I started this entry near the end of May as "Good Service from a Large Corporation" but never finished it or posted it. The original follows up to the ellipsis (…).
Last week our internet service kept going out. The "internet" light on our DSL modem would go out, and we couldn't send or receive any data. We would unplug the modem, wait about five minutes, and replug the modem. Within a couple of minutes, all the modem lights would be lit normally. This kept happening more and more frequently.
We attributed it to the wind and the rain that went on for about three days. But when the weather cleared the problem persisted, maybe with less frequency.
I sent email to our phone company, CenturyLink, with the suggestion that the storm may have been causing the problems. I received a sympathetic reply from Martina that there was no known problem in our area. My guess is that few people call up when they have problems that they think will go away. Martina also suggested that I call a service number or set-up an online chat.
I was reluctant to do so because, with so many companies, one just goes around in circles. Also we were heading to our cabin that has no DSL.
When we came back on Saturday evening, we still had the problem now and then. When I woke up in the night, I checked if the internet light was on. I reset the modem from my iPhone, it came on. Before I had gone back to bed, the light was off again. I reset the modem again and went back to bed. When I got up in the morning, the light was off again; I reset the modem. Repeat three times within an hour.
I'm not sure when the light finally stayed on, but I called my ISP, Hickory Tech, to hear if they had heard any problems. The support person who I talked to said there had not been any major problems reported. He thought, as I did, that the modem may be becoming faulty.
I fussed and fumed about going to the CenturyLink store in the local mall or to Best Buy. I would do that on Monday.
Meanwhile…
Well, on that following Monday I did nothing about buying a new modem. Over two weeks later the problem still persists but as I write this sentence the internet light is on.
I think the Monday was Memorial Day, and I knew Best Buy would be open.
On Tuesday after Memorial Day I did have an online chat with Melanie of Boise of CenturyLink. She did some tests and found that our service had been throttled back. She wrote "…all I did was go in and correct the provisioned [sic] speeds from 3M to 7M". I thanked her and told her she deserved a raise.
However, speed has dropped again. We also had a major power outage last night; see "Taking life for granted".
So, I'm back dithering about buying a new modem. The ActionTec website recommends the "C1000A for CenturyLink" or the "Q2000 for Century Link". I went to BestBuy page for the C1000A and looked at customer comments. Many said that it was simple to install but a few others described exactly the problems I have been having with my DSL modem bought in October 2005 (the date is on one of the line filters). These comments were made for purchases this year: 2013! I should shell out a hundred bucks just to have the same problems again?
If some people have no problems at all and some people have problems no matter when they bought their DSL modems, I would say one of two things is happening. Either the quality of the modems is inconsistent or the quality of the internet service provided by CenturyLink is inconsistent. Or maybe both.
I didn't feel any better about my quandary when I found out that CenturyLink was rated 14 of the worst 15 companies for customer service by Business Insider. And replacing telephone service with cable service isn't a good alternative. Charter is rated 3 in the worst customer service list!!!
See all my other rants about this problem in
Internet service – What free market?
Internet service but not customer service
Who is worth more, the CEO with rigid rules or the employee giving excellent service?
Free market and the Internet
I guess my only recourse is to have a chat with Melanie in Boise every so often to get my provisional speed bumped up again. She gave the best customer service on this issue of anyone else.
To end on a good note about customer service, see
Why do people pick on the Post Office?
