My life is chaotic right now as it often is. I'm trying to do too many things at once but that is kind of par for the course and I don't do well with free time. Yesterday, I got home from basketball camp at about 4:15 PM since it was not a lifting day on my schedule. I hit the bed immediately for a 45 minute nap, getting up to work on a sermon I'm preaching this Sunday at a nearby congregation in Houston, the Scenic Woods Church of Christ. But as I powered up my laptop, a problem appeared. My Internet, always so dependable, was down. I shut the modem off and tried to get it going several times but to no avail. I found a 1-800 number on the pamphlet AT+T gave me when I changed my service fifteen months ago. After being on hold for several minutes, a nice guy named Kevin on the line. There was a problem- I did not have my account number since the bill comes on my credit card and I carelessly discarded that useful piece of information. Kevin could not even verify I had an account but he did tell me there were no service outages in the Houston area. I was getting somewhere.
After ending that conversation, I tried a different number and was connected to a wonderful lady named Merrill. Like Kevin, she could find no trace of my account but she kept digging for a half hour until she found my old Internet account which just happened to have my new account number, the secret code to unlock every AT+T door! Before she rerouted me to the tech people, she asked if I wanted her to look up to see if there was any better plan for my cell phone than my current set up. Of course, she found a much better plan for only a few cents a month more, with unlimited calling and texting! (Now I just have to learn how to text! I can read them but not quite sure how to reply!) After thanking Merrill profusely, she connected me with Deandra who after a few questions, determined the overwhelmingly probable cause of my problem was my outdated eight year old modem which seemed to have died. Deandra told me I could go to an electronics store and buy a new modem which she estimated at $75 or they could send an AT+T tech guy out to check out the problem. The catch was that if the issue was with my modem, the $99 call would be charged back to me. But Deandra, like Merrill, didn't just let it go. She asked if I had given any thought to wireless Internet. I had but always thought it much more expensive. She thought it might end up being a better deal than my DSL so she connected me to Debra, my fourth AT&T representative in two hours. Debra talked me through the wireless hook up at NO CHARGE and the monthly fee which is less than I'm currently paying for my Internet. All we had to do was set up a time for the technician to come by my place- this coming Monday, between 11-1 PM- and we were good to go. And you can bet, I VERY CAREFULLY wrote down my new account number and backup password hint. So, for the next three days I'll have to go to my classroom, my current location, to go online but that's a small price to pay. My life is about to get better ....and less expensive.
This isn't really about AT&T or even their customer service, even though I am a BIG FAN of both right now. What it is about is assuming the worst in a situation. When all this death of my Internet started, I had big plans for the things I was going to accomplish that night. I was already worn out from camp and the frustration set in immediately. But what seemed like a lose-lose to me turned out to be a WIN-WIN after I let it play itself 0ut and I freely admit, I prayed several times during this ordeal which really wasn't. We often jump to conclusions about people and events and challenges which clearly turn out for our betterment IF we have the patience to go through the step-by-step procedures which handling minor daily problems require. I get worked up over nothing and my guess is that many of you do the same. It would be wise for me to reflect on this teaching of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount every Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday-Friday-Saturday-Sunday of 2014:
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:34)
If things had worked out the way I WANTED, I would not have the improvements in my service that I soon will enjoy and I would be paying more for less. I'm sure something else will rear its ugly head tomorrow but at least it won't be my Internet or cell phone. Excuse me but I have to go check my phone- I may have just gotten a text!
Applicable quote of the day:
"In the world of Internet Customer Service, it’s important to remember your competitor is only one mouse click away."
Doug Warner
God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
www.hawleybooks.com
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com
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