@scottalanmiller said:

@handsofqwerty said:

@Dashrender said:

@scottalanmiller said:

I was way below eighteen months for most of my career.

Where you really employeed or just a contractor?

He's been mostly a contractor. I know that.

But always an employee. It's not either / or.

It's about how you get paid. When I worked at a specific company, I was a contractor for that company, but considered an employee of the recruiter. So if it's that kind of situation, I see how you say both. But it can also be exclusively one or the other.

@scottalanmiller said:

Yes. Never post identifying information about anyone online without their permission. Don't worry about why, just never do it. It's not your information to make public.

Ok, noted.

@handsofqwerty said:

@scottalanmiller said:

@handsofqwerty said:

Sad your email isn't samiller instead of just smiller

Or my full name or SAM or a lot of things

Yeah, I go nuts because so many places use my legal first name in my email address. I never go by my legal name, but because that's my email I constantly get called that...

I understand WHY it happens. I have seen companies, though, that actually ask if you have a preferred name and then use that for your email as a result. It's much nicer.

@scottalanmiller said:

@handsofqwerty said:

Sad your email isn't samiller instead of just smiller

Or my full name or SAM or a lot of things

Yeah, I go nuts because so many places use my legal first name in my email address. I never go by my legal name, but because that's my email I constantly get called that...

"Stop it with the rugby shirts...you look like a giant bumblebee!" - SJ from "The Blind Side"

@IRJ said:

@handsofqwerty said:

@JaredBusch said:

Redact tech names......

Not sure why that's important but done.

Basically you want to disclose as little identifying information as possible to protect the identities of the people in your story.

Fair enough. It's done anyways.

@Carnival-Boy said:

What do you count as "job"? Plenty of people stay at the same organisation their whole lives, but get promoted to new jobs, or get new responsibilities and new job titles.

I've been in my current job for 13 years, but before that I probably moved jobs ever 18 months. When you're young, it's often the best (and sometimes the only) way to get decent pay rises.

Yeah, but it seems like most people are changing jobs quite a bit...

@JaredBusch said:

Redact tech names......

Not sure why that's important but done.

Sad your email isn't samiller instead of just smiller.

@Sparkum said:

@handsofqwerty
They give the person time to respond and try to find a resolution

Yes, I am aware. Apparently that time is two weeks, which seems a bit excessive for a business account.

@Danp said:

@handsofqwerty You can escalate the dispute to a claim, which should result in you getting your money back faster.

My mistake. It IS a claim currently. They just said they are waiting until the 18th for some reason I don't fully understand.

@Dashrender said:

@scottalanmiller said:

I was way below eighteen months for most of my career.

Where you really employeed or just a contractor?

He's been mostly a contractor. I know that.

@handsofqwerty said:

@coliver said:

@art_of_shred said:

@handsofqwerty said:

@g.jacobse said:

@scottalanmiller said:

Feeling slightly ill due to a lack of sleep!!

This been longer run of lack of sleep then the back and forth you did three - four months ago? Between NY and Dallas via Ohio?

Maybe the flight will be nice enough to get a few,.. Don't you have a train ride also?

I drove from Dallas to NY straight through with no sleep. Ended up being up a straight 64 hours, which is still my record. I hope to beat that someday...

I've driven to Austin from NY straight, NY to Austin, Denver to NY, etc. and none of them took 64 hours. Not sure where you're getting directions from.

I think he meant he was awake for 64 hours, not that the trip took that long.

Yes, the trip was, with stops, about 32 hours. I spent about 4-5 hours hanging with @krisleslie in Birmingham in that time, so the actual drive was only 27-28 hours. I also went the scenic route from Texas east to Alabama and then north through Atlanta and SC until I got to 81, which I took all the way to NY.

It wasn't the most efficient route, but I love driving 81. I wanted to drive 481 once I got to Syracuse. It was just a coming-home experience.

@coliver said:

@art_of_shred said:

@handsofqwerty said:

@g.jacobse said:

@scottalanmiller said:

Feeling slightly ill due to a lack of sleep!!

This been longer run of lack of sleep then the back and forth you did three - four months ago? Between NY and Dallas via Ohio?

Maybe the flight will be nice enough to get a few,.. Don't you have a train ride also?

I drove from Dallas to NY straight through with no sleep. Ended up being up a straight 64 hours, which is still my record. I hope to beat that someday...

