It has been one of those weeks.  On a day that most "government" employees have off, I am working.  Partially through my own choice, and partially due to one of the few companies that have not outsourced their help desk - but probably should.

Given I have to deal with idiots that masquerade as technical people day in and day out, I am developing a very low tolerance for dealing with them when I am PAYING for a service.  Or as the case is today, non-service.  And I am really tired of a major communications company that cannot even get their act straight where the first words out of the clowns mouth who answers the phone is inevitably - "we can schedule a technician for when you are busiest at work".

Ok, not quite those words, but they might as well be.  The latest is a giant cable company that cant seem to communicate to their fodder when there is a systemic outage.  And one that is so blatant that any one that has ever strung 2 cans together to talk on a "phone" would know it. 

Why are they going to waste my time, a technicians time, and any goodwill they ever had by pissing off customers because their engineering staff cant tell their call center that there is a systemic outage?  Why do you have to wait on hold on the phone for 2 hours with no mention of queue time or even if a live person is going to pick up (thank god for speaker phones)?  Why cant they understand (the engineering staff) simple physics like cold contracts, heat expands?

I really dont know how this company got to be so big.  Perhaps they are outsourcing - to the same bozos that are pulling the same stupidity at work.  Perhaps they are saving money (like the bozos at work) by not hiring qualified people, or having anyone on call even when their services are 24x7. Or perhaps they are now just another oligopoly that thinks they can shaft the customer and get away with it?

I do not know the reasons.  I only know that service has gone from bad to worse with each consolidation.  But there is hope.  There is hope because technology has made new competitors in the market.  New competitors that I can actually call and switch to.  And while I do enjoy some of the options i get from this Keystone Kop outfit, they are just not worth the contempt - and exhorbitant prices - they seem to believe is the standard fare for their customers.

The fact that the person on the other end of the 800 number can answer a phone is not good enough reason to hire them.  Yet this outfit seems to think that is enough.  The fact that 4 out of 5 times there is a problem it is systemic, and not consumer based is not enough for them to actually do some diagnostic work instead of throwing manpower at the wrong juncture.  The fact that they dont seem to think they are a 24x7 company and therefore do not have to answer the phone in a reasonable amount of time any other time than 9-5.

The fact that their prices are outrageous, and their service and quality sucks is all the reason I need to switch.  And in the end that is the only thing they will listen to (when others follow suit).

Outsourcing is not the problem.  The problem may not even be lack of competance in the American work force.  But the problem is with large companies using bodies as an excuse for service.  While I dont get the best of service when I talk to "Dave" in "New Dehli", at least they are competant enough, and attentive enough, not to send a technician out when an engineer - who might be getting paid a little more - can fix the problem for not one, but thousands of customers - by working hours that are not 9-5.

But not this company.  They forgot that their customers have choices.  I am tired of the stupidity and incompetance.  And I am about to show them I have those choices, and I am now ready to exercise my right to choose.

And it aint you ComCraptic.