I just had a positive technician experience
Sometimes, the people who make house calls can make your day
Thanks for reading! Happy Friday to all. ~JRC
Many of us, I included, loath the service call. I've had many bad experiences over the years: some talked down to me, others were not qualified, and worst of all, a few were outright dishonest. But a recent experience with a cable internet repair was none of these.
In fact, the service call was exemplary from start to finish.
Two days ago, I started having internet troubles. These weren't your garden variety issues, such as slowed speeds during peak hours. No, my problems suggested a systemic issue that needed help.
Without belaboring it too much, my upload speeds were critically slow, less than 1 Mbps. They were preventing me from sharing my daily YouTube content. And the slow uploads had not improved for hours. Frustrated, I contacted my cable internet company.
My provider now offers immediate tech support through their online messaging system. I don't like talking on the phone anyway, so I jumped at the chance to text with a tech. To my surprise, I had a real person helping me in less than three minutes.
Mary, the remote tech, was courteous and worked quickly to identify the problem. She asked a few questions, had me verify some settings, and then set about troubleshooting. But after an hour and following a reboot and several system tests, she was unable to resolve the issue.
An in-person house call was necessary.
Frustrated further, I was going to have to wait. But I was still pleased with Mary and her effort. She genuinely tried, and I could tell. I thanked her and made positive comments about her in the online survey that followed.
The next day (yesterday), two techs showed up, right on time. Yes, you read that correctly - right on time. Brandon and Brian were their names. Both were good guys and very knowledgeable; I enjoyed talking with them immediately.
I asked if I could watch and ask questions, and they were more than willing to let me. Without delay, they set to work, inspecting my system. They also listened while I explained the issues.
I try my best to speak from a place of knowledge, share what I know, and communicate what I don't understand. I also ask a ton of questions, hoping to learn as much as possible from "the experts." It can be off-putting for some; I think I come across as "testing" people at times. But the truth is, I want to learn.
Brian and Brandon never seemed bothered by my well-meaning interrogation. Instead, they listened and answered my questions. Best of all, they had good answers! The two never once came off as dismissive or, worse yet, misleading. They spoke honestly and did their best to share details in ways that I could understand.
I feel like I got a free lesson in high-speed internet tech and repair. That's always a good thing in my book.
In the end, they detected a bit of radio-frequency interference in my line. Brian determined that my PoE (Point of Entry) filter was on a dead cable. FYI - I learned that a PoE filter is an inline device that cuts down on my line's signal noise. It also prevents my neighbor's internet traffic from leaking into mine. Identifying the issue, Ryan installed a new one.
Between this addition and tweaks my provider had already done, my service was back up at full speed. We had tested it before and after, so the effects were real.
And wow, was I ever thankful.
I acknowledged the guys and wished them a good day. And with that, they left. No fuss. No delay. No mess. Just an improved internet connection - and renewed faith in the under-appreciated internet repair tech.
Until next time.
JRC