AntiDentite
join:2006-07-31
| Those complaining about tech support.
If you want your internet fixed faster, over the phone, here are a few helpful tips.
Disclaimer: I've posted the following information in good faith. Under no circumstances should you ever call tech support saying "I've followed your templates already" or "I've done all the steps, I know what you will ask" -> this will only make you look stupid! Please, simply answer yes/no to the questions when asked.
1 -> Identify yourself at the start of the call (b1 user id / phone # / Account holder's name). That is it, that is all.
2 -> Clearly and accurately state the problem. If your going to go on about how you have a business to run from home or an important e-mail you can't send -> we don't care. We only care about finding out the root of the issue. If we can't fix it over the phone -> it goes to the people who can. This isn't a vain attempt to be rude, agents get the same calls all day long.
3 -> Do not bitch and complain -> we are technicians not customer support. Nore are we under any obligation to bend over and deal with irrates. I personally remove the headset and wait for the noise to stop before continuing with the troubleshooting. It's annoying hearing a grown man bitch about his internet. Ever see the sun?
4 -> Have some basic computer knowledge before calling.
-) Know how to get to the control panel.****
-> Know what version of windows or mac you have. ***
-> Know what model your modem is -> 5200/4200/5260 or 6520/6300 or alcatel. *****
->**** Make sure every phone has a filter (the same goes true for EVERYTHING that connects to the phone line, except of course the modem!)
-) When an agent says "browser" or "Internet explorer" know what that means.
-) Know which lights are on your modem. If the dsl light is flashing or off you have a frequent disconnect / no sync.
5-) Troubleshooting steps you can do BEFORE calling to save time.
E-MAIL ISSUES
==============
Outlook express settings:
incoming -> pophm.sympatico.ca
outgoing -> smtphm.sympatico.ca
account info -> Full email address & password (if you can sign into www.hotmail.com you have correct info).
check -> my outgoing server requires authentication.
check -> settings -> use same settings as incoming mail server.
check -> My server requires a secure socket layer for incoming and outgoing
Delivery is optional.
Everything else -> leave as is.
ERROR MESSAGES IN OLE
»service.sympatico.ca/index.cfm?m···_id=5644
No Sync / Slow Speeds / Frequent disconnects.
---------------------------------------------
1) The rj-11 (dsl cable) should be no longer then 7 feet. ***
2) Try a different jack, if the dsl light goes on or you notice the connection is stable -> good.
3) Disconnect all the phones but 1! If your problem is fixed, plug the phones back 1 by 1 until you find the troublemaker. If not, wait for a rep.
4) Vista Phones are known to cause severe line problems, check to see if you have one at home before calling!
5) If you know the house is old, say so. Often internal wiring issues are the problem.
6) If you have an intercom service / alarm system / satellite / fax that is connected to a phone line -> know if there is a filter on it.
7) Most importantly -> never EVER just say "YES" when your not sure. If a technician goes over after 2-3 days of waiting and finds a filter on the modem or the rj-11 is too long he is going to bill your ass and you just waisted your time.
FREEDOM ISSUES
==============
»securityservices.sympatico.ca/support.do
Find the right one for your problem -> if not sure, call us.
Q/A to popular questions I get on the phone:
=============================================
Q) Where do my tickets go when they don't get fixed by a phone rep?
a) Simple -> the test center.
Q) What does the test center do?
A) THey run scripts on the line to find out WHAT is causing the problem (equipment or otherwise). Then they either lower your profile so the signal can get through or send out a technician to fix it.
Q) What do you mean, lower my profile?
A) If your internal wires are old or the house is too far from a central office or if equipment on the phone lines are causing issues, you get bumped down. Typically you go from 3/5 megs to 2.3 then 1.7 then 1 until your line is stable and you can browse.
Q) Why should I pay for high speed and not get it?
A) You just answered your own question -> ultimately if your not satisfied with your speeds, switch to rogers or w/e other isp. Every agent thinks this way -> we just can't say it over the phone.
Q) But it was working fine with that rj-11 / I haven't changed anything in the x-years i've been here!
A) You didn't notice it but your line was bad the entire time. It can work for 2 days / weeks / years etc but it's not working now, is it??!!
Q) Why do so many customer agents have a hard time speaking english?
A) Cause the ones that do can find better jobs. Your dealing with immigrants with no work experience in canada. Tech support for Sympatico is an ugly job. Taking calls on the english queue from Ontario is like having the same person call with a different voice. I swear if it was not for the odd fun customer I'd have quit a long time ago.
Q) What do you not support?
A) In a nutshell -> anything we provide to you is supported.
-) We do not support 3rd party routers.
-) We do not make windows or outlook express.
-) We do not support os issues (corruption/virus/spyware)**
-) We do not under any circumstances support hotmail accounts other then sympatico's.
