My uncle has a cable internet connection from Chello. Their cable modem continually lost connection.

Whenever we’s call they’d run us tohrough the same procedure. We could shorten this, by statin what we’d already done, but in the end they’d claim the problem was in the computer, they could reach the modem from their end and it reported it was just fine.

Not put off by this, we physically disconnected the modem from the cable and called again. Again the same claim: “We can reach the modem, the problem is your computer” Imagine their surprise when the answer was: “You can see the modem when it’s powered down and disconnected from the cable?”

We were immediately connected to an infinitely more knowledgable tech, who found out within a minute their administration was incorrect and he was actually looking at someone elses modem, which indirectly caused the problem BTW.

Contrast this to my call to my ADSL provider (xs4all) the one time in the last 5 years it didn’t connect.

I had already done a trace and knew the problem was in the first router after the DSLAM, which I told the tech guy.

He asked me for the IP adresses and quickly agreed that the problem was indeed there. He had not had a report from anyone yet and it was not in their system, but he’d look in to it. 2 minutes later he reported the router had failed and it was being worked on. That’s why I have contract with this provider even though it’s the most expensive ADSL provider for consumers wher I live.

If there’s no line for the support calls they even help you set up an IPv6 tunnel over your internet connection. (But only uunder those conditions) and they more or less support Linux.

Reminds me of this one time when I knew there’s a problem with my cable modem at home and I’ve requested a technician visit while at work (so he’ll be there by the time I get home). Basically, I let the support person lead me through the regular troubleshooting flowchart (reboot the computer, disconnect the modem etc.), inserting obligatory delays every time I “did” what he instructed me to do. It felt really silly but eventually, after some 10 minutes, we’ve finished the standard procedures and I’ve been scheduled a technician, who arrived that very evening and replaced the modem.

The golden rule : Never say you are running Linux to any “joe user” related hotline… The algorithm is always :

anwser (“We don’t support Linux”);
exit ();

Very annoying indeed !

lie
fast
answer !

The last time I spoke with a support departament (from jazztel) the guy finally told me that he recommends Linux instead of windows because of security and virus.

Man, that’s where I’d go on a rampage over the phone.

I agree with the previous poster, lodge a complaint because of her ignorance and misconduct towards clients. They have all their call times and clients recorded and she won’t be hard to find. I for one don’t want such a bitch answering my tech support requests.

This problem (and rudeness, especially since I’m just a dumb guiri) is dragging Spain into the Third World bit by bit. Customer service doesn’t exist in the Third World where there are no services. We are the customers, therefore we are slowly, but surely, slipping into the Third World.

I am now sitting in my office in Madrid (The centre of the country’s capital fucking city!!!) without phones for the third time in two weeks. Each time lasting over 72 hours. Of course, our clients are not too happy and don’t get past the fact that it’s Telefonica making it difficult to contact us.

Our customers understand customer support because we are one of the few companies that offer it. We believe it’s a customer’s right, not the provider’s right, to have good service. It’s our mission to slowly drag Spain away from the Third World.

I just wish I didn’t feel like I was fighting a losing battle against ignorance and apathy.

I at my Linux computer playing Quake 3 and told him that I was “clearing my cache” and whatever else he wanted until he finally transfered me to level 2 support (or whatever) who determined that (big suprise) my account wasn’t configured on their end.

That said, all my recent inquires with Comcast have been very positive, it seemed as if they restructured their entire support department a few yearas ago for the better.