We’re having some sort of major Verizon screw-up in the area. Although Kath’s computer, which functions along a DSL line, can still access the internet, my older computer (which doesn’t have the memory requirements to accommodate a DSL) is still locked into dial-up. Which isn’t usually a problem except we seem to terminal line-noise on the phone lines, making the internet inaccessible to me (and also puts the kibosh on my fax line). Which means that I’m completing work and have no means of getting it TO anybody since e-mail has become the conveyance of choice.
So I tried to call my editors to find out if they have any direct fax numbers (as opposed to, say, general switchboard faxes) so I can go to a shipping place and pay to fax the work out. And naturally all I get is voice mail. I keep thinking about how, when I was working at Marvel, phones were NEVER unmanned. Even during lunch hour, someone would always stay to man the phones. I don’t need to talk to an editor or get a callback just to get a fax number; an assistant could easily provide that information. I think voice mail, although convenient for the person being called, has become the first, best weapon in the spiralling quality of customer service and simple human interaction in this country.
PAD
• 
PAD,
Re voice mail: I agree with you 100 percent. I hate having to jump from menu to menu just to get in touch with a live person. I’m actually surprised sometimes that one of my places of employment actually has a live person answer the phone.
Rick
It could be worse. They could have one of those annoying computerized voice-recognition things that sends you somewhere completely unrelated to what you asked for: “Front Desk”….”Your call is being transferred to…The Parking Garage.”
BTW, as for the DSL connection, if your older computer will take a $15 Ethernet expansion card (or already has Ethernet built in – it looks like a wider phone connector) you can add what’s called a “broadband router” to split the DSL connection between your two computers without worrying about the underlying tech behind it. The DSL plugs into the broadband router, and the two computers plug into it as well. The router handles all the fancy stuff like PPPoE address assignment, etc., and most DSL providers support it.
If the problem is that the two computers are physically too far apart, then simply get a broadband router that also does wireless 802.11, and a wireless expansion card for the computer farthest from the DSL modem.
Or if this is all making you go crazy even faster, email me I can provide more detail. 🙂
Hey, this is probably a silly question, but:
Do you have DSL line-filters installed on the lines in your home? If not, that might be the problem. You can grab ’em from Radio Shack for pretty cheap.
Here, here. I can’t STAND those companies that don’t even provide talking to a live person as an OPTION when you call them, so that if the menu they provide you doesn’t have the exact choice you need, you’re screwed.
I agree completely. At our office, the front desk is always manned. If neither of the secretaries can be there, then someone else steps up to answer the phones. It always annoys me when I’m completely unable to reach anyone at some of the companies that my job requires me to contact. If we manage to keep someone there during business hours, I don’t see why they can’t.
If you can’t, for whatever reason, use Jason’s suggestion to share the internet connection, you might want to try one of those little USB flash drives. They’re simple to use, have pretty good storage capacity, and nearly all computers have USB ports. That should make it simple to move your data to Kathleen’s computer and send from there.
I think voice mail, although convenient for the person being called, has become the first, best weapon in the spiralling quality of customer service and simple human interaction in this country.
Man, you can tell somebody’s pìššëd øff when you descend into mad hyperbole about the negative effect of voicemail upon society. hhahahah, that’s awesome. *shakes cane from porch* “Get off my lawn, you dámņ kids, and voicemail is the reason you’re all so lazy!”
I’d make a joke about PAD about to Hulk out but I think that’s too cheap. Sides its his blog, let him make the jokes
You have got to love technology. Without it, we wouldn’t be the happy, worry-free society we are today.
“…Hello… Welcome to the Marvel Universe Directory… For “Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do”… please press one… For “Daredevil: Father”… please press two… For “Daredevil: Target”… please press three… To speak to a live person and to learn when the next issue of each series will be out… please hang up and try again…”
>I think voice mail, although convenient for the person being called, has become the first, best weapon in the spiralling quality of customer service and simple human interaction in this country.
Absolutely. I remember feeling that I was in an alien world after going back to grad school from 4 years of acting/waiting tables in NYC. I realized things were askew when the Dean of Students, who was rarely busy at this particular school, utilized internalized voice-mail messages and e-mails for vital information. Especially amusing and frustrating was his tendency to go this route when he had to provide information that he was uncomfortable with or confrontation. Exchanges were long-winded, overly lengthy and back and forth several times before all the information be exchanged.
More frightening still was the fact that I’ve interacted with a handful of professionals since who work in this same exact fashion. Is it any wonder that we are losing communication skills, confrontation skills and growing more narcissitic as a society?
I don’t understand. Doesn’t your computer have a disk drive compatible with Kathleen’s PC? Or does her’s not work either?
I believe you can e-mail from your local Kinko’s, too (though it is a pain to get there). Doesn’t your IMac have an internet connection?
