A little conspiracy theory if I may. My understanding is AT&T got the contract to build the site. According to NetCraft (http://uptime.netcraft.com/up/graph/?host=donotca ll.gov), it runs IIS. One of the largest telemarketers and the inventors of Unix chose IIS? I smell a setup!
FYI, for those who are interested, my local coverage area is Washington, DC. You know, the edge of the known universe. It's funny to stand in the middle of the capital of the free world (tm) and not be able to get more than a single bar of signal strength.
I think this subject has hit a very raw nerve too. The number of comments has sky rocketed since I first read this story.
I echo most of what I've heard here. I held off getting a phone until last year. And I thought I was the last one in the DC area to buy one. I went with Sprint because they didn't have a contract. For the first year, as long as I didn't have to deal with customer service, I was happy. But when I did, it was hell.
Since I got the phone, it has been a great tool. It's a convenient point of contact for people to find me. If I don't want to talk to you, I don't answer the phone. Most people understand this. Those who don't... they get over it. It has also reduced my long distance phone bill to nil.
The downside - Sprint's phone service is beginning to match their customer service. It sucks. Drop calls, lost signals, etc. I'm now ready to move on, but have created my own little trap of not wanting to give up my phone number. A lot of people know it. So, for one, I'm going to be happy next year when 'Big Government' forces the 'free market' to compete. Lack of portable phone numbers are a serious barrier to free competition. I, for one, have put up with a lot of sh!t from Sprint in the interest of keeping my number. Cheaper plans elsewhere, cooler looking new phones, and all the other things have been less important than keeping a stable number.
But after my encounter last week with customer service, I'm no longer willing to wait until next year. They have no concept of responsibility and no sense of why their customer's are unhappy. They rather blame their costumers than 1 hour waits. For example, one rep said they were 'too successful' and they why they were having problems. Huh???? In two years they can't hire more people? If they are so 'successful', then why are the call centers so overloaded and the reps so rude?
They don't get it. And sadly, based on other comments here, it seems to be industry wide.
Slashdot Mirror
Your mission should you choose to accept - is to invoke the power of /.
This packet will self-destruct in 8..7..6..5..
A little conspiracy theory if I may. My understanding is AT&T got the contract to build the site. According to NetCraft (http://uptime.netcraft.com/up/graph/?host=donotca ll.gov), it runs IIS. One of the largest telemarketers and the inventors of Unix chose IIS? I smell a setup!
Tune in later for more conspiracies.
FYI, for those who are interested, my local coverage area is Washington, DC. You know, the edge of the known universe. It's funny to stand in the middle of the capital of the free world (tm) and not be able to get more than a single bar of signal strength.
I think this subject has hit a very raw nerve too. The number of comments has sky rocketed since I first read this story.
I echo most of what I've heard here. I held off getting a phone until last year. And I thought I was the last one in the DC area to buy one. I went with Sprint because they didn't have a contract. For the first year, as long as I didn't have to deal with customer service, I was happy. But when I did, it was hell.
Since I got the phone, it has been a great tool. It's a convenient point of contact for people to find me. If I don't want to talk to you, I don't answer the phone. Most people understand this. Those who don't... they get over it. It has also reduced my long distance phone bill to nil.
The downside - Sprint's phone service is beginning to match their customer service. It sucks. Drop calls, lost signals, etc. I'm now ready to move on, but have created my own little trap of not wanting to give up my phone number. A lot of people know it. So, for one, I'm going to be happy next year when 'Big Government' forces the 'free market' to compete. Lack of portable phone numbers are a serious barrier to free competition. I, for one, have put up with a lot of sh!t from Sprint in the interest of keeping my number. Cheaper plans elsewhere, cooler looking new phones, and all the other things have been less important than keeping a stable number.
But after my encounter last week with customer service, I'm no longer willing to wait until next year. They have no concept of responsibility and no sense of why their customer's are unhappy. They rather blame their costumers than 1 hour waits. For example, one rep said they were 'too successful' and they why they were having problems. Huh???? In two years they can't hire more people? If they are so 'successful', then why are the call centers so overloaded and the reps so rude?
They don't get it. And sadly, based on other comments here, it seems to be industry wide.