The Saga of the Shaw Box

March 8, 2012 (Day 3: Mischief Managed)

I have no idea if this page had any influence.  I’d like to think that it did.  As the photo to the right shows, somebody paid us a visit during the day yesterday and put the box back together.  After (possibly more than two years of it hanging open.

I have sent an email to the individuals involved at Shaw Cable who have worked to get this issue resolved, thanking them; and, given I chose to go public with this concern, I now also publicly thank Shaw for taking care of this issue so rapidly once I brought it to their attention.

That being said, the questions are now:

(a) Why did it take me four attempts to get the issue fixed?
(b) Why did I have to go public with it before seeing any results?
(c) Why did I need to contact Shaw about this at all?
(d) Why did Shaw initially write the problem off as “not-fixable until May” without initially coming to check the box and see what the problem was?

Of course, I don’t really expect these questions to actually get answered, but the Saga of the Shaw Box has now, finally, come to a close.

Thank God for that.

March 7, 2012 (Day 2)

Since I put this page up yesterday, Shaw has contacted me, both via Twitter, and in response to an email I sent out to the individual at the Shaw Office here in Calgary.  I responded to the guy on Twitter (since anyone can set up an account with any name they want, I’m always suspicious when people on Twitter ask me for things like my home address) saying that I would follow up if things in Calgary go nowhere.

From:  [redacted] Subject:  FW: (2nd Request) Fwd: Junction Box - Alley behind [redacted]
Date:  6 March, 2012 1:06:16 PM MST
To:  Steven Britton 

Sorry steve but the request has been made twice now

From: Construction Supervisors cgy
Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2012 1:02 PM
To: [redacted]
Subject: RE: (2nd Request) Fwd: Junction Box – Alley behind [redacted]

FYI

Almost all ped repairs are done during the digging season. 
This is when the frost is out  of the ground and is usually
from May – Nov.  The address has been added to our list to be
repaired this year.

To replace a damaged ped we usually have to dig down and
replace the metal stake that the ped is attached to.  It is
more expensive to do this type of work in the winter as the
ground is frozen.

We will send a tech by to check it out and if they can do the
repair without digging we will complete it right away.

Thx

From: [redacted]
Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2012 12:03 PM
To: Construction Supervisors cgy
Subject: FW: (2nd Request) Fwd: Junction Box – Alley behind [redacted]

Sorry about the second eMail about this situation with this
Junction box, but this still has not been fix,

Can you please send someone to check out please? thanks

So, as you can see, things have been sent back and forth within the Shaw company,

however as of this morning, the box is still hanging wide open.

They made a point in their internal emails (which were forwarded to me in the response to my second request) about possibly needing to dig, and, if so, then I’ll likely have to wait until May.  I can see their point – if they need to dig.  Looking at the issue, though, I can’t see how digging can be needed, as the box has simply fallen open!  It hinges at the bottom, which allows the technician access to add or remove filters from the coaxial cables located inside.

We shall see how this transpires…

March 6, 2012

We have a Shaw Cable junction box behind our house.  At least two years ago, the bolts came off and it fell open, exposing all the internal wiring to the elements.

I expected that, out of routine maintenance practices, Shaw Cable would come by and fix the box on their own accord.

They didn’t.

About a month ago now, I telephoned Shaw and asked when they were going to fix the box.  They said, “how do you know it’s ours?”

“Because it has a Shaw Cable sticker on it?” I responded.

“Oh, okay then.  I’ll email my supervisor and have someone drop by.”

Nothing happened.  So, two weeks ago, I dropped into the Shaw Cable building in Calgary, and showed them this photo:

The customer service guys at Shaw were very nice and polite, and also very concerned, because a box hanging open like this is a safety hazard.  It is also right in the path of my car for backing out of my garage.

They asked me to email them the photo, which I did.  They also said they’d likely have someone out the same day.

The next afternoon, when I saw nothing had happened, I emailed another photograph to the same gentleman:

In the email, I mentioned that I was lead to believe someone would be by the same day to fix it, and as of yet, nobody had been.

I asked for a follow-up and for him to reply to my email to let me know what was going on.

No response.  At all.

So now, today is Tuesday, March 6, and here is another photo of the box.

Given Shaw Cable seems unwilling to repair their property, I think it’s only reasonable that I chronicle their failure for all to see.  So I will be posting daily updates as to the sorry status of the box, how the elements are affecting the contents, and, as a result, the quality of Shaw Cable’s TV service in my neighbourhood.

TO THE STAFF AT SHAW:

You have received enough communications from me by now to know where I live and the location of this box.  Please contact me using the information you have on file if you need to know more.