The Quest for Digital

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Dealing with cable TV companies may be one of the most frustrating tasks in life.  So when my daughter and I needed help installing a digital adaptor for my 88-year-old dad whose primary entertainment is watching TV, I reluctantly called for technical support.I would do almost anything to avoid such phone calls.  I would rather wear a superhero costume and stand on the side of the road advertising the corner apartment complex than call the cable company for help.  Several weeks ago, a live cable company representative told me that my dad needed one of these digital converters in order for his television to receive channels, and that this was an “easy installation.”  When the installation was not so easy, I had no other recourse than to make the call.I am all about ecumenical living among all peoples of the world, but when I know that my technical support call lands somewhere between Yemen and Taiwan, I instantly become dubious.  It was, after all, someone from that area that told me my dad needed the new black box in the first place.  During my conversation between periods of being placed on hold, I was reacquainted with frustration of the terms “reboot”, “hdmi”, “let me get back to you,” and “this will just take a few minutes.” 

60 minutes later, my dad’s TV was still not working and the only apparent solution was to have a technician appointment, which was not available for two days. I found myself saying “this is not acceptable” repeatedly, in escalating pitch. Imagining my dad sitting alone in a silent room without C-Span and the baseball channel just wasn’t ok for two days.

Two phone transfers and an additional 45 minutes later, I was connected with Kevin, a technical support representative based in Lexington, Kentucky. He listened to my pressure-steamed frustrations, assured me of his willingness to help, and eventually walked us through the steps of installation successfully. As I was purging my expressions of gratitude, and offering an invitation for him to join my family on Thanksgiving Day, Kevin said to me, “So, I don’t really understand why your dad is converting to this box. Is he trying to save money because he won’t have nearly the channel capability that he is used to…..”My daughter and I looked at each other in that moment when you realize you just spent all afternoon constructing a Chevy engine for an Audi. It turns out, according to Kevin, my dad did not need the digital conversion box after all. In other words, my dad already had digital capabilities. There was never a problem in the first place. Kevin tried to apologize profusely for the misdirection and lack of competency by his cohorts on the other side of the world. No worries, however, as my now proficient audio-visual expert of a daughter (with the help of Kevin) disconnected and reconnected the appropriate cable wires. We left having spent the afternoon with my dad in problem solving mode just in time for the local news. My dad was happy. As for my daughter and me? We are still a bit salty in the aftermath of our afternoon debacle. Other than our afternoon star Kevin, the cable company did nothing to deter my distain in dealing with them. If you see me wearing a cape on the side of the road, you’ll know why.