Clueful [A]DSL provider wanted --> In favor of Speakeasy

[nbodley at speakeasy.net (Nicholas Bodley)]

On Thu, 10 Aug 2006 13:13:26 -0400, John Chambers <jc at trillian.mit.edu>  
wrote,
about Speakeasy:

> But mainly, the few times I've had to call customer  support,  I've  
> found myself talking to someone knowledgeable and helpful.

Heartily agreed! Apparently, Speakeasy management is humane, smart, and  
capable. You can tell when a support person has no heart in the matter;  
that's not Speakeasy. Speakeasy's support is by people who are pleasantly  
human and "normal", as well as caring about your situation. Only once did  
I have a bit of a problem, a fellow who talked super-fast...

I was a "DirectSwitch" customer; DirecTV DSL, formerly Telocity, was a  
class act (bridge made in USA!). It was apparently not profitable enough,  
and was canned. Shame.

Verizon Sales somehow got wind that I was going to Speakeasy, and their  
salesman ended the conversation with an amazingly-clear  
implication-without-actually-saying-so that -- I'd Be Sorry!

I was not smart, thinking that once the wiring at the CO was in place that  
I'd hear loud whitish noise, using a plain unfiltered phone. Not so, but  
that's just a detail.

Came to my senses, installed the bridge, and it failed to sync. Tried [n]  
times, every few hours. After 2 or 3 days, I called [Provisioning]  
Support, and found that (apparently every) attempt to sync had been  
logged. I still remember after a few years how the Speakeasy tech.  
responded to the situation. I'm utterly convinced that he was personally  
determined that my service should start soon, Or Else.

What he said to Covad and/or Verizon I have no idea, but it wasn't long  
before Happiness Returned; more like joy. Naturally, I thanked him and I  
must have written a nice commentary.

Being a retired electronic tech., I can easily imagine that Verizon  
intentionally miswired the DSL connection at first, but that might not be  
fair.

Btw and afaik, RCN also has cable modem service.

-- 
Nicholas Bodley  /*|*\ Waltham, Mass.
<politics>
Disturbing: Hazleton, Pennsylvania --
http://la.indymedia.org/news/2006/07/169203.php
</politics>