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Post by gordonalfg on Mar 13, 2006 13:39:36 GMT
Unable to log on this morning. From 9.10 continually trying and also on phone to helpdesk but still nothing. First mot customer got fed up and left to try somewhere else. Eventually managed to perform start up and register next test at 10.35.
1.5 hrs wasted with no reply from help desk and after a phone call to local area office, they promised to phone me back. Still waiting. Still cannot get through to help desk after continually trying all morning, just to let them know how happy I am, going to keep trying this afternoon and see if they are going to compensate me for loss of income, as well as the constant phone calls I have made using my mobile to get through while the vts device tried to comunicate.
Happy days, first failure I have had but hopefully the last.
What use is a help desk if we cannot get through when we need to.
"WE ARE UNABLE TO ANSWER YOUR CALL JUST NOW, ALL OPERATORS ARE BUSY, PLEASE TRY AGAIN LATER" is no good when you are stood about with customers waiting.
Gordon
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rebel
Nominated Tester
Posts: 32
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Post by rebel on Mar 13, 2006 13:53:25 GMT
I too had problems logging on this morning.
The system was very slow to connect, but eventually progressed after several redial attempts.
Seems to have got better during the morning though.
I didn't even try calling the help desk, If it's anything more than a very local problem you'll never get through to them!
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Post by ianwills on Mar 13, 2006 14:03:29 GMT
got the emergency number at gone 11am ? i think for future refrence we should post the number on here ?? i got mine from vosa
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daveh
Authorised Examiner
My snooker room
Posts: 87
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Post by daveh on Mar 13, 2006 14:25:26 GMT
Apparently the fault has been caused by testing stations turning off their device's over the weekend when Siemens (to**ers) were trying to upgrade the system, so now the system was trying to do all the downloads this morning and slowed everything down. I have been trying to get through on the help desk since 09.10 this morning, when I finally got to speak to someone, 1.00 pm, I told her the system was "crap" when it didn't work and she told me off for swearing, when I said I hadn't sworn she hung up on me (obviously having a bad day) another hour wasted getting through to be told to carry out "partial emergency testing" What a FARCE Dave
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graham
Nominated Tester
Posts: 331
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Post by graham on Mar 13, 2006 15:48:48 GMT
Same here, and I assumed that was the reason. I bet a very large % of stations never check messages so didn't even know there was an update due. About time they found another way of announcing them.
My tester logged in OK just after 9 but took 40 mins to log in again after finishing the test. The customer was a little pissed off by now and said he would come back tomorrow for the cert.
Trouble is you are sooooo helpless.
Graham
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Post by baz657 on Mar 13, 2006 15:58:01 GMT
Tried to log on a test - failed.
Retried to log the test - already testing.
Tried to synchronise card (gave up trying to get through to help desk) - something happened but dont know what.
Rang help desk - heard the message about not trying to syncronise cards, reboot, etc and use spare cards........ grrrrrrr
Rebooted, spare wouldn't change details (test already in progress - I wished) - Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Emergency testing in progress so the message on the helpdesk now said.
Great, but the customers by this time had got bored and gone away. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
So now I'm stuck on emergency testing, no cards working, and one big headache.
Is it a coincidence that all this happens just after an update comes into force?
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Rob
Nominated Tester
Posts: 279
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Post by Rob on Mar 13, 2006 18:44:44 GMT
Same happened to me, I tried to log on the third test of the day, the VTS device just kept dialling and disconnecting, eventually it told me that I was already testing a car, although it hadn't given me the VSI details, or let me print a VT40. So I carried on with the test hoping it would let me enter the test results. Tried to enter test results and was told that no vehicles were held on my Smart card. Tried to ring the help desk, was in a stupid queue for nearly 40 minutes, but gave up and rung the local VOSA office, who told me to use the Emergency testing pack, and gave me the incident number. I did four tests on emergency, after each test trying to find out if the system was working ok, the VTS device said it was, but my card still wouldn't let me enter results or log on for a new test. Eventually I got throught to Siemens, who took off the test from the system that was causing me the problem, and luckily it worked, and I started testing as per normal, after losing 3 test slots, due to spending too much time on the phone and writing out loads of paperwork.
Later on, when we had no more tests to do, I tried entering the Emergency tests onto the VTS device, but a message came up saying that the Emergency Incident number didn't exist. Once again I rang the help desk, to be told that the incident number hadn't been logged on the system, as some stations were still not up and running. They told me to try in the morning. Lets hope they sort things out, so that updates don't stuff the system again. Totally p*ssed off, what an awful day.
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Steven
Nominated Tester
Posts: 131
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Post by Steven on Mar 13, 2006 19:56:32 GMT
Sounds like you guys had a nightmare of a day. I wasn't testing today, but a colleague did the 4 tests we had booked in with no problems whatsover.
At the end of the day, I was suprised to read these posts so tried logging into the MOT device with my card. I chose the Synchronise (f3) option so that I could read messages, but the system came back with the error code ZU23372 saying that the 'Function cannot be used for this location'. I rang the help desk number, got the recorded message to say that Partial Emergency Testing had been invoked.
These faults do seem to coincide with the software updates, so there is something that Siemens need to sort out... AND SOON!
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Tom
Nominated Tester
Posts: 227
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Post by Tom on Mar 13, 2006 20:09:09 GMT
There should be a system where we can self-invoke Emergency Testing of some description.
Trying for 3 hrs to get through to Siemens or VOSA is just not acceptable.
May I suggest you all write down the details of your experiences today and send it in to your VOSA local office or to Bristol HQ. Mentioning the C-word (Compensation) will make them sit up & listen...
It's annoying that when this situation arises we cannot test. The test bay stays empty, testers can't do anything and Joe Public hasn't a clue what's happening. Some customers who take their car elsewhere to be tested may find that they are testing - making you look like someone who just can't use the MOT computer!
