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Hiya all, I havent posted or surfed around here in awhile. Figured I'd get back into the swing of things with some fun ones from the WLNP department.
For those of you not familiar with the phrase that is Wireless Local Number Portability. IE that fun law in the US that says when you switch phone carriers you are allowed to keep your phone number. Man this is a nightmare on acid or crack or some other bad drug.
Quick background type stuff...
In order to port a phone number it must be active with service and not suspended for non-pay or the like. The request made to the OSP (original service provider) must verify whatever account information that OSP asks for or the OSP may deny the request. Usually this is Name address and account number or social security number and of course the phone number to be transfered. At my company we ask for the Name, Address, account number and 4 digit account pin. Now we dont technically have account numbers so we always tell anyone who asks that the account number is the phone number.
Me: Yours truly
Other Agent: The rep from the other carrier
SC: I'm sure we are all familiar with this one by now.
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Me: *looks up WLNP request* Ok as far as I can see the account number is fine but the 4 digit account pin does not match our records. I will be sending this back with a resolution required response. If need be the customer can call us and we can verify this info with him over the phone. (resolution required is one of the computerized responses that basically says a Human needs to look at this for one reason or another, in this case the account information does not match)
Other Rep: Ok... I'm refreshing my screen and I see that response, hold on one moment and I will re-submit the request. (I'm thinking with new information, boy was I wrong)
Me: *looks at the re-submitted request, none of the information has changed*
Ok... this account pin is still wrong, in fact you didnt change anything.... *resends a resolution required* I have resent this with a resolution required.
Other agent: Ok... I see it... one moment while I re-submit the request (what are you a broken record??)
Me: Before you do that whats the new pin your going to try?
Other agent: What?
Me: The new pin code that your going to try with this request, I can tell you whether or not its right (IE this way we dont waste time sending computerized responses back and forth, were on the phone for god sakes, just ask me if its right)
Other agent: What new pin code?
Me: The pin code is wrong..... you need to submit the correct one if you want me to approve this request.
Other agent: How do I get that?
Me:
(I told you already) *repeats the information from the start of the call*
Needless to say this went back and forth for a bit until they offered to conference the customer in. I verified the info and basically had to hold the other agents hand through the process of what to change...... if this were only one person I'd be ok with it, but I get this at least once a week or more.
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Me: Ok, that port in is confirmed (a port in being that someone transfered their number from another carrier to us)
SC: Ok I want to change my number now.....
Me: What??? (this is one that happens alot also)
SC: I want to change my number now....
Me: (What I'd like to say) Then why the hell did we just waste our time to port in a number your not going to keep?
(what I actually say) One moment please.... (this is usually with a restrained growl)
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This last one is a little long but annoying. I can't believe all this red-tape.
Now the company I work for is a reseller for Large Cellular Provider A LCPA and we were doing a port out from a reseller of Large Cellular Provider B.
This particular port had been giving me a few problems and every time I submitted it LCPB would say they couldnt see it and that I should cancel and resubmit the request. Now, on our system for WLNP request provided by LCPA we can't resubmit a new request for the same phone number if a canceled request exsists from within the last 24 hours. Don't ask me why, I'll never know and its damned annoying. So I wait the 24 hours and resubmit and get the same problem. Rinse repeat 2 more times with the customer at this point understandably getting agitated because no one can tell me why its not working.
Finally I shoot an E-mail over to the porting Gurus of LCPA (IE our technical support on WLNP issues) They tell me that they spoke with the Gurus of LCPB who tell us that the reason the port is failing is we keep submitting it to the wrong service provider ID (SPID for short, the SPID is a unique number assinged to all phone service providers in the US) Now the system we use for submitting WLNP requests automatically picks the SPID for me, I dont get the option to change it. Basically this is what the FCC has on file as the SPID for this phone number. LCPA's gurus tell me I have to resubmit the request with the correct SPID and everything will work just fine. I bring up the fact to LCPA that the software they provided to us will not let me select the SPID and ask if they can submit a manual request for me with the correct SPID selected. I get a no answer, they say they will speak with LCPB and get them to change their records so that the correct SPID is onfile with the FCC.
I wait 2 days. No response from either side comes. I cancel and resubmit the request again in the intervening time. I get a new response which now says that the number is not active. I call LCPA first they tell me to call LCPB. I call LCPB who says they are working on updating the info for the number and that i need to get LCPA to submit a manual request. I call LCPA who says no LCPB just needs to update their information.............. You can guess where this is going and right about now I'm ready to kill somone.
