Watty's Awakening

Watty1

The business phone bill came in and was £140 more than I thought it should be so a quick call to business services and the hike is to get everyone to stop using their landlines and shift to VOIP.    I had been shelving this as I knew it was coming but my mind seems to fall apart looking at anything like that.   Anyway contract sorted, VOIP equipment arrived and I set about the installation.   I really could not make any sense of it.   PPH used to do this (he was after all an electrician and communications engineer as well as a PPH).

I rang support. I really could not  make any sense of what the woman was saying.  Eventually an engineer visit was scheduled.   Well, engineer turned up yesterday but did  not come to house (?) but has disconnected the landline although he could see that the equipment for the VOIP was not installed.  The business has no phone, in fact, when one rings it, one gets the number disconnected tone.  

I was furious, two hours spent on phone and it seems it cannot be reconnected.  Eventually by sheer luck I found on my phone the number for an engineer who has been previously so I called him and he has said he will try and pop in today if he is passing as (a) the company are in his opinion hopeless and (b) he totally got my despair and looking at the five boxes of bits with their incomprehensible words and instructions that make the usual Chinese translations look worthy of a literature prize.

Fingers crossed this works.

KajiKita

Wow …! That’s horrendous! I really hope the engineer can get it sorted for you today. 🤞

I assume you will be putting in a blistering complaint once you’ve got your phone line back …? 

KK

beanielou

That’s dreadful. 

Slinky

Are you with BT Watty?  I had problems with my phone. The line was old and broke, so they put a new cable in. In the meantime they were able to put in an automatic redirect to another number, in my case my mobile. It took several attempts and a complaint, but did eventually get sorted.

badmemory

When they built these houses they put 2 phone lines to every house.  No idea why they would do that in the 70s but they did.  When my line went they couln't find the second line so they took next doors 2nd line.  I suspect this other line is dying now so that should be interesting.  Definitely not looking forward to the arguements that will be needed & why should an arguement actually be a requirement.

Watty1

Yes with BT @Slinky

The engineer that BT arranged did not arrive, but, the one I made a personal deal with turned up as promised when he had a break in his day and what a really lovely young man.  I'm at the age when I think his mother must be really really proud of her son

He has sorted the problem with one business line, although there was a good 15 min conversation where the technical team he was talking to said they needed to send an engineer and he pointed out he was one which was so frustrating as it seemed they would not offer the support he required from base.   Finally he resolved this after protracted conversations with his employment number and management team details and insisting they look him up on their database.   Then at the end when I was being asked for feedback we both got the giggles.  

Sadly this morning the second line does not work so I think he will need to come back but, using what I learnt yesterday I might be able to fix that at the weekend when  I have some space to concentrate.

A particular feature does not work and is driven by the app and the technical team couldn't make that work yesterday either - but - promised me a call at 09.00 AM this morning.  Of course that did not happen.

This is so frustrating - I'm beginning to think I am too old for technology advances.

WelshmansDaughter

I don’t think you’re the problem from the sounds of it!

LadyWithAPlan

Slinky said:

A "Handyman with Benefits" Sounds like you've found a good solution. 

I think you also need to perhaps verbally agree that you won't fall out over it if it doesn't work well for both of you. Beware also of the situation where it's easier to push your jobs to the back of the queue when somebody else wants his time. My friend left her builder husband because she had no carpets downstairs in their house, as he wanted to bury the pipework for the radiators in the floor but never got around to it because of the work he did elsewhere always got priority. She was fed up with not wanting to invite anybody round in the 10 years she was waiting.

I like that ! A handyman With benefits where can I find one ? 

Glad you on the way to sorting your phone line issues out 

Watty1

WelshmansDaughter said:

I don’t think you’re the problem from the sounds of it!

This made me laugh.  Thank you x

Watty1

No technology fix on the phone but at least the line works.   It appears the reason the booked engineer did not turn up was because they didn't have one so they just cancelled the job.  An engineer is booked for tomorrow afternoon.  And the technology fixer did not call back either.

Fed up with this I called the insurance company who have been equally incompetent to see if I could move them forwards on the resolution with the car only to find nothing has happened to the claim since I disputed - with evidence - their suggested figure.  They now want the V5 sent to them which I suspect is another delaying tactic because I am cynical. That has been scanned and sent in

Then the hay was delivered and the chap broke a gate post. A very solid gate post by driving into it.    Luckily the gate is not to the field but to the yard so horse field secure.  Now I really like the farmer so I rang him and explained and he has promised to get someone out to fix it next week so all very good natured but really ?? On top of the phone and the insurance - if only I had a bottle of wine in the house!  (I'm reducing my intake).