[RKDinOKC]

Friend of mine works for att wireless install support. He has steps he is required to follow period. His calls are monitored and randomly checked. If he does not follow the steps he gets written up. He is promoted based on how quickly he resolves the issues. He really likes working with the installers that know the routine and follow the steps or at least say they are. Logic and real problem solving is left to the higher tier tech support that set the steps they must follow.

He says most of the time the solution is as simple as re-flashing the settings in the router, but they are not allowed since the routers are supposed to be setup correctly from the distribution center. Sucks that the customer has to wait for another router to be next day shipped when the tech on sight could re-flash the router. Some customers allow the re-flashing and some don't for security reasons. Says it's silly because their access and passwords are in their account files.

It has to go through approval of 3 tiers before a router is replaced. I told him when the bureaucracy gets to 4 tiers it's time to bring in a management consultant to redo their procedures to improve efficiency. He laughed and said that happened just before he got hired and it has grown 2 tiers in the last year. Told him to be careful to not be promoted into the tier positions that are let go when the restructuring happens. Oh, and he has to fill out TSR reports just like in the movie Office Space. In fact, the whole work environment is very much like that movie.