Real-life incompetence…

It didn’t cause a chain reaction of business failures, but it sure did piss me off…

Got to take a couple days off from the blog experience thanks to AT&T. That’s right, I’m naming names.

I moved today. Called AT&T — my internet provider — last week about getting my service moved.

The service rep I spoke to told me the earliest they could do it would be Oct 9th (moving day as it turns out.) Damn! I says thinking that I have to meet a technician at the door. Is there a way to schedule a time for this?

No need to schedule a time she says. We switch service from our end.

What?

We just turn it on from our end. It’ll be ready to go the 9th after 6pm. If you have any problems connecting or resetting up, you can call tech support. They’re 24/7.

O-M-G! (one of the only TLAs I know. . .)

So you’re saying after 6 on Sat, all I gotta do is plug in and it’ll be go time?

Yep.

(I’m paraphrasing that conversation because I didn’t record it for quality assurance purposes. — Though I did tell her she exceeded my expectations when she inquired about my satisfaction at the end of the call.)

Turns out exceeding expectations easy to do when you don’t know what you’re talking about.

So Sat nite (the 9th) rolls around and after setting up this and that, I get around to plugging in my modem. No signal.

I try a few of the usual fixes — try a different wall jack etc. Waste about 30 minutes.

Anyway, I can’t fix this thing. So I have to dig out the support number and call.

Can someone tell me why the endless voice menu at the beginning of the DSL tech support number actually says “if you’re having trouble, try logging into att.com and search some of our frequently asked questions.”  Serioulsy — I’m on the internet help line and they’re telling me to log into their website for fucking help!

Anyway. . .

After a few minutes I get a helpful sounding rep. I explain my situation. She looks my account up and tells me service at my old address was going to be pulled on the 9th. Service at the new address won’t be turned on until the 14th. FIVE DAYS?!?!

But it’s not really the five days that pisses me off.

It’s what I was told before. That they could turn on my service on the 9th.

You know, I thought for a second I might have been mistaken. But then I remembered how excited I was at how convenient the whole thing was. Being able to get service the very day I moved in. No, I was sure what I was told.

I have no idea how difficult it is to shut service at one location off and turn service on at another is. Maybe it’s a union thing. The “cut service guys” can’t do the work of the “turn on service guys.”

I don’t know. What I do know is I’m screwed until Thursday. (Maybe earlier. They might be able to expedite the switch if I call back on Monday.)

Now I have to make alternate plans for work. (I’m self-employed and work from home.)  It’s just a huge, unexpected hassle.

They didn’t ask about my satisfaction at the end of this call.

Coincidence?

Anyway, posts might be a bit intermittent the next few days.

Damn AT&T stupidity. . .