It Seems So Obvious [to me]

The Latest Battle

2009-10-06T12:37:00.001-07:00

Here are the notes from the latest battle with service oriented companies with shitty customer service:

Basement Clogged Drain

Discovered flood in basement on Thursday, October 1
Created service request through AHS

AHS Contracted Waldorf Water and Gas for Friday between 11-3

WALDORF WATER & GAS
(301) 396-4600
WALDORFWATERGAS1@AOL.COM

I received an invoice for a service fee of $60

Waldorf showed up at 4PM and said it was a clogged drain and he didn't have the right tools

The plumber calls the office and diagnoses a drain clog
New appointment is scheduled for Monday between 11-3

Monday

I called Waldorf at 10AM to confirm and was told I was 2nd on the list
At 12PM I called again and was told they would arrive by 3PM
At 2:00PM I called again and was told he was running late and would arrive by 4PM
At 3:00PM I called again and was told he was running later than usual and he would be there by 6PM
At 5:30PM I called again and was told he was not coming because the "truck broke down"
I called AHS to see if I could schedule a new contractor

The rep was very nice and explained that there were lots, and she would call a bunch to see who could come and call me back
1 hour later I called for a status update. They had no record of my previous call, but noted there were no "attempts" made

I spoke to a different rep who told me I could not switch, there was no record of the clogged drain, and the issue under "water heater" was deemed completed
She also said that I could not switch contractors, and she would call Waldorf in the morning to clear up the issue

For and estimate, I called Roto Rooter. They arrived within 1 hour with a $411 estimate. I sent them packing

Tuesday

I called AHS at 9:30 for a status and they had no record of anything being done on my behalf
The rep conferenced in Waldorf who said I was on the schedule today as the LAST CALL around 2:30 and to call them at 2PM if I had not heard
I explained how upset I was to be blown off the day before and pushed to the bottom of the priority list for the next day
The rep upgraded my ticket to emergency and promised Waldorf would come today
Following the call, I received a 2nd invoice for a 2nd service fee of $60
Called AHS at 2PM and communicated that I had not heard from Waldorf

The rep called Waldorf and assured that I was still on the schedule
He would not ask or indicate whether they would be on time

Called AHS at 3:15PM and communicated that I had not heard from Waldorf

The rep called Waldorf and they stated they were backed up
They offered to come between 5-7pm
AHS stated that they will look for another company to come out

I expressed deep frustration and told them I can not stay home from the office for a 3rd day in a row with a flood in my basement
AHS transferred the call to ARBOGAST PLUMBING SERVICES, LLC and said they would be at the house within 2 hours
ARBOGAST PLUMBING SERVICES, LLC
(540) 868-2839
ARBOGASTPLUMBING@YAHOO.COM

The rep promised to send me a coupon for a free service call
The rep promised that there would be only 1 service fee

Arbogast Plumbing called at 3:45PM and said they were definitely coming tonight, but the drive would need to return to the shop for the large snake.
Kelly from Arbogast called at 5:00PM to let me know the technician (Gary) was in Manassas on a call and then was heading to Arlington, then he would drive to Winchester to get the snake and come to me. She told me to expect 9 or 10 PM.

I explained to Kelly that I needed to have this completed, I would stay up all night
She told me she was headed to pick up her daughter from cheer leading and not to worry if I called and got voicemail. She assured me that Gary's number was on the voicemail and he's available 24/7

Called Kelly at 9PM, no answer - called Gary no answer - left messages
Called Kelly at 11PM and 11:30PM - called Gary no answer - left messages
Called AHS at 11:30 and explained the situation again

AHS stated that in their notes from 4:30PM, they see that Kelly spoke to me and I said someone had already fixed the problem
WHATTTT? How is that possible that Kelly thinks the situation is resolved at 4:30, but calls me at 5:00 to let me know the tech was coming at 9?
AHS "nothing I can do"

Called Gary 1 more time. He answered and said he wasn't going to make it tonight. I called him a moron and hung up. I shouldn't have taken it out on him
Called AHS and they did nothing

Wednesday

I called AHS to get the status of the case
9:15 - AHS told me I was authorized to get my own contractor and they would reimburse me

After telling me I would be transferred to the department to authorize the reimbursement, AHS transferred me to yet another rep who asked me what I was calling about
The rep put me on hold, came back and told me that I was now assigned to C & P PLUMBING, INC and was no longer authorized to get my own plumber. I almost passed out

C & P PLUMBING, INC
(703) 551-4054
CPPLUMBINGDISPATCH@YAHOO.COM

10AM - I called C&P to tell them the story and pleaded with them not to accept the job unless they were 1000% sure they could come today.

