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Dan's Daily
Welcome to

Editorial


I have been having all sorts of *fun* with my cable tv provider
Listed below is a transcript of all of our emails!





Dear MediaOne Customer;
Thank you for your interest in MediaOne's High Speed Internet
Service! Unfortunately High Speed Internet Access is not yet
available in your area.
Feel free to e-mail us again in a few months!
We look forward to having you aboard!

Reesa Torchin
MediaOne Road Runner
Internet Sales Associate
[email protected]






Hello,
Exactly why is the service not available in our areas?
I can get ADSL with Bellsouth.
I am constantly inundated with your company's advertisements describing the
wonders of this product, as it seems many others are, and when we
inquire about getting the service, we're told that it's not yet
available in our area?
You answer "Feel free to e-mail us again in a few months!"
is a bit vague, not to mention seems very much like
being blown off. I believe that the vast majority of seekers of
high speed access are of above average intelligence, and
this response is simply not an answer.

1-800-4 dot net seems like a good choice at this time.
Don't they also offer video service as well?
Somewhere in the neighborhood of 160 channels?
Media One sounds like bait and switch to me at this point.
I would still like an answer as to the reason for the delay.
Also, I replied to all the people that you wrote to concerning this due to you
not using the BCC function. I'm sure that all these fine people listed above
will appreciate your answer to the questions that I posed, but I'm not so sure
that they will all appreciate your mass emailing their email addresses to
everyone on this list.
I certainly didn't.

Thank you
Daniel F. LoPresto







It is actually available in certain areas around you, but please
understand, that in order to bring up a system.
We must put in filters house by house by house.
We're coming...please be pateint!!!
I am sorry it is not the answer that you want to hear :(
(dontcha Just LOVE the frown face)
Reesa Torchin
Insternet Sales Associate
MediaOne Road Runner
[email protected]






I understand......I have read about your version of high speed access,
and nowhere have I read about "filters" in each house. I have read that
there must be a separate line installed from the demark point at your active or
passive equipment, that is grounded as per NESC, run straight to my computer.
Where and what exactly is this "filter"?
There might be a node (fiber optic term) required on the backbone of
your system, that I can understand.
I would like more info on this, and I'm sure that many others' will as well.....
And the reason that your note raised my level of tolerance: I moved here
(Atlanta) 7 months ago ( November 1, 1998, if you'd like to check your
records) and was told by media one that high speed access would be available in
"a few months". Well, it's been that and longer. I typed an email in March
requesting the service, and I almost feel as though I'm getting an autoresponder.
Now I would like some answers.

I sent your reply as well as mine to the list you sent before, and as
you can plainly see, I also signed my name. I think the people on this list of
yours deserve the same answers to these questions.
Thank you for your quick response.
Sincerely,
Daniel F. LoPresto








Dear Dan,
I just recieved 2 e-mails from customers that I had included in the
first note that I sent you. They are livid! Please do not forward my
e-mails to others. In response to you question, the filters are used to
eliminate signals from old TV sets that interfere with the fiber
signals. And yes you are in a certain "node"
Reesa Torchin
Insternet Sales Associate
MediaOne Road Runner
[email protected]







Dear Ms. Torchin,
I can understand that these people are livid. But had you
1) answered the questions posed to you as a representative of Media One properly, and
2) NOT included their names with the email that you sent me, then this would never had happened.
My intention with this line of questioning is to get answers. Not only answers,
but answers that make sense. You took the course that sent my email address to
all these names, but you respond directly to me, and ask me not to let the other
fine people on your list know your responses. I think this unfair.
I apologize to anyone that is receiving this that is offended.
That is not my intention, and will gladly not include you in this retort.
Please take a moment to drop me a quick note to let me know,
and you'll never hear from this again.
It is my belief that the majority of you, such as the several people that have
written me thanking me for keeping this up, want answers. If I am mistaken,
please call me to bear.

