TKJunkMail
Enjoy the sun
Premium
join:2002-03-03
Avalon, NJ
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
 ·Comcast
|  Insecure managers/directors of cust srvc orgs
The reason so many companies discourage employees from helping on public forums is because it makes the management of their customer service organizations look like a bunch of incompetent bureaucrats(which is what many of them are). So rather than developing a well-trained capable customer service department, they block employees from any public forums that highlight their failings. The top mgt of these companies are really a bunch of losers that will eventually destroy their company's profits.
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Web pages:POLITICS & MONEY |
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dyehard
join:2002-05-12
Phoenixville, PA | see your co. GO to the trash
Well it looks like they wont help us in any newsgroups anymore the want to rade us the damn scrips they have |
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drjim
Premium,MVM
join:2000-06-13
Torrance, CA
clubs:
| Get a CLUE!
These guys in "Management" need to read "The Cluetrain Manifesto" by Doc Searls, et al. They're cutting their own throats by disallowing their Tech Support to directly interact with the very people who are their business....THE CUSTOMER!
drjim
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One man's Magic is another man's Engineering.
[text was edited by author 2002-12-06 20:02:08] |
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lordfly
join:2000-10-12
Homestead, FL
 ·AT&T Southeast
| Techs go undercover?
So does this mean that we will see techs go underground. How about a P2P support system. Instead of trading files, trade ideas, thoughts and comments.
Techies and non-techies could write small snippets of quick-tips, post them into a P2P network and then a user could quickly do a search on his/her problem and get an answer.
Users could post questions in the same manner, with techies/non-techies during the search for known problems.
So with a non-centralized system, how would anyone know who posted what?
Just a thought.
[text was edited by author 2002-12-06 20:15:16] |
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P2P RIAA
@mindspring.com | That could affect sales of Tech-Help CD's and the RIAA would have to sue or hack someone! |
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gatzdon
join:2002-10-25
Lake Zurich, IL
| Makes It Easier to Blacklist The Crappy Companies
Face it, it isn't very often that a company comes right out and says "We couldn't give two sh*** about the customer". We should all be sending thank you letters for saving us the time and trouble of finding out the hard way that they don't care about the customer. Any company that won't allow a tech to post in these forums, won't allow their call centers to tell you anything more than:
Tech: turn your modem off
Tech: turn it back on
Tech: did that fix the problem
Poor Sucker: No, it still doesn't work.
Tech: Darn, you must not have turned it off properly, let's try that again.
As long as I keep seeing Covad here and providing the customer service that I have received to date, I'll stick with them.
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Just because I am paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get me! |
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Cyber2lz
join:2001-11-15
Odessa, FL
| outsourcing kings
This from a company that just last year outsourced their entire IT operations to EDS.
I, for one, will be sorry to see the BSFA techs quit posting............at least under their previous names!
This is just another example of the terrible state of telecom in this country. VOIP is coming sooner than anyone thinks!!!!!
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If you're not livin' on the edge, you're takin' up too much space ! |
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guycad$
In Search Of Free Speech
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Pompton Lakes, NJ
| PHB's and real life.
You have to remember when it comes to (mis)management, you're always dealing with someone else's agenda. In particular, in large corporations, you typically deal with middle manager's to whom have been delegated some piddling authority but whom have no real say and do no real work. After all, they're "managers".
Such 'policy setters' are usually concerned with making themselves look essential to the company. The gauge of an excellent manager can often be taken by the risks they are willing to run. Risky actions which favor the customer are often avoided like the plague. Actions were the manager can point and say "I protected the company." are the forte of the small minded 'play it safe' manager. After all, it's hard to argue with actions which 'protect the company'.
The managers of call centers who are 'threatening' colleagues who help in the forums fear having their responsibilities reduced. Such managers are probably measured on how many calls they deal with etc. Because their metric is based upon the numbers of complaints they receive, they actually have a dis-incentive to support any action which benefits the company as a whole.
Finally, there is no easy way to measure how many customers get their answers and issues resovled from/in a user forum. This makes it difficult to for forum participation proponents within a company to garner support for their position. A truly savvy COO however, will understand that not everything that is important can be easily measured.
As far as liability issues are concerned, all of these companies have law firms on permanent retrainer. I say, let the lawyers risk having to do a little work. It'll be good for them and get them off their butts. This happens to be another group within a corporation which have a dis-incentive to potentially risky actions. Think about it for a moment. Corporate lawyers on retainer have already been paid. Do you really think they'll advocate any action where they may have to do work?
Just my opinion. YMMV.
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My Pictures.People who describe M$ software as 'mediocre' don't know the half of it.WinDoze Free 2003 |
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WhatToDo
@megapath.net | Here's how to fix this problem.
Here's how to fix this problem, DROP BELL SOUTH  . |
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OrigZaphod042
Didn't You Hear? I Come In Six Packs Now
Premium
join:2001-07-22
Round Lake, IL
clubs: 
| Hope A-Tech doesn't follow.....
I hope this is not a "growing" trend, Ameritech reps that visit the forum here are some of the best I have seen, I am sure that they have saved countless people from having to call tech support..
