Frustrations with tech support

Espcially when working with Level "1" techs.

I believe that they work off this step by step checklists, and cannot proceed until each and every box is marked. They can't skip, because who knows when the converstation may be taped for training purposes ??

Last week, we lost our T-1 connection at work. After 2 hours, we determined that it was a T-3 connection that was down between Alltel and AT&T ... 90 miles away. So, we report the problem, and all is good.

I go home, and MY home DSL is down. I call the home version of Alltel, to tell them... and this poor kid wanted me to go through all the steps to trouble shoot the problem. He was even telling me which light to look for on the Modem... in a very user-friendly manner.

After about 5 minutes, he paused after my latest answer, and said "Sir, you aren't even doing what I am asking, are you?"

I said "No, since the problem is not IN my house, it's either in the box OUTSIDE my house, or a connection somewhere down the pipe."

The kid couldn't authorize a repair call until I verbally answered every question on his check list.

I did get my DSL upgraded to lvl 3 the next day....

I had to call about my Toshiba Satelite laptop a few months ago and I was ready for a fight. Since I work with computers, I knew that the backlight was out but figured that I would have to go through all the steps with someone that I couldn't understand. I don't mean to insult anyone with that statement but we all know when you call tech support you get some guy from India named Bill or Joe or Tim who just wants to run down a long check list.

Well, I got to a tech support guy pretty fast and told him about the problem and that I suspected that the backlight was out. He asked me "what makes you believe that the backlight is not functioning". I told him that when I put the laptop underneath a lamp I could "barely" see the screen but when I removed it, the screen was completely black again. His next question was "what do you do for a living" to which I responded "tech support" and he said "I thought so" and proceded to give me the info to return the laptop for repairs.

Less then 5 minutes later and I was done! He was a very nice guy to boot! We chatted for a few minutes about "user stories" while he entered all of the needed information and I found out he was in Canada.

It was a very good experience! Go figure!!!!

one of our ladys here sent a work order to have her keyboard replaced. When I got there I asked her what was wrong with her keyboard she said that it hard for her to push the keys with her left hand & that the keyboard was working fine. Her hand was to tired to push the keys buy the end of the week. I told her a new keyboard would not fix the problem & to see a doctor. Then I walked the half mile back to the computer dept.

I'm quite happy with Dell, so far anyway, they
sent me a replacement display for my daughters
laptop that was under warranty. Two days to
get the part and 20 minutes to replace. We went
thru the routine, but I knew what he wanted to
hear, and that was that they didn't need to
send out a tech. Now if they try to bill me
for the part the you know what will hit the fan.
Not all experiences are good, and I've had
more than my share, But grin and bear it,
they do get better.

I try to be patient with the tech folks... I know they've got their scripts to read that their QA dept will deduct points if they don't say exactly the proscribed questions, word for word. I also know that sometimes people will call in and tell you all their certifications and tell you, you don't know how to do your job, and have the problem be something they missed that is IN THAT SCRIPT.

AFAIC certs don't count for squat, half the certified people I know wouldn't know a switch from a kvm, and would tell you it doesn't matter because they don't use them in their job. Unfortunately, there's no quantifiable test for common sense.

Generally I prefer to deal with a web site, because dealing with human beings can be so frustrating. Who has the time?

But I did have one good experience -- with Apple's tech support. I called, explained the problem, and the tech said, "There are 3 things we can try. If the first two don't work, the third will, but you'll lose all of your data. So let's hope one of the first two does. Ok with you?" I asked where he lived, because he certainly seemed articulate, and he told me Austin, TX. We buzzed through alternative 1 -- didn't work. Then we went through alternative 2, and it did. It couldn't have taken any less time than it did. And the tech was friendly and pleasant throughout. What an amazing experience.

Alas, now gone.

Their Tech Support was in Birmingham (the English one)

AC: Good Morning, Tech Support. Kevin speaking. Please have the machine model and serial number read. How may I help.

Me: Hi. This is Neil Bowen from Datapro.

AC: Orroight! Ows it goin' mate? What 'ave yow f*cked up this toime?

The benefits of being on the "Smartarses" list.

"I have swapped out a power supply from an identical computer and have determined that the original power supply is the problem".