They assured me that they would come between 10:00AM and 2:00PM today

This can't be good

2008-11-14T08:52:00.000-08:00

Project Completion

2008-10-25T13:48:00.001-07:00

As quickly as it begun, the project to move the pedestal has been completed. From concept (July 29) to completion it took roughly 3 months. Pictures below:

The old location

The new pedestal location outside the fence

Phase II?

2008-10-23T05:11:00.000-07:00

Last night Cox called to make sure the gates would be open for the Phase II completion. They came around midnight and worked for a few hours very quietly with flashlights. When I woke up this morning, I checked the internet and cable connections, all seem to be working.

The huge mound of dirt is still next to the gaping hole outside the fence, and the pedestal is still inside the fence. So what exactly did they do? I guess we'll wait for the next phone call to find out.

This chapter hasn't ended yet.

Implementation Phase

2008-10-21T18:32:00.000-07:00

Cox started digging on Monday morning... and boy did they dig. It took about 8 guys... 1 guy to dig and the other 7 stood around and spoke in Spanish about the guy who was digging.

So Phase I is complete. Unfortunately it's Tuesday night and Phase II has not yet started.

The Delay Phase - Cox cancels

2008-10-17T07:49:00.000-07:00

Cox (or a Cox sub) called today to apologize and say that they would not be out today to start Phase I. They stated that they had numerous trucks break down and Monday is the new start. No big deal, I think we were expecting at least 1 delay.

Implementation Phase - Work is scheduled

2008-10-16T18:13:00.000-07:00

Cox will be here in the morning to begin the pedestal move. They will accomplish the task in two phases.

Phase I (Friday morning) will be to expose the cables and dig the trenches for the work.
Phase II (Saturday 12AM - 6AM) will be to move the pedestal, fill in the holes, and call the job a success. Unfortunately the move will cause an outage for the entire neighborhood so the work must be performed during the night.

I sure hope there is nothing exciting on at midnight. Hmm, perhaps I should alert the HOA.

Execution Phase - Signed and Notarized

2008-09-22T20:03:00.000-07:00

Quick update: The easement was signed, notarized, and mailed back to Cox. I scanned the document and faxed it as well, just for good measure. Next step is Cox signature and technician dispatch.

Ironic that I called Cox and threatened to cancel my service when the local HD channels experienced an outage at 1:05PM on Sunday afternoon. 1 PM on Sunday Cox, you better have your ducks in a row during NFL Sunday.

Execution Phase - New Easement From Cox

2008-09-14T19:16:00.000-07:00

Ok, gametime. Cox returned the new easement with my changes PDF'd. Now I have to print, sign, notarize, and send.

This process, while lengthy, has been much less confusing than I had expected. I'll send it in.. then we wait again.

Confusion Phase - The Crew Shows Up

2008-09-08T12:24:00.000-07:00

Last week the crew showed up, but since the "easement woman" has been on vacation for 2 weeks and I had changes to the agreement, the pedestal movement isn't on their action list. They will be repairing the main line from the street to teh pedestal. If you remember my formal complaint to COX, they had to fix the main line while they utilized the backup for the neighboorhood cable.

So, for a few days they have been in my yard, and digging up the entire neighborhood all the way from the main road. I'd say it's a good 1/5 miles of new cable.

My fear is that since I wanted these activities to overlab,, they'll be hesitant to allow the pedestal to be moved. They could have realized cost savings by doing it all at once, but without the easement signed they can't move it.

Execution Phase - Easment Changes

2008-09-08T12:23:00.000-07:00

A Lawyer friend of mine looked over the easement and suggested some small changes to protect me. I sent them over to the Easement office, and they are haing their suits take a look. Hopefully this won't take long.

Execution Phase: New Easement from Cox

2008-08-26T05:12:00.000-07:00

Cox Communications drafted a new easement and sent it to me for review and signature. The next step is to mail back the signed and notarized agreement and wait for the pedestal to be moved. I'm surprised how easy this has been so far.

After discussing the agreement with a lawyer friend, he recommended a few items to include. The Cox easement rep is on vacation until early September with no backup listed, but it's late August and I can wait.

