allan
05-18-2002, 12:09 PM
This is really long, if you don't care about my boring story, skip to the >----< seperator, and my question is there.
I had a miserable experience with my cable provider this week. Our Internet connection had spotty service for 4 days, where basically we could not access certain parts of the Internet (we could get to Google, but not to Yahoo). One of those casualties was our mail server, so we were without e-mail for almost 4 days.
Those of you who know me, know that I am fairly savvy with networking issues. So, when I noticed the problem, I ran traceroutes to several destinations, some reachable and some not. It appeared the problem was with a router in Dallas Fort Worth on the backbone of my cable company.
I called them up, explained the problem I was having and where I thought the problem lie. They disregarded the information I gave them and asked me to reboot my computer and cable modem so I they could go through their troubleshooting routine. I didn't want to sound snotty, so I complied, spent a half hour on the phone going through the standard troubleshooting steps. When the level 1 engineer could not help me, they transferred me to a level 2 engineer.
I explained the problem to the level 2 engineer, who thought I had a bad cable modem. I told him I didn't think that was the case, but if he wanted to send someone to swap it out, that was fine. He also asked me to send him the traceroutes (I couldn't reach their mail server either, so I had to open a hotmail account). So, a service guy comes out later in the day, and swaps out the modem, the same problem exists.
I called back to the support group, gave them my ticket number, and asked them whether or not they had determined if it was a network outage. The person I talked to ignored my question, and my ticket number and asked me to reboot my computer, etc. Half an hour later, they escalated me to the level 2 person..who was stumped and said he would escalate it to their NOC.
I called back the next morning, went through the troubleshooting steps again, and again was transferred to a level 2 person -- depsite having given my ticket number and explained that I was told this was a network problem. The level 2 person I talked to said that it turns out this was a network problem and a NOC ticket was opened at 1:00 AM (12+ hours after my first call). I asked for an ETR, and he said they had none.
I called back that afternoon, went through the same rigamorale, got the same answer. The morning and afternoon calls I had on the third day were mirrors of the calls on the second day.
So I wake up Friday morning and see the problem is still ongoing. I call, get a level 1 person, and before he can ask me to reboot anything, I ask to speak to a supervisor. I'm told I cannot speak to a supervisor until I go through the normal troubleshooting steps. I explain that I am going to yell, cuss, and otherwise degrade whoever is on the phone, and since I will feel really bad doing that to a support representative he should probably just transfer me to a supervisor. He still refuses. So, I try one last time to explain to him that this is not a problem with my connection, this is a known problem with a router in Dallas Fort Worth and I just need an update. Doesn't matter, he still needs to follow the process. I explain I have followed the process 6 times now, and I just want an update...he tells me I am not allowing him to do his job.
So I lost it. I began yelling and screaming and explaining in the most expletive-laden fashion I could that his job is to provide customer service and he is not doing his job if he refuses to do what I want, I end by telling him I want to speak to a supervisor now. "Or What?" he asks. So I lose it again, I tell him I want to speak to a supervisor or I will hunt him down and kill him. He tells me that personal threats are unnecesssary and he has activated his "altert button". I agree and explain that they are and he should really put me through to a supervisor for rather than risk being attacked by a mad man. All to no avail.
So far none of these tactics have worked, but personal insults seem like my best chance...the problem is I have run out of swear words...so I tell him I am going to start Googling for new swear words, and every site I cannot reach I am going to just invent some...until he lets me speak to a supervisor.
Finally he relents and I get to speak to a supervisor. The supervisor patiently explains to me that the level 1 support person was just doing their job, and I should not personally attack him. I tell the supervisor he is wrong, the employee was not doing his job, his job is to make a customer happy, and if that means speaking to a supervisor, I should be put through to a supervisor, if it means actually reading the ticket and seeing that I have gone through their troubleshooting procedure 6 times, and am calling about an update for a known outage I should be given that update.
Instead of agreeing with me the manager implies that I have never had to manage a network as large as theirs, and obviously have no idea about how complicated it is to track outages in multiple cities and get that information to everyone. I put him on speakerphone and asked him to repeat what he said so my wife could hear and enjoy a good laugh too.
I explained to him I wanted two things:
1. An ETR on when the problem will be fixed.
2. A credit on my account that is labelled "Incompetence Fee"
If I did not get those two things, I was going to do everything in my power to have them removed as the incumbent cable provider for my area. When he didn't understand, I explained that his company serves our area at the pleasure of the county goverment. If enough complaints are filed against the company the county will pick a new incumbent cable provider and they will be out.
Of course I did not get what I wanted...so now, I want to have them removed, which brings me to the heart of my question:
>----<
What is the liability involved with setting up a [companyname]sucks.com site, as a resource for people to complain about the service provided by [companyname]? In particular, I want to setup [companyname]watch.com and issue a press release to the local papers asking people who have grievances, to post their comments, and what problems they have had. I also would like the local office of [companyname] to be aware of the site, so they can work to fix those problems. If they do not respond then I want to present the site, when it gets enough complaints, to the county council and work to have the [companyname] removed as the incumbent local cable company.
