I dunno... (Score 1)

If this issue was with the ISP's equipment, then this escalated way too far and should have been resolved on the first phone call. On the other hand, the story really does leave out the most important part... was it her computer? If it was her computer, I can understand it taking 20 calls to get a technician out to look at the issue. Regardless if you're a big company or a small company, performing a service costs money, from the call centre agents who are taking the calls to the technicians who go out and repair connections. If it's an issue with the equipment the ISP provides, then to resolve the issue and keep the customer paying, it's "worth' sending a tech out to get the issue resolved. However, if they send a technician out and it's a computer-related issue, the company has basically wasted money, which in the long run leads to higher fees. The customer should have gone to a PC technician, said "My internet isn't working", found out what was wrong, and then, if it ends up being an issue with the connection or the ISP's equipment, make them pay for the PC Tech visit. Not all technicians who go out and repair connections are skilled in computers. I've seen techs call in for instructions on how to release and renew an IP address. The customer may have been thinking that if a tech comes out and can't fix the connection, he can fix her computer. But again, it's all based on where the underlying issue was.