Tech reps to frustrated VoIP user: it's not my department

Associated Press business writer Seth Sutel has been having one heck of a problem getting service on his balky?VoIP connection.

Sutel?writes that after his AT&T CallVantage service went down recently, he reached for his cell and called up his ISP, Time Warner Cable. He asked them if his problem had anything to do with Internet service being down. But, he says, they told him "If I liked they could schedule a service call five days later."

But, ya see, Sutel depends on VoIP,and doesn't have a land line. Sutel says that he told TWC that he needed his Internet connection for VoIP,?but the service rep?"had absolutely no idea" what he was talking about.

Our intrepid reporter then reached for his cell to call AT&T CallVantage. (Kind of counter-intuitive, isn't it, calling your VoIP provider on your cell)?

The rep offered some tips, one of which (a hard reset in te back of the phone router for around 30 seconds) worked.

Yay.

On a subsequent call, Sutel asked the rep why this basic pointer is not on the CallAdvantage Web site. The rep told Sutel that this information was probably on the site, but then again, "that wasn't her department."

Same old, same old.

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