I spent a very long and frustrating time on the phone yesterday, trying to move my Verizon DSL to the new location. (This, while typing info from business cards into an Excel spreadsheet. Boy, does my neck hurt.)
The operator, while very nice, told me they didn’t have service available at my new place for at least another month. He offered me free dialup in the meantime - but I had to call from home to set up my computer.
“I won’t be home until after 9 tonight,” I said, pissed.
“Oh, they’ll still be there, no problem,” he said in that cheery operator voice. “They’ll be available to help you.”
He was a goddamned fucking liar. I’m sorry. I mean, I know I’m trying to become a bodhisattva and all, but no, there was no one knowledgable available to help me at the number he gave and it turned into one big clusterfuck. The Problem (that would be me) was like a hot potato, passed from one player to the other without ever coming to rest in one set of hands for very long. I think my head actually exploded; I just know there’s gray matter on the ceiling, and I have to get it off or there goes the security deposit.
“You have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?” I finally said to the nice man at the Canadian call center. I didn’t bother to berate him for taking jobs away from us. He’s a Canadian, he would have been far too apologetic and it wouldn’t have been a challenge.
This morning, I called the Evil Empire, got everything set up in one short call and they’re coming to install my cable and internet service Sunday. (Which is good, since Verizon can’t install my phone until Wednesday.)
I took the blue pill. Dear God, all is lost.
welcome to the hell that is comcast! if they miss their time window by 1 second, call them and complain, they’ll give you a credit. i think i’ve gotten like 5 months of free cable/internet in the last 2 years due to missed appointments and other tech related issues.
you’re an amazing writer and i really enjoy your blog!
i recently moved myself and was mystified why they couldn’t turn on my tel. service the day i wanted. the house i moved into had had phone service and they do it all by software so when they told me the next avail. appt ( wtf ? ) wasn’t until the 2nd of the month - like they were sending someone out to the house. bizarre.
you are doing pretty good I just spent 8 months working with earthlink getting a bad dsl repaired and a new one installed every day for 3 hours a day they lied like bush to me ..it was the worst customer service I have ever seen even comcast is better..
why don’t you just get Comcast VoIP phone service or Vonage? It’s seamless to you, cheaper, and they’re more responsive because they’re trying to take business away from Verizon.
The VoIP isn’t available at the new place yet, but it will be soon.
voip isn’t available there? i think that might just be comcast’s version…if you go for vonage, let me refer you so i get a free month. oh but you do need a regular phone number before you switch.
y’know probably there are plenty of people who hate them, but i live in west philly where we use urbancableworks instead of comcast and i have been very happy with them. i found there tech support the best i’d experienced in years.
I switched form DSL to Cable a couple of years ago and I love it! It’s much faster and there’s been less down-time.