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jmkramer
join:2008-07-13
Venice, CA
| reply to hobgoblin
Re: Intermittent loss of connection
I'm Chiming in too that I've had the same Problem in Venice, CA since the beginning of June...I've had Tech out twice and they blame me for the Problem. Modem was replaced, though it wasn't the issue anyway. I don't get disconnected , it just slows down to a crawl, as in 250 Kbps, snail mail slow. I must have spent 10 hours on hold and the phone repeating the problem over and over and over. I have done some research and there is a lawsuit being brought by the City of LA on Time Warner for the muckups during the switch from Comcast. But I'm not sure if they are including the lack of customer service/ help/ internet service from current issues on the lawsuit. But my requests for refunds for the lost service time have basically been laughed off. Very frustrating to not have anywhere to turn for help! | |
dstanic
join:2001-08-05
Yuma, AZ
| I have a feeling that a lot of modems are being replaced and that's not the problem. The problem has been discussed in this thread. MacLeech hit the nail on the head. If there is a mis-match between their modem query's and what they expect, they simply do a reset. I have run speed tests and it's nowhere near the levels I once had. That is probably a separate issue.
The main thing is trying to get them to stop resetting the modem whenever they feel like it. Once a week has turned into 3-5 times a week. All shortly after midnight.
Refunds are based on actual outage time. Almost a joke. A reset takes 2-5 mins. that's about $3.60 for me.
I have clients connected to my server that stay connected to receive real-time data. The packets are small but produce a constant flow. When the modem is reset the clients get tossed off. That's my issue. I hardly ever use the 10/1,5Mbps I'm signed up for. In fact, I seldom send more than 250kbps upstream of the 1500kbps I'm allowed. Downstream comes from my hub connection and is nothing at 25kbps.
Tier 3 is the end of the road for tech support. Beyond that is NOC (and they don't talk to customers). At some point when frustration levels get too high they'll refer you to Corporate. Since the techs feel their hands are tied by Corporate Policy. Tier 3 is there for one thing... to resolve issues for their customers where they have the expertise to get things handled. Beyond that, I'm not sure where we go.
I smell a more serious problem. When you call with an issue, they give you a ticket number for the problem. 30 days ago I got a ticket #2620374. Last week I got a new number because someone accidentally closed the first one. It was # 2894000. Do the math, that's a lot of tickets between then and now! TWC is hiring like crazy. You can read the ads by searching the internet. A Tier 3 tech gets $40,000 - $60,000 a year. If you read the qualifications, you end up feeling a little sorry for those who make it. They don't last long.
The current object of their madness appears to be replacing modems to assure tickets are closed. Replacing parts is not a fix_it_all. But it seems to be the easiest way to get customers off their backs. | |
hobgoblin
Sortof Agoblin
Premium
join:2001-11-25
Orchard Park, NY
clubs:
| "Do the math, that's a lot of tickets between then and now! TWC is hiring like crazy. You can read the ads by searching the internet. A Tier 3 tech gets $40,000 - $60,000 a year. If you read the qualifications, you end up feeling a little sorry for those who make it. They don't last long."
Based on the Customer base and that a ticket is created for every contact across the base that's not unreasonable.
That pay rate is very high.....Most Tier 3's I know have worked their way through to that position, its VERY rare to hire a tier 3 tech off the street. Many get promoted to Noc positions.
Hob
--
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
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dstanic
join:2001-08-05
Yuma, AZ
| said by hobgoblin  :That pay rate is very high.....Most Tier 3's I know have worked their way through to that position, its VERY rare to hire a tier 3 tech off the street. Many get promoted to Noc positions. In a perfect world that holds true. We would all like to think that a company cares enough about it's employees to promote from within, if they have enough qualified personnel to choose from. They also run ads for NOC people as well as Tier 3.
I only speak my views as an IT Professional with 25 years of experience. What bothers me was TWC moving forward to try and cater to the Business Class customer, when they obviously aren't interested in listening to business class needs.
I don't debate their methods of hiring or the people that try to do a good job. I do criticize when we are told that it's Corporate Policy to do things that disrupt service when it doesn't have to be that way.
Global resets to bulk network clients is/was a practice used by many ISP's in the past. That practice dates back to the dial-up days when ISP's flushed networks to ensure load provisioning. Today, many nodes are being over tasked because the object is to over sell regions before NOC and provisioning can get caught up.
Ambit developed a fix in their firmware that I personally had an opportunity to test (1017), by accident. It was like a slap in the face to all those techs and so-called experienced NOC guys. The answer... it wasn't approved by Corporate. At least we know there is a firmware version on the shelf that will solve most of our specific networking issues.
So, we can close our eyes, pray and listen to excuses and do nothing. Or, we can light up their phone lines and demand the service they said they would provide.
A common weakness in business today is making claims that a service can do more than it was designed to do, and hire enough people who will work for peanuts before consideration goes to out-sourcing to maintain profits.
Hob, they bank on the fact that most people will simply bend over and accept things as they are. Look at these forums and other lists... we aren't the only ones wondering what's going on. There is a certain faction of people lurking around here that will always seem satisfied. I'm of a generation that will pay through the nose because I expect things to work. Service and quality is what most of us want, and Corporate Policy is what???
Last year, CEO Glenn Britt earned $9.5M which included a $5.6M bonus. Wouldn't it be nice if they used some of their record profits to keep customers happy? | |
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