UPDATE: Just 20 hours after writing this, the long sequence finally came to an end. I got another message about “tech about to arrive”, and this time the tech actually arrived!
330 pm: Tech showed up at my door!
I said “Glad to see you!”
He said “No, you’re not.”
He said that he took a look at the wires and realized “there’s fiber up there”, which means the neighborhood is switching to fiber service. They aren’t repairing old wire service any more. I should go online and order fiber service. In the meantime the wire is still working for the duration.
The whole mess could have been avoided if CenturyLink had sent out notices saying “Your neighborhood will be converted to fiber service by [date]. Here’s what you need to do if you want to maintain your landline service…” But they never sent such a notice. It would have saved a lot of wear on their chatbots and record-keeping system, and would have saved wear on my time and patience.
=============================
As somebody said in a Bloomberg podcast:
Welcome to 2023, when nobody wants to do their job and everything is ten times harder than it should be.
Speaking of decline, in February you posted a thread on Twitter about the future of internet search engines, and you wrote that Microsoft and Google agree that our online explorations will be further driven to “lengthy florid paragraphs written by a #chatbot who happens to be a habitual liar.”
========================================
I’ve been running into this process in the last two months but didn’t know it was a word! In September my phone line failed, possibly as a result of lightning. I don’t use the phone often, but when I do need it I really NEED it. So I started first with troubleshooting at my end. Then I tried CenturyLink’s end, and got into an endless round of habitual chatbot lies with “emotional” flavor. It’s not done yet. The phone line has improved considerably on its own. Like human nerves and muscles, it gets stronger with usage. But it’s still intermittent and I still haven’t seen any actual technicians.
Here’s a mostly direct copy of my worklog up to tonight. I’ve filtered out some overly personal parts like passwords.
You can watch my gradual realization that the whole thing is fake.
I’m keeping this game going because it’s turned into a hobby, and because a dream on 11/5 told me to Stay The Course in a general way. I’ll update here with further non-developments.
========================================
9/25 thinking about taxi tomorrow, noticed that phone is dead. There was
some lightning soon after the last time I did taxi in mid August. Did
it ruin the phone itself? Doesn’t matter. Cab company clearly prefers
web access, so phone is irrelevant.
9/26
Ordered a used “tested” phone from ebay so I can be sure the problem is
not on this end before asking centurylink.
9/30: Got the used phone, still dead, so will ask centurylink.
Got into their ‘troubleshooting’ mode on website. It ran a test
and gave this result:
We’re sorry, a new service outage has been found in your area.
Date for restoration: Monday, October 2
So there’s definitely a problem, and their test seemed to find
it without the need of asking. That’s handy.
10/4
Still no restoration as of Oct 4. I’m pretty sure the lineman would have
to check the lightning fuses and wires physically. Haven’t seen or
heard any visitors.
10/9
Tried the centurylink website again. It ran through a second layer of
troubleshooting, and finally concluded that the trouble is with the
phone. Could be that the phone from Ebay is also bad.
Fiddled with the original phone, found that the Redial button is stuck
down and won’t pop up. The plastic button does move up and down but the
underlying mechanism is stuck. It wasn’t stuck when I called the taxi
last month. Maybe it’s lightning damaged after all, or maybe it GOT
stuck exactly when I made that call. Bought a “new in box” vintage
phone.
==
10/13 New phone came. It’s definitely New Old Stock, in the box with
original manual. Still dead, but at least now I can talk to them
knowing that the phone itself IS NOT THE PROBLEM. The bad phone might
have blown a fuse or breaker somewhere in the system.
I should probably do a trace. Make sure the other end of the cord
is properly plugged, then go outside and look at the fuses. Not today.
==
10/14
Looked closely at the outside junction box. No fuses. It has one cable
coming from the drop and another that seems to be the newer inside box.
A third cable seems to be an earlier inside connection. The third was
cut off (not broken) a long time ago, but the outside and newer inside
seem to be solid. No obvious problem, unless the newer inside has been
gradually cut by going through the aluminum siding. The drop and the
older inside both have grommets around the holes, but the newer inside
doesn’t. The drop looks intact. Also made sure the plug on the other
end of the inside cord is pushed in.
Note that the tech did tighten the outside box in previous phone problem
in March 2020, but the main problem then turned out to be upstream in the
trunk line.
There’s one thing I haven’t tried yet. The new phone came with a new cord.
Haven’t tried replacing the cord itself. Nope, still dead.
Opened up the old phone. No visible damage. There are some delicate
inductors in series with the inlet that would have been burned by
lightning. Couldn’t unstick the redial button. It’s not connected to
an underlying mechanical switch, it’s just a flat keyboard-type switch.
Finally went through the online chat, which was tiresome as usual. The
technician will come this afternoon between 1 and 5.
