Utility workers cut the internet line on my road this week. For someone who was trying to work from home for a few days, this was problematic. My home office is quieter and designed by me to suit my own introverted needs for productivity. Plus, seemingly endless rain for a few days in a row caused flash flooding throughout the county, leaving me stranded high on my ridge top for a while.
I needed internet.
Luckily, the placement of a Verizon cell phone tower just down the road means I have great cell service so I was able to use my phone as a hot spot.
We make do.
Unfortunately, talking to the internet company’s customer service felt like communicating with a brick wall. The website claimed there was no outage in the neighborhood. Could they send a technician to my house sometime next week?
Sure. I guess. I’ll be happy to point them to the cut cable down the road, I said.
At which point, the lady reminded me that I may incur a service fee if they get here and find out the issue is on my end.
Well, I don’t think that’s a possibility given that the line is cut. Down. The. Road, I said.
And so on and on went the conversation. By the end, my patience was hanging by a thread but I refuse to be mean, rude or testy with any brave soul who works in customer service.
That person was doing her best within the confines of her training and whatever script she is supposed to follow to get me what I needed. The conversation ended in the standard way with her asking if there was anything else she could help with. Then she said this:
Please do me a favor and always put a smile on your face. May all the good things in life be yours.
What a lovely way to wish someone well and conclude a conversation.
It was a challenging day but the sentiment behind this statement and the fact she would say it kind of made my day in the most unexpected ways.
So, my friends, may all the good things in life be yours.
Have a great day, friends.
PS- A nice technician came yesterday and repaired the line! The neighborhood is up and running again!
That line the serviceperson ended the convo with should be in the script of every call center! And good to hear that you got the internet back, finally.
I’ve had a few experiences like this. During my later teens into early twenties, the house I lived in was on a side street, and the power for this street would often go out during thunderstorms. One time when we called to report the latest outage, they insisted the power was not out! They finally restored it a day later, but to be gaslit like that because it wasn’t showing up on their end was a bit much.
A year or two ago during an ice storm the internet line connecting from our house to the main street line came down, sort of. And by “sort of”, the line was still connected and giving us internet, but it was hanging down to maybe five feet over the sidewalk in front of the house. It was a definite hazard, but it took them almost two weeks to fix. All that time I would see people walking down the sidewalk giving us the stink-eye. I mean, I’d fix it if I could, but that’s beyond my expertise. The best we could do was put a warning sign on it.
Oh my. It certainly is best to leave it to the professionals – even when, and especially when, it’s hazardous. People really do need to calm down.
I live in a rural area where there are more trees than people. It isn’t uncommon for a tree to take out a power line but our electric company is wonderfully responsive. This was the first time I’ve ever been told I was wrong about any kind of disrupted service!
Such an unexpected way to end the call and conversation. Glad to hear your internet is working again. It’s crazy how much we rely on it these days.
What would we do without the internet? I kind of miss the good old days without it.