The New York Times & Failure modes
Aug. 5th, 2007 08:13 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lsandersonThe New York Times has an online system for Customer Service.
It's down this morning. They send you to their phone service.
Because the automated, online system is down, the phone service pauses and then dumps you into the "Please wait for the next available customer service representative."
Then the "You call is important to us. You can use the New York Time's automated system to, 1) wash your car; 2) pay off your mortgage; 3) tell us you didn't get our paper. Press 1 to access this service."
If, as I did, you press 1, it pauses and then places you back in the "Please wait for the next available customer service representative." queue.
Their other you've been waiting too damned long message is "You can access New York Times Select (insert favorite fantasy service here) online. Please press 2 for the location."
Which is oh so nice when it's down.
The Customer Service guy, when I finally got to talk to him said the same message. Him at least I got to tell that their fucking online system was down as well.
It's down this morning. They send you to their phone service.
Because the automated, online system is down, the phone service pauses and then dumps you into the "Please wait for the next available customer service representative."
Then the "You call is important to us. You can use the New York Time's automated system to, 1) wash your car; 2) pay off your mortgage; 3) tell us you didn't get our paper. Press 1 to access this service."
If, as I did, you press 1, it pauses and then places you back in the "Please wait for the next available customer service representative." queue.
Their other you've been waiting too damned long message is "You can access New York Times Select (insert favorite fantasy service here) online. Please press 2 for the location."
Which is oh so nice when it's down.
The Customer Service guy, when I finally got to talk to him said the same message. Him at least I got to tell that their fucking online system was down as well.
