Service call COMPLIMENT

This is but one post to combat the myriad posts here complaining of poor service calls, appointments and other factors.

Returned home Wednesday evening and couldn't get internet up on computer.  Glanced over to RG and noticed Broadband light flashing red.  Oh noooooooo!  Panic didn't set in, just did the pull all the plugs (RG, DVR, STB), re-plug the RG and wait for it to come back up.  Should be that simple.

NOPE.  Broadband kept flashing red and Service wouldn't kick on at all.  Ethernet/PNA/Wireless flashing like normal.  OK, next check:  Go to DownDetector to see if this is a big outage.  Not appearing as such.  Finally, the dreaded call into Tech Support.

Connected right after Mr. Voice got it into his head finally that I did NOT want to make my upcoming payment.  Usual "beginner" solutions: Did you unplug the RG?  What happens when you do this?  CSR got the idea quicker than most that this wasn't my first rodeo when it comes to this stuff.  Not a network problem, so wants to schedule a truck roll, still *kinda* insisting that it's my RG that's the culprit.

Didn't really like what I heard:  No truck until 4-8pm Thursday.  Grrrrr....that means OTA antenna TV -- with commercials and the threat of "nothing on I want to watch" -- and no REAL internet.

Decided to do a bit more testing on my end.  Could *barely* get a wireless speed test running, lots of ping, and only 4 coming down.  It was still showing data going in and out on that, but couldn't be sure.  Didn't want to burn up a bunch of bandwidth on my phone if the RG wireless wasn't really working.

Call back and get a different tech.  Explained situation and she saw the repair ticket, and told me that the VRAD is fine, it's something between my house and there.  After much grumbling on my end, just had to wait it out.

By mid-morning Thursday, I was thinking:  "So this is what it must feel like before someone decides to 'Go Postal'."  Watched an utterly crudderiffic movie just to escape "morning television" and resigned myself to do housework that's been calling my name -- hardly high on my things I want to do.

Watching the ticking clock like someone on Death Row, I get a call at around 4:07 from the tech.  With travel across town, will be here in around 30 minutes.  Sigh of relief, as when I had Comcrud they would almost *always* seem to make it right before the appointment window was up -- so I was expecting that call to be around 7:58pm.  More waiting, but at a different anxiety level.

Tech shows up, I tell him what's probably the culprit while he's getting stuff from the truck.  On Wednesday, there was another Uverse tech on my street.  The tech then went one block over, and came back onto my street.  Didn't have any problems Wednesday afternoon, but returned and no service.  Tech goes to box on house, tests everything, and sure enough -- not my fault.  Nothing coming from line to me.    Says has to get someone with climb-the-ladder equipment, will make the calls.  OHHH NOOOOO!  The dreaded Black Hole of Service.  The other guy would probably be 2 hours away, they'd climb the ladder and find that the part they need is in some back warehouse in Miami.  And the guy who normally knows where it is is on vacation.  In the Bahamas.  In the jungle.

Surprisingly, the other guy comes in about 20 minutes.  Then yet ANOTHER guy around 7 minutes later.  My street's looking like there's a medical emergency, with AT&T trucks instead of police cars and an ambulance.  About 10 minutes later, they're all in my yard at my box, and I ask what's going on.  Seems that tech on Wednesday must have been testing someone else, disconnected me, and forgot to plug me back in.  Whoops!

My RG is desperately clicking, trying to get Broadband, and I keep looking hoping that suddenly everything will be green.  Second guy leaves, the first & third techs take off.  WAT?  Excuse me....

Around 20 minutes later, they return, checking my box again.  On the off-chance hope that everything's alright, I restart the RG.  Wait...wait...wait..............SUCCESS!

First tech comes to door, I let him in, and RG was in process of restarting again (it does that on its own).  Everything's OK, internet comes up on computer, wireless is up, still have to plug DVR back in, but looks like the problem is solved.

CONCLUSION:

Everything went as scheduled.  Sure, did I *really* want to wait that long for service to be restored?  NO.  But the process has to go as it does.

All three guys were courteous, listened to what I had to say, assured me that it wasn't my fault.

After DVR restarted, did narrow down to when my service went down.  It *was* about the time the tech came back to my street.  Six recordings were there, but really weren't.  Those were kinda suspect, especially with runtimes like "1 day, 2 hours, 55 minutes" for a 30 minute program.

So although I didn't like having to be without service for 26 hours and needing the first tech visit since original installation (2+ years ago), I was very impressed.

Yet another reason I'm happy with AT&T.

P.S.  NOT AN AT&T EMPLOYEE, RELATIVE OF AN EMPLOYEE, SHAREHOLDER OR UBER-FANBOY.  Just a pleased customer.