Blind loops

Okay folks, this is just an extended complaint about the so-called customer service, and I am writing merely for therapeutic reasons, coz otherwise I'll probably go out on the street and bite some innocent pedestrians.

Yesterday I tried to get an internet connection into my new apartment. Since I already have two cellphones, and make most of my calls via skype anyhow, I don't really need another phone line in the apartment. It wasn't difficult to find out that Rogers is apparently the Canadian company who does that stuff. So I went into the next store I could find.

There, I was told a long list of special offers and rate plans for internet over cable, but the guy knew about no technical details except those which end in dollar signs, and they also don't sell wireless routers. But okay, I could just drop into the next Walmart and get one. After the guy began to repeat his list of offers for the third time, I was getting tired and said fine, I'll take that plan, where do I sign. First problem was that last week I had to treat in my pretty California driver's licence for a temporary Ontario one, which doesn't have a photo, and therefore isn't a photo ID. But I convinced them to accept my International Student ID, which I am actually not sure why I have a valid one, since I haven't been a student for 5 years or so.

What then happened was that some 15 year old employee, an original with dental braces, named Tericita of Tiffany or something tried to enter my data in an online form. Which didn't work, and which I could have done by myself in my office btw. She tried that repeatedly, but it still didn't work. Then she called the customer-service hotline, where a tape was apologizing that all representatives are busy, but would you please hold. Tifanny-or-Tericita turned on the speaker, and began surfing the web while I was listening to the tape telling her to hold and hold and hold. After 1/2 hour or so, I asked her how long she thought that would take, but just got a shoulder shrug. After 1 hour, the representative was actually available on the phone but said essentially that his system had crashed down and he couldn't do anything about nothing.

So, after one hour looking at Tiffany browsing the web, I was asked to come back tomorrow.

I went to get some coffee and asked the next person in line which internet service he uses. Bell, he said. So, I went into the next Bell store and asked them to please, please set up internet service in my apartment.

Since I was pretty pissed off, I told the guy who had a funny beard my experience with the Roger's people. This complete incompetence of employees is something that upsets me frequently. I mean, the only thing they do is look up their own website and call customer service. That I can do on my own. Why don't they just put a computer there and a courtesy phone? You know what? That's exactly what you find in the Bell's store. A courtesy phone to call customer-service. But the guy with the funny beard was all sympathetic, and, yes Rogers sucks, good you came to see us.

Funny beard was actually quite nice, but told me they don't do cable stuff, just internet via phone, which is actually much better because blahblahblah. After some back and forth he told me it would be possible to set up what he called a 'blind loop', a phone line from which I couldn't call but get an high-speed internet. Bell actually does wireless networking with their own modems and has a provider called Bell Sympatico.

Again the guy with the funny beard couldn't answer any of my questions regarding security of the wireless or even basic things like the range of the sender. But after he found my Dr. on the credit card, he told me he'd grown the beard because he has this funny rash which wouldn't go away, and if I could give him some advice. I said I couldn't and asked him what internet service he uses at home. Rogers, he said.

Since I was already tired, I just said finefinefine, and could we please set that up now, I need a drink. Then we played the same game again. Funny beard tried to enter data into a form. Which didn't work. Then he went to the courtesy phone and called customer service. And here's the new part of the story: gave me the receiver to talk to the customer service representative. After 1/2 hour I found out that they don't have any wireless offers they can make me on the phone, and I should speak to the store guy, or call another number. The other number turned out to be a tape saying 'this service it not available', even after verifying that the number was correct. Funny beard shrugged his shoulders. I left without having any internet.

This morning I called the Bell's hotline again where they were at least able to tell me that in my apartment there's no high speed internet available anyhow, only dial up.

Then I found a flyer in the drawer of my kitchen with a business card of the local cable guy. I called him, said I need a wireless in my apartment, if possible yesterday. He said yes, no problem, he'll send someone over in the next days.

So, I have actually hope that I will be online again sometime in this century...