Internet Provider Quandary...

[RP]

Hello!

Thanks again for getting in touch. Here's the information I promised:


Thank you for contacting CenturyLink! If you need assistance with your Centurylink Internet service help is available any time day or night through www.centurylink.com/support.

You may also contact us through our Online Chat Help. http://www.centurylink.com/home/help/contact.html

Hope it helps!

We appreciate your business and hope you continue to enjoy your CenturyLink services.

If you need additional assistance, just let us know.


Sincerely,

Your CenturyLink Repair Team


I live in a rural area, have minimal options for internet carriers, and have been using CenturyLink. All's well until it's not well. The internet went out last night and so I called the Tech Support number. Fortunately, I was able to understand the rep that answered my call. Internet came back on this morning. Minor inconvenience but no big deal in the grand scheme of things.

My question is why does someone at CenturyLink think that it makes a bit of sense to offer me the alternative of using online options when I'm calling about not being able to get online. It's not like I call CenturyLink just to chit-chat about guitars....

[DenverSteve]

Because they don't know you can't get online? Obviously, if you can't "chat" or email about a problem because you're off line, you have to call. Sounds like you got ahold of someone. That's better than some get. We've all become very connected to internet and get a bit squirmy if it goes down for a bit. You can always get on line via cellular service through your cellular carrier. For example I have used Verizon hot spots in the past that are, I believe, $49.99 per month. I can also turn on cellular on my iPad any time I like, like when I'm commuting on the train. If Century Link becomes unreliable (unlikely) you can always go cellular.

[MikeBmusic]

Standard reply - I hear the same when calling my electricity supplier when I'm calling about a power outage.
The real reason - because people with a smart phone with internet access through their phone carrier CAN go online to access things.

[RP]

Originally Posted by DenverSteve

Because they don't know you can't get online?

By the time the message on the Tech Support number gives me the suggestion to do my business online, I've already jumped through several message hoops ("If it's this, press 1; if it's that press 2...) to indicate that my internet is out...

Originally Posted by MikeBmusic

Standard reply - I hear the same when calling my electricity supplier when I'm calling about a power outage.
The real reason - because people with a smart phone with internet access through their phone carrier CAN go online to access things.

AAAHHHH. I have an old flip phone so all those smart phone logistics are alien to me....

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by RP

[I]
My question is why does someone at CenturyLink think that it makes a bit of sense to offer me the alternative of using online options when I'm calling about not being able to get online. It's not like I call CenturyLink just to chit-chat about guitars....

Most people have a wireless smart phone to do that. More and more robots that include software systems handle calls and read the paper you send in the mail. I read where more support queries get directed to where they belong by answering the robot's questions than speaking with someone.

I believe that bit because I'm a small enterprise (750 employees) IT manager. The staff calling me ranges from very simple people without much intellect and eduction to very smart professionals. We are better at solving problems and much faster when we get good information. Some don't want to believe it but a wide array of problems get solved faster when staff follows the protocol for the particular issue.

In some cases you can say I have my own robots. My state of the art Cisco and Nutanix technologies give me alarms and notifications. It happens when humans are giving me or saying stuff that's "WTH" concurrent with robots and help systems telling me where and what the problem is.

Lots of homo sapiens are very bad about leaving their world view, describing what's up, or giving descriptions not influenced by personal opinion or emotion. My "bots" don't have emotion. They tell me where to look or what to do with speed and accuracy compared to what comes fro the mouthes or fingers of staff. That's why you'll see more and more AI and non-people elements for problem solving.

[CoffeeFan]

Originally Posted by RP

Hello!

Thanks again for getting in touch. Here's the information I promised:


Thank you for contacting CenturyLink! If you need assistance with your Centurylink Internet service help is available any time day or night through www.centurylink.com/support.

You may also contact us through our Online Chat Help. http://www.centurylink.com/home/help/contact.html

Hope it helps!

We appreciate your business and hope you continue to enjoy your CenturyLink services.

If you need additional assistance, just let us know.


Sincerely,

Your CenturyLink Repair Team


I live in a rural area, have minimal options for internet carriers, and have been using CenturyLink. All's well until it's not well. The internet went out last night and so I called the Tech Support number. Fortunately, I was able to understand the rep that answered my call. Internet came back on this morning. Minor inconvenience but no big deal in the grand scheme of things.

My question is why does someone at CenturyLink think that it makes a bit of sense to offer me the alternative of using online options when I'm calling about not being able to get online. It's not like I call CenturyLink just to chit-chat about guitars....

I don't see the quandary.

In your case, sure, you couldn't get online. But, a phone number was provided, you called it, and the situation was rectified.

But internet problems aren't limited to only not being able to get online. Slow speeds, upload problems, even setting up a wireless connection on a laptop are all scenarios where online help can be there...