OT: Real life funny story!!

Paolo_M

Was thinking of changing broadband provider as my current speeds are slow enough.
Rang company X to speak to someone in order to check on expected download speeds for my area, their web site only quote line speeds, didn't want to change and then be no better off speedwise.

Here's pretty much word for word the conversation:
Me: I'd like to enquire as to your minimum download speeds for my area"
Followed by a bunch of me giving him my location.
Him "We can guarantee you 60% of the 2Meg line we can provide in you area".
Now I'm aware that internet download speeds are usually given in Mbps but being pedantic I said I'd double check 'cos if it was bytes, it's pretty darn fast and a big improvement on what I have.
Me "Are you quoting me in Mega Bytes per second or Mega Bits per second?"
Him "Eh, no sir that's Megs."
Me "But which one, bits or bytes? There's a factor of 8 in the difference"
Him "I'm not sure what those other things you mentioned are but download speed is measured in Megs sir."
Me "But Meg is the short for Mega something, as in one million of something, usually some unit of measure".
Him "No sir, the speed measure is Megs, that's M-E-G-S" said really slowly as if was thick or deaf.
Me "So you're saying that you'll guarantee me at least 1.2 million of something per second but you're not sure what, might be bits of data but it be could be smarties or something?"
Him "Sir, do you want to speak to my supervisor?"
Me: Hangs up. :mad:
I'm speachless but had to tell someone. :rolleyes:

Am I wrong in thinking that a broadband customer service person should have even a basic understanding of their product?

Fingers Mcginty

unbelievable :rolleyes:

Dord

LOL I love the smarties part. :pac:

Thornography

Megs in terms of broadband is 99.9999999% Bytes

Coming from a background in the industry, you are a nightmare call for a CSR.

Paolo_M

eVo|tempest wrote: »

Megs in terms of broadband is 99.9999999% Bytes

Coming from a background in the industry, you are a nightmare call for a CSR.

Three of the countries major broadband providers, including the main one, measure in bits per second.
Most line speed calculators give results in bits per second.
Bits per second is the certainly the standard for data transmission in the automation industry, whereas bytes are generally used for data storage.

I just asked the guy on the off chance that is was bytes he meant, because the speed he quoted when taken as bits per second wasn't much better than what I already have.

Welease

eVo|tempest wrote: »

Megs in terms of broadband is 99.9999999% Bytes

Coming from a background in the industry, you are a nightmare call for a CSR.

erm.. i don't think so.. Data transfer is measure in Mb (small b = bits).. Data size is measure in MB (large B = bytes). Every broadband vendor i know sells packages based on x Megabit (Mb).

feylya

Welease wrote: »

erm.. i don't think so.. Data transfer is measure in Mb (small b = bits).. Data size is measure in MB (large B = bytes). Every broadband vendor i know sells packages based on x Megabit (Mb).

This.

Also, this really is OT :eek:

Paolo_M

feylya wrote: »

This.

Also, this really is OT :eek:

Sorry for the OT Feyla.
I use the web for buying gear, downloading music legally, streaming lessons, hosting tone demo files and generally interacting with the wider music community. Getting this stuff quicker and more efficiently was my motivation for upgrading my line, that's why this was the first place I thought of to tell the story. Feel free to move or delete as you see fit.

feylya

Just commenting, not criticising

Shame that the OT Thread never really took off.

Paolo_M

feylya wrote: »

Just commenting, not criticising

Shame that the OT Thread never really took off.

Yup, it would have cool alright.

I wonder why eVo¦Tempest hasn't dropped by to say hello since?

feylya

He's off getting his name changed.

Paolo_M

Ok, maybe I'm being paranoid but is being retarded a specific requirement for customer service reps or is just common place...
There were only two simple things here....
This is me returning a laptop to a well known online retailer btw.

Does this happen to anyone else or is really just me?

On 12/10/2009 16:50:35
***** ******* Wrote:
Hi Paul,

I have booked this in for wednesday for you

Kind regards

On 12/10/2009 16:48:09
Paul Moore Wrote:
Please arrange the collection ASAP. Wednesday is the only day this week that no-one will be at my home address, any other day suits.
I need to set the laptop back to factory default. Mine was downgraded to XP Pro. Do I go back to a factory settings on Vista or XP, the laptop is Vista as standard?
Thanks,
Paul.

Alanstrainor

Paolo_M wrote: »

Ok, maybe I'm being paranoid but is being retarded a specific requirement for customer service reps or is just common place...
There were only two simple things here....
This is me returning a laptop to a well known online retailer btw.

Does this happen to anyone else or is really just me?

Brilliant! .......Well maybe not for you but still!

Thornography

Paolo_M wrote: »

Yup, it would have cool alright.

I wonder why eVo¦Tempest hasn't dropped by to say hello since?

I deal with morons on the phone everyday, Not gonna do the same in my off time

-=al=-

pretty funny indeed

why is it in the instruments forum! who cares i wouldnt have seen it otherwise

thats megalame

CianRyan

There's a secret message about a tone test in here, I just know it.

kinser

Thornography wrote: »

Megs in terms of broadband is 99.9999999% Bytes

Coming from a background in the industry, you are a nightmare call for a CSR.

remind me never to hire you to work in IT :rolleyes: