Tech Support (OT)

[jmcquown[_2_]]

Just need to vent a little. I bought a Compaq (HP) Presario notebook PC on
Wednesday from Best Buy. Since I'm used to a MS Natural (split) keyboard I
bought one of those, too. (Trying to type on a cramped notebook keyboard
drives me nuts!)

Okay, the box the keyboard came in said Windows Vista is a supported opsys.
The instructions said install the keyboard software first. First I had to
d/l an update for this model keyboard from the MS website. Then I tried to
run the installation and got a message that it's only compatible with XP s/p
4. I called HP tech support. After navigating my way through the
voice-recognition menu system I finally got to a person... in India, of
course. Without so much as the pretense of trying to help me he said, "Oh
well, it won't work so you'll have to return the keyboard to the store."
Gee, thanks so much for nothing.

I called Best Buy. The man said, "Why don't you try turning off the
computer, plug in the keyboard, boot it up and see if it finds it?" Now why
didn't I think of that?! LOL Windows detected the keyboard, did it's thing
and the keyboard works perfectly.

I have no earthly idea what these huge corporations think they are doing
(other than saving themselves a bundle) by outsourcing tech resources to
countries like India and the Phillipines. I have only on very rare
occasions gotten anyone in a tech support capacity who had the slightest
clue what they were doing (or even what I was talking about). The
corporations are not only short-changing their customers, they're also
putting a lot of very qualified people out of work. It ticks me off in a
big way.

Jill

[Outsider]

"jmcquown" > wrote in
:

> Just need to vent a little. I bought a Compaq (HP) Presario notebook
> PC on Wednesday from Best Buy. Since I'm used to a MS Natural (split)
> keyboard I bought one of those, too. (Trying to type on a cramped
> notebook keyboard drives me nuts!)
>
> Okay, the box the keyboard came in said Windows Vista is a supported
> opsys. The instructions said install the keyboard software first.
> First I had to d/l an update for this model keyboard from the MS
> website. Then I tried to run the installation and got a message that
> it's only compatible with XP s/p 4. I called HP tech support. After
> navigating my way through the voice-recognition menu system I finally
> got to a person... in India, of course. Without so much as the
> pretense of trying to help me he said, "Oh well, it won't work so
> you'll have to return the keyboard to the store." Gee, thanks so much
> for nothing.
>
> I called Best Buy. The man said, "Why don't you try turning off the
> computer, plug in the keyboard, boot it up and see if it finds it?"
> Now why didn't I think of that?! LOL Windows detected the keyboard,
> did it's thing and the keyboard works perfectly.
>
> I have no earthly idea what these huge corporations think they are
> doing (other than saving themselves a bundle) by outsourcing tech
> resources to countries like India and the Phillipines. I have only on
> very rare occasions gotten anyone in a tech support capacity who had
> the slightest clue what they were doing (or even what I was talking
> about). The corporations are not only short-changing their customers,
> they're also putting a lot of very qualified people out of work. It
> ticks me off in a big way.
>
> Jill
>
>


It is kind of a thankless trade, tek support. Difficult in the best
situation. Cripple it with low bandwidth voice connnections, thick
accents and poorly trained call handlers and you might be better off
shotting your customers. At least they would be out of their misery.

I no longer directly manage the help desk where I am employed but I keep
my hand in it a little. It can be very frustrating trying to get
answerers to treat people correctly. So many people who are good with
computers just don't get the "pain" of the user. They need a good dose
of empathy to do tek support well.

