TECH support.. could you handle it?

[Fritzo]

The national ISP I work for is actually taking a different approach to tech support and it seems to be working. We have a structure to our questions that prevents people from giving "It doesn't work" and forces them to give you all the information needed. Seems to work...we're #1 on FindanISP.com

Been doing this for 5 years now and it's not a bad gig. Especially after I watched some guys put a roof on the apartment building outside my office window.

 

[Viper GTS]

Originally posted by: Fritzo
The national ISP I work for is actually taking a different approach to tech support and it seems to be working. We have a structure to our questions that prevents people from giving "It doesn't work" and forces them to give you all the information needed. Seems to work...we're #1 on FindanISP.com

Been doing this for 5 years now and it's not a bad gig. Especially after I watched some guys put a roof on the apartment building outside my office window.

Can you give a few examples?

When you have absolutely no clue what's happening your first few questions have to be pretty vague.

Viper GTS

 

[lotust]

Originally posted by: Fritzo
The national ISP I work for is actually taking a different approach to tech support and it seems to be working. We have a structure to our questions that prevents people from giving "It doesn't work" and forces them to give you all the information needed. Seems to work...we're #1 on FindanISP.com

Been doing this for 5 years now and it's not a bad gig. Especially after I watched some guys put a roof on the apartment building outside my office window.

Yes I think we should have a webform and or a structured telephone system to filter out the "it dont works" Ive suggested it before but you know most suggestions go unheard.

 

[PTCvette]

Been doing it for 2 years now. I wish I was dead every time I walk in the door of this place. In fact, I am at work right now, and the only reason I am still alive is ATOT :frown:

Jeff

 

[lotust]

I hate when people download drivers and OPEN them instead of saving them!!

Oops too late

 

[NogginBoink]

I've been in tech support 5 years.

I thoroughly enjoy it.

Now... I support IT staff, not end users. My customers know that I can't solve a problem without information, and when I ask for then to do a test or gather more information, they usually understand why and comply.

 

[loup garou]

I do tech support (as well as a lot of other stuff), and I enjoy it. Of course, I'm a consultant so it goes:

Try to fix over phone, if that doesn't work...
VPN/VNC to system if possible (all our clients have VNC), if that doesn't work...
Are you a contract customer? If yes, I'll be there shortly...if no...um, I think I have some time to squeeze you in for a visit next month.

So, if I ever get fed up with dealing with someone who doesn't know what's going on, I can always say F it and fix it myself.

 

[Nocturnal]

I'm glad we can all vent our frustrations peacefully and laugh about them.

 

[EyeMWing]

I know a guy working in HP's mac support department. Apparently mac users know more... Or maybe it's just their OS is easier to understand. He loves his job.

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: EyeMWing
I know a guy working in HP's mac support department. Apparently mac users know more... Or maybe it's just their OS is easier to understand. He loves his job.

Wow, he obviously doesn't work in the printer department.

 

[EyeMWing]

Originally posted by: werk

Originally posted by: EyeMWing
I know a guy working in HP's mac support department. Apparently mac users know more... Or maybe it's just their OS is easier to understand. He loves his job.

Wow, he obviously doesn't work in the printer department.

Yeah, he does. Really though, I've NEVER seen a mac user that didn't know how to do somthing associated with their mac software side and they're almost always hugely adept at aftermarket hardware. I know that's waaaaay against stereotypes, but it seems true.

 

[Mayfriday0529]

Originally posted by: PTCvette
Been doing it for 2 years now. I wish I was dead every time I walk in the door of this place. In fact, I am at work right now, and the only reason I am still alive is ATOT :frown:

Jeff

What is ATOT we are wondering here at work also still here

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: EyeMWing

Originally posted by: werk

Originally posted by: EyeMWing
I know a guy working in HP's mac support department. Apparently mac users know more... Or maybe it's just their OS is easier to understand. He loves his job.

Wow, he obviously doesn't work in the printer department.

Yeah, he does. Really though, I've NEVER seen a mac user that didn't know how to do somthing associated with their mac software side and they're almost always hugely adept at aftermarket hardware. I know that's waaaaay against stereotypes, but it seems true.

