We interrupt our concluding series of stories still scheduled on the end of our snow-birding season to bring you this breaking news event.

CUSTOMER "SERVICE" AT CENTURY LINK--

Now there's a quaint concept!

Century Link, my local excuse for a telephone company, roared into first place as the largest pain in the a** during this season's recently ended snow-birding experience.

Here's what happened:

In December I inquired about putting my DSL (digital internet service) on vacation hold while in Florida from mid-December to mid-April.  "Certainly, Mr. Wolf, we can do that for you," the gal chimed to my inquiry.  "Many folks do that when they are extended vacations," she enthused.

"Great," I said.  "Can you restart it automatically on a specified date," I continued.  "No," she intoned, "but just give us a call several days ahead of when you want your service resumed."

Winter came to a sunny end for us in mid-April and I called them to restart my DSL service on April 20th.

I was curtly informed they had mistakenly terminated my internet service rather than putting it on vacation hold as I had requested and, consequently I would have to start over with a new Century Link account.

That doesn't sound too horrible until you think of the bazillion friends, family and vendors you will have to advise of your change of email address.  I would have to move from my previous Embarqmail (dot) com service to CenturyLink (dot) com.

That's not acceptable," I replied.  "You made the mistake, not me."  "Sorry I cannot help you," they replied.  "Then, please transfer me to your supervisor," I requested.

"One second please," they answered and I was treated to never-ending music.  No one ever came back on the line.

I then contacted them via their web site's, "Contact us" service.  Their email response said they couldn't help me with this problem and they offered another 800 number and my very own "Case number."  That was on April 18th, the day before our departure; effectively putting this problem behind my tasks of preparing to close up the camper for another season.

We got home on the 20th and on the 21st I called my newly assigned 800 number.

After wading through about a dozen levels of their automated "Customer service" I was informed "...their offices were closed.  Please call back when we are open."

After I quit hitting my head against the wall I wondered if these fine folks could visualize putting that at the beginning of their recording for calls like mine.  "Not likely," I concluded.

BTW I remember their corporate genealogy from the days of their being the Mansfield Telephone Company, then United, then Sprint, then Embarq, and now Century Link.

Doesn't appear being a loyal customer all those years carries much weight with this current crop.

Please stay tuned.