Cdjnight's profile

Cdjnight

New Contributor

 • 

1 Message

Closed

Why can I detect an outage before Tech support can?

On multiple occasions I can be at work and see my network at home go down. I will text my neighbor and ask if his is down also, every time he confirms his is out also. I then start a chat with tech support and tell them we are both down and every single darn time they will "assure me they can see my modem and will try to restart it" Every single time i tell them to try and Ping my modem and they don't. They seem to gloss over the statement that we are both down and try to send a Tech out to my home, at my cost of course when the issue is up the road and essentially an outage for a complete area. After 20 or 30 minutes of arguing with them that they really can't see my modem, they eventually give up, close the chat and then 20 or 30 minutes after that happens an "outage" is posted for my area. 

Why won't tech support listen to the customer and raise some red flags beyond the typical "lets restart your modem" or "did you lose power recently or try unplugging it"

@Cox please give some us more savvy customers a red button to push to assist with early detection of area outages vs just a single customer.

Discussions

 • 

Updated 

1.4K

2

0

0

B

Bruce

+4 more

Honored Contributor III

 • 

5.7K Messages

You should notify Cox via email and not chat or phone.  Send the email to cox.help@cox.com with your full name and complete address.

0

D

Darkatt

+2 more

Honored Contributor

 • 

2.1K Messages

Because until Tech support has received calls that people are having issues with their service, they won't know. Your call is what alerts them there is an issue, and a number of calls from a specific area is what allows them to call an outage. Until enough people have called in, they HAVE to treat the call as a a single person having an issue, and they will want to schedule a technician. 

11

0

B
Bruce

+4 more

Honored Contributor III

 • 

5.7K Messages

In other words, Cox doesn't monitor the operational status of their network.  Vendors do make software to do this for them.

Like

Reply

0

D
Darkatt

+2 more

Honored Contributor

 • 

2.1K Messages

In other words, the TECHNICIAN you call on the phone doesn't have the capability of monitoring the operational status of their network, and since they don't have that information in hand, until a number of people call in, THEY don't know there is a problem. The people who monitor the operational status cannot always see a smaller area of affect having problems. Instead of putting words in my mouth and providing snide remarks, why not provide something useful. 

Like

Reply

0

D
Darkatt

+2 more

Honored Contributor

 • 

2.1K Messages

What I am describing, is when you call in, you reach a rep on the phone, NOT network operations.  If you worked in a network ops center, then you should KNOW that. 

Like

Reply

0

B
Bruce

+4 more

Honored Contributor III

 • 

5.7K Messages

Correct and I do know this.  If the OP called to report not seeing a home modem from off the Cox network, as a rep, this wouldn't alarm me because I could see the home modem is online and OP is off the Cox network.

However, since OP verified the outage with a Cox-subscribed neighbor, as a rep, I should poke around or inquire with NetOps.  I'm sure Cox is monitoring their networks and NetOps wouldn't immediately notify the Help Desk because they may be fully aware, assessing and troubleshooting.

First, as a Help Desk, you don't set a quota for the number of calls about an outage.  This is insane.  People are paying you for a service but you'd deny their service until you received 3 more calls.  The first call is a heads up but OP had duplicated the outage with a neighbor.  Take some initiative, make inquiries outside the Help Desk and don't wait for other paying customers to complain.

Second, as a rep, if I can see the modem is online, why would I recommend a service call?  Where would the tech go?  The OP is at work.

You were obviously trained to be reactive and to procrastinate.  I was trained to be proactive and to treat people with a problem with some respect.  We different!

Like

Reply

D
Darkatt

+2 more

Honored Contributor

 • 

2.1K Messages

What you don't realize is when you call in to Cox, your call is routed to the first open representative, Be they in Ks., Va., La., Ne., or other call center in the U.S., or if all Reps in the states are busy, then your call is routed to a call center 3rd party partner. It would be different, if all calls when to a call center that was always local to the call, but that's not the case. Cox has call centers all over the country, so In Va., the agent may get a call from Santa Barbara, and the next call may be from Ct., the next one from Fl. 

Like

Reply

0

Related Content