Hi David
I could spend hours chatting about this, but obviously won't do. It is quite difficult to answer a question that also brings individuals own personalities into the equation .... not just the engineer, but also the end user.
I use the term end-user, because officially that it what you are, David. Although I hate the term, the fact is our customer is the service provider and you in turn are theirs. So, our remit is to perform 'x' amount of agreed tests on-site, which then get automatically filtered back to the provider.
Our job is to prove to them that the metallic path facility they rent from us, passes an agreed 'cone of acceptance' test. Plus, to carry out an agreed 5 minute DSL test and an agreed audible noise test on the landline.
If all three pass (the first two tests being auto pass or fail, the last is dependant on the individuals hearing ability), then we are expected to pack up and leave and move onto the next customer.
Of course, this practice may benefit lets say 80-90% of customers, but there's always that grey area that will see repeat visits, I'm afraid. The reason the agreed COA tests are there, is to protect OR from the totally pedantic folk out there who chase a 0.5dB swing in SNR as a fault, wasting time and money for all concerned. Believe me, they exist .... some are on here
. But genuine difficult/intermittent faults can also suffer as a result of this agreement.
However, the hierarchy are more than aware of these issues and have a triage team that should liaise with the provider after a certain amount of EU visits have occurred. Failing that, there's also the chairman's office team, as a last resort.
Regarding the engineers .... as with all walks of life and any mahoooosive company like OR, you get the full spectrum of people. I myself do not understand whatsoever, why you would not want to engage the EU and get them involved in what you are doing. I have only had ONE person tell me he had no interest in it and to 'Just fix it', in all my years faulting.
Most folk are eager to know what's going on and will quite happily listen to a laymans' chat about how DSL works and what we are looking for with out test equipment. More-so when you do have an intermittent fault, as you can show the EU that no amount of trying, the issue will not manifest itself whilst we are there on-site. It at least goes some way to show that we are trying to resolve or locate a problem.
But ... I've witnessed it with my own eyes, you do get the 'grunt' as we call them round here. Basically, rocks up, hardly any conversation in them, grunts a few words and buggers off. Seen them in hospitality roles throughout our travels and I often wonder WTF they have gone into a role they clearly have no patience or aptitude for ??
There's nowt as queer as folk, someone once said.