In the end I came up with a creative solution I think... I called LCPA explained some of the situation, acted like I needed to put them on hold for a second for one reason or another to which they said ok. Conference called LCPB explained the situation, rinse repeat with the hold excuse. Now that I have LCPA and LCPB online I click the connect button so we are now on a 3 way call.
Me: LCPA meet LCPB Now, reps from both of your companies keep telling me I need to call the other one and nothing is getting done which is just fine for the both of you because I'm the one taking fire from the customer. Now, I don't mind waiting on the line to listen, but I will repeat this process of conference calls until the port request is confirmed.
LCPB: Ok can you verify the account information for the customer..... (with a sort of well uh... um... crap tone of voice)
LCPA: No I can't....... (not sounding so sure of themself)
Me: Thats ok I can. (gives the account info)
LCPB: Ok that matches but theres no port requests for this number.....
Me: *submits a new request, gets an automatic this number is not active response* I just submitted yet another one, it says its not active. Is that correct?
LCPB: Well the number is active but its suspended for some reason.
LCPA: *must have found his notes for this number or something finally* Oh, I see now, the request keeps going to the wrong SPID according to the notes we have here. LCPB needs to update their records.
LCPB: Notes here indicate that is being done and that LCPA needs to submit a manual request for the port.
*they start to argue*
Me: Hold on.... *they stop* Now you know what I've been putting up with for the last week. Now can one of you tell me with a definite answer what i can do to solve this issue? I'm not going away until this gets done.
*crickets chirping*
LCPB: Let me get a supervisor on the line
LCPA: Me too.....
To make a long story short I ended up with Tier 2 tech support from LCPB and tier 3 at LCPA (because tier 2 and 1 arent allowed to do anything with reseller accounts at LCPA apparently... man what a headache) anyway LCPA finally buckles and does a damned manual request which took all of 2 minutes..... and the number was ported...... now for the icing on the cake....wait for it..... wait for it..........
I call the customer to tell him his number is ported finally..... and he asked me to change his number.....
Sorry if that last one is hard to follow feel free to ask questions if need be and I will clarify where possible. I have more but I don't want to make this thread way too long.
For those of you not familiar with the phrase that is Wireless Local Number Portability. IE that fun law in the US that says when you switch phone carriers you are allowed to keep your phone number. Man this is a nightmare on acid or crack or some other bad drug.
Quick background type stuff...
In order to port a phone number it must be active with service and not suspended for non-pay or the like. The request made to the OSP (original service provider) must verify whatever account information that OSP asks for or the OSP may deny the request. Usually this is Name address and account number or social security number and of course the phone number to be transfered. At my company we ask for the Name, Address, account number and 4 digit account pin. Now we dont technically have account numbers so we always tell anyone who asks that the account number is the phone number.
Me: Yours truly
Other Agent: The rep from the other carrier
SC: I'm sure we are all familiar with this one by now.
----------------------------------------------
Me: *looks up WLNP request* Ok as far as I can see the account number is fine but the 4 digit account pin does not match our records. I will be sending this back with a resolution required response. If need be the customer can call us and we can verify this info with him over the phone. (resolution required is one of the computerized responses that basically says a Human needs to look at this for one reason or another, in this case the account information does not match)
Other Rep: Ok... I'm refreshing my screen and I see that response, hold on one moment and I will re-submit the request. (I'm thinking with new information, boy was I wrong)
Me: *looks at the re-submitted request, none of the information has changed*
Ok... this account pin is still wrong, in fact you didnt change anything.... *resends a resolution required* I have resent this with a resolution required.
Other agent: Ok... I see it... one moment while I re-submit the request (what are you a broken record??)
Me: Before you do that whats the new pin your going to try?
Other agent: What?
Me: The new pin code that your going to try with this request, I can tell you whether or not its right (IE this way we dont waste time sending computerized responses back and forth, were on the phone for god sakes, just ask me if its right)
Other agent: What new pin code?
Me: The pin code is wrong..... you need to submit the correct one if you want me to approve this request.
Other agent: How do I get that?
Me:
(I told you already) *repeats the information from the start of the call*Needless to say this went back and forth for a bit until they offered to conference the customer in. I verified the info and basically had to hold the other agents hand through the process of what to change...... if this were only one person I'd be ok with it, but I get this at least once a week or more.
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Me: Ok, that port in is confirmed (a port in being that someone transfered their number from another carrier to us)
SC: Ok I want to change my number now.....
