Adventures in tech support. March 5, 2008 ~ 12:20 pm
Posted by Julie in : Uncategorized , comments closedI spent three hours on the phone with Verizon last night, trying to figure out why my brand new laptop wasn’t connecting wirelessly to my home network. Verizon walked me through many steps, but none of them were working, so I called Vince. Because Vince knows his shit, unlike Verizon, and he also has a brand new MacBook Pro. Vince knew what the problem was inside of ten minutes: my modem/router from Verizon was basically ancient (four years old is prehistoric in terms of tech), and wasn’t playing nicely with Leopard (Mac’s operating system).
I called Verizon back. I told them that Apple told me their router wouldn’t play nicely with my operating system (yeah, so Vince isn’t Apple. Sue me.). At which point their tech guy said “Oh! Do you have one of those MacBook Airs?” and I said “No, I have a MacBook Pro. The ones that were just released last week.” A lightbulb came on over his head. “Yeah, the old modem-routers aren’t compatible with Leopard. You have to get a new one. You can buy one at Best Buy or call our billing people tomorrow. Ask them for a discount, and if the person you’re on the phone with says he can’t get you one, ask for a supervisor.”
Well I sure as hell wasn’t going to spend money on something at Best Buy if I could get a discount or a freebie through Verizon. I called them this morning. First, they hung up on me (accidentally, I think). Then I was on hold for a very long time and the guy in billing told me he didn’t know what I was talking about. I spelled it out very clearly for him, complete with “your tech guys told me to call you.” “Oh, yeah, I see that modem-router-thingie now. $65.99.” Um, no. Put me on with your supervisor if you can’t give me a discount, your tech guys told me about this scam, too. Talked to supervisor, who tried to tell me full price again. At this point, I believe I burst out with “Look, it’s not my fault your tech is obsolete and doesn’t play nicely with brand new tech. I should not be penalized for that, I’ve been with you for four years.” Suddenly, the supervisor told me that while she couldn’t give the router to me, she could give me a discount. $40 off. I said that was doable, and then sweetly asked how I would be billed, what my confirmation number was, when I could expect delivery, and how they would be shipping it. UPS, 1-3 business days.
Damn skippy, people. You do not fuck with my tech. Thanks, Vince, for pinpointing the issue far faster than Verizon ever would have, and for breaking it down for me so I could break it down for them! You’re a lifesaver!