/speech

Andy

[jmcquown[_2_]]

"Outsider" > wrote in message
...
> "jmcquown" > wrote in
> :
>
>> Just need to vent a little. I bought a Compaq (HP) Presario notebook
>> PC on Wednesday from Best Buy. Since I'm used to a MS Natural (split)
>> keyboard I bought one of those, too. (Trying to type on a cramped
>> notebook keyboard drives me nuts!)
>>
>> Okay, the box the keyboard came in said Windows Vista is a supported
>> opsys. The instructions said install the keyboard software first.
>> First I had to d/l an update for this model keyboard from the MS
>> website. Then I tried to run the installation and got a message that
>> it's only compatible with XP s/p 4. I called HP tech support. After
>> navigating my way through the voice-recognition menu system I finally
>> got to a person... in India, of course. Without so much as the
>> pretense of trying to help me he said, "Oh well, it won't work so
>> you'll have to return the keyboard to the store." Gee, thanks so much
>> for nothing.
>>
>> I called Best Buy. The man said, "Why don't you try turning off the
>> computer, plug in the keyboard, boot it up and see if it finds it?"
>> Now why didn't I think of that?! LOL Windows detected the keyboard,
>> did it's thing and the keyboard works perfectly.
>>
>> I have no earthly idea what these huge corporations think they are
>> doing (other than saving themselves a bundle) by outsourcing tech
>> resources to countries like India and the Phillipines. I have only on
>> very rare occasions gotten anyone in a tech support capacity who had
>> the slightest clue what they were doing (or even what I was talking
>> about). The corporations are not only short-changing their customers,
>> they're also putting a lot of very qualified people out of work. It
>> ticks me off in a big way.
>>
>> Jill
>>
>
> It is kind of a thankless trade, tek support. Difficult in the best
> situation. Cripple it with low bandwidth voice connnections, thick
> accents and poorly trained call handlers and you might be better off
> shotting your customers. At least they would be out of their misery.
>

I'm well aware of what a (usually) thankless job it is. I did phone tech
support for 15 years (11 at my last job). Even when I wasn't officially a
tech support analyst I was always the "go to" person in the office. So I
certainly know what the job entails. This dude didn't even put me on hold
and *pretend* he was checking into anything!

> I no longer directly manage the help desk where I am employed but I keep
> my hand in it a little. It can be very frustrating trying to get
> answerers to treat people correctly. So many people who are good with
> computers just don't get the "pain" of the user. They need a good dose
> of empathy to do tek support well.
>

Yep. I'm a techie kind of person. But as a PC user from way back in the
day when they only had two 5-1/4 floppy drives (hell, I remember using 8
inch floppies on one system and when I took programming courses in college
it was done on punch cards!) I know how frustrating it is for the end user
when something doesn't work. I am skilled at gauging the level of knowledge
of the caller with a few simple questions so I'd know just how much to "dumb
down" my answers if need be. I also knew when not to insult the callers'
intelligence by treating them as if they were dumb as a bunch of rocks!

That's another thing about phoning for tech support that bugs me. I'll
explain my problem and give explicit detail about what I've attempted to fix
the problem before calling. I don't know if it's the language barrier or
what. If I've told you I shut down the computer and did a hard boot, or I
recycled the modem, or checked X, Y and Z in the setup, I don't appreciate
being told to do all of that stuff again. Don't patronize me as if I'm some
ignorant child. It's a waste of my time and theirs (and no wonder callers
sit in the call queue for 15 minutes before someone takes the call!) and
never resolves the actual issue; if it was going to I wouldn't have had to
call.

Jill

[Lesley]

On Feb 15, 4:09*pm, "jmcquown" > wrote:
*After navigating my way through the
> voice-recognition menu system I finally got to a person... in India, of
> course. *

Dave always finds it funny when he gets sales calls and someone with
an obvious Indian accent says "Hi my name is George" (or some English
name)

My good friend Hugh was on the phone to his bank once and
conversationally he asked "And how is the weather in Mumbai today?"

The reply was "Not bad it's almost monsoon time...errr how did you
guess?"