Now, it seems that we are at a quandary. I have asked several questions,
and I have not received answers to them. I shall list them again:
1) Why was I , and presumable many others, told several times to "Call back in a
few months", when it either
A) Was not feasible
B) was not to be available as indicated
C) could not be addressed
Was this a ploy to keep current CATV subscribers dangling waiting for this
technology to deploy and not utilizing the likes of BellSouth Entertainment,
DISH Network, DSS, or another provider?
2) These "filters" that you mention. The oldest television that I have is 3
years, 2 months from date of manufacture. If this is considered "old", then how
new must the tv be to not need a filter? Your statement that every single house
HAS to have a filter does not seem to work with the statement made
later that the filter is to insulate older tv's against signal radiation
(commonly called ingress/egress). And "Fiber Signals" are light guide
cable. Are you saying that fiber optics will interfere with RF frequency? Maybe I'm
a bit naive, but doesn't Bell have IFITL (Integrated Fiber in the Loop)
deployed in some communities? This means that fiber runs all the way to the persons
home or apartment. I wonder if that seems to interfere with their television.
3) I never asked if I "was in a certain node". I asked if you were referring to
having to install a node on your backbone trunk line to allow for passage of
high speed access. If I am already on a node, as you state below, then the
service would presumably be available.

I eagerly await your response, and again, If I am upsetting anyone,
please direct your name to me and I will remove you.
Sincerely,
MR. LoPresto





Dear Ms. Torchin,
It is now Thursday, June 3, 1999. Our last correspondence was 24 hours ago, and
I have yet to hear from you concerning my last communication. I have included
ALL our letters below. I should also let you know that I have received 7 letters
from people on this list concerning this. Every single one, and I mean every
single one, asked me to further investigate this and pursue these questions. I
did not receive any, and I mean NO, requests to not be kept informed on this progress.
That said, please explain the questions I posed to your fine company on
yesterday. If you are unable to answer them, please put me in contact with
someone who will be able to answer them. Either way, I would like the name,
voice number, and email address of the director of the "RoadRunner" department.
I can track this down myself, if necessary.

I would also like to state that this is not an attack on you personally.
This is a line of questions from a layman to a service provider.
You represent that provider.
I do not attest to speak for everyone that your email was directed to,
I am just being vocal concerning the answers as to why we are not able
to receive the services, and why we are continually told to "call back in a
few months", after being told that very phrase for months upon months. I
won't mention the filter problem that you stated to me yesterday. I should
mention that I researched "cable-data" technology today, and discovered much.
These are valid points from my point of view.
I look forward to hearing from you expeditiously,
Sincerely,
Daniel F. LoPresto







Dan, If you would have not eliminated the second e-mail that I wrote
to you, you would have found that I had answered your concerns already. As
I mentioned, we must filter out all signals from OLD TV sets. Even though
you have a new television, you are not the only customer in that area. We
must filter out ALL signals in all nodes! After that there is beta testing
to make sure that the service is running properly in your area. This
process takes time. If you want to be a part of the Beta program, fell free to
call your local office, and ask to be put on the list.
By MediaOne telling you that your area will be available soon, is in
no way a ploy as you mentioned forcing a customer to maintain their CATV
account. If you are in any way dissatisfied with your cable you have
every right to cancel at any time. This does not mean that you will not be
able to get "Road Runner" service. You are in a MediaOne area, and are
entitled to have all or any one of our services available!
I am not a tech by any means, and if there are questions that
you have regarding our service that are of a technical nature as I find you
are, you can call your local office, and follow the prompts for technical
support. Mr. Williamson is the 4th customer that has e-mailed.
If a customer is dissatisfied with my response they can e-mail me themselves
as you did. I ask you again respectably sir to please stop bothering these
people. If they have a question, they are not children, and will e-mail
me with thier concerns themselves!







Reesa,
Since I assume that we are on a first name basis, I shall call you by yours.
Your response to my last volley was just smoke. Simply put.
If you would KINDLY either forward to me your Directors' name, contact number,
and/or email address, I will stop corresponding with you and begin with him/her.
I believe that I asked for this in my last communiqu�. If this is not possible,
then please let me know and I will be sure to find out that information.
Lets see......where to begin.....
*YOU* sent *ME* those peoples' email addresses, remember? You and I are
having a discussion as to why I continue to get told, in your words, " call back
in a few months". If the service is simply not to be available for a year, then
just say so. Is that simple enough? Or two years. I will investigate
alternatives. If these people are upset at me, then again, I apologize. But I think they
might be upset at you for either freely sending their names' out, or not
answering the questions posed to you.
Next, Mr. Williamson did *NOT* tell me to stop sending him the email
from you, he stated that he was bothered that you flagrantly gave out his email
address. He also stated that he wanted to keep learning what was being said. I
have the feeling that the message that you sent me was BCC'd, but
since I'm not sure, I'll include it for all.

