Tuesday, May 17, 2011

On dealing with big companies

I don't like The Phone Company. I appreciate that they provide my phone service, but apparently they don't provide any other kind of service, and in particular they don't provide good customer service. My phone line isn't working, so two weeks ago, I filled out a report on the company's website. Online seemed better for reporting a problem because I knew if I called, I would sit on hold for a long time, and the problem might still go unresolved (see link below concerning previous experience). The website popped up a message saying that the line would be reset by 7 PM the following Saturday. I knew this was not true, as the problem had to be fixed at the network interface thing inside my house, and no one from the phone company had proposed a visit. Previous experience with this same issue let me know this is not something to be fixed remotely. Sure enough, Saturday came and went, and the phone line still is not working. Sure wish I could remember to call The Phone Company. Maybe reporting it over the phone would encourage them to come out and fix it after all. Maybe. But previous experience also tells me that The Phone Company doesn't respond well to phone calls, either.

Also, I'm sending some student loan-related paper work to A Large Bank. My online login security image looks, to me, like a side of bacon. I'm not sure what they're trying to say about me. Anyway, they asked me to send a copy of my most recent W-2 and a pay stub. I scanned and emailed a pay stub but couldn't find where I'd put my W-2, so in the body of the email I said that I would send the W-2 the next day. In reply, I received an email message saying I needed to send a W-2. Yes, I know, I said to the computer. I told you that yesterday. I started to replay "Dear nitwits, attached to this message is the W-2 I told you yesterday I would send today." But I figured that might make the Large Bank mad, and they might mess with the student loans. So I sent the W-2 with no attachment.

I spilled coffee in the hallway at work today. It was a mild spill, no damage to clothing or flooring. But I did manage get something non-coffee on my pants, don't know what. And last week I knocked over my coffee cup with the phone cord. It's what I get for using a disposable cup.