Dealing with Telco/Cablecos...

Doc picked up the idea:
The Doc Searls Weblog : Thursday, November 2, 2006

As he has a much bigger ... soapbox, I hope it gets some attention. Maybe, if enough "customers" get the same attitude, we'll get some changes.

Ongoing saga.
Got a call Tues from Charter - from a real live person! who sought to troubleshoot our internet connection problem!!!

Seems that when I returned the modem (having purchased my own) the clerk seemed to have failed to enter the modem's ID (although I'd swear that it looked like she did so).
Result - Charter couldn't recognize my node.

Anyway, truck roll was needed to test lines.
I've refined my position with regards to feedback.

I'll work with the tech, a real person attempting to sort out the problems. Just not with bots either robo-voices or un-empowered flesh-bots with a headset but no authority to solve issues or issue solutions (credit).

Lunch today with some old friends and discussing similar telco tales of woe.
Took me back to the AT&T breakup.

First bill I got after the breakup inventoried the equipment that was suppose to be on my site (home/office) turns out that I was being billed for equipment that wasn't there.
Ameritech (the MichBell) end was able to credit me very quickly.
AT&T was different.
After several hours on a Friday Afternoon, with a number of calls, and having worked up to a supervisor, we finally got the situation "resolved".
Maybe an $80 credit.
Then the woman got chatty, it was about 5PM on a Friday, and she said that I'd just done the impossible ... I'd beaten City Hall and that within AT&T the policy was that the customer never wins.
Lesson learned.