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

[Outsider]

"jmcquown" > wrote in

...I don't know if it's the
> language barrier or what. If I've told you I shut down the computer
> and did a hard boot, or I recycled the modem, or checked X, Y and Z in
> the setup, I don't appreciate being told to do all of that stuff
> again. Don't patronize me as if I'm some ignorant child. It's a
> waste of my time and theirs (and no wonder callers sit in the call
> queue for 15 minutes before someone takes the call!) and never
> resolves the actual issue; if it was going to I wouldn't have had to
> call.
>
> Jill
>
>


It's not the language barrier. They are not taught to gauge the callers
level. Most of the people who answer the phonr are only as "smart" as the
database in front of them and the people who programed the database.
Wouldn't it be nice if one of the first questions they asked was what your
skill level was? Most people know the answer and are honest about it but
have you ever been asked that? At my org we already know most of the
caller (at least the staff) so we know that answer. The full time
technicians (as opposed to student workers) can gauge their questions and
answers to that skill level. As you say, it is VERY iritating to be walked
through rebooting a computer or modem when your first statement is that it
was just done. If course we have had callers who turned their monitor off
and then on and thought they had rebooted their computer but I digress...

Andy

[Lesley]

On Feb 16, 8:40*am, Outsider > wrote:
. *If course we have had callers who turned their monitor off
> and then on and thought they had rebooted their computer but I digress...


My friend Matt worked for a time as tech support to a PC shop and he
had the winner, this really indignant person called demanding to know
why he wasn't there yet!

Turned out she'd got stuck installing something on her new PC and when
it said "Press F1 for help" she had done so thinking this would alert
the shop to send someone round to help her

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

[jmcquown[_2_]]

"Lesley" > wrote in message
...
On Feb 16, 8:40 am, Outsider > wrote:
.. If course we have had callers who turned their monitor off
> and then on and thought they had rebooted their computer but I digress...


My friend Matt worked for a time as tech support to a PC shop and he
had the winner, this really indignant person called demanding to know
why he wasn't there yet!

Turned out she'd got stuck installing something on her new PC and when
it said "Press F1 for help" she had done so thinking this would alert
the shop to send someone round to help her

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

LOL I can almost top that. I actually had a caller (this was in the 1980's)
who got the message "Press any key to continue" ask me where the "any" key
was! My boss got such a kick out of it he picked up a set of joke keyboard
stickers when he was at Comdex; the one that fit on the Enter key was
labelled "Any Key" :)

Jill

[Lesley]

On Feb 16, 9:01*am, "jmcquown" > wrote:

>
> LOL I can almost top that. *I actually had a caller (this was in the 1980's)
> who got the message "Press any key to continue" ask me where the "any" key
> was

I think that does top that!

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

[Outsider]

Lesley > wrote in
:

> On Feb 16, 9:01*am, "jmcquown" > wrote:
>
>>
>> LOL I can almost top that. *I actually had a caller (this was in the
>> 198
> 0's)
>> who got the message "Press any key to continue" ask me where the
>> "any" key
>
>> was
>
> I think that does top that!
>
> Lesley
>
> Slave of the Fabulous Furballs
>

I don't know. F1; where the heck are you is pretty funny! That even beats
out the cup holder!

Andy

[jmcquown[_2_]]

"Outsider" > wrote in message
...
> Lesley > wrote in
> :
>
>> On Feb 16, 9:01 am, "jmcquown" > wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> LOL I can almost top that. I actually had a caller (this was in the
>>> 198
>> 0's)
>>> who got the message "Press any key to continue" ask me where the
>>> "any" key
>>
>>> was
>>
>> I think that does top that!
>>
>> Lesley
>>
>> Slave of the Fabulous Furballs
>>
>
> I don't know. F1; where the heck are you is pretty funny! That even
> beats
> out the cup holder!
>
> Andy

You have to wonder how she thought the F1 key, had it actually had the
capability of "calling" someone, would know exactly who to call and how it
would be able to tell them where she was without a little input from her :)

Jill

[Lesley]

On Feb 16, 11:07*am, Outsider > wrote:

>
> I don't know. *F1; where the heck are you is pretty funny! *That even beats
> out the cup holder!
>
>

One of my friends (another IT guy for some reason I know a lot of IT
people) has actually seen someone using their CDROM drive as a cup
holder!

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

[jmcquown[_2_]]

"Lesley" > wrote in message
...
On Feb 16, 11:07 am, Outsider > wrote:

>
> I don't know. F1; where the heck are you is pretty funny! That even beats
> out the cup holder!
>
>

One of my friends (another IT guy for some reason I know a lot of IT
people) has actually seen someone using their CDROM drive as a cup
holder!