Can I do this, without getting sued by [companyname]?
I had a miserable experience with my cable provider this week. Our Internet connection had spotty service for 4 days, where basically we could not access certain parts of the Internet (we could get to Google, but not to Yahoo). One of those casualties was our mail server, so we were without e-mail for almost 4 days.
Those of you who know me, know that I am fairly savvy with networking issues. So, when I noticed the problem, I ran traceroutes to several destinations, some reachable and some not. It appeared the problem was with a router in Dallas Fort Worth on the backbone of my cable company.
I called them up, explained the problem I was having and where I thought the problem lie. They disregarded the information I gave them and asked me to reboot my computer and cable modem so I they could go through their troubleshooting routine. I didn't want to sound snotty, so I complied, spent a half hour on the phone going through the standard troubleshooting steps. When the level 1 engineer could not help me, they transferred me to a level 2 engineer.
I explained the problem to the level 2 engineer, who thought I had a bad cable modem. I told him I didn't think that was the case, but if he wanted to send someone to swap it out, that was fine. He also asked me to send him the traceroutes (I couldn't reach their mail server either, so I had to open a hotmail account). So, a service guy comes out later in the day, and swaps out the modem, the same problem exists.
I called back to the support group, gave them my ticket number, and asked them whether or not they had determined if it was a network outage. The person I talked to ignored my question, and my ticket number and asked me to reboot my computer, etc. Half an hour later, they escalated me to the level 2 person..who was stumped and said he would escalate it to their NOC.
I called back the next morning, went through the troubleshooting steps again, and again was transferred to a level 2 person -- depsite having given my ticket number and explained that I was told this was a network problem. The level 2 person I talked to said that it turns out this was a network problem and a NOC ticket was opened at 1:00 AM (12+ hours after my first call). I asked for an ETR, and he said they had none.
I called back that afternoon, went through the same rigamorale, got the same answer. The morning and afternoon calls I had on the third day were mirrors of the calls on the second day.
So I wake up Friday morning and see the problem is still ongoing. I call, get a level 1 person, and before he can ask me to reboot anything, I ask to speak to a supervisor. I'm told I cannot speak to a supervisor until I go through the normal troubleshooting steps. I explain that I am going to yell, cuss, and otherwise degrade whoever is on the phone, and since I will feel really bad doing that to a support representative he should probably just transfer me to a supervisor. He still refuses. So, I try one last time to explain to him that this is not a problem with my connection, this is a known problem with a router in Dallas Fort Worth and I just need an update. Doesn't matter, he still needs to follow the process. I explain I have followed the process 6 times now, and I just want an update...he tells me I am not allowing him to do his job.
So I lost it. I began yelling and screaming and explaining in the most expletive-laden fashion I could that his job is to provide customer service and he is not doing his job if he refuses to do what I want, I end by telling him I want to speak to a supervisor now. "Or What?" he asks. So I lose it again, I tell him I want to speak to a supervisor or I will hunt him down and kill him. He tells me that personal threats are unnecesssary and he has activated his "altert button". I agree and explain that they are and he should really put me through to a supervisor for rather than risk being attacked by a mad man. All to no avail.
So far none of these tactics have worked, but personal insults seem like my best chance...the problem is I have run out of swear words...so I tell him I am going to start Googling for new swear words, and every site I cannot reach I am going to just invent some...until he lets me speak to a supervisor.
Finally he relents and I get to speak to a supervisor. The supervisor patiently explains to me that the level 1 support person was just doing their job, and I should not personally attack him. I tell the supervisor he is wrong, the employee was not doing his job, his job is to make a customer happy, and if that means speaking to a supervisor, I should be put through to a supervisor, if it means actually reading the ticket and seeing that I have gone through their troubleshooting procedure 6 times, and am calling about an update for a known outage I should be given that update.
Instead of agreeing with me the manager implies that I have never had to manage a network as large as theirs, and obviously have no idea about how complicated it is to track outages in multiple cities and get that information to everyone. I put him on speakerphone and asked him to repeat what he said so my wife could hear and enjoy a good laugh too.
I explained to him I wanted two things:
1. An ETR on when the problem will be fixed.
2. A credit on my account that is labelled "Incompetence Fee"
If I did not get those two things, I was going to do everything in my power to have them removed as the incumbent cable provider for my area. When he didn't understand, I explained that his company serves our area at the pleasure of the county goverment. If enough complaints are filed against the company the county will pick a new incumbent cable provider and they will be out.
Of course I did not get what I wanted...so now, I want to have them removed, which brings me to the heart of my question:
>----<
What is the liability involved with setting up a [companyname]sucks.com site, as a resource for people to complain about the service provided by [companyname]? In particular, I want to setup [companyname]watch.com and issue a press release to the local papers asking people who have grievances, to post their comments, and what problems they have had. I also would like the local office of [companyname] to be aware of the site, so they can work to fix those problems. If they do not respond then I want to present the site, when it gets enough complaints, to the county council and work to have the [companyname] removed as the incumbent local cable company.
Can I do this, without getting sued by [companyname]?