The reason that I am responding to all with these notes is to let them
know what is going on with our conversation. You replied directly to me. I have to
cut and paste to let them know what you said. Once you send an email it becomes
the property of the person/organization you sent it to, and you no longer
have control or account of it. Just so there is no confusion, the email
address "[email protected]" is a bouncer. My actual email address is
"[email protected]".

Now, back to the story at hand.
I am an engineer, with a communications degree. That much is easy to
guess. This is not about media one not having the service available, this is about
media one continually telling people to "call back in a few months". One would
think that with the backing of AT&T, and a buyout of just under $10,000 a sub,
media one would be interested in keeping subscribers happy.
And since I have not mentioned this yet, I have kept, forwarded, replied
to , and archived every message that you sent me, and nowhere did I see an
answer to my question (see paragraph 1, line 1 above). Maybe I missed something,
but I doubt it. And the reference you made indicating that I perceive the
people other than you on this list are children is ludicrous. My mail is running 7-0
in favor of me getting to these answers. Anyone that does not want to follow
this can be removed from the forwarding of this list very easily, although methinks
that they are more interested in your responses at this point.
I also never referred to you as a technician. On the contrary, I said
that if you don't know the answer, then direct me to someone that does. How
exactly does that equate to your reference of a "tech"?
In conclusion, I look forward to your next note with the inclusion of a
way to contact your supervisor/director.

Thank you,
Sincerely,
Mr. LoPresto





Mr. LoPresto,
As I mentioned you can call technical support. Unfortunately I
do not have an e-mail address for them, but the phone number is
1-770-559-2222. As I said please follow the prompts for technical
support. Thank you again. I am sorry you feel that I was unable to answer all of
your concerns. I know that these people can help you more than I.
Sincerely,
Reesa






Hello List receivers,
This will most likely be the last exchange from me. I sincerely
apologize for the
disruptiveness of this exchange, and I have some news.
But first, as you can see by the attached note below that I received
from Ms. Torchin, she failed to answer even the simplest of my questions, as in her
directors name and
contact number.

Alas....so much for customer service.....

I broke down and called Media One today. A bit of history first. I live
in an apartment in Chamblee, Ga. For those unfamiliar, this is inside the 285
perimeter just
north-east of Atlanta. Not exactly the "boondocks".
Anyway, my "call back in a few months", as I have heard for 7 months
now, is now another year or so. Maybe by next July.
Gee, sure glad that I didn't call back every few months, as instructed......
Nonetheless, I also investigated alternatives. I personally am switching
to another cable provider, and am going to use ADSL service.
http://www.bellsouth.com
I am not recommending, implying, asking, or requesting anyone to follow
this line, mainly due to my not wanting anyone's lawyers to feed on me. This is my
way of retribution.
"Inproper service in a service oriented society deserves lack of partonage"
By the way, This entire exchange will be forwarded to Media One through their web
site, and I may very well post it to my personal site. I really doubt
anything comes of it, but one can hope.
And it should be noted that I finally did have 2 people on this list ask
not to hear about it anymore, and they were removed prior to this mailing. I also
got 3 more positive responses. That brings the total to 10-2.
Kind of in our favor.....
I've got to say something, so please indulge me for a moment.
This is not and has never been about getting the service. This has been
about the "call back in a few months" line. That really turns my screws. If that
simple email had told me that the service would have been available in a year, I have
no complaint with that. I can't believe that by calling media one today, and getting
the 1 year answer could have been so far off from the email I got. Is this a lack
of communication or is this outright fabrication? Or lack of knowledge?
Who knows....
I called Media One in Atlanta, on 285 Perimeter Rd, and after the 5
"press 1-5 to continue" line, I got a live person. She couldn't answer my questions
either, but instead informed me to call "Norman".
I asked for "Norman's" last name and extension. She could provide
neither, but did say that he was the only "Norman" that works there, and works from 7-3, M-F.
I asked if he could call me at his convenience. We'll see if he does.

Whew

Media One's regional office is in Norcross, Ga.
In closing, I wish I could have gotten better answers out of this, and
since my cable
is still working, I guess I didn't really upset the apple cart too much. I'll continue
to find out what I can, and if anyone is still interested, drop me a note and I'll
keep you informed.
Take care and be well,
Dan LoPresto
******************************* A note from the moderator.........I still have yet to conclude anything with this issue
but there are alternatives......

I have received 10 letters asking me to keep on this, and 2 to ask me to stop sending them

Those might be from Media One employees, themselves!
Enjoy, and as usual, comments are always welcome!