CUSTOMER SERVICE - AN OXYMORON

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Buddies.

Well, it has been a bit since you heard from me.  That might have been pleasant!  But I have returned and am preparing a semi-rant for you to read.  If you have ever had a problem with a cellular phone, you should be able to relate to this one.

So... on October 22nd, about 5-6 weeks after getting that new phone, I notice that when a friend sent me a photo via text, I was not able to receive it.  Hmmmmm.  Perhaps there is a simple setting on the Smarter-Than-Me-Phone that will fix that.  The epic adventure with my wireless provider was about to begin.  (Swelling music here.)

Customer Service Rep (all to be referred to as CSR from this point forward):  Hmmm.  Well, let's check a few settings.  Oh yes, since you are not in your "home" area, you need to check that box.  Let me send you a test photo.  Get that?  Great!  Thank you for calling and drive through, please.

Things rocked along for a few days without issue... but then, no one tried to send me a photo.  Until later.

CSR:  Gosh, I'm sure sorry you're having issues.  Let's check a few settings.  (Did it again although I knew nothing had changed.)  Well, those seem to be fine.  Let's try a few more steps.  (Tried them.)  Hmmm.  Let me connect you with Technical Support.  (Hold music.)

TSR (Technical Support Rep if you haven't been paying attention):  Gee, sure sorry about the issues.  Let's try a few things.  (We did... including some I had already tried.)  Let me send you a test photo.  Get that?  Great!  Thank you for calling and drive through, please.

Things were fine... for not long.  The issue had now expanded itself to an inability to retrieve voicemails.  That, in itself, would not have sent me through the roof... but the fact that my phone would not RING before sending the caller to my voicemail to leave me information that I could not get was just a little over-the-top.

CSR: Golly-Gee, I'm sure sorry you're having these issues.  Let's check a few settings.  (Let's not... I've already done that about 3 times now.)  My goodness, I see that you have called in a few times about this.  (Really?  Are you actually reading the notes on the account?  Good for YOU!)  I don't seem to be able to resolve this.  I am going to connect you with Technical Support.  (When the hold music started, I was tempted to pour a refreshing adult beverage.)

TSR:  Aw, gosh darn it!  I'm just really sorry you're having these issues.  Let's check a few settings and try a few things.  (Do you think TSR #2 could hear my silent scream?)  Hmmmm.  Well, I'm beginning to think it's not a system issue (Ya' THINK?!?) so I'm going to connect you to our Warranty Department.  (Is that the cavalry I hear?  Nope.  Just more hold music.)

WSR (Warranty Service Rep if you don't get trends): Oh my!  I'm so sorry you're having issues.  Let me read through the notes on the account.  (Good for you, pal.)  Okay.  If you would, pull up these screens as I tell you and let me know how they are set.  (Okay... a NEW game to play with Customer Service!)  We checked this, checked that, then checked some more.  Well, ma'am, I'm afraid we are going to have to do a Restore to Factory Default Settings on the phone.  (Huh?  Won't I lose all the crap I have spent hours figuring out how to do... not to mention my contacts?)  Here is how you can save all of that to your Memory Card.  Done?  Alright, let's Restore to Factory Default Settings.  (I really needed a refreshing adult beverage here but couldn't stop long enough to procure one.)  Alright, turn the phone off then back on and I will send you some test messages and call the phone to leave you a voicemail.  (Time passes.)  Great!!  I'm so glad to hear that everything is working.  Thank you for calling and drive through, please.  (It was later that I discovered the pictures I had taken for you all to view of the Fly-In/Drive-In at the airport had been lost forever.)

The next morning:  The phone does not ring.  I have voicemail messages I cannot retrieve.  I am completely over this situation and am done talking to Service Reps of any and all configuration.  I dial what will be my final call to Customer Service.  It is November 23rd, fully one month since my issues began and fully one month that they have not been resolved.

CSR:  Oh darn it!  You mean the issues have not been resolved?  (No... they have... I'm just calling because I LIKE to spend hours of my time stuck on the phone with you guys!)  Let's check a few... (Nope.  You need to escalate me to either a supervisor or the warranty department.  Don't care which.)  Let me get a supervisor on the line.  (Hold music.)

CSS:  (C'mon... you know that is Customer Service Supervisor!)  I understand you are having issues with your phone?  (This child is so fortunate that I cannot reach through the phone lines... I'm calling on the landline... and strangle his silly a$$!)  Well, I do have to go through some steps with you before I can transfer you to Technical Support (and I have only a few steps to go through to change providers... do you still want to go through the same steps I have repeated about 10 times now?).  Oh.  Alright.  I will transfer you to Technical Support.  And I am going to issue a $20 credit to the account for the trouble you've been having.  (I did continue the conversation long enough with the little fella' to make him aware that his $20 credit did not mean a thing to me... but having a working phone would likely matter.  Hold music.)

TSR:  Wow!  It sure seems like you have a phone issue (Ya' THINK?!?!?).  I'm going to just go ahead and transfer you to the Warranty Department.  (Finally, someone who reads and comprehends.  Hold music.)

WSR:  I am sorry to see you have been having issues with the phone.  (I am SO over being apologized to... just help me!)  Let's check for updates on the phone.  There was one that was sent out to the system in early September that might not have made it to your phone.  (I have checked for updates in the past and thought I was up-to-date?)  No, your phone does not show to have this one.  Let's download it now.  (Sure... that will only take HOURS on the "Edge" system which is primarily what we have here.)  Alright.  Now I am going to send some additional updates to your phone.  Just follow the instructions and install them as they arrive.  (Fine.)  Alright.  You need to allow 24-48 hours for everything to update but you should not have further problems after that.  (Pardon me, Habib.  I appreciate your confidence but I do not have any of that remaining for you guys.  If these measures do NOT resolve all issues, are you guys going to replace this phone?)  I assure you this will resolve the issues.  Just keep checking the phone and trying tests.  I will schedule a follow-up commitment for you to receive a call on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time.  (Doesn't sound like you are very confident, Habib.  I'm guessing you know I will still have problems but you want to get me off of your phone.)  Thank you for calling and drive through, please.

