In which I get called a "peon."

[sld72382]

This happened some time ago, but I just forgot about it. Anyway....

For those that don't know DSL, if a customer has DSL without bundled landline phone service and the ONLY thing they have that plugs into a jack is the modem, a filter (the little dongle you put on landline phones to prevent interference with the DSL signal) is NOT needed. After all, if she has no other devices, there's nothing to filter.

Queue this SC. She had no other devices but the modem, and her issue was fixed by.... taking the filter off. It was causing the modem to have a crap signal, when it was removed the signal was great. I even told her she absolutely does NOT need a filter in her case.

I thought this call was in the bag when the she started getting sucky:

Me: Okay, your issue is resolved. Seems like everything is good now.

SC: Thanks. I'm going to put the filter back on.

Me: Ma'am, don't do that. It is defective and is causing your issue.

SC: Then fine I'll use another one!

Me: If you want to use another one that is your choice but as I said earlier, you don't need one since the modem is the only telephony device you have.

SC: Well the onsite tech told me that I need to use a filter, so that's why I'm using one!

Me: *Thinking: If she only knew the intelligence level of some of our onsite techs.* Well I can tell you that he may not have realized that you didn't have any other devices, but from my experience since the modem is the only thing you have that plugs into a jack you can plug it directly into the jack without any issues.

CS: Between the onsite tech and a phone peon like you, I'm going with the onsite tech! Have a good day!

*Click.*

If only she knew the backstory of what we have to deal with regarding our onsite techs, she would probably want to listen to me. Then again, I guess I'm just a peon.

[aulocksmith]

Oh wow.. A phone support person who actually knows that you don't need a filter on the modem itself. It's normally the other way around down here. The onsite techs know what's what, and the phone reps know jackshit.

I recently got told by phone support at my ISP that I needed to have a filter on the line regardless. It was only when I started talking about signal loss as filters are designed to to *filter* the DSL signal so you didn't hear it when on the phone, and that I only had the modem plugged in did they realise they stuffed up. The back-pedalling by the rep was awesome, I just wish the call could've been made through my voip system instead of mobile, then I would have a recording of it.

With that woman though, it seems she had a logic filter installed instead.

[sms001]

The backbone of the Roman Army!

Yeah, with TWC (my local) I'd assume that the person handling numerous, widely diverse tech problems from the call center would probably be a touch more on the ball than the install guy.

Ditto for SBC, ATT, SWB, Comcast, Cox, etc., etc., ad nauseum.

[mhkohne]

The backbone of the Roman Army!

Yeah, with TWC (my local) I'd assume that the person handling numerous, widely diverse tech problems from the call center would probably be a touch more on the ball than the install guy.

Ditto for SBC, ATT, SWB, Comcast, Cox, etc., etc., ad nauseum.

I wouldn't necessarily make that assumption, but since taking off the filter made it work, I think that would give me the clue that the guy on the phone knows what's up.

[sms001]

I wouldn't necessarily make that assumption...

Hope that wasn't construed as down on techs - I was drawing from experience, and those particular listed outfits, in my dealings with them, had the brains inside and the muscle out on the trucks. I've seen the flipside of it too. Usually in places where the company hires outside contractors as their mobile techs.

but since taking off the filter made it work, I think that would give me the clue that the guy on the phone knows what's up.

lol! Yeah, that's a hard one to get around for sure. But analytic reason rarely intrudes on an SCs thought process.