stupid roadrunner tech support

[eyesroll]

OK, first:
I pressed "1" for English.
Then, I pressed "2" for existing customer.
Then, I pressed "1" for residential.
Then, I pressed "3" for tech support.
Then, I pressed "1" for high-speed Internet tech support.
Then, I entered my 10-digit home phone number, followed by the pound sign.
Then, I pressed "1" for connectivity issues.
"Please hold. Your call is very important to us, and may be recorded for quality purposes. The next available customer-service associate will be with you shortly."
Then -- I got a hold message: "If you need immediate support, please visit our web page at help.rr.com."

Then, I finally reach the tech-support lady:
Me: "I can't access the Internet."
TS: "Where are you located?"
Me: "Waukesha, Wisconsin."
TS: "Oh, your area is experiencing a planned service outage."
Me: "Hm. Was I ever notified about this?"
TS: "All information is readily available on our Web site, in its help section, under 'network.'"
Me: "I can't access the Internet; therefore, I can't access the help section, under 'network,' on your Web site."
TS: "If you'd looked at the Web site prior to the outage, you would have known to expect it."

Um -- okay -- show of hands. How many of you visit the help section of your ISP's Web site, in anticipation of a planned outage? I don't know about you -- I only visit my ISP's help site when I need help.

Me: "Couldn't Road Runner have sent out an e-mail or something?"
TS: "We're a very big company; it would be very difficult to send an e-mail to everyone."

Um -- no it wouldn't. Every ISP and every e-mail network I've ever used has had some way for the network admin to send a broadcast e-mail.

TS: "If you need notification of planned outages, I'm supposed to tell you to upgrade to business service. Residential service is considered entertainment, like your cable, so it's subject to different notification and uptime terms. Check your terms of service -- we don't guarantee 100% uptime."

OK, so I know that -- if this was an unplanned outage, I'd be a lot less pissed, because these things happen. But this was planned. And they have no way of telling us without us making a whole bunch of non-intuitive clicks. (I'm seriously surprised RR doesn't have a "What's New This Month" marketing e-mail, in which they could easily put a "click here to find out about planned outages in your area" button.)

I still have no idea if the service is back up -- they went two hours longer than their outage was supposed to go, anyway. (I'm at work now.)

:argh:

[shoelace414]

1. who plans an outage for the afternoon?

[eyesroll]

3. It was planned for 1-5 a.m.

This was the first time we actually needed e-mail access at 5:15, and it wouldn't come up. They went way over their allotted time -- I guess someone screwed up.

[shoelace414]

7. oh.. ok

you think in that case there would be an outage recording on the phone system.

[truthspeaker]

8. yep, that along with an email should be SOP

[truthspeaker]

2. my ISP (Speakeasy) sends out emails prior to planned outages

It also does them in the middle of the night.

"We're a big company..." a big company who has everyone's RR email address on file.

[eyesroll]

5. Ours was planned for the middle of the night, too -- but

it went long and we needed access (which we would have planned around, if we knew it wouldn't be up) at 5:15 a.m.

[truthspeaker]

4. nitpick: it wasn't the tech support that was stupid, but their management

Most likely the tech is required to read from a script and "visit our website for outage announcements" is on it.

[eyesroll]

6. Well, yes -- I didn't mean that particular TS person was stupid

The TS culture and training there is stupid, though.

[TOhioLiberal]

10. Most is outsourced....

I worked for a company that Comcast outsourced to. It is all scripted, from the greeting to the closing.

[GOPisEvil]

9. Uh, ma'am...we sent out telepathic waves. It's not OUR fault

you have low psychic abilities.

[teach1st]

11. I see your problem

If you'd looked at the Web site prior to the outage, you would have known to expect it

Everybody knows to hit the Roadrunner site before the problem. Perhaps your telepathic sensibilities aren't quite developed enough. Telepathy is a part of the requirements needed to install Roadrunner, isn't it?

In my area, RR puts a notice about any system outages on the recorded greeting so nobody had to go throught the button maze and hold pattern.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

12. Oh, I thought you had a doubt about ACME products. My bad. (nt)

[PDittie]

13. I had to kick RR to the curb

Service was out for two weeks AND they couldn't keep their stories straight on the reason why.

Now on SBC/Yahoo and am much happier.