The telephone company, Bell Canada. Our land line is down, and yesterday I eventually I got through to an automated line that said it could be back by Friday. Their website says there are no outages in our area and a perplexed human I managed to reach at one point said the same thing, adding that our address doesn't appear on their service map. They don't maintain their lines, which frequently pass through trees with rotten branches. (Another factor around here is a fashion for vandalising cables of any kind). Our mobiles are unreliable, as we're in the bottom of a wooded river valley, but it usually gets better in the winter with the reduced leaf cover. The thing that constantly aggravates me is that a telecommunications company puts up every possible barrier to communicating with them.
I was just about to consign the phone company again and realised that I only needed to repeat myself from several months ago, the only difference being that the line is unusable, with a loud 60Hz buzz on the line that drowns out any voice. I had two failed AI interactions today, and then a lengthy text chat with a human who asked me not to blame him personally for it. Poor man - I was careful to assure him that he was not the problem. It is possible that they will investigate on Thursday.
I don't suppose you can get an in-line noise filter? Not quite the same thing but our church sound system was suffering a similar loud buzz (50Hz in our case) and the solution was a £5.99 ground loop noise isolator.
I am jealous of the free hearing aids. Mine cost $6,000 and I get $500 subsidy on each one, hence my whole economy revolves around paying for new hearing aids every 6 years. They are not top of the range, but the hearing clinic I go to asks that people who upgrade to battery free aids to donate any unused batteries, which they then distribute amongst those of us.
On the other hand my bus service is every 10 minutes during the week and on Saturdays and quarter hourly on Sundays. nd the drivers are friendly.
Our gas meter is faulty. ISTM that we are currently paying less for our gas that we would if the meter was working. Scottish Gas want us to jump through hoops to get it fixed. Specifically, we have to provide elaborate proof of our identity which seems pointless as they know that the broken meter is attached to our house and they know that we live in the house with the faulty meter. The concern seems to be that paying the correct amount for our gas constitutes an attempt on our part to money-launder through Scottish Gas. I have pointed out that it's in their interest to fix it, so apart from reporting it broken, I don't want to have to do anything complicated to get it fixed.
The last time they phoned, my son answered the phone and said that all we wanted was for them to make an appointment to fix the thing, at which point our gas bills will increase and we'll start dutifully paying more. He added that that my husband is a professor and not inclined to be illogical.
We've now got a letter from Scottish Gas saying that we have been added to the Priority Services Register because our circumstances "make us more vulnerable" and "in need of extra help and support."
Should I try to convince them that possession of a doctorate apiece does not, prima facie, make us "vulnerable"?
The telephone company, Bell Canada. Our land line is down, and yesterday I eventually I got through to an automated line that said it could be back by Friday. Their website says there are no outages in our area and a perplexed human I managed to reach at one point said the same thing, adding that our address doesn't appear on their service map. They don't maintain their lines, which frequently pass through trees with rotten branches. (Another factor around here is a fashion for vandalising cables of any kind). Our mobiles are unreliable, as we're in the bottom of a wooded river valley, but it usually gets better in the winter with the reduced leaf cover. The thing that constantly aggravates me is that a telecommunications company puts up every possible barrier to communicating with them.
I was just about to consign the phone company again and realised that I only needed to repeat myself from several months ago, the only difference being that the line is unusable, with a loud 60Hz buzz on the line that drowns out any voice. I had two failed AI interactions today, and then a lengthy text chat with a human who asked me not to blame him personally for it. Poor man - I was careful to assure him that he was not the problem. It is possible that they will investigate on Thursday.
I don't suppose you can get an in-line noise filter? Not quite the same thing but our church sound system was suffering a similar loud buzz (50Hz in our case) and the solution was a £5.99 ground loop noise isolator.
A bit different here, I think. It's always worse when it's wet (thaw, flooding and rain just now), so leaky junction boxes are possible. Also, the insulation on the phone line must be abraded by the dead trees. It's not all bad. A telemarketer was going frantic today while I yelled at him that I couldn't understand a word he said. "But it will only take a minute!" he yelled back as I hung up.
@North East Quine Don't argue. Let them treat you as vulnerable if it improves the service.
When I flew to Wellington last I ticked the disability box due to my hearing - even though it said Deaf not hard of hearing. I was escorted to the general area where domestic flights departed, my ticket was given to a nice man who escorted me to my seat on the plane ahead of all other passengers.
From now on I am always booking as Deaf, which for their purposes I am because boarding announcements sound like the person is gargling.
DPD have not sent the training info through. So I won't be starting Monday. The week after that is 4 days, then we are on holiday, then it's Easter so lord only knows when.
Comments
I don't suppose you can get an in-line noise filter? Not quite the same thing but our church sound system was suffering a similar loud buzz (50Hz in our case) and the solution was a £5.99 ground loop noise isolator.
On the other hand my bus service is every 10 minutes during the week and on Saturdays and quarter hourly on Sundays. nd the drivers are friendly.
Our gas meter is faulty. ISTM that we are currently paying less for our gas that we would if the meter was working. Scottish Gas want us to jump through hoops to get it fixed. Specifically, we have to provide elaborate proof of our identity which seems pointless as they know that the broken meter is attached to our house and they know that we live in the house with the faulty meter. The concern seems to be that paying the correct amount for our gas constitutes an attempt on our part to money-launder through Scottish Gas. I have pointed out that it's in their interest to fix it, so apart from reporting it broken, I don't want to have to do anything complicated to get it fixed.
The last time they phoned, my son answered the phone and said that all we wanted was for them to make an appointment to fix the thing, at which point our gas bills will increase and we'll start dutifully paying more. He added that that my husband is a professor and not inclined to be illogical.
We've now got a letter from Scottish Gas saying that we have been added to the Priority Services Register because our circumstances "make us more vulnerable" and "in need of extra help and support."
Should I try to convince them that possession of a doctorate apiece does not, prima facie, make us "vulnerable"?
A bit different here, I think. It's always worse when it's wet (thaw, flooding and rain just now), so leaky junction boxes are possible. Also, the insulation on the phone line must be abraded by the dead trees. It's not all bad. A telemarketer was going frantic today while I yelled at him that I couldn't understand a word he said. "But it will only take a minute!" he yelled back as I hung up.
When I flew to Wellington last I ticked the disability box due to my hearing - even though it said Deaf not hard of hearing. I was escorted to the general area where domestic flights departed, my ticket was given to a nice man who escorted me to my seat on the plane ahead of all other passengers.
From now on I am always booking as Deaf, which for their purposes I am because boarding announcements sound like the person is gargling.
DPD have not sent the training info through. So I won't be starting Monday. The week after that is 4 days, then we are on holiday, then it's Easter so lord only knows when.