tech support call

[Pepsi90919]

you don't know what "literally" means do you

 

[DrPizza]

lmao, my last tech support call, I got lucky... the guy spent 5 minutes trying to explain (with broken Indian accent) how to switch the cord from my monitor to my power supply before I figured out where he was going with the idea...

I told him: "I already used a multimeter to check, it's fine."

After which he basically said "take everything apart"
followed by "oh, then your motherboard is dead. You need a new one and your warranty for parts is expired"

It was the power supply.

 

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: DJFuji

Originally posted by: Amaroque
I get the same crap from Comcast. They ask me what brand my PC is. I tell them ASUS (the A7N8X is hooked up by the modem). They get all confused. "Is that like a Dell?" NO! I built it!

Then of course they insist I clear the browser cache, and delete all the cookies (some of which I need for auto logins).

I hate when they try to tell me it's my computer. I ask them how three computers suddenly have no connectivity, even directly connected to the modem, bypassing the router? "Then your modem is faulty" :|

lol @ "is that like a Dell?"

I have adelphia. Good to know other cable/ISP companies are also worthless and incompetent. Adelphia goes down on a monthly basis.

It's gotten to the point where I call them and tell them they're having problems with my area and to note it so that they don't ask the 40 million other customers who will be calling soon to "reboot their computer." At one point I asked a CSR to note on my account for customer service not to bother walking me through their little "reboot the modem and the computer" script in the future. If i could solve the problem that easily, I wouldn't be freakin' calling.

Dude, you just have to trick them. Its easy.

Adelphia tech: Ok, you need to reboot your computer.
Me: Right, doing so now.
Me: Beep! *robot voice* rebooting...rebooting...rebooting...systems online.
Me: She's back up and running.

 

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: geno

Originally posted by: hjo3
When you write "he literally shocked me," I expect to read an interesting story about how he came to your house and tasered you. Not some indignant account about how some phone-jockey was a little terse with you.

This fails.

yeah, recheck your definition of "literally" please

Seriously. This was a big let down. I was expecting a story where he tricked you into sticking your hand into a running PSU or something.

This post was, figuratively, a big let down.

 

[tfinch2]

This thread literally sucks!

 

[flot]

I was hoping they had somehow perfected the "remote zap" feature on the phone, so that when someone called me and asked a dumb question I could press a button and unleash 70,000v from the headset.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

When you're a tech and you get customers asking the same goddamn stupid question over and over and over again, it gets old. If customers would just explain what the problem is, then STFU and do what techs ask, everybody would be happier. The tech's call times would be lower so they wouldn't be pressured to do a crappy job to get off the call by management (yes, call center management is worse than the actual dumbass customers). The techs wouldn't have to listen to everybody ask "why" and want a huge explanation of why windows sometimes takes a dump and needs to be rebooted and how they're just covering their bases.

Granted when the modem lights are not showing connectivity to the ISP, they shouldn't waste time having you reboot your computer, but it's all of 4 seconds to click "shut down" in windows -and, unless you've got a computer from the stone age or so much crap installed that windows is unstable (in many cases this is THE reason customers can't browse), it's not going to take more than 2 minutes to start up. Just STFU and do it.

*sigh*

Sorry. I've paid my debt to society by working in call centers for years. I freaking hate customers who call because they want to get their computer back on the internet, but ask 137598714039810395710837424 questions about what you're doing and expect you to answer them instead of doing your job by getting them back online and moving to the next customer. It's not our job to educate your dumb ass. If you want to know how something works or why you should do something, wait until the end of the call when we get your computer back online, and look it up your own damn lazy dumbass self!

Oh and don't give me that crap about giving you poor service and taking forever to answer your call. You're hearing a little attitude in my voice because you're the 80th call I've taken today with each one asking the same STUPID question that you're asking. Your modem is sync'd with the ISP and is passing traffic. Your CAT5 is connected to the PC. Your PC is the problem but you refuse to believe that your computer could possibly be the problem because you've got the latest version of AOL installed (it MUST be a flawless computer! AOL has new virus protection!). The reason it took me so goddamn long to get to you is because every other customer is asking me all these fvcking stupid questions, bucking heads with me, refusing to just STFU and do what I ask --JUST LIKE YOU'RE DOING RIGHT THE FVCK NOW.

