atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums General General Telephone & Systems Information Day from Hell

Just was wondering how often does this happen to my brothers?

What I'm asking is, when you go to do a simple job and what should be easy, snowballs into the above.

I had one yesterday, but I think maybe every 4-5 years would be it for me.

"Stuff" happens, doesn't it. Those days are work schedule busters and then you sometimes have to deal with the customer who says, why did it take so long, or, how come you didn't foresee that. Isn't this what you do for a living? And then of course, we also get those incessant "Oh By The Way, as long as you are here..."

Oh well, as another member says in his signature, "it beats flipping burgers!"

I use to get those from the owner of a previous interconnect I worked for.

It always happenned on a Friday that I would be turning in my paperwork for the day then would come the:

"Oh, I need you to install a system tonight."

Sure the over-time was okay, but after about two years of this they began giving us more warning.

I understand where you're coming from and to add to Dave's comment: "Oh By The Way, as long as you are here..." :bang:

What a topic coincidence. I had a single item on a work ticket today -a simple 1/2 hr job. When I was preparing to leave, I got my OBTW #1. Then before I completed it I got #2 & #3. I did 4 separate jobs and spent half the day there! It was at a Nursing home where the elevators are slower than Seniors at an all you can eat buffet line. So of course, I chose to use the stairs from the basement to the 3 floor way too many times. I can feel it tonight!

IMHO, even worse than "oh by the way" is the 4:00 Friday afternoon call that says "it's been acting up since Monday morning".

Jim

I spent 2 days this weekend (3 hours) sorting out a nightmare that Time Warner Cable left at my customer's house. They had switched to their digital phone service and then it stopped working "Everything worked fine for 2 months then they came and made it worse"
Of course I had a few 'while you are here' items but they were all before I wrote my bill

Yes! Every now and then we get a similar call at 4:00pm on a Friday. For example...

"Our voicemail has been down since yesterday. Our IT guys spent all day trying to fix it and now give up. We need someone asap!".

Well, today was my turn. Residential system install. Preview last month, had multiple runs of quad & 3 pair. Should have been a "P.O.P." so I agreed to do it after supper.

4 1/2 hours later and I only have 3 system phones installed, 3 SLT's and a fax jack. And I ain't finished yet! Have to go back next week to finish straightening out the cabling mess.

Worst part? Missed most of the hockey game tonight...only 7 minutes left in 3rd period of game 6 of the finals! :bang: :bang: :bang:

....or the nursing home.....don't dare sit down or they'll tie me into a chair with a towel, throw a bib on me....and start feeding me stewed turnips.....3 hours in a non-ventilated attic....what a mess.....OBTW....now our kitchen phone doesn't work.....grrrrrrrrrr!!!

3 hours in a non-ventilated attic....what a mess
Ken, I'm so glad that you didn't die up there! I myself spent half a day in an unvented attic just two weeks ago. I was so hot and worn out that I tripped and fell up there. fortunately, I managed to catch myself on the rafters so I didn't break through the ceiling!