We have run into the same exact issue with reps being on vacation. They don't tell anyone or have anyone fill in to help their clients. We had a gap of time where we could not get any communication back and it was very frustrating. It seems like common sense when someone goes on vacation to have others fill their role but it doesn't happen or maybe we both just got unlucky right?
As far as only seeing your own pipelines this is true for most users but realm admins can see all of them. There is a thing similar to "Test as another user" that lets you view their pipelines. The functionality is there but it is currently hidden from all except the highest permissioned on your realm. I don't understand why this limitation is in place.
