imploded
November 9th, 2005, 01:20 PM
So I scheduled a day to work from home, my hot water heater ate it's bottom last week (while I was on vacation), and my cable internet got all ****** up again.
Plumber experience:
Sunday, 8:30PM, call plumber, get answering service. Not an emergecy I tell them, but I need my hot water back.
Monday, 7:15AM, "Hi Andrew, this is Brian, I need some info from you before I come out. Can you tell me the size and fuel source?" and "OK, I have one on hand, I have a full day today but one job may cancel - so its going to be either late afternoon today or Tuesday" "I can't do tuesday, how about wednesday?" "OK, great, I'll call later to confirm when I'll be by"
Monday, 1:30PM "Hi Andrew, Brian again, my appointment is for today, is Wednesday still OK?" "Sure is, see you first thing"
Wednesday, 7:45AM, knock at door, Brian is here, he's out and all cleaned up just after 11.
Cable company:
Saturday October 29th, 8:00PM "The earliest we can be by is November 8th at 8:00AM" "OK, that works for me, see you then"
Monday, November 7th, 8:00AM "I cannot be here Tuesday, can you come wednesday?" "Yes, we will be there between 8:00AM and 12:00PM" "Great!"
Wednesday, November 7th, 10:45AM "No one has come to my house yet... is someone still coming?" "Well sir, we called you 3x, no answer, so I'll have to redispatch, but you are within you service window, so yes we'll be there" "I was on the phone, a conference call for work, and recieved two calls from private numbers... one left a voicemail, the other didn't, how come they didn't come by?" "We call first" "No one ever told me that" "It has been our policy for 2 years" "What do you mean? I've had you people out here 9 times on this stupid thing and no one has ever called in advance" "It's our policy, but don't worry, someone is coming"
12:35PM: "No one has showed up yet, could you check the status of my work order" "That work order number isn't in our system, let me check dispatch... oh, they aren't coming day, they can't be redispatched" "What do you mean? The last person told me someone would be here!" "I'm sorry sir, that isn't what they said, they just requested a new dispatch, I can have someone come by tomorrow 12-5 however" "What do you mean? I planned time off, work from home time, to be here for this and no one shows up?" "You didn't answer your phone" "I was on the phone, on a work related matter, and the number was private. How am I supposed to know it is Charter? And how come no one told me you would call first?" "It is our policy sir, no answer, no dispatch, and you had to have been told" "No I wasn't" "Sir, I can't help you today, it will have to be tomorrow" "What am I supposed to do? I can't just flex to your schedule!" "Be there tomorrow" "This is ******* ********" "Please don't disrespect me sir, I haven't disrespected you" *click*
I went out and fixed the ******* thing myself, water gets into the filters on the ouside of the house and shorts them. Why? Because a) the installers never diaelectric greased the connections b) the installers did not install drip loops on the outside wiring c) the installers did not jacket the filters d) the installers used indoor grade cabling and connectors, not weather sealed external cabling and connectors.
**** Charter Communications! I'd rather lose hotwater 9x over the next few weeks and get the service from the plumber than the BS from them.
</rant>
I feel better now.
Cheers,
-Andrew
Plumber experience:
Sunday, 8:30PM, call plumber, get answering service. Not an emergecy I tell them, but I need my hot water back.
Monday, 7:15AM, "Hi Andrew, this is Brian, I need some info from you before I come out. Can you tell me the size and fuel source?" and "OK, I have one on hand, I have a full day today but one job may cancel - so its going to be either late afternoon today or Tuesday" "I can't do tuesday, how about wednesday?" "OK, great, I'll call later to confirm when I'll be by"
Monday, 1:30PM "Hi Andrew, Brian again, my appointment is for today, is Wednesday still OK?" "Sure is, see you first thing"
Wednesday, 7:45AM, knock at door, Brian is here, he's out and all cleaned up just after 11.
Cable company:
Saturday October 29th, 8:00PM "The earliest we can be by is November 8th at 8:00AM" "OK, that works for me, see you then"
Monday, November 7th, 8:00AM "I cannot be here Tuesday, can you come wednesday?" "Yes, we will be there between 8:00AM and 12:00PM" "Great!"
Wednesday, November 7th, 10:45AM "No one has come to my house yet... is someone still coming?" "Well sir, we called you 3x, no answer, so I'll have to redispatch, but you are within you service window, so yes we'll be there" "I was on the phone, a conference call for work, and recieved two calls from private numbers... one left a voicemail, the other didn't, how come they didn't come by?" "We call first" "No one ever told me that" "It has been our policy for 2 years" "What do you mean? I've had you people out here 9 times on this stupid thing and no one has ever called in advance" "It's our policy, but don't worry, someone is coming"
12:35PM: "No one has showed up yet, could you check the status of my work order" "That work order number isn't in our system, let me check dispatch... oh, they aren't coming day, they can't be redispatched" "What do you mean? The last person told me someone would be here!" "I'm sorry sir, that isn't what they said, they just requested a new dispatch, I can have someone come by tomorrow 12-5 however" "What do you mean? I planned time off, work from home time, to be here for this and no one shows up?" "You didn't answer your phone" "I was on the phone, on a work related matter, and the number was private. How am I supposed to know it is Charter? And how come no one told me you would call first?" "It is our policy sir, no answer, no dispatch, and you had to have been told" "No I wasn't" "Sir, I can't help you today, it will have to be tomorrow" "What am I supposed to do? I can't just flex to your schedule!" "Be there tomorrow" "This is ******* ********" "Please don't disrespect me sir, I haven't disrespected you" *click*
I went out and fixed the ******* thing myself, water gets into the filters on the ouside of the house and shorts them. Why? Because a) the installers never diaelectric greased the connections b) the installers did not install drip loops on the outside wiring c) the installers did not jacket the filters d) the installers used indoor grade cabling and connectors, not weather sealed external cabling and connectors.
**** Charter Communications! I'd rather lose hotwater 9x over the next few weeks and get the service from the plumber than the BS from them.
</rant>
I feel better now.
Cheers,
-Andrew