With that in mind one would think that they would be happy, being helped here, rather then thru the call centers, actually saves them time and money.
A hearty hats off to the tech from all the providers that choose on thier own to help a fellow user, on thier own time and money.
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RAM: Window's drug of choice since 1986 |
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superht1
join:2001-02-22
Kennesaw, GA
·AT&T Southeast
| reply to WhatToDo
Re: Here's how to fix this problem.
I wish i could but they're glued to me like rubber on concrete. It is impossible!!! till death do we part due to bondage and commitment to remain together forever. Until i moved that is, which is not too far away from now. ah what a relief. |
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odog
Cable Centric Vendor Biased
Premium
join:2001-08-05
Norcross, GA
clubs:
·Comcast
·Metrocast Communic..
 ·Vonage
| i support any customer that asks
and people that aren't even my customers.
this is another suit out of touch with the real world...
i'm glad my boss appreciates the help i provide to the customers... they do!
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disclaimer: my opinions are my own, my employer is not responsible. |
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DonLibesBad
join:1999-12-10
Potomac, MD
| a 2nd point to consider
I agree - it's a no-brainer that the opportunity for techs to resolve problems through forums can be a wonderful complement to the traditional tech support.
I can't help thinking they are worried about a completely different thing - that users will get organized like what happened in Montgomery County, MD. Comcast is well aware (several Comcast employees have assured me of this) of how DSLR became the pivotal mechanism by which people learned about others' problems and the widespread extent of the problems and the existence of other people interested in solving the problem. A repeat of what happened in MCMD is the last thing an ISP wants but the reality is that the more problems there are at an ISP, the more likely that DSLR is the place where others will find out and organize and do something.
Thank you Justin! |
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Count Hogula$
Notorious Dog
Premium
join:2002-06-19
Corona, CA
| Welcome to LawyerWorld
This is about nothing more than damned lawyers screwing up yet another aspect of American society. Want to fix America...start by building a concentration camp for all the damn blood sucking lawyers.
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The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. -Thomas Jefferson |
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RR Conductor
RailRoadDude
Premium
join:2002-04-02
Redwood Valley, CA
·Comcast
| Want to fix America? Get rid of greed in men's hearts, that causes more pain and suffering than any other thing.
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MOVING BACK TO WEST COVINA, SO CAL SUMMER 2003! |
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claudeo
join:2000-02-23
Redmond, WA
|  Let top management know
Whining won't help. What you need to do is let top management (not the middle managers who are trying to cover their behind) know how you feel about this. There are lots of pointers on the web on how to locate those people and their mailing or email address. A few suggested points:
- Tell them that given the choice between two vendors, you are choosing the other because the other vendor lets its people proactively help customers
- Tell them that the articulate response they saw to a question on an internet forum is what made you decide to choose that company over its competitors
- Ask them if the fact that they won't allow their people to participate in internet forum is because they can't convey their value proposition their own people. And if so, why should potential customers believe the official company propaganda?
- Remind them that most business decisions are not rational, but are based on how well one thinks they can trust the other party. A company that has enough confidence in its people to let them help customers directly inspires much more trust than one that hides information behind bland official publications, layers of bureaucratic voice menus and canned help desk scripts.
As for me, my ISP is well represented here and I have no complaint. |
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Ericthorn
It only hurts when I laugh
Premium
join:2001-08-10
Paragould, AR
clubs:
·Paragould.net
| Kudos so far to SBC
I just want to give my appreciation and thanks to SBC in my So Cal area for letting their techs post in the SBC forum and help any users asking. It's a great customer service for those of us that know about broadband and can communicate our problems to someone actively wanting to help rather then reading from the book of scripts (Have you power cycled your modem?)
I wonder what BellSouth mgr came up with the idea to limit customer service? And how much he makes? And when can I get his job... I can come up with stupid ideas all day.
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All I wanted was a Pepsi |
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Count Hogula$
Notorious Dog
Premium
join:2002-06-19
Corona, CA
| reply to RR Conductor
Re: Welcome to LawyerWorld
Braaaaaahhhhhhhhh ha ha ha ha........
Naw...a lawyer death camp would be enough to make the world a perfect place. The rest of us greedy meanies will do just fine.
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The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. -Thomas Jefferson |
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Dewi
Premium
join:2001-09-28
united kingd | reply to TKJunkMail
Re: Insecure managers/directors of cust srvc orgs
Would Broadband reports reveal the employees identity if it came to that?
It is a sad state of affairs. When I was figuring out if I could qualify to DSL, the techs here were the only ones who would help me out. Sad to see that go. |
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jomama
join:2002-11-21
·Mediacom
| I'm livin' it
Hey this hits pretty close to home. It's bad enough to get fired for going the extra mile, but when they start throwing people out for trying to change the system internally all is lost. I am now one of the unhappy 9% that's looking for work and although it didn't say it specifically in my termination paperwork, I'm sure it had a lot to do with getting in managements' faces about providing the hardware, training, and marketing to repair a lot of the company's shortcomings. It also gave them the chance to eliminate some overhead as I had steadfastly refused to get "promoted" to a salaried position so my constant overtime due to bad engineering wouldn't be compensated for. |
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