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

Do you suppose when it breaks he'll call to complain about how flimsy the
cup holder is? LOL

Jill

[jmcquown[_2_]]

"Outsider" > wrote in message
...
> "jmcquown" > wrote in
>
> ..I don't know if it's the
>> language barrier or what. If I've told you I shut down the computer
>> and did a hard boot, or I recycled the modem, or checked X, Y and Z in
>> the setup, I don't appreciate being told to do all of that stuff
>> again. Don't patronize me as if I'm some ignorant child. It's a
>> waste of my time and theirs (and no wonder callers sit in the call
>> queue for 15 minutes before someone takes the call!) and never
>> resolves the actual issue; if it was going to I wouldn't have had to
>> call.
>>
>> Jill
>>
>
> It's not the language barrier. They are not taught to gauge the callers
> level. Most of the people who answer the phonr are only as "smart" as the
> database in front of them and the people who programed the database.
> Wouldn't it be nice if one of the first questions they asked was what your
> skill level was? Most people know the answer and are honest about it but
> have you ever been asked that?

Nope, no one has ever asked. As long as we have to go through those
annoying phone menu systems why not add an option to your select skill
level? "If you admit you need to read 'Computers for Dummies' press or say
1".

> At my org we already know most of the
> caller (at least the staff) so we know that answer. The full time
> technicians (as opposed to student workers) can gauge their questions and
> answers to that skill level.

Yes, in my last job I was supporting proprietary software used by employees
of the company nationwide. We all pretty much knew the skillset of the
callers. I remember one user particular in particular who would call me and
say, "Jill, someone released untested code again; tell them to send out a
fix for whatever they thought they were fixing!" LOL

> As you say, it is VERY iritating to be walked
> through rebooting a computer or modem when your first statement is that it
> was just done. If course we have had callers who turned their monitor off
> and then on and thought they had rebooted their computer but I digress...
>
> Andy

Ever hear the one about the person who called for support because her
computer screen suddenly went black? Turned out to be an overall power
outage... gee, if you can't turn on the lights how do you expect the
computer to work unless you have a UPS? This story may be an urban legend
but it wouldn't surprise me to find out it's true. A lot of people think
the "any key" thing is an urban legend, too. Nope, it happened to ME!

Jill <-- who thinks it's great fun to be part of the whole tech support did
it really happen? club :)

[MatSav]

"Outsider" > wrote in message
...
> Lesley > wrote in
> :
>
>> On Feb 16, 9:01 am, "jmcquown" > wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> LOL I can almost top that. I actually had a caller (this was
>>> in the
>>> 198
>> 0's)
>>> who got the message "Press any key to continue" ask me where
>>> the
>>> "any" key
>>
>>> was
>>
>> I think that does top that!
>>
>> Lesley
>>
>> Slave of the Fabulous Furballs
>>
>
> I don't know. F1; where the heck are you is pretty funny!
> That even beats
> out the cup holder!
>
> Andy

<FX: Beep-Beep! [POST boot-up check] > "Keyboard Error or
Keyboard not present. Press F1 to continue." :-)

--
MatSav

[Outsider]

"jmcquown" > wrote in


>>
>> Andy
>
> Ever hear the one about the person who called for support because her
> computer screen suddenly went black? Turned out to be an overall
> power outage... gee, if you can't turn on the lights how do you expect
> the computer to work unless you have a UPS? This story may be an
> urban legend but it wouldn't surprise me to find out it's true. A lot
> of people think the "any key" thing is an urban legend, too. Nope, it
> happened to ME!
>
> Jill <-- who thinks it's great fun to be part of the whole tech
> support did it really happen? club :)
>
>

Plus we sure get a lot of mileage out of these things. Not a few days go
by we don't ask one of the teks if they told the caller to press the any
key or if they had the caller check the cup holder. Ok, now that I put it
to words we do sound pretty geeked out.

Andy