Time Warner/RoadRunner = Tech Support from hell

I would rate my latest customer service situation as one of the worst I’ve ever had.  And I was not surprised.  I dread calling Time Warner/Roadrunner for technical support.

The issue?  Cable modem stopped working.  The local network and router operate fine.  The cable modem is suspect.  May I exchange the cable modem?

Between my wife and I, over the past two days, we talked with over ten people, logged 5 hours on the phone, and spent another hour waiting in line at the local Time Warner office to resolve this situation.

The illogical approaches of the technicians were mind-boggling.  After my wife ran through all the level-one troubleshooting steps, I had to go through them all over again with a new tech since the original tech didn’t bother to mark the ticket to escalate to the next tech support level.

Each operator required a full description of the problem, calling back I had to run through the same decision-tree troubleshooting steps, the techs wouldn’t deviate from the script though the tasks were inane “unplug the cable, turn it around, plug it back in in reverse”

Tech: “Your NIC card must be bad”, Me: “the local network, wireless router, printer, etc. all work fine. The NIC card is fine.”  Tech: “You’ll need to install the drivers for a USB connection with your modem; you’ll need to contact the manufacturer of your computer.” Me: “The modem has worked for years with a CAT5 cable.  If connecting with a CAT5 cable is suspect, the modem is faulty; I am the manufacturer of my computer, there is nothing wrong with the NIC card, there is no need to use a USB connection”

I ended up waiting on hold for level 3 tech support the bulk of the time.  Finally, a tech agreed to schedule a service call…for four days away!  I asked if I could just visit a local store and replace the modem myself. Tech: “Yes, but it’s not the modem. the modem is fine”

After waiting in line an hour at the local store, I received my new modem with the instructions from the tech that I could simply plug it in and it would work.  Right.  I connected it.  Success – the modem can see both the internet and the local network.

But unfortunately the tech was wrong.  The modem had not been ‘provisioned,’ or registered with the local office, and I had to call tech support again!  Level 1 could not do this “We don’t have the tools to do this at the national office” and I waited another hour on hold to talk with a level 3 tech who ‘provisioned’ the modem and finally finally I am able to connect online.

Because I replaced the faulty modem.

I honestly don’t know why I continue to subscribe to any Time Warner or Roadrunner service.

I know without a doubt that any time I call Time Warner or Roadrunner I will be on hold a minimum of 30 minutes, my issue will not be resolved in any less that three calls or by talking to less than three different people, and I will always be upset after talking to tech support whether or not the issue is resolved.