I would attached the letter here but there are some items listed which are specific to my house, and while I'm sharing as much information as possible.. I'm trying to be smart about what I share.

Next steps are to

send the easement proposed modifications to the Cox easement rep once she returns, and change the language.
receive the new easement with my proposed changed (or notification that they were not accepted)
sign and notarize, return
schedule Cox technicians to move the pedestal
declare victory

Wouldn't it be ironic if they showed up while I wasn't home and had to break my locks to get to the pedestal?... I think about this stuff.

Promises Phase: Visit from COX

2008-08-01T09:47:00.000-07:00

Today a COX technician came out to measure the distance from the cox box to the desired new destination outside the fence. He explained that the move would be simple from a construction standpoint because it would be moving towards the source, resulting in a shortening of the lines rather than lengthening.

He explained that he would still need to research the easement information but didn't see a reason why this could not be accomplished in the upcoming weeks. They will attempt to schedule it as the same time as the aforementioned main line replacement, but they will schedule this in priority if the new line installation is months or years out.

So, progress.

Oh, I forgot to mention that COX today offered to double the speed of our internet connection at no cost. They called it a promotion, but I think it's really called "Please don't sue us because we probably shouldn't have had that box in your backyard per what we found in the easement research"

Promises Phase: Calls from COX

2008-08-01T09:43:00.000-07:00

The COX Advocacy group called to discuss the complaint I filed. They were very nice, and it was clear that they were the Ombudsman group who specialized in real customer service.

Without putting any names out here, the rep explained that they would do everything it their power to get the COX box moved from inside of the fence, to outside the fence. He explained that the request was a simple one contingent upon a few technical and architectural design implementations. He also talked about easement agreements that would have to be researched by pulling the deeds. Nevertheless, he promised to do all in his power and get back to me.

Boy, this can't be so easy!

Discovery Phase: First Response

2008-07-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

From my inbox:

Ryan:
I have received your complaint against Cox. I have mailed them a copy of your complaint; you will also be receiving a copy in the mail for your records.

We work directly with Cox’s Customer Advocates, so hopefully we will be able to resolve this issue in a timely manner.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Someone from Cox will be reviewing your complaint and contacting you within the next few days.

Thanks,

Andrea xxxxxx

Consumer Affairs

Fairfax County Department of

Cable Communications and Consumer Protection

Government Center Suite 433

Discovery Phase: Due Dilligence With Cox

2008-07-29T07:15:00.000-07:00

I took the time (cut and paste) to file a request with COX Communications in order to say that I had really given them the chance to remedy the situation with a simple filing.

Here's the form I used: https://www.cox.com/support/fairfax/emailchat/emailus.asp

Here's what I wrote:

COX has a junction box for my neighborhood's cable TV, internet, and telephone service in my back yard. My back yard is fenced and locked for the safety of my children and my pets. When there is a cable outage in the area, the COX technician may need to access the junction box in my fenced, locked back yard. If I'm not home at the time, COX will break the lock, open the fence, and come in to access the junction box.

This may result in 1) broken fence 2) broken lock 3) fence left open allowing unwanted entry 4) fence left open requiring me to check the gates every time I let my pets out

During an outage yesterday, I was informed that a break in the line would require COX to dig up and replace the cable line coming from the street to my yard. In the meantime, a faulty backup line would be used. The replacement is scheduled for 0-3 weeks.

This means that 1) COX will most likely require access to troubleshoot outages frequently in the next 2 weeks as they utilize this faulty line as a backup 2) COX will be digging up my yard in order to get to the box to replace the faulty main line.

I would like to see the box moved outside of my yard as they will be performing underground maintenance anyway.

Discovery Phase: Who do I call? What do I do?

2008-07-29T06:50:00.000-07:00

So The first attempts at removing this back yard cable junction box will be through the Fairfax County website. I'm bypassing the COX avenue completely expecting customer service will just tell me to unplug the back of my cable box for 5 minutes and that should fix it.

