Tech Support - Win??

Hey you'll never guess what.

Had to call tech support again. SAME issue as before. Exact same issue as the past 12 months - the one I started calling about 6 months ago.

The one that I'm sure is covered by numerous notes on the account. Yeah, that stinking one.

OMG... A CSR who isn't going through the whole script and making us YET AGAIN do the ipconfig thing and reboot the computers 15 times thing? I think I love you.

He put us through to the Townsville call centre where we should have probably been put through to years ago. The only problem was something went wrong with the transfer and the call dropped out. I sat there staring at the phone with my jaw hanging open as Lee started to get ropeable. "They hung up on you?" "Yeah..." I'm still staring at the phone. "Something went wrong. I don't think it was their fault. I know I've had that happen myself."

The phone rang... and yet another angel. They are few and far between at Telstra.

Spoke to Melissa for about 30 mins. For one heart stopping second we thought we were out of contract - then she realised we weren't so that was disappointing. But, she LISTENED. OMG... Someone listening? No script - offering REAL solutions? She told us she could send out a replacement modem and as we were under contract at no cost as it was covered by warranty.

I begged that it not be yet another Thomson Gateway. She said no, they're not sending them out anymore. They send out Thomson Technicolour now. My friend is having the same problems we are with her Gateway. She's with Telstra too - so I know beyond a doubt now it's not us. She only has the one connection too - not numerous like us.

I begged her to make sure it was sent in Lee's name - not Kevins. I'll be holding my breath on that one - she sounded compenent AND she wasn't patronising at all. She said it would all be done manually so there's hope.

She even worked out it didn't seem like a problem with the line after talking to some of her contacts that it probably was the modem. She was explaining to me a way that we could possibly get around the $120. Finally someone who understood we were jack of Telstra and didn't want to give them anymore money.

She also offered to have someone call back to make sure that the modem was running smoothly and we weren't having issues with it.

I can count on one hand so far the people who have actually been helpful to me - and man I wish I had $1 for every person who hadn't.

I shouldn't be on the phone to them every other day. This is painful - I have better things to do with my time. I wish I could charge them $21 an hour for the time I've spent dealing with them.