Honey, it AIN'T "The Network"!

Apparently all of the folks who work for "The Network" are out in Hollywood making new commercials... because they aren't here working.

This is kinda long - but it's not my fault. I'd love to say I called - they came - I'm back in business... but it didn't happen that way. I've often heard folks talk about their customer service problems with this, that, or the other company - I can't remember ever having problems myself quite like this.

So lets start at the beginning...
December 19th I call "The Network" to set up for new TV, Internet and Phone service for when we move on the 22nd. I will admit that I called "The Network" because I couldn't get a call back from the Cable Company sales representative for our complex (3 calls over 3 days) - if he didn't want my business I'd just take it someplace else. Anyway - "The Network" gives me an install date of Dec. 29... oh well - OK I can live a week without services... I do have a cell phone and we have the holidays and all those boxes too... and as it turns out the cable was still on (but I didn't use it - noooo not me)... and we could get a weak signal on occasion for wireless Internet... so we make do until Saturday the 29th.

Our install date arrives and our 'service window' is 8 AM to 5 PM - they told us to expect the install to take about 6 hours because it's the new FIOS (fiber optic) service and they have equipment to install and yada, yada, yada... OK - we've got lots of boxes to unpack so that's fine we can keep busy while "The Network" works their installation magic. So we wait for "The Network" to show up... all day... ALL DAY we wait - but "The Network" never shows up.

"The Network" with all those people and equipment never shows up AND doesn't call to say they aren't coming. Really?!!?

Sunday comes and goes and still "The Network" hasn't called. OK - so maybe "The Network" takes a day off.

Monday - I wait until late morning... you know - just in case they wanna call me first! But we've got shopping to do and it's New Years Eve... you know how much I like shopping... so I break down and call "The Network". The PA sales office number I have says "The Network" is closed for the holiday. So I call the other tech services number I have - after a long wait I get a very nice young man. He can't explain why nobody showed up - you know he's Tech Services and doesn't know what the install team does. He can help me by giving me a new installation date... January 18th... Yep, more than 2 weeks away... a month after I originally ordered the service. "You know that I find that date completely unacceptable don't you?" was my question to him. He says he will call dispatch and see if they can move it up - he can only take what the computer gives him - but he will call me back in about a half an hour. Nice young man! NEVER HEARD FROM HIM AGAIN!

New Years comes and goes and on the 2nd I call "The Network" again. Guess what? The PA sales office is still (according to their message that thanks me for calling "The Network") is still on holiday... maybe their office is in Europe - they are big on month long holidays in Europe aren't they?

Anyhoo... I call Tech Services again because that last guy from there was just so very helpful. This guy also can't explain why nobody showed up for the original call or why the other guy didn't call me back... but he can help me. He can put through 'a ticket' and someone will call me that very afternoon or the next (Thursday) morning. Also a Nice young man! NEVER HEARD FROM ANYONE that afternoon nor the next morning.

All of these conversations occurred after having been on HOLD for long periods of time - there was nothing easy or quick about talking to "The Network" - I'm thinking all that equipment is just movie props. Although I'm sure you can 'hear' my sarcastic tone here - I'm not that way on the phone. I don't yell or get angry or blame the person I'm talking to... I'm nice, I'm always nice, I hate it that I'm nice - Miss Goodie Two Shoes! I just don't understand "The Network" - I was nice to "The Network".

So Thursday - at 12:02 PM (I gave "The Network" all morning to call me) I call the cable company. I actually tried the 'cable sales rep' again but his service says he's not taking messages right now - I'm thinking he must be on holiday with his friends from "The Network". I cut my losses and call the 1-800 cable company and yes they would be more than happy to help me out with TV, Internet, and phone service... would I like that installed Friday or Saturday? Lets see - today is Thursday... and you could come like tomorrow or the next day??? REALLY? We opt for Saturday and they give me a 2 hour window and tell me that if the tech arrives after that time - we get a 20$ credit on our bill. Gee I'm thinking I'm just gonna be happy if he shows up at all!

Sure enough - Cable guy shows up before the 2 hour window is closed - does his job and is out before a full hour is complete.

Now - just for grins... I was playing a waiting game with "The Network" through Monday, Tuesday, and most of Wednesday to see if "The Network" ever gets around to calling me... NOPE they don't.

And being the Miss Goodie Two Shoes I am - I feel compelled to cancel my order - no sense having someone finally show up (LOL... I know - wishful thinking!) to install something I don't want anymore.

Oh - in case you were wondering... the PA sales office is still on holiday... but thanks for calling!

After waiting 19 minutes and 20 seconds on hold - the young lady I reach says she's sorry but she can't cancel orders - she will have to transfer me to someone else... they are the only ones who can cancel orders. OoooKayyy - Miss Goodie Two Shoes will be patient... for a little bit more! I get another nice young man... who can cancel my order and asks why? "If you really want to know I'll tell ya - but other wise I won't waste your time." Sure he says - he's waiting for my account to come up on the computer. So I detail to him my calls, the promises, and the lack of follow though. "The Cable Company installed here on Saturday - I have TV, Internet, and phone." He starts to explain something about the cable company already having all their equipment in place and that for "The Network" to install the FIOS equipment it requires a long install..... and I cut him off. "I know that you needed about 6 hours to install the system - we understood that and spent a whole day waiting for someone to show up. ANY service is better than NO service - which is what we got from "The Network"!"

The phone call to cancel my service order from "The Network" cost me a total of another 32 minutes... the last bit of time "The Network" will get from me.

So when someone asks me what service I have... my answer will be - Honey, it ain't "The Network"