====
10/15
Nope, he didn’t come. No email, no dial tone.
There is one place I haven’t checked: the inside box. Once many years
ago this turned out to be the problem. Could be the problem again. I
don’t know if I can reach it properly now, but it’s worth looking and
wiggling.
==
10/21 Opened up the little inside box, wiggled things around
and closed it. No obvious looseness, still no sound.
Now I’ve unquestionably checked and fixed everything I can
check on this end.
===
10/30 starting the online troubleshoot again. This time it tried
to go directly to “schedule a visit” but then the website urped.
Starting over… website erred out again.
Doing the Chat again.
So far I’ve been transferred twice because the first two chatters
were only for internet service. The third chat was “POTS/voice”
and he got things done. Or at least got to the same point we
reached two weeks ago.
Got an appointment for tomorrow afternoon. (10/31) Will see if it
actually happens. They claim again that an email will be sent before
the tech arrives.
10/31 So far nothing.
When this fails, need to make a firmer contact via email. The chat
system is obviously disconnected from the company.
==
10/31 230pm
Made the contact via their “unresolved issue” choice on website. Got an
immediate autoresponse indicating that at least they received the email.
==
11/1 730am: They sent an email asking to verify my account with last 4
digits of SS number. I gave it to them. No other action at this point.
11/2: no further action today
11/3 730am: DIAL TONE! Scratchy but there.
When I picked it up a second time shortly afterward, got the ‘howler’
that means staying on line too long. Picked it up a third time, silence
again. This is weird but might indicate that they’re doing SOMETHING
with the line. The fact that it happened at 730, and the previous
email was also 730, might be meaningful?
If nothing else, it proves for sure that there’s nothing wrong with my
wires, and the new phone works. Similar to the problem a few years ago,
with intermittent scratchy dial tone.
I’ve been trying the phone at various times, and never heard anything at
all until now.
===
11/3 noon, another stupid email asking for an alternate contact number. I
told them for the 100000000000000000th time that the LANDLINE IS MY ONLY
PHONE. You’d think the phone company would understand that some people
need their product. I also told them about the brief dial tone and
referred to the earlier fix in 2020.
===
11/5 no action from company. Trying the phone now and then,
got a hiss once today (not dial tone), then nothing.
==
11/7 just for fun, ran the automatic test while keeping the receiver off
the hook and listening, now that I know the phone itself is good. The
test was doing something. I heard rhythmic scratchings, and at the end
got an actual dial tone. Then picked up the phone several times more,
and a sort of halfway dial tone or buzz is constant now. Just once I
got a beep from one of the buttons.
Ran the test again with listening all the way. Now that the phone is
starting from semi-active, could hear several distinct offs and ons of
the hum, and after the test the phone is closer to active. Got more
than one beep. The test seems to be pulsing with increasing voltage.
Perhaps helping some poor connections to conduct?? Now I got consistent
beeps for a little while, but the beeps still don’t seem to go anywhere.
Dialed own number, no busy signal. Tried my old phone, it also hears
the hum and scratches but less clearly. Stick with the new, since i
know the old is busted.
Later, now I’ve got the semi-dial tone or hum steadily with
no scratches.
Tried line test again. Each of the increased pulses causes
some scratches. After this test the sustained hum is louder
than before, maybe drying out wet insulation somewhere?
Each pickup also seems to cause a stepped increase of sound
in the hum, scratches then increase then scratches. At one
point I got a full dial tone and started to dial, then it
went away again.
==
11pm 11/7: Victory!
Picked up, immediately got an unquestionable dial tone, and actually
dialed an actual number! Used 1-800-444-4444, an automatic service that
reads back the number you called from.
11/8 6am tried again, still working. Immediate dial tone, and the redial
button worked for the same number, indicating that the voltage has been
steady since the previous call.
11/8 noon, phone still working, still slightly noisy.
Got a new email, finally scheduling a repair appt for tomorrow!
Tomorrow is not a storetrip day, so will let it happen if it really
does. Maybe they can clear up the scratches if nothing else.
This email finally looks like the real thing, with confirmation clicks
and so on.
email:
I’m sorry for the delay in hearing from me due to being out of office.
Your repair appointment scheduled for Thursday, November 9, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
Ticket ID #: 0337224.
11/7 3pm: Dead again, so the repair dude will be worth it. The connection
is obviously chancy and fragile, just like Feb 2020.
========
11/9 8am: Specific message
Your tech is scheduled to arrive today between 10:15 AM and 2:15 PM.
230 Phone company predictably said will not arrive. Rescheduled
the imaginary “appointment” for Monday.
=======
11/10
Made taxi reservation online, and it worked. Got to the store. So
didn’t entirely need the phone, but the taxi would have been EASIER if
the phone worked. This afternoon I’ve got a dial tone and beeps, but
the beeps don’t dial anything.
