CenturyLink Cluster Fuck

I have to write this down quickly because I do not know how long my internet service will be on line.

I am writing the timeline of events since Saturday, when a Century Link Technician named Mike came to the house to increase the speed of our Interweb service. 

He was scheduled to show up between 10AM and 2PM. He arrived about 1:45. Mike and two other guys were here for about two hours. I know things did not go smoothly, but they did get the internet working. Whether or not it is faster, I was not able to tell.

On Sunday morning, I got up and was watching NCIS through Netflix, which uses our internet connection. It cut out about half way through the show and would not reconnect.

Later in the morning, around 10:30, I called Mom in Palm Springs and had a nice chat with her. About half an hour later, the phones had no dial tone. The internet connection was down. Nothing was working. 

(It appears I'm off line right now. I don't know how much I should write for fear of loosing it all.)

Okay, it seems to be back.

Sometime during the morning, I called Century Link at 1-800-573-1311. I went through the automated system with the goal of talking to a live person. I give the automated system my name, my phone number, my reason for calling and it finally connects me to a guy. I should have gotten the guys name. Anyway, the guy starts asking me all the questions I have already provided to the automated system, ostensibly to speed things along.

The guy finally agreed that my phone was not working and we set up an appointment for Tuesday afternoon between 2:30 and 6:30.

The guy also offered to forward our calls to my cell phone. That was nice.

Before going to bed on Sunday night, I checked the phone and had a dial tone.

In the morning, I checked the phone and had a dial tone. 

Just before I went out the door to work, I checked the phone and had no dial tone.

Susan checked it before she left and we had a dial tone. I decided it was appropriate to maintain the appointment because clearly, the service was spotty at best and someone needed to check it.

As I drove in to the driveway on Monday night, my cell rang and it was an automated call from CenturyLink confirming the appointment for the next day, Tuesday, January 24th between 2:30 and 7:30. That's right, somehow it got extended to 7:30, which I did not have a problem with since I would be here anyway.

So now it is Tuesday, January 24th, 2017. I left work at two, having come in early the last two days to build up the hours.

I pulled in to the driveway at exactly 2:29PM. It has been snowing lightly and I noticed there where tracks in the driveway of a double axle vehicle that had pulled in and left. There were also footprints in the light snow from the truck going to the back door.

There was a door hanger on the back door saying the technician had been here at 1:15PM. I pulled out my calculator because I needed to determine for sure if 1:15 was in the 2:30 to 7:30 window. I was able to determine that it was not.

Sp now I call the number on this door hanger, 1-800-201-4099. Again I do the dance of the automated system until I get to a person. Again, I did not get a name but I'm sure from her accent that it was something like Gishda or Flemzeetle or something other than Mary.

It took me a great deal of time to get her to understand that the tech showed up prior to the appointment time and I wanted him to come back today. She said she could arrange for another appointment and I very clearly and sternly told her that was not acceptable. I have planned for today! I have left work early today! I am home within the agreed upon window! The appointment will take place TODAY!

At that point, she wanted to be off the phone with me. Let me say that at no time was I rude or impolite to this woman. But I was mad and I was firm that a technician is supposed to show up today.

She tepidly agreed that would be the case. I am really not convinced she got the message.

And so, here I am, waiting for the GODDAM CENTURYLINK TECHNITARD TO SHOW UP WITHIN THE AGREED UPON WINDOW!

I hope that I am not asking too much.

8:44PM: I ended up calling back at 6:30. This time I recorded the call so even though I don't know the name of the woman that helped me, I know I can find out her name.

She ended up telling me that they have determined it's a problem with the cable outside the house, not inside the house and I would not have to be there to let someone in.

I was a little snarky when I asked her when they planned on telling me this info. She apologized and said it will be fixed in the next couple of days.

I'm still not holding my breath. The phone still sounds fuzzy and there is lots of static. I shall be standing by until further notice.