To DSL or Not to DSL…

Ok… each of us has our reasons for wanting an internet connection in our home. Mine is many fold. I love to read the newspaper in the morning, I like to stumble, I use Skype for telecommunications, I’ve even started using it to watch some television programming. The importance of something in your life is never so obvious as when you come to a point where it is not available.

In my recent move, I transferred my Verizon DSL account to my new location. One morning almost two weeks ago, a technician knocked on my door to let me know that the DSL was now active. At the time, I thought it was great news but when I went to work on the internet, not a single web page could be found. I called Verizon technical support and several hours later I still had no connection. They decided I needed a new modem. After all, the modem I was using was from my old place. Ok.. I thought, maybe moving the modem from one place to another may have done some damage. Fortunately, I had an additional older modem to try. I happily plugged it in and once again we went through several hours of trouble shooting. I was told this modem was bad as well. So, they sent me a brand new modem. Then I was told that it was bad. Then I was told that my computer was bad so I switched to a different computer. I am not only changing computers in this I am changing operating systems going from a Mac OSX MacBook Pro to Windows XP laptop. I was told that that this second computer had problems as well. Then they sent me another new modem. All tolled, I have spent more than 14 hours trouble shooting by basically going over the same thing with each technician I talked to - no exaggeration. For some reason, they seemed to be unable to admit that the problem was on their end either with the lines, routers, or something in-between them and my computer.

What has happened to the idea of quality service? Verizon technical support has been a total nightmare. While each person has been pleasant enough, they run through the set script of things to check and there is no carry over in communication from one call to the next. I can't describe how frustrating it is to go through the same script of things to check with each call and the total lack of sensitivity that this is not the first time that I have called on the same issue. I could imagine that many people would have given up on them by now. The barrier they place between the customer and real quality service is very high. What has happened to the days when a company would gladly invest in quality support and when the customer’s time really mattered? I honestly don't see any concern for the customer in these transactions but rather the focus on avoidance of sending someone out to check the lines at the house.

I still don’t know where this adventure will lead me but Verizon has left a very bad taste in my mouth.