=====
11/12 Yesterday’s wind actually improved the phone! Got a clear solid
dial tone, dialed the ringback number. No noise or hum. Let’s keep
doing this often to see if constant use helps to clear the line.
Got another email “confirming” an “appointment” for tomorrow.
=======
11/13
They sent a reminder that “we still have an open ticket”, and “we will
check back after it’s completed.” This didn’t happen on the previous
fake “visits”, but none of these added details mean anything.
Now we get the 4-hour thing: 835 to 1235. More detail to add extra
sucker filter.
1235 nothing, of course. This is the fourth failure.
Rescheduled for Wed 15
Phone itself is still working nicely, no static or scratching, dials
properly and receives the ringback message.
Did the phone company fix something internally?
===
11/14: email said “your visit was rescheduled. did you reschedule,
or did a tech reach out?” I answered “I rescheduled. This is the
5th scheduled visit and nothing has happened yet.”
Got the usual email saying 8 to 5 tomorrow, and the 4-hour imaginary
interval will be given later.
The fake interval is 855 to 1255.
===
11/15
11 am, tried the phone and it’s silent now after several days of solid
dial tone and dial out. It worked just two hours ago. So it’s still
intermittent, not fixed.
When today’s fake schedule fails, let’s skip a couple weeks. Next week
includes dentist.
1130: Email says
Your CenturyLink tech is here. We will soon start working on your
service request. If you have existing service, you may experience a
brief service interruption.
You may not see the tech at your premises. We will follow-up when we’re
finished.
Then 15 minutes later:
Your CenturyLink service request has been referred to another technician
for resolution. We will notify you again when the new tech is on the
way to your location.
A map claimed to show a tech somewhere around the Garland area.
The new silence at 11 might indicate that they’ve started tracing and
throwing switches somewhere? Probably not. More likely the messages
are just a new level of fakery.
In the last real repair in March 2020, the repair itself took a full day of
fixing and finding, most of which was not visible from the house. I
knew it was happening because I walked and saw the trucks.
The difference is in the response. Back then, one email got things
actually moving.
Later tonight, no dial tone, but the company didn’t try to reschedule,
which might mean that they think the job is underway?
==
11/16 9am still silent but no new effort to reschedule.
11/16 afternoon, new email:
I’m sorry for the delay. It appears a technician started working the
ticket yesterday but more work is needed to finish the job. I am
escalating the ticket with our dispatch team for more information.
I thanked them. This sounds a lot like what happened in Feb 20.
Good to know they are finally working on it.
11/17 no visible action, no audible change. still silent
11/19 9pm tone is back, scratchy but calling works
also 9pm, email asking to confirm appt for tomorrow. Storetrip tomorrow
but now I know the appt doesn’t REALLY need presence, so confirmed.
11/20 the usual four-hour fake detail:
Your tech is scheduled to arrive today between 10:20 AM and 2:20 PM.
So the storetrip is OK anyway.
1137 the tech “named Mike” is “on the way”, should be here in 30 minutes.
1152 “has been referred to another tech”, you will be notified.
Needless to say, nothing happened.
11/21 email
I’m following up to ask if a technician has contacted you yet regarding your repair ticket ?
I answered that nothing has happened.
11/22 email
we are unable to complete your service request as scheduled. We have
rescheduled your appointment on Monday 11/27 between 08:00 AM – 05:00
PM. You will be notified when your technician is on the way.
Monday is OK. Next storetrip is Fri, then Tue.
11/26 9pm please confirm email for 8-5 tomorrow.
11/27 tech will be arriving between 8 and 12.
of course no tech.
But: I left the ringer switch on, and a ring came through at 1210. I
said hello, but nobody was there. Can’t tell if it’s not fully working
or just an accidental junk call.
I wonder if the new phone requires the new handset. Maybe it’s a
capacitor mic instead of a carbon mic. I had switched out because the
new one is clumsy, but I wasn’t hearing my voice when I talked. Also, I
switched to the handset from the heavier Ebay phone, which wasn’t known
to work anyway. Replaced with the new handset, and I can hear myself
now. Wait for another junk call and see if this is right.
Got another junk call, probably same as previous. Mic works now. It
was a real estate company wanting to make an offer for the house, and I
was able to converse with him. So now phone definitely and completely
works. For the moment.
First time I was happy to get a junk call.
==
11/29 morning email: scheduled “appointment” for tomorrow.
11/29 6pm stupid email:
Hello,
Your CenturyLink tech was unable to complete your repair because inside access is required
To set up a new date and time, please click here
Sincerely,
Your CenturyLink Repair Team
Nobody was supposed to arrive today and nobody arrived. I was here all day. The schedule is for tomorrow. I tried the reschedule link and it still shows scheduled for tomorrow.
Polistra's Mill 