Please tell me this wasn't one of y'all?

[mariasama16.livejournal.com]

I had a nice lady call in yesterday, unable to get onto the internet. She'd already talked to her ISP (Comcast if anyone cares), and they couldn't get her on. They claimed it was an issue with her work laptop, especially since her home computer works fine.

Normally, I'd let something like that go through, except this lady was directly connected to her modem. She'd unplugged the home computer to do so. Comcast had her power cycle it, which didn't fix the problem.

Again, understandable for them to say its a problem with the laptop. However, someone there didn't get the memo that this lady's modem had a battery backup in it. Pulling the battery at the same time as power cycling the modem fixed the problem.

Granted, I don't have Comcast, I don't want Comcast, and I don't know if its common for their modems to have batteries installed. I would expect their tech support to know that though :P

Note to the public

[crazycatlady.livejournal.com]

( People. Seriously. )

Little background - I do generalized internal help desk for a B2B marketing, sales, and technology firm. Basically, a moderately-sized call center. It's like every day is a whole new world there.

Logic? What's that...?

[asbrand.livejournal.com]

Seeing this post reminded me...

I work in a Network Operations Center (NOC) for a big Communications company (internet, cable, phone, etc.).

There are two groups in the NOC.   Data Specialists and NOC Engineers.   I am in the latter group.   We actually work on the routers and switches on our multi-state backbone network.   Fairly technical stuff, working with BGP, OSPF, MPLS, circuits, etc. 

The other group are basically ticket/phone monkeys.   Low level, low paid, low comprehension (for the most part) people who barely understand how to work a computer, and open a ticket in Remedy.

That said...

Until about 6 to 8 months ago, when they would get a call for one of us...they would just yell across the room for a NOC Engineer.   Usually only 1 or 2 of us on shift at a time, and we simply cannot hear what they are trying to say.   Drove me absolutely batty.   I finally complained to their manager, who agreed, that this was totally unacceptable, and unprofessional.   They were instructed to either IM us (we use a corporate IM, as well as AIM), or just call up our extensions (which never change). 

So...what do they do now?    About 80% of them will get up from their desk, and stalk up behind me...and just stand there, hovering...waiting for me to notice.  Which I usually don't...because I'm engrossed in something else, have headphones on, or what have you.   

For chrissakes...we work in an internet company.   Are you THAT bloody stupid that you can't figure out how to use an IM program, or dial a phone?   Sheesh...

Like the poster of that other LJ entry said...I don't have eyes in the back of my skull...   Stop hovering over me like a vulture.



-Az