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Post by ncynotts on Mar 13, 2006 21:01:21 GMT
We had the same problem today between 9am and 11. vts device was slow first thing, but back up to full speed by lunch. Why can't we just revert back to manual testing when this happens, then enter results at end of day? customers think your taking the p1$$ when you say you can't test their car because Siemens wont answer the phone....
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Rob
Nominated Tester
Posts: 279
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Post by Rob on Mar 13, 2006 23:04:12 GMT
The guy I spoke to on the help desk told me that because there were so many stations who had turned their VTS devices off over the weekend, the central computer was trying to send out all their updates as they came online, so the rest of us had to suffer, because the server had become overloaded with calls to log on tests. Apparantly this is what caused the Synchronise Card facility to crash, he said it was like trying to fit every 1000 calls into 100 available slots. I can't see any reason why anyone wouldn't read their messages, it's the first thing we do in the morning, I log on for Start Up, and then the AEDM logs on to check for messages. To be honest, there's no excuse for not checking your messages, and we've always been told to leave the VTS device switched on at night and over the weekend, for updates and other functions. I'm of the opinion, if it's proved that it was these stations who caused the problem with the servers, they should face some sort of disciplinary action. We lost four test slots today, only one has rebooked, plus I'll lose a slot in the morning, because I've got to enter all the emergency tests into the system, and then reissue three pass certificates for the customers who were lucky enough to have had their car tested.
Seeing as it was only a partial emergency incident, and the problems it caused have been pretty annoying, can you imagine what it would be like if the complete system went t*ts up, and every test station had to go into emergency testing?
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wingnut
Nominated Tester
Posts: 186
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Post by wingnut on Mar 14, 2006 6:13:18 GMT
Rob i second that. Dicsiplinary action would be the way forward. why should others that carry out correct procedure suffer from others that do not. What has this cost to those that do leave on and read messages.
VTS devices in my opinion should be left on due to the more than some damp envionment of many.
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spanner
Nominated Tester
Posts: 191
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Post by spanner on Mar 14, 2006 7:52:05 GMT
We were one of the lucky ones by the looks of it. Had 7 tests throughout the day 4 of them in morning and had no problems. Same today fully booked so hope all go's well.
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graham
Nominated Tester
Posts: 331
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Post by graham on Mar 14, 2006 9:25:43 GMT
Personally I think there are 2 problems. They announce there is to be updated too early and people forget, also that you have to tick to keep the message.
Would be better if there was a page listing a summary of the messages and hyper link them to popup boxes with the full message. On the summary page there would be check boxes so you could delete the ones you don't want rather than have to tick to keep.
The simplist would be to say that we have to leave the computer on the FIRST weekend of every month and fit the updates around that.
Graham
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Post by baz657 on Mar 14, 2006 10:16:58 GMT
If we had quicker modems, the amount of time spent receiving updates wouldn't be as long - problem solved I still cant log on today - neither my own smart card or the spare will work, so in between ermergency testing, I've finally managed to get through to the helpline. Now I'm waiting for a phone call from the software support team to activate the spare - my own card is now defunct because when I changed to the spare, I put down the original was damaged (it wasn't missing!) and that makes it null and void. So, once I get the spare up and running, I'll have to use that until my new one comes in. I hope that doesn't count towards the free allocation of cards we get or there will be more hell to pay.
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wingnut
Nominated Tester
Posts: 186
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Post by wingnut on Mar 14, 2006 11:24:55 GMT
And now to querry my post above leaving computor on. How are with regard to the small print in some insurance policys about all electrical components should be switched off at the end of the working day.
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addy
Nominated Tester
Posts: 76
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Post by addy on Mar 14, 2006 13:12:44 GMT
hi i had the same fault yesterday and it took me 2 hrs to get through on the helpline i asked what was the prob and they didnt know or how to fix it advised to keep logging on every 5 mins .when i mentioned we had at least 7 tests to do and is there anyway of compensation they then came up with emergency testing fall back i said thats ok but its just taken 2 hours to get through and that would mean 4 hrs per test 2hrs to log 2hrs to give the results anyway a said forget it and ten mins after all ok its seems to mondays when the faults happen and we never turn our device off cant wait for next time addy
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yanno
Nominated Tester
Posts: 76
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Post by yanno on Mar 14, 2006 19:32:21 GMT
much the same as has been said previously! off all morning until 11:45-my local office wouldnt give me an emergency no but gave me the adress for compensation, said i had to send a copy to my local area office too we lost 5 slots so dont know if my boss will bother?? but i agree that we all should send in! grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
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Post by gordonalfg on Mar 14, 2006 21:34:33 GMT
Glad I am not the only one who has had problems. I tried all day yesterday to get through to the help desk and all day I got the message of being busy and try later. Well you can imagine my amusement this afternoon when I went to register a partial retest before my last mot of the day. Got warning that I was already testing another vehicle I would think I should know a bit better that the computer Thought brilliant, time to phone the helpdesk again, and 25 minutes on hold later, I managed to get through. Eventually got told there was a blockage on my card and that they would clear it. I also mentioned about lost income and wasted time to the lady I spoke to, and was told nothing to do with them, to take it up with my local office. So between yesterday and today, over 2 hrs of wasted time, one lost test and god knows howmuch my mobile bill will be at the end of the month. Makes me wonder what will happen if this system goes completely belly up across the whole country and they cannot sort it for a few days or even weeks. Will be complete chaos. Happy days ;D
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addy
Nominated Tester
Posts: 76
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Post by addy on Mar 20, 2006 15:14:33 GMT
hello again the sh te system has crashed again and i can not even get to talk to anyone well p ssed off 3 more to do and its 3 o clock addy
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