**names of the guilty have been changed to prevent a law suit**
On 08-08-19 my husband Mark contacted our local cable company, **Sputum, to schedule installation of cable TV and Internet service at our new place in Green Bay. He received an email confirmation on 08-08-19 at 3:23pm from **Sputum for installation on Saturday, 08-17-19 between 2pm-3pm. The email confirmation had an account number and an order number.
We had not received a confirmation call on that Saturday so at 2:19pm I called the general customer service number and spoke with **Destiny for 34 minutes and 8 seconds. She informed me that the "installation was pending and not scheduled as of 08-08-19." The next available installation date and time was Sunday, 08-25-19 between 10am - 11am. I agreed to that date and time, but then **Destiny told me she "was unable to complete the confirmation for that time" and the next available time was on Sunday, 08-25-19 between 8am-9am. I begged her to confirm that date and time before our installation date was pushed out any further which she did.
**Destiny gave me an order number for the 08-25-19 installation time and told me that she'd contacted their Dispatch Office "who must return your call within 90 minutes" because they could review their schedule and likely have an earlier date and time for our installation. She gave me a "dispatch ticket number" and said I should expect a call from them between 2:35pm-4:05pm.
We stayed in Green Bay until 4:05pm and then left for Menasha, where we currently live.
At 4:48pm I called Customer Service again because we hadn't heard from Dispatch to schedule an earlier installation date and time. I spoke with **Jeffrey who informed me Dispatch called me at 3:04pm to schedule an earlier date and time for our installation service. **Jeffrey read back the phone number Dispatch had called and there were two numbers transposed by **Destiny who entered my phone number for Dispatch to call.
Eventually I spoke with **Dan in Dispatch and scheduled our installation for Wednesday, 08-21-19 between 2pm-3pm. I had him read back to me the new address for installation and the phone number (my cell number) that was listed as the contact phone number for Wednesday's service.
After securing an actual installation date and time, Dispatch ticket number, **Sputum's order number and account number, I was steaming and ready to talk to management about error after error after error that their company caused us to keep making compromises to fit into their "fixed" dates and times.
At 5:40pm I spoke with **Shannon, part of the "Leadership Team". I relayed the errors that lead to me needing to speak with her, all of which were documented on **Sputum's part. She acknowledged that the original order confirmation on 08-08-19 shouldn't have been sent and because I provided her with the exact date and time Mark received that email, **Shannon assured me "a coaching session with that staff member" would take place to prevent something similar happening in the future.
**Shannon also confirmed that a "coaching opportunity with **Destiny's supervisor" would take place to assure phone numbers will be confirmed before being entered into "our system."
Then we came down to the brass tacks of it all: What was **Sputum going to offer me as reparations for my time and inconvenience? **Shannon waived the $49.99 connection fee in Green Bay and offered us a "Silver Package" of channels free for one year. I accepted that compromise offer and our cable bill will be reduced by $60 a month.
As a follow up, cable and Internet installation happened on Wednesday 08-21-19 without issue. At least moving nightmare 1 has been resolved.
Thursday, August 22, 2019
Saturday, August 3, 2019
Transitions and More Transitions
On my birthday this year, May 14, I was offered a full time position as a Clinical Case Manager at the Veterans Assistance Foundation, a non-profit organization that operates the Veterans Housing and Recovery Program at the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King, WI.
King holds a special place in my heart because my Grandpa Porath spent the last years of his life there. When we visited him, he would take us for a tour of the campus, which is extensive. He took us to the five lane bowling alley where they offered beer for sale, the viewing area for the water skiing group that offered free weekly performances for the veterans, and the museum to which he donated his "war trophies" of Swastika arm bands taken from Nazi soldiers that he had killed. He told us he had three of them, which I never doubted as he landed "D plus three", three days after D Day, June 9, 1944, when he landed in Normandy France from north Africa.
Working at King felt like honoring my Grandpa in a way that no one else in my family could. At 1800 hours the bells chime for 10 minutes. The cottages where married couples lived when Grandpa was there are no longer habitable due to asbestos and lead paint. They can't be torn down because of the asbestos exposure risk, so they are left to rot where they stand. I frequently drive past them looking for a parking spot, lace curtains and flower beds still there. It evokes such a sense of longing and sadness that prompts me to park in the field across the street rather than violate the memories of the couples who previously lived there.
My first week of full time work at VHRP (Veterans Home and Recovery Program) started on June 17, 2019. As with any new job, my first week was spent getting to know the veterans who would be on my clinical caseload, i.e., veterans with a mental health or AODA diagnoses. On Thursday, June 20, 2019 the Site Director was "walked out" from her position. This sent up red flags for the Case Manager I share an office with. On Friday, June 21st our Executive Director told the staff, (me, the Case Manager, Administrative Assistant, and Driver/Chef) to either be at the office or be available by telephone for a conference call held at Stordock Hall at 1600 hours. We were instructed to bring our personal items with us as we were directed not to return to the 2nd floor of MacArthur Hall where we worked.