Me: What??? (this is one that happens alot also)
SC: I want to change my number now....
Me: (What I'd like to say) Then why the hell did we just waste our time to port in a number your not going to keep?
(what I actually say) One moment please.... (this is usually with a restrained growl)
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This last one is a little long but annoying. I can't believe all this red-tape.
Now the company I work for is a reseller for Large Cellular Provider A LCPA and we were doing a port out from a reseller of Large Cellular Provider B.
This particular port had been giving me a few problems and every time I submitted it LCPB would say they couldnt see it and that I should cancel and resubmit the request. Now, on our system for WLNP request provided by LCPA we can't resubmit a new request for the same phone number if a canceled request exsists from within the last 24 hours. Don't ask me why, I'll never know and its damned annoying. So I wait the 24 hours and resubmit and get the same problem. Rinse repeat 2 more times with the customer at this point understandably getting agitated because no one can tell me why its not working.
Finally I shoot an E-mail over to the porting Gurus of LCPA (IE our technical support on WLNP issues) They tell me that they spoke with the Gurus of LCPB who tell us that the reason the port is failing is we keep submitting it to the wrong service provider ID (SPID for short, the SPID is a unique number assinged to all phone service providers in the US) Now the system we use for submitting WLNP requests automatically picks the SPID for me, I dont get the option to change it. Basically this is what the FCC has on file as the SPID for this phone number. LCPA's gurus tell me I have to resubmit the request with the correct SPID and everything will work just fine. I bring up the fact to LCPA that the software they provided to us will not let me select the SPID and ask if they can submit a manual request for me with the correct SPID selected. I get a no answer, they say they will speak with LCPB and get them to change their records so that the correct SPID is onfile with the FCC.
I wait 2 days. No response from either side comes. I cancel and resubmit the request again in the intervening time. I get a new response which now says that the number is not active. I call LCPA first they tell me to call LCPB. I call LCPB who says they are working on updating the info for the number and that i need to get LCPA to submit a manual request. I call LCPA who says no LCPB just needs to update their information.............. You can guess where this is going and right about now I'm ready to kill somone.
In the end I came up with a creative solution I think... I called LCPA explained some of the situation, acted like I needed to put them on hold for a second for one reason or another to which they said ok. Conference called LCPB explained the situation, rinse repeat with the hold excuse. Now that I have LCPA and LCPB online I click the connect button so we are now on a 3 way call.
Me: LCPA meet LCPB Now, reps from both of your companies keep telling me I need to call the other one and nothing is getting done which is just fine for the both of you because I'm the one taking fire from the customer. Now, I don't mind waiting on the line to listen, but I will repeat this process of conference calls until the port request is confirmed.
LCPB: Ok can you verify the account information for the customer..... (with a sort of well uh... um... crap tone of voice)
LCPA: No I can't....... (not sounding so sure of themself)
Me: Thats ok I can. (gives the account info)
LCPB: Ok that matches but theres no port requests for this number.....
Me: *submits a new request, gets an automatic this number is not active response* I just submitted yet another one, it says its not active. Is that correct?
LCPB: Well the number is active but its suspended for some reason.
LCPA: *must have found his notes for this number or something finally* Oh, I see now, the request keeps going to the wrong SPID according to the notes we have here. LCPB needs to update their records.
LCPB: Notes here indicate that is being done and that LCPA needs to submit a manual request for the port.
*they start to argue*
Me: Hold on.... *they stop* Now you know what I've been putting up with for the last week. Now can one of you tell me with a definite answer what i can do to solve this issue? I'm not going away until this gets done.
*crickets chirping*
LCPB: Let me get a supervisor on the line
LCPA: Me too.....
To make a long story short I ended up with Tier 2 tech support from LCPB and tier 3 at LCPA (because tier 2 and 1 arent allowed to do anything with reseller accounts at LCPA apparently... man what a headache) anyway LCPA finally buckles and does a damned manual request which took all of 2 minutes..... and the number was ported...... now for the icing on the cake....wait for it..... wait for it..........
I call the customer to tell him his number is ported finally..... and he asked me to change his number.....
Sorry if that last one is hard to follow feel free to ask questions if need be and I will clarify where possible. I have more but I don't want to make this thread way too long.
) or else if someone is harrassing you and you can't get it to stop any other way (a friend had to do that cause of a domestic abuse situation). But just randomly changing your number? How annoying. And what a waste of time and energy to tell everyone you're new number!
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