Formula to get your internet fixed… fast.

It’s simple, really. Think, “what would a terrorist do?”

But let’s begin at the beginning. It’s a very good place to start.

One day, Tawnya and I realized our internet wasn’t working. Huh? That’s weird. We applied all the standard home troubleshooting methods: unplugged all devices, plugged them back in, tried other phone jacks, etc… Nothing.

So, we called Qwest, our less-than-outstanding internet provider. After a scratch-your-eyeballs-out-with-a-toothpick amount of hours spent on the phone with an off-shore representative (read: Indian and terrible at English) and two scheduled appointments with a tech who failed to ever materialize, I was fed up. At this point, we had been sans internet for three weeks. It’s a social media world, and I need my internet.

Speaking of social media, I often take to Twitter to vent some of my frustrations. Somehow, it makes me feel better that the 367 people who follow me know I am frustrated and spitting mad. So I tweeted about my little internet problem.

A bit drastic, of course. But it’s exceedingly frustrating to not have internet due to Qwest’s inadequacies and constantly stare outside my living room window at the looming giant building with their logo plastered on it.

Staring at me.
Laughing at me.
Mocking me.

A mere five minutes after that tweet, however, I received the following response. Hashtags do get paid attention to, people.

Wow, seriously? At least I have someone in the Qwest bureaucracy engaged now. Someone in the states. (Well, I think they’re here.) So I did what any good social media student would do. I continued the engagement.

Only after a gloating tweet, of course.

Here’s the kicker… only NOW do they tell me I can do this; that it’s even an option. Why the hell don’t we just get directed to a US representative in the first place.

*DISCALIMER*
Now, by no means do I intend this post to sound racist. I’m not. I just know I’m not the only one out there who finds issues are resolved faster and more accommodatingly when you’re talking with someone in your own time zone. Who, you can be sure, has dealt themselves with something as annoying as your currently unresolvable issue. When it comes to Qwest, their offshore representatives simply seem to have their hands entirely tied and can’t really help you with what you need.

Bottom line, the twitter guy at Qwest got me worked out. We went back and forth on emails a couple times and he sent a tech over when I was available, actually gave me the tech’s number so I could call him, and we had it resolved a mere 48 hours after the initial bomb-threat tweet.

I never found out who the Qwest twitter manager is. But if he (or she) happens to read this, hit me up, I’ll send you some homemade cookies.

xoxo.