Charm and Technology–how a stream of technicians arrived at my door to fix a problem only one could

The top frustration for my move to St. Louis was getting my phone and internet service up and running. For the first two weeks I was here, I was steady-dating a steady stream of technicans from Charter that kept me in a steady state of on-the-verge-ness. If it wasn’t my phone, it was the internet connection and visa versa.

These technicians varied wildly in their degree of ability, knowledge, skill, and even dedication to seeing the job through…I think they are all cowboys of the new Western fronteir: Technology. But, in one quality alone, they were brothers: CHARM.

My oh my, did these boys have charm! And it went way beyond the charm taught in customer service classes. I mean, they really had it, and I was glad to be steady dating such a charming stream of men from all over the world…the Islands (Jamaica), Algeria, England and so on around the globe.

Each one had a different idea about what the problem with the phone or with the internet connection was. Some were aces on the phone and knew diddly about the internet. Some were aces on the internet and knew diddly about the phone. A few good ones knew both. I mean, I jived with half a dozen of these charming dudes.

Some just ran in and out, collecting their time, and throwing their charm over their shoulders as they shut the door. Some really stuck with the problem, but didn’t have knowledge to bring. One guy kept me waiting for 18 hours total (12 hours one day–and they didin’t call me, I had to call them to ask what happened, and 6 hours the next).

And it was always the guys who made housecalls. And always the gals on the phone, ameliorating my ruffled feathered feelings when all was not well. Even the gals clearly from the Foreign Legions were pretty good at keeping it calm, if not keeping it real.

But it was Omar who I’d been waiting to meet. Omar who I”d heard so much about. Two guys who came to look at the internet connection told me, “Oh, that Omar, he’s the best. He really knows his stuff. If you can only get Omar.”

Well, I guess it got so bad, they finally had to send Omar…or, maybe it was the New Boy network. Locksey from Jamaica called Omar from Algeria and said to work me in if he could, my system was in a bad way and he’d done what he could.

And so, at the very end of the day Charter’s best internet man arrived–the famous OMAR–from Algeria. He did in 5 minutes what others couldn’t do in 5 hours and 5 visits.

I gave him one of Pop’s carved dogs in thanks, along with the little story called, “I am a dog” that Pop wrote to go with it. Omar understood about families and elderly fathers and we had a nice chat about that. But of his abilities to fix things, he was very modest.

“Omar,” I said, “what did you do?”
“Nothing,” said Omar and smiled one of those charming smiles, and even giggled a little.
“I see,” I said, “The nothing that is everthing. Well, for this, I thank you.”
“Just call me if you have any more problems,” said Omar, my man from Algeria, and I walked him out to the gate.

Everything went well for a few days and then, damn! My computer rolled over and died. It just doesn’t turn on. It will take more than charm to fix this one, I fear.

In the meantime, I’m guesting on my father’s computer in Illinois when I visit there and on the Business Center computer at my apartment complex (just next door, but only available during certain hours). It limits choices, but it sorta works.

Let’s hear it for charm…combined with skill. Let’s hear it for the Omar’s of the world.