*steam coming out ears*

...good friggin grief am I glad to be out of those hell holes. :roll:

 

[imported_Phil]

Originally posted by: Nik
<snip rant>

...good friggin grief am I glad to be out of those hell holes. :roll:

I hear you
I used to do the same sort of thing, but in person and retail, too. You can't hang up on arrogant people when they're standing in front of you :|

 

[venk]

Originally posted by: hjo3
When you write "he literally shocked me," I expect to read an interesting story about how he came to your house and tasered you. Not some indignant account about how some phone-jockey was a little terse with you.

This fails.

QFT

 

[Mayfriday0529]

Originally posted by: tami
so my internet had crapped out about 4 hours ago and i was determined to get it back, even though the cable modem was rebooted about 8248284 times and the lights on the modem were not indicating any connectivity.

i called time warner, and i explained the problem. the guy told me to unplug the modem. at that point, even though i did it 2848248 times prior, i did, and i waited for further instructions.

"turn off your computer," he told me. (first of all, he didn't even ask if the ethernet cable was plugged into my computer, but whatever.) so i said "why?" (any idiot should know you don't need to turn off a computer to establish connectivity. it's not like i was using windows 95 or a pre PnP-OS.)

he said antagonistically, "fine, do whatever you want!"

that comment alone completely shocked me. this guy is working for time warner. he is either supposed to explain the motivation behind whatever instructions he was saying -- but not to go all smart-arsed on me and say rude comments to the consumer. i basically gave him 5 more minutes, where he finally said "oh, it's not gonna work. i need to get a technician out there on tuesday" and then i hung up.

needless to say, i'm online after my own testing and debugging, but that guy really disturbed me.

it's too bad i didn't take it to a supervisor. i really should've.

cliff's:
- stupid time warner cable guy was rude on the phone. i was shocked.

kbye.

Even though somewhat i agree with you and have gone through the same process with the cable company, i would not blame the tech guy, probably having a bad day.

 

[meltdown75]

B!tchy techs are funny.

 

[Linux23]

I got to say that I agree 1000% with Nik.

Why can't customers just shut their fvcking pie holes and let techs fix the problem first without interrupting every 5 seconds to ask a question.:|

Why call me if you already know the answer to the problem?

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Originally posted by: Linux23
I got to say that I agree 1000% with Nik.

Why can't customers just shut their fvcking pie holes and let techs fix the problem first without interrupting every 5 seconds to ask a question.:|

Why call me if you already know the answer to the problem?

Bingo. I loved the guys who would call and the first thing out of their mouth after I answer the calls is "Hi. I'm a network admin and..."

:laugh:

First of all, nobody friggin cares if you're a network admin or not. If you've reinstalled the NIC, client, and protocol, verified physical connections, power cycled your modem, checked whether you're getting an IP or not, and you're still not getting your PC to connect to the net, then say so when the call starts. We don't care how many thousands of dollars you spent on an education. However, we DO care if you say that you're a network admin and, when we ask a very simple "test-question" like if you've reinstalled TCP/IP, you pause and go "uh... what's that" :laugh:

Those guys RULE. I love screwing with them.

 

[Amaroque]

Originally posted by: Linux23
I got to say that I agree 1000% with Nik.

Why can't customers just shut their fvcking pie holes and let techs fix the problem first without interrupting every 5 seconds to ask a question.:|

Why call me if you already know the answer to the problem?

I wouldn't even waste my time calling before I did the standard troubleshooting myself...

I don't need a "tech" to tell me to unplug my modem, and plug it back in. :disgust:

Why can't tech's realize that there are other brands besides Dell? Why can't the tech's understand that if I built my computer, that I know a bit more then the standard "Joe six pack"?

Oh, and I question my confidence in a "tech" that is utterly confused by the word ASUS.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Originally posted by: Amaroque

Originally posted by: Linux23
I got to say that I agree 1000% with Nik.

Why can't customers just shut their fvcking pie holes and let techs fix the problem first without interrupting every 5 seconds to ask a question.:|

Why call me if you already know the answer to the problem?

I wouldn't even waste my time calling before I did the standard troubleshooting myself...

I don't need a "tech" to tell me to unplug my modem, and plug it back in. :disgust:

Why can't tech's realize that there are other brands besides Dell? Why can't the tech's understand that if I built my computer, that I know a bit more then the standard "Joe six pack"?

Oh, and I question my confidence in a "tech" that is utterly confused by the word ASUS.