Thursday.  Phone appears to be functioning properly.
Friday.  Phone appears to be functioning properly.
Saturday.  Phone appears to be functioning properly.  I explain this to "Veronica" who had the bad fortune of drawing my call-back commitment.  She was very kind and very understanding.  She even politely listened to my feedback about my concern regarding the training these folks are all getting and why I had to continually call multiple times, spending multiple hours, before the last guy apparently tried something that appeared to have resolved the problems?  (I did mention to her that I was holding out on calling it "fixed" until further time had passed.  She kindly texted me the direct line to Warranty so I could avoid standard Customer Service if anything else happened which I sincerely hope I will not have to use.)  Thank you for calling and drive through, please.

It's Sunday morning.  Things continue to appear to be working properly.  If any of you enjoy a good gamble, I will take bets on when something may go wrong again.  :)

Until next post...

NOT A GOOD WEEK.

Hello again, Blogging Pals.  I am the bearer of bad news and, if you are feeling fragile right now, you might want to skip this post.

I told you about the crazy kitty, Demon, who got himself into trouble eating non-edible items.  When I reported to you, he was improving and the prognosis was good.

Demon took a turn for the worse on Sunday afternoon, 11/06.  He returned to the vet on Monday and it appeared he had developed a blood infection and/or liver infection as a secondary complication of the emergency surgery.  He came home Monday night but went back to the vet on Tuesday for additional treatment.  He came home Tuesday night and remained with me during the day Wednesday.  Unfortunately, Wednesday night about 10:00 p.m. it became clear it was time to let him go.  We piled into the vehicle, picked up my friend, Susan S., who had kindly agreed to ride with us down to Lake Charles (there is no emergency vet clinic in this town) to release Demon from his distress.

So... it has been done and he has likely tracked down his buddy, Dude, who left us in July of last year and is once again torturing him by forcing him to play!!

Louisiana has not been good for my kitties.  I have made the decision that Demon was the last pet.  I have had critters for most of my adult life and I have thoroughly enjoyed each of them.  I think it's time to take a break and not have anything I have to take care of or think about before I make plans.

A fond farewell to Demon who will be missed.  Thank you all for the kind comments and concern about him after the last post.

Until next post...

YOU ATE WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?

 Heidy-Ho, Blogging Buddies!

Well... you just never know exactly what will be coming your way any day you get out of bed, do you?

So... perhaps some of you remember Demon, the tuxedo kitty that is very appropriately named.

Older and Lazy!!!

In his prime... After that swinging mouse!

Buddying up to the frog

He has done pretty well since the loss of his pal, Dude, in August of 2010.  He seems to have adapted nicely to being the only kitty in the house and has become a bit more "lap-loving" than he was when he had a pal with which to play.

Apparently, he has NOT figured out that dining should be done only from his bowl.  Sigh.  I caught him once with a HUGE amount of ribbon in his belly.  There was a piece still sticking out so I gently removed it by pulling.  That was when we realized we would have to make certain there was nothing left he could reach that might tempt him!

He began seeming very lethargic last week.  The other thing about an inside-only cat is the ability to monitor the litter box.  When I reached the morning of the third day without solid production, I called the vet.  While there was a suggestion of a Fleet's to see if that would help, I assure you I was not about to kitty-wrangle a cranky, fully-clawed, well-toothed cat to provide such an assist!!!  I have already had experience with making the kitty unhappy... and can show you the scars!  So... I loaded him into the carrier and took him to the vet's office.

About an hour later, I have a call from the vet advising the little fella's X-ray shows a "marble-looking" object firmly lodged in his large intestine and he will need emergency surgery in order to get that out of there and save the cat.  Sigh.  Knowing full well this is going to cut into the Christmas funds, the go-ahead is given and I am assured I will receive a call when he is in recovery.

I receive the call that he has come through surgery nicely and they have saved the "whatever it is" that was removed.  I ask that they keep it as I want to see it.  With all the care taken around here to keep things away that he might be tempted to eat, I really want to know what he found!  I am told I can pick him up at 4:00 that afternoon.  Fine.

I arrive at the vet's office and am ushered into an exam room where the vet and I both scratch our heads over some gooey, gummy, dark green, felt-looking stuff that the vet had retrieved from the duma$$ cat's large intestine earlier in the day.  Neither one of us had a clue as to what it was or where it might have come from.  The cat is then brought in, unhappily I might say, and his stitches are displayed for me.  *chuckle*  I know the cat would never eat another thing outside of his bowl if he had the ability to correlate the hellish day he had just had with doing so.

I am sent home with a VERY groggy kitty, two medications that must be given orally each day, and a receipt that blew Christmas all to hell and back.  Sigh.  Oh well.  That's what it means to be a pet-owner, I reckon.

So... he experienced this all on Friday.  He did nibble some food Saturday morning and was eating quite well by Saturday afternoon.  He still has trouble jumping up onto the bed but is determined and usually makes it the 2nd or 3rd try.  He is still moving a bit slowly but seems to be improving almost hourly.  Now all we are waiting on is some "production" from the food he ate Saturday.  That is our final milestone to reach in order to not be further concerned.

I won't bore you with the details when we reach the final milestone.  You have probably had a little TMI (too much information) already.

Until next post...