Regardless of the knowledge of users, I've just found that OS X machines on windows networks always have problems with networked HP Printers. Just do a google groups search for HP OS X and see how many hits you get, it's frightening. Jaguar has made things easier, however. I just thought he must get a large volume of calls due to fairly common problems.

 

[Kadarin]

I enjoy tech support, but then again, I didn't do it on a user level. I'd get emails like "hey, we're running this protocol on such and such a topology, and we're noticing this odd behavior; can you check this out and let us know if it's a bug?" Then I'd set it up in the lab and find out...

 

[EyeMWing]

Originally posted by: werk

Originally posted by: EyeMWing

Originally posted by: werk

Originally posted by: EyeMWing
I know a guy working in HP's mac support department. Apparently mac users know more... Or maybe it's just their OS is easier to understand. He loves his job.

Wow, he obviously doesn't work in the printer department.

Yeah, he does. Really though, I've NEVER seen a mac user that didn't know how to do somthing associated with their mac software side and they're almost always hugely adept at aftermarket hardware. I know that's waaaaay against stereotypes, but it seems true.

Regardless of the knowledge of users, I've just found that OS X machines on windows networks always have problems with networked HP Printers. Just do a google groups search for HP OS X and see how many hits you get, it's frightening. Jaguar has made things easier, however. I just thought he must get a large volume of calls due to fairly common problems.

Heh. What sane person networks OSX and Windows machines directly together? I do - and that says a lot for the smartness of even trying it.

But repetitive problems aren't annoying. It's the clueless ones that drive techs up the wall.

 

[Kadarin]

Originally posted by: EyeMWing

Originally posted by: werk

Originally posted by: EyeMWing

Originally posted by: werk

Originally posted by: EyeMWing
I know a guy working in HP's mac support department. Apparently mac users know more... Or maybe it's just their OS is easier to understand. He loves his job.

Wow, he obviously doesn't work in the printer department.

Yeah, he does. Really though, I've NEVER seen a mac user that didn't know how to do somthing associated with their mac software side and they're almost always hugely adept at aftermarket hardware. I know that's waaaaay against stereotypes, but it seems true.

Regardless of the knowledge of users, I've just found that OS X machines on windows networks always have problems with networked HP Printers. Just do a google groups search for HP OS X and see how many hits you get, it's frightening. Jaguar has made things easier, however. I just thought he must get a large volume of calls due to fairly common problems.

Heh. What sane person networks OSX and Windows machines directly together? I do - and that says a lot for the smartness of even trying it.

But repetitive problems aren't annoying. It's the clueless ones that drive techs up the wall.

I've got my iMac networked with my PC here at home and I transfer files all the time. Works great... (Haven't had a need to network the printer, though.. I'll have to give it a try.)

 

[sillymofo]

It's not that bad... Just agree with them.

Try being the ONLY one for tech support.

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: EyeMWing

Originally posted by: werk

Originally posted by: EyeMWing

Originally posted by: werk

Originally posted by: EyeMWing
I know a guy working in HP's mac support department. Apparently mac users know more... Or maybe it's just their OS is easier to understand. He loves his job.

Wow, he obviously doesn't work in the printer department.

Yeah, he does. Really though, I've NEVER seen a mac user that didn't know how to do somthing associated with their mac software side and they're almost always hugely adept at aftermarket hardware. I know that's waaaaay against stereotypes, but it seems true.

Regardless of the knowledge of users, I've just found that OS X machines on windows networks always have problems with networked HP Printers. Just do a google groups search for HP OS X and see how many hits you get, it's frightening. Jaguar has made things easier, however. I just thought he must get a large volume of calls due to fairly common problems.

Heh. What sane person networks OSX and Windows machines directly together? I do - and that says a lot for the smartness of even trying it.

But repetitive problems aren't annoying. It's the clueless ones that drive techs up the wall.

Lots of people network Macs and Windows systems. Small businesses mostly where they need a simple, cheap network topology and 1 or 2 servers (file, PDC, Exchange, etc) and a networked printer or two. Then they have that one-person "art department" who insists on a $3000 G5 + Cinema display .