I've driven to Austin from NY straight, NY to Austin, Denver to NY, etc. and none of them took 64 hours. Not sure where you're getting directions from.

I think he meant he was awake for 64 hours, not that the trip took that long.

Yes, the trip was, with stops, about 32 hours. I spent about 4-5 hours hanging with @krisleslie in Birmingham in that time, so the actual drive was only 27-28 hours. I also went the scenic route from Texas east to Alabama and then north through Atlanta and SC until I got to 81, which I took all the way to NY.

Not really surprised about the whole 18 months thing. I'm still old-fashioned in that I'd love to find a job that I loved and just work it until I retire. Sadly, this is antiquated thinking...

Filed a request for a refund with Paypal for everything. They said if they don't hear from CloudatCost by the 18th, they should be escalating it.

@g.jacobse said:

@scottalanmiller said:

Feeling slightly ill due to a lack of sleep!!

This been longer run of lack of sleep then the back and forth you did three - four months ago? Between NY and Dallas via Ohio?

Maybe the flight will be nice enough to get a few,.. Don't you have a train ride also?

I drove from Dallas to NY straight through with no sleep. Ended up being up a straight 64 hours, which is still my record. I hope to beat that someday...

So having worked many call center jobs, both in the exact meaning of the term and in jobs very similar, I know all too well that customers will take all the time it takes to complain when something is either wrong or not perfect by their standards. However, too often in IT I feel we forget to take the time to recognize people who DO provide above-and-beyond assistance to us, especially when that person works in that environment. Today I deem "Amazing CenturyLink Support" day. I have now dealt with two technicians who have just gone well beyond the normal scope of their work to be of assistance to me. I asked to speak to a supervisor and told him as such, but also made sure I got his email so I could document it in writing. The following is what I sent:

--

CenturyLink Supervisors/Managers/etc,

I would just like to take a couple minutes to recognize some outstanding support I received today. First off, the ticket numbers are <removed> and <removed> so that you can track the ticket and see who has worked it (as I’m sure you log all that on your end). I have always received excellent support from you guys but today has been above and beyond. First was <removed>, who opened the ticket and is located in the Monroe, LA center I believe. He was friendly, personable, professional and just made my morning. He was the most enjoyable technician I’ve worked with to date.

Next was <removed> out of the Wake Forest center. I had received an email stating no issues were found on the line and that the ticket was being set to a 24-hour close. While I understand why this was the case, as the circuits were back up by the time they got the to the ticket (which was plenty fast), I also knew there was some deeper issue causing this line to go up and down continuously since April 21. <removed> took about 45 minutes to work with me and really dig into the issue, with which we discovered there are most definitely issues with the line, but it appears to be on the LEC’s side. <removed> went ahead and opened a ticket with the LEC and we will be troubleshooting from here. I just wanted to make sure I took a minute to thank you and them for the help they provided.

Too often in mass support jobs like this, where it’s a call center or whatnot, you get customers who yell and scream, but people who go above and beyond go unrecognized. I’ve worked enough of these jobs to know this to be true. So please understand that I am extending my most sincere thanks to both these men for not just doing a perfunctory job and saying that’s all they have to do because that’s all that’s required. If it’s their desire, I can see both these men going very far in their careers because they are starting with the most important foundation, and that’s the right attitude.

Thank you for always providing excellent support, and especially for people like <removed> and <removed>!

Kindest regards,

--

So the purpose of this post is simply to remind everyone that we need to try and remember the good and not always just focus on the bad. Happy Wednesday everyone! (inserting obligatory "Hump Day!" comment)

@g.jacobse said:

@handsofqwerty said:

What type of headset is this? It may need a firmware update:
http://www.plantronics.com/us/support/myheadset/updater/

Once you do that, you'll want to rebuild the bluetooth stack. Remove the device from your phone, power off, power back on, re-pair the bluetooth. That will rebuild the bluetooth stack and is best practice after updating firmware. (I spend A LOT of time on PLT's forums).

Also, I don't recommend the M series. They are the stupid cousin of the Voyager series.

Sadly my BT isn't any of those. It's the M55 - Just a simple unit.

Oh, I'm sorry...

@MattSpeller said:

What about AOL is worth 4.4bil? Good grief.

That's what I was thinking! LOL