It's great when it works

I'm deeply thankful to live in the internet age, it's great when it works - when it doesn't however-

Our printer, which has been very reliable for 8 months stopped working this morning. I depend on that printer for work.

It disconnected from the network

We called customer service

The automated phone system wouldn't let us speak with a live human

It asked for our PIN Number

We don't have a PIN Number

It asked for our address

We confirmed our address

The automated phone system STILL wouldn't let us speak with a live human.

It asked for our PIN number again

We don't have a PIN number.

10 minutes later the internet stopped working as well

We called customer service again

The automated phone system asked us for our PIN number (again)

We don't have a PIN Number

1 hr. and 15 min. minutes later Chad (not his real name) called form the Philippines, and asked us if there was a problem

My wife and I explained the problem

He asked me to hold, while he looked into the problem

I heard chickens in the background

He said he would create a new pin number

I asked him what our original PIN number was. He said he wasn't allowed to disclose that information.

I asked why

Chad said he it was because he couldn't confirm I was the accountholder

I said "if that's the case, then why are you helping with my internet and printer issues"

I heard more chickens

The internet and phones stopped working - Fortunately he called on my cell phone!

Chad said he would look into it.

The internet started working 5 min. later, but the printer was still down

Chad said he would boost the signal to restart the printer

I heard more chickens

The printer then started printing documents I didn't asked to have printed.

Chad told me my new PIN number, and asked me to try printing something

I inserted the new PIN number into a window on my computer I had never seen before, and now the printer works

This process took 2 hrs. and 45 min.

I would have taken 15 min. if this beloved phone system had allowed me to speak with a live human.

Chad then asked how I "felt" about my experience today.

I fought back the urge to say something abrasive and told him "He did a good job" - which he did!

I closed the door on my wife, when she approached me, saying "LET ME TALK TO THAT STUPID SON OF A B*TCH!!"

Situation over, I thanked Chad for his efforts and hung up.

20. min. counseling wife, and now she agrees this is part of the tech. support world and is now calm - add 20 min. of counseling on to the 2hrs 45 min. of tech support situation.

A survey on my experience just arrived via email, I deleted it, secure in the knowledge the recipient would prefer NOT to know what I thought about my experience.

That was my morning. It's now noon. I'm going to lunch.

I'm deeply thankful to live in the internet age, but sometimes I yearn for the days when our lives can be organized into one 3x5 card file box.

@mchill

Amusing story, but I think your anger at "Chad" was misdirected.

I also hope you took some cash when you went to lunch, in case their payment processor was offline, and that the young cashiers know how to deal with cash.

As for the printer, I imagine you use a laptop without a dock, and therefore there was not an available port of the right type for a direct connection to the printer. Otherwise . . .

I promise I have not hacked into your computer, let alone been monitoring your web activity and banking transactions, but could you send me half a bitcoin anyway? (Anything but DOGE.)

@Arkturos said
@mchill

Amusing story, but I think your anger at "Chad" was misdirected.

I also hope you took some cash when you went to lunch, in case their payment processor was offline, and that the young cashiers know how to deal with cash.

As for the printer, I imagine you use a laptop without a dock, and therefore there was not an available port of the right type for a direct ...[text shortened]... activity and banking transactions, but could you send me half a bitcoin anyway? (Anything but DOGE.)

@Suzianne said
Is your name Chad?

@Arkturos said
I'm not hanging yet.

But in a time-and-money sense, I can see that hanging is just not as cost-effective as shooting someone dead for having or promoting the wrong ideas.

Have you ever considered practicing understanding and compassion toward tech-support or customer-support workers, whether or not they have chickens?

@Suzianne said
No. I don't tolerate the hive mind.

@mchill said
I'm deeply thankful to live in the internet age, it's great when it works - when it doesn't however-

Our printer, which has been very reliable for 8 months stopped working this morning. I depend on that printer for work.

It disconnected from the network

We called customer service

The automated phone system wouldn't let us speak with a live human

It asked for our ...[text shortened]... age, but sometimes I yearn for the days when our lives can be organized into one 3x5 card file box.

@Soothfast said
Do you ever get the impression that all the propaganda about how capitalism fosters efficiency, choice and abundance was all just a pile of tosh?

Just imagine what it would be like if "government were run like a business." But do so only on an empty stomach.

@Suzianne said
I run that through my mind and all I get is "Error!"

@mchill said
I'm deeply thankful to live in the internet age, it's great when it works - when it doesn't however-

Our printer, which has been very reliable for 8 months stopped working this morning. I depend on that printer for work.

It disconnected from the network

We called customer service

The automated phone system wouldn't let us speak with a live human

It asked for our ...[text shortened]... age, but sometimes I yearn for the days when our lives can be organized into one 3x5 card file box.