First I'll try contacting the Utilities branch: (the whole shooting match is pasted below for reference)
Department of Cable Communications and Consumer Protection
Fairfax County Government Center
12000 Government Center Parkway
Fairfax, VA 22035

Channel 16 Suite 133 703-324-5930 TTY 711 E-Mail	Consumer Affairs Suite 433 703-222-8435 TTY 711 E-Mail

Cable System Construction Suite 433 703-324-5902 TTY 711 E-Mail	Regulation and Licensing Branch Suite 127 703-324-5966 TTY 711 E-Mail

Cable Franchising & Regulation Suite 433 703-324-5902 TTY 711 E-Mail	Tenant-Landlord Suite 433 703-222-8435 TTY 711 E-Mail

	Utilities Branch Suite 433 703-222-8435 TTY 711 E-Mail

Attempt 1 was to call the Utilities branch of the Cable Consumer Protection. They seemed very confused at my request, and suggested that I file a complaint requesting COX to move the box and someone will contact me within 5 business days.

homepage > consumer protection > complaints >

Complaint filed... now we wait.

Removing the Dreaded Backyard Cable Box

2008-07-29T06:45:00.000-07:00

So I'm planning to attempt to have the neighborhood "Cox Box" removed from my back yard after the cable guy came yesterday to fix an outage. He explained that the rules were simple: the box in my yard services the whole block, if the gate wasn't open and I wasn't home, he was authorized to forcefully open it.

This makes sense. Cable companies now provide telephone access, and these people need their 911. Even more important.. They want their MTV.

So I'm going to try to chronicle my success and failure at this attempt for 2 reasons.
1) As far as I can see it hasn't been documented on the net. Or at least I couldn't find steps to reproduce
2) I'm positive I'll need to recount my story numerous times. This is me putting on the battle armor for what I know will be months, possibly more, of fighting with COX and Fairfax County.

So, hold on tight... here we go:

Personal or Professional?

2008-03-05T19:32:00.000-08:00

I have a friend who seems to enjoy a good old fashion argument more than most. Well, more than most, but just as about as much as I do. For years the perception has been that he's addicted to confrontation, he loves the rush of a good fight, he likes to "shake things up" .... but tonight it became obvious.

When your average employee engages in confrontation, seems to be part of more friction, or hell...seems to be defensive , that employee is looked down upon, seen as a risk, not a team player, or may even be a PIP candidate. That is unless the employee is a lawyer. Then (s)he's just doing the job.

So it became more and more obvious to me that it was impossible for us to understand my friend, and even more plausible that he was mostly misunderstood. Because let's face it, when you are in your mid thirties your career persona and your personal persona are someone blurred. And although your Mom told you you could be anyone you wanted to be, we all became the people we have become at work. If you dance on a pole for a living you're a whore, if you crunch numbers all day you're a dork, if you're a consultant everyone else can be doing it better with your help, and if you're a lawyer... well then you thrive on proving that you can win any argument whether it's a position you hold or wouldn't take unless the tape stopped rolling.

I've always held a kinship with this friend, and perhaps it wasn't just the social bond we share... Perhaps it's because a consultant always thinks they know better than the lawyer... who knows that whatever you think.. you're wrong.

Entenmann's Cookies

2007-11-20T09:06:00.000-08:00

It seems pretty obvious. Entenmann's chocolate chip cookies are the perfect cookies. Better than home made, better than that crap you get at the mall for $3 each. So good.. mmm.

Family hibernation

2007-11-20T08:48:00.000-08:00

Ask anyone and they will agree. As you grow older you realize that you become more an more like your parents. Usually it's one or the other, Mom or Dad. It's just a given, right? Everyone agrees that you hit a certain age and you realize that you are not so different from that man or woman you swore you would never be like.

Like most great thought, I came up with a new theory while showering today. Maybe this is obvious, but to me it seemed ground breaking:

From the day we are born, we are very similar to our parents, and while it seems to us at the time that we are so different from the enforcers who won't let you eat ice cream for breakfast or spend the week at your buddies house while his parents are in England, the fact is that our parents are not being themselves. While we're complaining about who they are and how they act, we're interacting with people who are trying to shape you into the best person you can be, by not being your friend... by being a parent. And that's what we need... right?

So by the time we graduate from college, and get a job in the real world.. and hopefully relinquish our parents from the huge emotional/physical/ financial burden .. they can finally get back to being themselves. After all they can't punish you any more, so what good is trying to continue shaping you... you're shaped, done... and like it or not they love you as much as that crappy clay blob that you fired up in the kiln in 3rd grade and gave to them for their anniversary. So now they are being themselves again.. someone you've never seen before.. but hey.. you get along with them great now [of course many more psychological complexities weigh in here].. and you realize that you aren't that different.

You didn't become more like your mom or dad.. they finally showed you their true personalities. And just as you become so happy with the new equilibrium, you crank out a little you jr. .. and now it's time for you to put your true personality in hibernation.