I am often humored by people who call themselves "techs" when all they're doing is billing and modem power cycling before passing the customer up to "tier 2". If you were a tech, you wouldn't be talking to people about their bills and getting confused when a modem power cycle doesn't fix the issue.

Customers should not assume that the person they're talking to is a know-it-all, but techs never *ever* assume that customers know anything about their computers. You saying that you built your computer doesn't do anything for me unless it's accompanied by "and here's the troubleshooting steps I've taken so far... blah blah blah" and you actually DO know what you're talking about. Saying you built your computer doesn't prove anything.

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: hjo3
When you write "he literally shocked me," I expect to read an interesting story about how he came to your house and tasered you. Not some indignant account about how some phone-jockey was a little terse with you.

This fails.

Same here. Big letdown.

 

[Amaroque]

Originally posted by: Nik
I am often humored by people who call themselves "techs" when all they're doing is billing and modem power cycling before passing the customer up to "tier 2". If you were a tech, you wouldn't be talking to people about their bills and getting confused when a modem power cycle doesn't fix the issue.

Customers should not assume that the person they're talking to is a know-it-all, but techs never *ever* assume that customers know anything about their computers. You saying that you built your computer doesn't do anything for me unless it's accompanied by "and here's the troubleshooting steps I've taken so far... blah blah blah" and you actually DO know what you're talking about. Saying you built your computer doesn't prove anything.

Actually, I've spoken with some of the higher level (non CS) tech's. I told him everything I've done, and that it's affecting more then one computer... No request to power cycle, clear caches and crap like that.

I admit, some of them are extremely knowledgeable. Giving me all sorts of information about the node I'm currently using, and current (up to the minute) network statistics...

Twice I've spoken with what Comcast calls a "Network Technician". I must say that I was impressed. Both times, I ended up on the phone talking (having a highly technical conversation) for about an hour. :Q

But better then 90% of the time I get the CS wannabe tech, that won't transfer me to a real technician, and they insist that I do all the remedial crap again (even though I told them that I just did). :roll:

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Originally posted by: Amaroque

Originally posted by: Nik
I am often humored by people who call themselves "techs" when all they're doing is billing and modem power cycling before passing the customer up to "tier 2". If you were a tech, you wouldn't be talking to people about their bills and getting confused when a modem power cycle doesn't fix the issue.

Customers should not assume that the person they're talking to is a know-it-all, but techs never *ever* assume that customers know anything about their computers. You saying that you built your computer doesn't do anything for me unless it's accompanied by "and here's the troubleshooting steps I've taken so far... blah blah blah" and you actually DO know what you're talking about. Saying you built your computer doesn't prove anything.

Actually, I've spoken with some of the higher level (non CS) tech's. I told him everything I've done, and that it's affecting more then one computer... No request to power cycle, clear caches and crap like that.

I admit, some of them are extremely knowledgeable. Giving me all sorts of information about the node I'm currently using, and current (up to the minute) network statistics...

Twice I've spoken with what Comcast calls a "Network Technician". I must say that I was impressed. Both times, I ended up on the phone talking (having a highly technical conversation) for about an hour. :Q

But better then 90% of the time I get the CS wannabe tech, that won't transfer me to a real technician, and they insist that I do all the remedial crap again (even though I told them that I just did). :roll:

I used to be one of those Comcast Tier2 techs. Tier1 is required to power cycle your modem if you can't connect, regardless of reason. Tier2 is required to power cycle your modem *again* regardless of the fact that Tier1 did it anyway.

Some of the things that techs do are because they're *required* to and will get FIRED if they repeatedly break the rules. This is a whole different battle. It's the battle between management and techs. More often than not, you'll get some douchebag (M4H says that's one word) in management who thinks Tier2 should do *everything* to get it fixed, regardless of how stupid, then the guy who actually *writes* the tech manual or step-by-step includes absolutely everything that you could possibly imagine that could be done. When he's finished writing it, Management in their so-called-greatness, says that techs are required to follow that step-by-step and tells Quality Control to mark down stuff that isn't followed directly by the techs and call the techs on it when they get their QC evaluations. Then the smart techs get pissed because they know what needs to get done and what doesn't but management doesn't care because they don't understand, which builds dissention between the employees and employers. The dumb/stupid techs go step-by-step and still may not solve the problem because they don't really know what's going on, which destroys trust in their trainers and management, so they end up getting pissed off and trying things on their own ... *sigh*

It's just one huge mess.