-) We will cut you off if you try to ask us for support on these issues. Some nicer reps may try and help but it's not their job.
*** except if you have freedom. |
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insider123
| Excellent job in speaking the truth but people don't really care for the majority they just want guidance without the real need to understand our services. |
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Anonymm
@rogers.com
| reply to AntiDentite
With all this ugga booga
are you sure you will be able to solve my problem?
We don't care if you are Tech or CSR if you can solve it.
Not necessary to know the computers but its necessary you should know how to solve the problem.
Mind your language "Bill your Ass"
You talk like this and sure we will burn yours.
Arrogant jerk |
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AntiDentite
join:2006-07-31 | Oh yeah I forgot -> if you swear at us over the phone without provocation we can hang up on you. In some cases I have even had to suspend accounts for being abusive.
So really, be nice and be real -> and we will be your best friends.
|
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CigaR
Premium
join:2004-08-24
 ·Bell Sympatico
| said by AntiDentite  :So really, be nice and be real -> and we will be your best friends. For a small price...of course 
--
Maurício |
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fromage
join:2003-03-31 | reply to AntiDentite
I have a feeling you are in the minority of tech support reps who actually happen to know something about anything.
Anyways, why is it so bloody hard to escalate to level 2? |
|
XoX
join:2003-08-19
Sherbrooke, QC
·TekSavvy Solutions..
| reply to AntiDentite
said by AntiDentite :Oh yeah I forgot -> if you swear at us over the phone without provocation we can hang up on you. In some cases I have even had to suspend accounts for being abusive. So really, be nice and be real -> and we will be your best friends. Euh... You are serious... Sound like a Cop that love to abuse his power...
Even more reason why I don't want to waste time with Sympatico.
Anyway, same apply to You guys... Know also your stuff...When we are calling you and saying that our modem does not synch, asking the username and password entered won't help. Also when a customer say that he made lots of tests and his setup is not at fault but he is not getting full speed because he's not syncing at full speed, trying to sell him Ultra or Freedom WON'T HELP... |
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insider123
| reply to AntiDentite
As I said they don't care about knowing, they don't want to know, just that you hold their hand and guide them through, it does not matter to them what the version of their windows is they just want it fix and it's mainly the problem of the tech to know. Nothing will change that, could help to have their call answered quickly and more efficiently so Bell could hire more competent staff but again they don't care just plug their internet lol. I must agree with them on certain point though like for the low synch issues. By the way lvl 2 tech don't want to deal with the whole mass so that's why it's so hard. |
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kevmetric
Competition, Open And Free Markets
join:2002-01-15
1 edit | I think Bell's outsourced agents doing technical
support and customer service are really being given
the shaft, big-time, and it's beem like this for at least
7 years or longer, at Bell BCE.
Conversely, a nice company to work for, I would suggest,
would be:
/http://www.carris.com/ownership.html#
Where workers own the company, share the profits,
design the business model and decide on the CEO's
and management's compensation package, and are
not treated like toilet paper.
Just a thought. |
|
Kareeser
hm?
Premium
join:2006-07-18
Hamilton, ON
·Bell Sympatico
·TekSavvy Solutions..
| reply to AntiDentite
I can certainly relate to this post.
My calls to Bell were made when I personally believed that I had done everything on my end.
Getting down underneath your computer to feel around for a phone jack, or running around the house is an integral part of making absolutely sure that there are no problems with the end-user's setup. If the rep were there in the house with you, he or she would of course be doing all the running around, but seriously, most people can spare 5 minutes to check if their phones have filters on it. At the very least, you get a little exercise out of it.
Secondly, treating service reps with an iron fist would probably never get me anywhere. Like the original poster (indirectly) said, raising your voice is ultimately futile. I was calm, collected, and did as I was told. I got through the phone call in half an hour, and got a reassuring answer.
I wouldn't have been able to achieve that with an angry inflection in my voice.
Thanks for expressing my feelings perfectly, AntiDentite  |
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kiss-it
@sympatico.ca
| reply to AntiDentite
Hi AntiDentite,
Nice post but i take issue with a certain parts...
==============
You said:
A) THey run scripts on the line to find out WHAT is causing the problem (equipment or otherwise). Then they either lower your profile so the signal can get through or send out a technician to fix it.
Q) What do you mean, lower my profile?
A) If your internal wires are old or the house is too far from a central office or if equipment on the phone lines are causing issues, you get bumped down. Typically you go from 3/5 megs to 2.3 then 1.7 then 1 until your line is stable and you can browse.
Q) Why should I pay for high speed and not get it?
A) You just answered your own question -> ultimately if your not satisfied with your speeds, switch to rogers or w/e other isp. Every agent thinks this way -> we just can't say it over the phone.
===========
See i've been through this... Others in here have been through this, others in other forums have been through this...