(No offense, but aren’t you a bit on the geeky side, and with your riches ((oh, goodness, I hope you’re rich with your prolific ways and best-seller days)) why aren’t you completely outfitted with all the computer equipment available to man? I know that’s what I’d do if God granted me wealth beyond the dreams of avarice… oh, wait, I’m poor and I have all that stuff… even more ?????)
copy the files onto a floppy/cd/usb key and send it using kathleen’s pc =)
No e-mail, no fax, no getting through on the phone. Somewhere, Cliff Claven (sp?) is laughing.
Having navigated my way through the labrynthian hëll that is the Texas DPS phone system not too long ago, I find myself agreeing with you, PAD.
PAD. I thought I saw a picture of you using an iBook at one point? If that’s your machine then you have several options for DSL connectivity.. including wireless. I saw a DL624 wireless DSL router (painless to setup) on Amazon the other day for $15 after rebates. They work great with Macs ..and of course Windows. You can probably get an Airport card off eBay for under $40 for the iBook or they have USB 802.11b sticks that work in Windows or on a Mac for about $50. There are lots of solutions..
If you feel inclined.. grab a geek friend and make them set it up for ya. 🙂 We nneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeddd our fix of FA. BTW.. last issue was the best of the WHOLE series so far. Ðámņ good.
I work for your ISP’s tech-support- you are not alone in your troubles, Peter.
The DSLAM and switches that regulate the DSL service in New York City, the boroughs and the environs have been going down with alarming regularity. (Like every weekend. This week, it’s been every day after midnight) Not to mention the same problem is happening in NJ, VA, PA, and MA.
I’ve been spending eight hours a day the last few days being screamed at by folks who cannot use their service, and my superiors are ordering me to claim the outages are caused by “routine maintenance”- which is a load of horsehockey- this caught us by surprise, too.
My advice to you is to check your physical connections- as someone upthread suggested, make sure you’ve got the dsl filters on all the phone lines in the house- *except* the one that leads to your modem. Take a look at the dsl or ready light on your modem. Is it blinking? Then the signal isn’t reaching the modem. Try a different wall jack. If you’re wired up correctly and your pc is otherwise hunky-dory, call the tech support phone number and listen to the message crawl- it’ll mention whether there’s a known outage in your region, by area code and the first three digits of your telephone number. If there *is* an outage in your area, you may as well hang up then, ’cause tech suppoort *can’t* help, beyond repeating what the message crawl said. If there isn’t a message, ask the first tech support agent who comes on the line if there’s one nearby.
If you go more than eight hours without DSL, call the billing dept. They *do* give out credits for lost service time. If that fails, call cancellations and tell them you’re thinking of dropping the service- they’ll throw all sorts of goodies your way to keep you from cancelling. (Here’s the hint: internally, their department is not called Cancellations, it’s called Retention)
If all else fails, switch to cable. Little bit more per month, *lots* more reliable…
(replay email addy is spamtrapped)
Nothing to do with voice mail, but your coment about customer service reminded my of the frustrations that my wife was having today.
We bought two new cell phones and later learned that we are just on the edge of the coverage area. The phones don’t work in our home and we decided to cancel them.
When my wife called the customer service number she was greeted by an automated voice who asked her to state who she would like to talk to. “Costomer service,” my wife says.
“I’m sorry, please state that again,” was the response.
“CUST-O-MER SER-VICE”
“I’m sorry, please state that again.”
“C U S T O M E R S E R V I C E!”
“I’m sorry…..”
That went on for a while. It was funny to watch, but I wouldn’t dare let my wife see my smile.
I don’t understand. Doesn’t your computer have a disk drive compatible with Kathleen’s PC? Or does her’s not work either?
Who has disc drives these days? None of my PCs have them. USB keys on the other hand are essential.
I am the owner of the iBook. So we have a mac and a PC. Right now my DSL connection is fine. It is the landline connection to our fax/internet that is bølløx right now.
PC doesn’t have memory reqs for DSL? Don’t know what kind of memory reqs there are for DSL being it’s just at network hookup unless they are talking about their crappy software…. and a good rule is too NEVER install any software your ISP gives you because its crap. All the functions are already there in windows anyways, the software is just bloated, buggy, branded, mess….
But like others said, just setup a broadband router and a home network… though I would advise to stay away from wireless unless you want to take the time to learn how to secure it. I swear to god it should be criminal for wireless hardware to not be encrypted and secured out of the box when installed… Then again the fun of driving down the street and accessing everyone’s home network and net connection would be gone.
You know, if Marvel really needs a receptionist, I’ve BEEN one for the past, oh, third of my life.
(So very desperate to find a new job…)
Shoulda said DC instead of Marvel…
…not only wanting a new job, but probably need a pair of glasses.