Hell-desk stupidity
Why me?!?
I always seem to get either teh stupidest or most arrogant person when calling NTL Support.
We have had a thunder storm tonight ... and suddenly we lose 'Net access. No outbound connection on the cable modem so a call gets made to NTL Internet Support after trying the usual reboot of the cable modem.
"Hello, NTL Internet Support, how can we help you?"
I seem to have lost all connection on my cable modem after a thunder storm. Can you check if it is just me or if it is further up the connection?
"Ok sir ... can you please restart your computer ..."
The computer is fine ... I can access everything else on my network, but it goes dead from the cable modem onwards ... in fact the sync and rdy lights are out too. I have tried the usual turn the cable modem off for 5 mins .. but with no joy.
"Ok sir ... I'll need you to turn off your cable modem"
*Sigh* Ok ... (2 mins later) nope .. still not working.
"OK Sir I will need to book an egnineer to come out ... please hold!" (And transfer to hold before I can say anything ...
And then the phone goes dead. Is this just NTL getting rid of me? Nah ... that should have learned after last time. Nope ... the phone is out ... and so is TV.
Ok ... phone back NTL on mobile ...
"NTL Internet Support BlahBlah speaking, how can I help?"
I was just making a support call about loss of access and then TV and Phone died too I had got to the point where and engineer was being booked ... it is probably the thunder storm we have just had here ... could you just check if there has been a reported power outage at an exchange?
"Ok sir ... I need you to check the serial number on your Cable modem. It starts with a few O's"
erm ... you mean the MAC address?
"It's easier to call it the serial number ... it saves confusing things."
But there is a seperate serial number ... with the word serial next to it, and there is a label MAC next to the MAC address ...
"Ok sir ... if you can give me the serial number"
03HV ....
"No sir ... the serial number ... it starts with 2 Os"
You mean the MAC Address? That is 00xxxxxxxx
"Yes sir ... that is the serial number .... ok sir, what sort of computer are you running at home?"
Which one, I have a home network.
"Which ever one is connected to the internet"
They all are.
"So it is all working now?"
No ... when I have a connection they are all connected to the internet ... at the moment none are.
"Ok sir ... I actually meant what sort of computer, as in what operating system, you are using. You can usually tell from the desktop pictures"
I run several machines here ... XP pro, Server 2003, 2000 pro, 2000 server, Mandrake, Panther
"Erm ... I think you have misunderstood. What system is the computer that cannot access the internet using?"
None of them can access the internet at the moment. The cable modem does not have a connection.
"Ok sir ... I'll need you to turn off the cable modem"
I've done that ... and done it with the last person I was speaking to as well ... can you just not check if there has been a loss of power to the exchange, point of presence, next hop, whatever you want to call it?
"I'm sorry sir, that's what the engineer will do ... I'll book you one now."
(hold music)
"ok sir, that is book for between 12 and 6 on Friday"
A day and a half with no Phone, TV or broadband? You are having a laugh.
"Oh no sir ... this is just for broadband."
So there is no possibility that the fact that all three went down after the thunder storm might show there is a link?
"I'm sorry sir .. that's an easy mistake to make ... these sorts of thing are very rarely related to one another ... your TV and phone will probably just come back on fine later tonight or tomorrow."
Ok ... but no-one will be in until 4pm.
"Can you not take time off?"
No ... it is hard to say to 200+ teachers that you are not going to run a training session because NTL can't check if somewhere has a power outage.
"I will make a note of the time on the log sir ... so that's and engineer to come out on Friday between 12 and 6."
You mean 4 and 6 ...
"Oh .. yes sir ... I'll make that note. Good night sir."
(phone goes dead)
10 mins later Martine comes in from shops ....
"We are lucky ... most of the estate is without power."
1 hour later the phone bleeps and is working fine ... TV is happy ... and I am posting to my LJ about how stupid NTL Hell-desk are.
I always seem to get either teh stupidest or most arrogant person when calling NTL Support.
We have had a thunder storm tonight ... and suddenly we lose 'Net access. No outbound connection on the cable modem so a call gets made to NTL Internet Support after trying the usual reboot of the cable modem.
"Hello, NTL Internet Support, how can we help you?"
I seem to have lost all connection on my cable modem after a thunder storm. Can you check if it is just me or if it is further up the connection?
"Ok sir ... can you please restart your computer ..."
The computer is fine ... I can access everything else on my network, but it goes dead from the cable modem onwards ... in fact the sync and rdy lights are out too. I have tried the usual turn the cable modem off for 5 mins .. but with no joy.
"Ok sir ... I'll need you to turn off your cable modem"
*Sigh* Ok ... (2 mins later) nope .. still not working.
"OK Sir I will need to book an egnineer to come out ... please hold!" (And transfer to hold before I can say anything ...
And then the phone goes dead. Is this just NTL getting rid of me? Nah ... that should have learned after last time. Nope ... the phone is out ... and so is TV.
Ok ... phone back NTL on mobile ...
"NTL Internet Support BlahBlah speaking, how can I help?"
I was just making a support call about loss of access and then TV and Phone died too I had got to the point where and engineer was being booked ... it is probably the thunder storm we have just had here ... could you just check if there has been a reported power outage at an exchange?
"Ok sir ... I need you to check the serial number on your Cable modem. It starts with a few O's"
erm ... you mean the MAC address?
"It's easier to call it the serial number ... it saves confusing things."
But there is a seperate serial number ... with the word serial next to it, and there is a label MAC next to the MAC address ...
"Ok sir ... if you can give me the serial number"
03HV ....
"No sir ... the serial number ... it starts with 2 Os"
You mean the MAC Address? That is 00xxxxxxxx
"Yes sir ... that is the serial number .... ok sir, what sort of computer are you running at home?"
Which one, I have a home network.
"Which ever one is connected to the internet"
They all are.
"So it is all working now?"
No ... when I have a connection they are all connected to the internet ... at the moment none are.
"Ok sir ... I actually meant what sort of computer, as in what operating system, you are using. You can usually tell from the desktop pictures"
I run several machines here ... XP pro, Server 2003, 2000 pro, 2000 server, Mandrake, Panther
"Erm ... I think you have misunderstood. What system is the computer that cannot access the internet using?"
None of them can access the internet at the moment. The cable modem does not have a connection.
"Ok sir ... I'll need you to turn off the cable modem"
I've done that ... and done it with the last person I was speaking to as well ... can you just not check if there has been a loss of power to the exchange, point of presence, next hop, whatever you want to call it?
"I'm sorry sir, that's what the engineer will do ... I'll book you one now."
(hold music)
"ok sir, that is book for between 12 and 6 on Friday"
A day and a half with no Phone, TV or broadband? You are having a laugh.
"Oh no sir ... this is just for broadband."
So there is no possibility that the fact that all three went down after the thunder storm might show there is a link?
"I'm sorry sir .. that's an easy mistake to make ... these sorts of thing are very rarely related to one another ... your TV and phone will probably just come back on fine later tonight or tomorrow."
Ok ... but no-one will be in until 4pm.
"Can you not take time off?"
No ... it is hard to say to 200+ teachers that you are not going to run a training session because NTL can't check if somewhere has a power outage.
"I will make a note of the time on the log sir ... so that's and engineer to come out on Friday between 12 and 6."
You mean 4 and 6 ...
"Oh .. yes sir ... I'll make that note. Good night sir."
(phone goes dead)
10 mins later Martine comes in from shops ....
"We are lucky ... most of the estate is without power."
1 hour later the phone bleeps and is working fine ... TV is happy ... and I am posting to my LJ about how stupid NTL Hell-desk are.