I have a couple of clients with a larger scale of mixed systems and there are no real problems except for network printers (usually HPs) and occasionally Entourage/Outlook/Exchange problems.

And I beg to differ, I'd take a dozen clueless people with different problems over the same number of semi-savvy people with the same, boring problem.

 

[Electric Amish]

*ring* "Hello?" "Reboot"

*ring* "Hello?" "Reboot"

*ring* "Hello?" "Reboot"

*ring* "Hello?" "Reboot"

*ring* "Hello?" "Reboot"

*ring* "Hello?" "Reboot"

*ring* "Hello?" "Reboot"

amish

 

[Encryptic]

I've been doing it for almost 4 years and doing a fair amount of web design on the side for the company. All I can say is: I don't know how the fsck I've stayed sane this long. I've been there long enough to know our products and services like the back of my hand, but that only makes about 50% of my job easier.

The other 50% of it, I'm tearing my hair out because of inexplicable crap that we've never seen before and can't reproduce if our lives depended on it, being under pressure by big customers to solve the problem, meeting with my boss to discuss what the fsck to do about said problem, shoveling loads of BS down the customer's throat to cover our asses, etc. The worst part of this whole thing is that I'm basically the only tech support guy the company has, so if something fscks up, I'm the one who gets to deal with it. I suppose the benefit of this is that it would be hard for my boss to replace me...

If I didn't need the money and the economy didn't suck right now, I'd be looking for another job.

 

[thebestMAX]

Well I didnt read the whole thred but I was in hardware Tech Support for Mainframes and total systems from about 1968 to 1978 and at one time covered the entire western United States. Went into sales then because I was tired of being treated like a third class citizen and being paid sh*t.

 

[blurredvision]

I worked tech support for HP and their Pavilion line for about a year and 3 months. I couldn't take idiots anymore. I understand some people don't know how to work a computer when it messes up, but a lot of people out there are just plain ignorant. And those out there that are ignorant, it's always their computer that tears up.

 

[trmiv]

Originally posted by: Encryptic
I've been doing it for almost 4 years and doing a fair amount of web design on the side for the company. All I can say is: I don't know how the fsck I've stayed sane this long. I've been there long enough to know our products and services like the back of my hand, but that only makes about 50% of my job easier.

The other 50% of it, I'm tearing my hair out because of inexplicable crap that we've never seen before and can't reproduce if our lives depended on it, being under pressure by big customers to solve the problem, meeting with my boss to discuss what the fsck to do about said problem, shoveling loads of BS down the customer's throat to cover our asses, etc. The worst part of this whole thing is that I'm basically the only tech support guy the company has, so if something fscks up, I'm the one who gets to deal with it. I suppose the benefit of this is that it would be hard for my boss to replace me...

If I didn't need the money and the economy didn't suck right now, I'd be looking for another job.

OK, if I didn't know better, I'd swear either we worked at the same company, or somehow I made this post under a different user name and didn't remember it. Your situation sounds EXACTLY like mine.

 

[Renob]

I have been doing it for around 6months and like it, but our phones have a Bitch Slap button on them.

 

[abc]

i feel for y'all doing phone support because it can be hard to visualize a problem and explain directions for the other end to apply to get things running or to get info to get to the solution.

for people calling tech support, as i have had to, it does feel frustrating when they start asking 'well have you done this, this and this' but i comply and tell them straight up (but quickly). I just do it, because they are following procedures to eliminate all the possibilities of errors... they are not suggesting you are one of those stupid users, but sometimes they come across one calling in...

why spend 45 min. running a circle with a user when it turns out a cable was not plugged in or something...


i didnt read anyone doing desktop support though... this eliminates having to visualize problems and being solely dependent on how the end user is capable of describing a problem over a phone, but desktop supporting brings in other variables, such as the face to face interaction with a user who isn't able to use something instead of being in the comfort of your own seat.

now, having covered all that, anyone supported..... traders!? I think that is the nastiest animal.