That was when all of us were told that the second year of our program grant was revoked and our program was scheduled to end on September 30, 2019. There are A LOT of political reasons I can direct you to if you are interested in why the WDVA (Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs) stopped funding the grant we had received for 2 years (reapplication required by 09-29-20). Please contact me if you are interested in informing other veteran's organizations about our program closure. Regardless, I was offered a Clinical Case Manager position that happened to open up at the VHRP location in Green Bay. Needless to say I took that position and am in the process of dividing my time between King and Green Bay.
Thank God we didn't sign a lease for a totally kick ass townhouse in Waupaca. We have signed a lease for a side-by-side duplex in Green Bay and will spend the month of August moving from Menasha to Green Bay. We have scheduled movers for 08-16-19 and will spend that weekend arranging our new home in Green Bay.
I do, however, have a commitment to the program in King until 09-30-19, which happens to be our 14th wedding anniversary. I will be there until 2359 come hell or high water as I know my coworkers will be. We are currently working hard to ensure that every veteran in our King program will be placed in stable housing, whether that be in another program or supported independent housing.
For me, I will be traveling between our home in Menasha to King or from our home in Green Bay to the VHRP in Green Bay or from there to King.
King continues to feel like home to me. Part of Grandpa Porath's soul still lives there, despite years of being reunited with my Grandma Porath in Wausau. When a veteran arrives at King, likely to spend his last days, weeks, or years of his life surrounded by his brother veterans, the announcement of "another American hero has joined us us here at King" is made throughout every residence hall, including the second floor of MacArthur Hall. I can only hope that announcement was made when my grandfather arrived there, to spend his final years with his brother veterans.
King holds a special place in my heart because my Grandpa Porath spent the last years of his life there. When we visited him, he would take us for a tour of the campus, which is extensive. He took us to the five lane bowling alley where they offered beer for sale, the viewing area for the water skiing group that offered free weekly performances for the veterans, and the museum to which he donated his "war trophies" of Swastika arm bands taken from Nazi soldiers that he had killed. He told us he had three of them, which I never doubted as he landed "D plus three", three days after D Day, June 9, 1944, when he landed in Normandy France from north Africa.
Working at King felt like honoring my Grandpa in a way that no one else in my family could. At 1800 hours the bells chime for 10 minutes. The cottages where married couples lived when Grandpa was there are no longer habitable due to asbestos and lead paint. They can't be torn down because of the asbestos exposure risk, so they are left to rot where they stand. I frequently drive past them looking for a parking spot, lace curtains and flower beds still there. It evokes such a sense of longing and sadness that prompts me to park in the field across the street rather than violate the memories of the couples who previously lived there.
My first week of full time work at VHRP (Veterans Home and Recovery Program) started on June 17, 2019. As with any new job, my first week was spent getting to know the veterans who would be on my clinical caseload, i.e., veterans with a mental health or AODA diagnoses. On Thursday, June 20, 2019 the Site Director was "walked out" from her position. This sent up red flags for the Case Manager I share an office with. On Friday, June 21st our Executive Director told the staff, (me, the Case Manager, Administrative Assistant, and Driver/Chef) to either be at the office or be available by telephone for a conference call held at Stordock Hall at 1600 hours. We were instructed to bring our personal items with us as we were directed not to return to the 2nd floor of MacArthur Hall where we worked.
That was when all of us were told that the second year of our program grant was revoked and our program was scheduled to end on September 30, 2019. There are A LOT of political reasons I can direct you to if you are interested in why the WDVA (Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs) stopped funding the grant we had received for 2 years (reapplication required by 09-29-20). Please contact me if you are interested in informing other veteran's organizations about our program closure. Regardless, I was offered a Clinical Case Manager position that happened to open up at the VHRP location in Green Bay. Needless to say I took that position and am in the process of dividing my time between King and Green Bay.
Thank God we didn't sign a lease for a totally kick ass townhouse in Waupaca. We have signed a lease for a side-by-side duplex in Green Bay and will spend the month of August moving from Menasha to Green Bay. We have scheduled movers for 08-16-19 and will spend that weekend arranging our new home in Green Bay.
I do, however, have a commitment to the program in King until 09-30-19, which happens to be our 14th wedding anniversary. I will be there until 2359 come hell or high water as I know my coworkers will be. We are currently working hard to ensure that every veteran in our King program will be placed in stable housing, whether that be in another program or supported independent housing.
For me, I will be traveling between our home in Menasha to King or from our home in Green Bay to the VHRP in Green Bay or from there to King.
King continues to feel like home to me. Part of Grandpa Porath's soul still lives there, despite years of being reunited with my Grandma Porath in Wausau. When a veteran arrives at King, likely to spend his last days, weeks, or years of his life surrounded by his brother veterans, the announcement of "another American hero has joined us us here at King" is made throughout every residence hall, including the second floor of MacArthur Hall. I can only hope that announcement was made when my grandfather arrived there, to spend his final years with his brother veterans.
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