We are finally getting around to upgrading to XP at home, downloaded the driver for the Visioneer scanner, only to find that the bundled software (paperport) is not supported under XP. No problem, since Visioneer lets you order a compatible version on CD for free... if, that is, you are in Canada or the USA. After having gone through the whole ordering process, trying to register for the service, and THEN finding out you can't get it because their form only recognizes the USA and Canada, is, let me say, a frustrating experience when you're in Cura?ao. (or, I suppose, anywhere else outside of those two countries). Plus I don't see why this should be. Even if they don't want to mail free CDs out to every user in the world who upgrades to XP, why not make the software available via download? But there's no way even to grumble at them.

You are 'Does anyone else ever get these kinds of problems with support people?'

The better question might be 'do you ever find support people who know what they are doing' and have common sense.

Most seem to be working off a script.

You also have to bear in my that these guys have standard procedures that they have to follow on the phone before escalating calls. So even if you have the checked the power cord on your own they will still ask you to do so with them. This will avoid a situation where an end user says his monitor is not working and you send them a new one only to discover that there was a power outage in their area.

Bear in mind as well that there are a lot of end users who claim to be techies out there. I have come across a number myself.

You are dealing with people who have a checklist to check off 0 nothing more, nothing less. A lot of those places, the employees have to have at least a comptia A+, but they still have to go down a checklist before they can get to anything worthwile.

Certification does not prove competence or knowledge. The only thing it does is pay money to people who don't deserve to get rich on the backs of others.

I would be willing to open a Technical Support School (Privately) to teach all that I have learned in 24+ years of working in this industry. The fee for each student would be $5,000.00 for the class and the class would be 6 months to a year long, and at that, they would still not know everything I know, but most of it (because teachers never reveal "everything" they know anyway).

Seriously, only the most seasoned computer support people should do technical support. Newbies to the industry should have to work in sales first, then in service, then in technical support. At least that way, they have a well rounded knowledgebase to pull from.

I agree.I own a support company. I wish to take it a step further. Make us get a state license like AC Repair, electrical, plumbing, ect... Why? I have been doing this for 17 years. I have worked in many fortune 500 and government agencys. I have certs, MCSE, CNE, RHCE, CCNA, A+, Network+, Internet +. Not easy or cheap. When I talk to the "children" ( that is what I call the so called support people most of you talk to )I even get frustrated. 80% of the bad advice you get is from Pc techs. No offense, i was once one myself, and I know what bad stuff I did. Always get your advice from a systems engineer. These guys don't play. It is all business. If you don't, it is no difrrent that going to the auto-mechanic and getting you apendectomy removed from him. ?? But, you people get what you pay for. You will not find good support from anyone charging just $49 for three hours. You deserve what they do to yor computer.

that scripts had to be followed or else. I wonder how many companies use that philosophy. That makes it a different situation but not by much. As you say some of the others are technically challanged and that's why they have scripts which goes back to the company policy again. They could hire technically competent people such as yourself and the company could have a policy that allows those who are competent to deviate from the script and make customers happy.

I"ve been on both sides of the phone.

Being in ITS, call centers, some have required scripts to follow; company policy and the employee could be fired for not going down that checklist.

The one I worked in was actually freelance/ no script, and I learned a lot about tech support:
The management just wants data recorded
The customers wants it done 10 min ago
The field techs cant get into the houses of the customers

and that you have to be nice to every one.

I also work on my own, directly onsite with users, and I've had to call into ITS a few times to check things. The times I have called; the techies there were actually cool about it. Told them I'm onsite fixing a house, asked about signals, asked if their local hub was behaving...etc. They picked up that I had experience, and were all biz about it.

But some call centers must follow procedure: or be fired. Live with it.

Cute

I go out to my People and do the work AT THEIR place so I can see whats going on ! As people do not talk in computer language as tech's do. . Its why I have people whom swear by me as their TECH and sales person . .

I think most people are frustrated with computers and support people. For proof, please see
http://techwoes.com/

Craig Herberg

I get that all the time when I have to call HP... It is not the tech support people that are total idiots, they have a script that they have to read in order to get the part shipped to you. Everytime I have something I need replaced I have to call India and sit on the phone forever and answer all of the same questions, over and over. I always explain that this is my job and I know what is wrong and they insist that they still have to ask the questions. I believe it is the companies way of trying to get out of sending new parts... Very frustrating part of my job.

If the support worker did not go through this two things wopuld happen. The could get fired for not following the company policy. Just because you say some tiem has been tested does not mean (in some cases- not you personally} it has been.

Secondly - some of the large CRM / call centre systems will not allow the user to bring up the replacement parts system without clicking through all the questions & entering a response.

Look at it from the other side- nobody likes a smart-assed IT person who calls the helpdesk knowing all. Then expecting everybody to sing to their tune!!