Issue #4 - Fun with IOBI and Call Assistant

When I called to cancel one of my two phone numbers I apparently caused a huge meltdown in Verizon's systems because the number I wanted cancelled was considered my primary number and they needed to make my other number primary before they could cancel one of my lines.


Michelle Weinberg told me that when this happened there would be no way to avoid temporarioly losing my IOBI service, which is a suite of internet tools that do cool things like email me when I get a voicemail or phone call.

She told me that once the switch was done it would take one phone call to get the new version of the service (called "Call Assistant") working. In fact, it took 14 calls.

What was most infuriating about this issue was how everyone I spoke to said the last person did it all wrong but now it was fixed, for sure:

My records show that on 1/23/09 James left me a message with an order number. Call Assistant would be active on 1/26/09.


On 1/26/09 and 1/27/09 nothing was happening and I hadn't received any email or calls about it so I called in. The rep said the order was done wrong and he would do it again and then I'd get an email when it was ready. It never came.

2 days later I called and the rep said it was done wrong and needed to be removed entirely and they couldn't add it by phone -- I had to do it myself from their website. He did that, gave me a confirmation number, and said I should wait 24 hours and then add it from their website.

24 hours later I tried to add Call Asssitant and got an error message saying I had to call the local business office. I called the business office and they said they don't handle that and don't know who does. After multiple calls and long hold times they say it is fixed now, I can sign up online in 2 hours. Guess what?

On 2/6/09 I called, spent nearly an hour, and wound up with someone at Call Assistant Tech Support who was very nice and said this is just crazy. He put in a ticket for the developers in Texas to look into it. He starts to say that someone will call me but really now, don't we all know better?

A few days later I call because it still isn't working and I'm still not able to sign up online. I call tech support again and the person says something like "well the last guy did this all wrong, let me just click this and you will be all set."

And I am.