Ludicrous, but All Too Common

Whenever Drake begins waving his arms and shouting at me about on-line interface with tech companies like Verizon or ATT or Uber or ________, I get exasperated with him because there's no possibility for him (or anybody else) to change the situation.  Here's our latest blood pressure elevating interaction.

We're moving.  Drake, trying to be proactive, went on-line to get our internet service with Verizon switched to the new apartment on our move date.  Simple, right?  Not so much.  Midway through the 'process' on-line, the system asked him to call Customer Service to complete the transaction.  This happened at 3:30 pm in the afternoon.  He promptly called, and after a wait in excess of thirty minutes, he finally got connected with Customer Service. They called up his account and disconnected him.  Five minutes later, literally five minutes later, our internet was poof, gone.

Four hours later, with both of us alternatively holding on the phone for literally HOURS, and after the creation of a 'temporary account', our internet was restored to our current address, and supposedly, it's going to activate at our new address on move-in date with a service call thrown in to update the equipment.  

Anybody want to take a bet the service at the new address doesn't activate?  [No?  Pity.  I figured I could make some $$$.]  Apparently, if you go on-line (as recommended by Verizon), and ask for a new activation at a different address, your current service is deactivated immediately.  I'm assuming the switch to 'Customer Service' is supposed to block this.  However, IF you get disconnected, which everyone knows happens all the time, your internet stops working.  

Here's the surprise part:  Then, you don't have access to the telephone numbers you need to fix the problem.  We were both wrung out, angry, frustrated, and just downright tired after losing four hours of our lives over this debacle.

The next day rolls around, and we're still losing time trying to get a tech company to do something minor like change the address of the account, and send out a tech to switch out the out-moded equipment.  Drake has been on the 'chat' feature on the website trying to verify what we were finally told yesterday.  And, wait for it, yes, it's still screwed up.  He's muttering words like "ludicrous", "just forget the internet", and yes, once more after dealing with this for two hours, it's still not resolved.   

I'm certain everyone who reads this is currently thinking about his or her latest duel with the 'Customer Service' department of various on-line providers.  I personally only know of ONE company I deal with on-line who gets Customer Service right.  Just one.  Getting to a human being is getting harder and harder.  Can you imagine what life is going to be like if you're fighting your way through the maze to get to a robot?  It's going to happen, folks, and not in your children's lifetime. It's going to happen in your lifetime.

Am I "bah, humbug" about technology?  No, not at all.  Consolidation of medical and pharmacy information has been a resounding success in helping the person you consider 'your doctor' make informed choices about steering your medical care.  I like my doctor reviewing all the test results, surgeries, and summaries of my appointments with the various specialists I've seen.  I like being able to have my own medical records at my fingertips.  This is a boon when you travel as much as we have over the past ten years.

I like having telephone numbers and addresses for everyone and everything I need in my pocket.  I like having a map of the world, and directions on how to get to any destination.  I like having an encyclopedia, a library, a television, a movie theater, a restaurant guide with reviews, and the biggest shopping mall in the world in my hand anytime I feel the need to know, be entertained, or shop.  

And, I like delivery!  Long before the advent of the internet, I found shopping at a big box store to be a major waste of time.  I was an early adopter of on-line.  Being adept at obtaining on-line delivery services has been a major plus for us during the pandemic.  Not only have we benefited, but we've been  able to help Drake's mother get items she needs even though we are 2500 miles away from Arizona.  

New York City has led the way in the delivery lifestyle where only a few people own cars.  You either walk or take transit to get what you want bringing along your own wheeled cart, or you go on-line and have what you want delivered.  Mostly, if you buy face to face, it's from 'mom and pop' stores.  In this way, NYC leads in the on-line lifestyle, and at the same time is also a throw-back to shopping on Main Street.

The new neighborhood we are moving into is a perfect example of this duality.  We are living in the biggest urban area in the United States, but in reality we are actually going to be living in a town of about 15,000 people.  There are three commercial streets in the town (called a neighborhood in NYC speak) on which there are small stores.  There's one large grocery store; one specialty grocery store (think organic); and several convenience/deli stores.  The rest of the commerce consists of small retail stores, a funeral home, some medical/vision type places, and two retail drug stores.  The old movie theater has been renovated, and it shows movies.  There are no 'big box' stores.  That type of commerce is only found on Atlantic Avenue which would be the equivalent of Bell Road in Phoenix, Hulen St. in Fort Worth, 71st St. in Tulsa, or Westheimer Rd. in Houston.  It's a transit trip to get to the Avenue.

My point is this:  We are currently living under a dual system.  On-line retail/services side by side with face to face retail/services.  We are right in the middle of the fight, and we, the customers, are getting bloodied.  It's a war, and we are the innocent victims.  We all know on-line is going to win in the long run. but big box retail isn't going down without a fight.  

Retail institutions which came into being as the urban centers formed like Sears, Penney's, Macy's, Montgomery Ward, and a slew of others are either already defunct, or are hanging on by their fingernails.  Ones which are marginally viable are scrambling to establish enough on-line presence to save their companies.  That's another battle in which consumers are caught in the middle.  

Amazon/Walmart/E-Bay/Verison/ATT/Cable/every streaming service, and every on-line only company are also fighting for every nickel.  Customer Service is a quaint concept being sacrificed to cut costs and corners.  Oh, yes, it's a war, and today I feel like the electrons are winning while rolling over our pissed off, frustrated bodies.

In New York City the model we are currently doing the unofficial pilot program for is probably going to win out.  (Small face to face businesses integrated with on-line services and delivery that we self manage.)  Maybe the robots the electrons want to replace their service reps will actually provide some service because it sure isn't happening now.  It's 6 to 5 we don't have internet at the new apartment on August 21st, much less a service technician.