internet installed out there — would you like that?” And since we couldn’t keep Time Warner (they don’t service the new place due to non-compete agreements with the other Roadrunner provider), and since the price she quoted me was cheaper AND the connection speed faster than Roadrunner, I said “SURE!” and got the installation time arranged for the Wednesday after we moved in.
Ok. With that so easily taken care of, you KNOW it’s gonna get fucked up.
Monday rolls around, we’re moved in & stuffed into the smaller place, and the new phone number doesn’t work. I get back from Discover, try the line, nothing. No dial tone, nada. So I get in to Discover on Tuesday and call AT&T…
“Due to high call volumes, we can’t answer your call. Call back later or go to our website.” *Click*
Please note — I don’t have Internet access at that point.
So I frantically search the phone book, find the automated repair line, and call, file a ticket, get told the problem would be fixed by Thursday. Ok.
Wednesday rolls around, I get let go from Discover (YAY I’M FREE I’M FREE!!!), get home & wait for the AT&T Internet installation people…
…who don’t show.
Luckily, our new apartment management is right across the street from us. I walk over, explain the situation, that we don’t have phone & the Internet people have missed the appointment, and the manager lets me us their phone to call AT&T:
“Due to high call volumes, we can’t answer your call. Call back later or go to our website.” *Click*
Saying I got pissed at that point is a distinct understatement.
So I find the repair number again, and start mashing keys until I get through to a live person, and since I’ve worked as phone-slave before, I stay nice; it’s not the rep’s fault, after all. I tell them, “Your installation people were supposed to be here, and they’re not. Did they get lost?”
The tech takes my phone number (the new one for the new place)…and goes, “there’s no internet service listed on this account.”
Um.
I said there’d BETTER be, and on a hunch, had him check the old phone number and old address.
Yup. The stupid Original Phone Wench had entered the Internet service request on THE OLD ADDRESS THAT I’D TOLD HER WE WERE MOVING FROM. That she KNEW we were moving from, since she entered all the information to get us the new phone number at the new address!
The techs showed up at the old address, said the phone tech, and no one was there.
At this point, I told the phone tech that it wasn’t his fault, I understood that, but now I was extremely PISSED…and explained about the change in service request that had led to us signing up for the fiber optic service.
“Um,” said Mr. Phone Tech, “you said the fiber optic? You mean UVerse? We don’t have that in your area yet. The new address, I mean.”
Oh, joy. So the Stupid Original Phone Wench not only got the installation address wrong, she signed us up for a service THAT DIDN’T EXIST AT THE NEW AREA SHE KNEW WE WERE MOVING TO.
At that point, Mr. Phone Tech decided it was prudent to get the business office management on the phone. And after listening to my increasingly-pissed-off explanation, Said Manager decided it was prudent to offer me credit for the phone service…
…which wasn’t working either. Which I said, and said between the Phone & Internet, I was ready to cancel them altogether and go VOIP through their competitor.
She got the phone techs on the line, assured me the ticket was entered, and that a phone tech would be out here on Thursday. Oh, and did I want their DSL service?
Can you say HELL NO, lady?
So. Naturally, Thursday rolls around and rolls away, still no phone service, and no tech showed up…and a second angry call to AT&T got me a service person who said, “Oh, there’s an outage in your area, that’s what’s going on.”
Yeah, right. Pretty localized outage when EVERYONE ELSE IN MY BUILDING HAD PHONE SERVICE (small apartment building, only three other tenants). Get the frakkin’ TECH out here, like you promised!!
Finally, tonight, SATURDAY, the phone was on. FINALLY.
And Internet? We went with WOW (WideOpenWest).
Across The Shadows 