The business of lowering profiles and telling people its fixed is a complete rip off of the customers money.
I've been though it and raised holy hell when they lowered me to 16Kb/s up and a ridiculus 70Kb/s up and having them tell me the problem is fixed. RIGHT!
I'm sorry to burst your smarter than thou bubble there big guy, but at times bitching is the only way the level-2 and the test center moves their butts to do something.
Every month I come across a few people who are in the same situation (keep in mind the average user doesn't use msg boards and just accepts the lower profile) and all sympatico did to "fix" them is lower their profile to "stable speed"... problem fixed heh indeed.
Lets not forget the famous "all we support is web browsing and email" if you can do that your line is good. Doesn't matter if you got 19 different ip's in between downloading 4 emails.
Grrrrrrrrr
Pompous techs like you need to move on to a "better" job cuz yer no dern good at the one yer at now. |
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mac dude
join:2006-03-18
Toronto, ON
·TekSavvy Solutions..
 ·Vonage
| reply to AntiDentite
said by AntiDentite :We do not make windows or outlook express. I can just imagine some of your calls. hehehe.
--
I am one hit song away from a million dollars. |
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insider123
| reply to AntiDentite
No much Sympatico agent can do if Bell dictate the process to follow, by moving their ass like you say well no matter how fast they go if Bell decide a specific process to be followed well there is nothing the tech can do. That's part of their save some 10% strategy so you don't boost to hi the cost and sending tech to India is another "nice" idea to save some money, sad but true. |
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b0gus
join:2004-02-24
Belleville, ON
| reply to AntiDentite
Nice initial post (could have used less sarcasm), but I think you are talking to the wrong target audience.
Typically, those Sympatico users who frequent this site have superior computer skills and tend not to call tech support with "annoying" questions.
So... nice post, but nearly completely useless here. |
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script_kiddie
@sympatico.ca
| reply to mac dude
We do not make windows or outlook express.
I can just imagine some of your calls. hehehe.
Just today i had a guy wait 15 minutes just to ask me if our homepage had changed because he no longer has the back and forward buttons at the top and the history down the left side. He ask when and why we would do that because now he finds it harder to navigate.
Peronsally if your hear reading this your 1 up on the typical customer who calls in. Typically English is their 3rd or 4th language and usually its their first day using a computer ever.  |
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CigaR
Premium
join:2004-08-24
·Bell Sympatico
| reply to b0gus
said by b0gus :Nice initial post (could have used less sarcasm), but I think you are talking to the wrong target audience. Typically, those Sympatico users who frequent this site have superior computer skills and tend not to call tech support with "annoying" questions. So... nice post, but nearly completely useless here. ditto
--
Maurício |
|
AntiDentite
join:2006-07-31
| reply to script_kiddie
The real problem is that the tehcnical support is outsourced. I get something like $11-12 an hour, constant monitoring for sales and quality. You can be a superb agent with all the skills to dazzle the customer but if you dont make sales -> they are up your butt every minute about it. On top of which we have 15 minutes to handle a call because of competition from other call centers. It's big money and losing a bell contract is a HUGE issue.
At any rate, the turn over rate is 80% last I checked. Of the 60 people that started maybe 4-5 are actually left. In 2 weeks i'll be leaving for better things so thats one less agent on the floor. |
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sales1
@207.210.x.x
| Bell is actually the loser in the long run for having sales on a tech skill set. People will only wait so long before changing providers if the service is not working, no matter how great the rep is at sales. And good luck getting a a good tech at 11$/h. If they do get one, it is only because they need a job before they find a real job. |
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mordin
42 inches of 1080p
Premium
join:2005-05-28
Moncton, NB
| reply to AntiDentite
said by AntiDentite :E-MAIL ISSUES account info -> Full email address & password (if you can sign into www.hotmail.com you have correct info). Only if they are on the 'enhanced MSN' platform.
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P4 2.8 800 fsb, Asus P4P800 w/1GB PC3200 DDR RAM, 256 MB GeForce 5600, SB Audigy Gamer, DVD-Rom/CD-R Burner & LG Duel layer DVD Burner, 2x 120 GB Internal & 250 GB External hard drives |
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mordin
42 inches of 1080p
Premium
join:2005-05-28
Moncton, NB
| reply to kiss-it
said by kiss-it :
The business of lowering profiles and telling people its fixed is a complete rip off of the customers money.
Don't forget they sometimes lower a profile so the customer can have a stable & usable connection while they investigate the problem. Once found and fixed they profile should be raised again.
--
P4 2.8 800 fsb, Asus P4P800 w/1GB PC3200 DDR RAM, 256 MB GeForce 5600, SB Audigy Gamer, DVD-Rom/CD-R Burner & LG Duel layer DVD Burner, 2x 120 GB Internal & 250 GB External hard drives |
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