Linkmeister

Cellphone update

Why is it that technical writers assume that the circumstances they create are the only ones the end users will encounter? Last night I tried to activate the new phone; I got halfway through the process and got an error. "Push this key sequence," the screen informed me, without telling me what I should be seeing on the phone screen when doing that. Since I didn't know, I tried from where I'd left off. Then I tried going back to what looked like a screen which required input. Neither screen allowed that sequence to work, and resulted in "Invalid code" messages.

Ok, I thought, I'll call 'em in the morning (open 0850-1750 on Sundays, EDT). I did that, and after a wait of less than six minutes I got a human being who had me enter about six 20-number code sequences. Once that was done I was told I'd be able to find my phone number in fifteen minutes. I said thanks and hung up.

Well, I couldn't find the number using the method she'd told me to try, but I was able to find it by looking in my "Contacts" book (once; it's no longer in there, so it's a good thing I wrote it down). It works, in the sense that it rings when called.

Off I went to the store for other things, and since I had only 10 minutes worth of time on the phone, I decided to buy a phone card for 60 minutes worth of time to add to it. There's a PIN on the back of the card; scratch that off, find the "Add/Redeem Airtime" part of the phone system, key in the PIN, and the minutes will be added (supposedly).

Nope. I got a terse text message: "Call Customer Service." Oh fine. I dutifully picked up the landline, called the number, and reached -- nobody. It was after hours, so all the Customer Service reps had gone home for the night. Now I have to call them tomorrow morning (the hours are 0850-2050EDT Monday through Saturday).

If this were the first act in a play, I'd call it the foreshadowing of dismal things to come. It may yet be. We'll see.

Posted by Linkmeister at June 11, 2006 04:33 PM | TrackBack