Telus' Un-Service

I could have spit nails on Sunday...all day...from morning to close of business.
A three-day long weekend ... and the POS machine wouldn't finalize transactions that Sunday.
On either debit, VISA or MasterCard.
All day.
From morning until close of business.
AAARGH!

The first point-of-sales--attempted--transaction at the golf course failed.  A couple more tries with the customer's card still didn't go through.  My profuse apologies were followed by suggesting that they go play golf, during which time I would try to figure out what was wrong with debit/Visa/MC transactions not going through.
They could pay at the end of the round.

Puzzled, I checked to see that all wires were correctly plugged into the modem, then I noticed that the modem's Internet light wasn't glowing.  Turning the modem Off, waiting several minutes, then turning it On again didn't produce desired results.

Checked my computer and email stated "Server Not Found".
The internet was out!
Oh no! 

By now--despite the cooler weather--I was sweating buckets.
Few people carry cash nowadays, fewer still have a cheque in their wallet.

I phoned the Telus Repair line--611--and immediately a recorded message was heard.
A message which--if heard once that Sunday--was heard 10 times during my frantic calls and attempts to reach someone, not a machine, to state that this business account was down.
And that I needed it back up immediately.
The message stated "service outage in your area, including wireless and modems, with no estimated time that service will resume".

It was a rough day, right until closing.
Frankly I don't know how I made it through that very very long day.

Customers came and went.
Now and then folks actually carried cash, but all had wanted to use their cards.
One woman offered to go to the 7/11's banking machine, withdraw cash, and return.  Needless to say, she did not return.  I don't blame her.
Groups of people scrounged in their pockets--and back to their cars' consoles to look--for cash.  Others who happened to know someone just completing their round actually borrowed money from an acquaintance...promising to pay them back the same day as they lived in the same neighbourhood. 

It was hell.
That Sunday on the long weekend.
My nerves were frayed.

Hoping to still talk to someone, every hour I called 611, with the same recorded message resulting.
All bloody day long.
I called a neighbour east of my location and asked that she check her internet connection.  It was working, she said.
Another west of me reported hers was working too.
Sheesh.

And that bloody recorded message at Telus 611 Repair line was repeated...and repeated.

Highlands Golf has had a "business bundle" telephone with highspeed internet/WiFi through Telus for several years.
And I felt this little commercial business of mine deserved better service from Telus on a long weekend.

At least someone's REAL voice, maybe some understanding of what a business goes through.  Nada.  Nothing.  Not even a hard-to-understand voice from a Jamaican--or wherever--call centre.

Grateful that the telephone still worked, I called Landline Repair, I called Internet troubleshooting, I called Residential, I called their Business Repair Line.  All led to the same bloody message from Telus Repair when I entered the phone number, as prompted.

I've never been so happy to lock up at the end of business that day, and fell into bed grateful for sleep, if I could be lucky enough to fall asleep.

Anticipating yet another day from hell on awakening the next morning, I called the Telus 611 Repair line from the residence.  When prompted for the number I was reporting, I dutifully entered the business number.  And the same bloody message--"service outage in your area, including wireless and modems, with no estimated time that service will resume"--played in my ear.

Dreading the new day, I somehow shuffled my feet to the business' door.
Walking over to the modem--oh my--is that an Internet light I see glowing on the modem?
Yessireebob, all five lights were lit!  Taking my own debit card from my purse, I tried a nominal charge on the point of sale terminal.
Presto...it went through with nary a blip.
Fast as Jumpin' Jack Flash!

Halle-bloody-lujah!

Just for the heck of it, I called Telus 611 Repair.
And the same bloody recorded message was still activated.

Update:  Tuesday morning, September 9th:
I phoned Moneris--my point of sale machine provider--and immediately got a person--a real person--to walk me through the point of sale machine set-up.  Now--if and when the Telus internet bombs out again--the machine automatically switches the attempted transaction to the telephone landline.  I was effusive in my thanks to this individual--probably also from somewhere in Jamaica or wherever their call centre is located.

I did everything but offer him a bouquet of flowers.
Thanks Moneris.

I'm so happy this is working again that I should call Telus.

Nah...the same message is probably still playing.

"service outage in your area, including wireless and modems,

with no estimated time that service will resume"

"I saw a few more white hairs pop out," grins Kia.

Just a few?