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| The MSN Tech Support SAQ (I know that on DSLReports.com, most of you already know much of this. This was intended for newbies.)
MSN Tech Support
Seldom Asked Questions
General
Q: Who the hell are you and why are you writing this?
A: I'm a level 3 tech, and I'm writing this because some truth needs telling.
Q: Is MSN seperate somehow from Microsoft proper? Sometimes I get that impression talking to the techs.
A: Your impression was correct, but for a very different reason entirely.
The reality is that, except for a very small group of testers (The Microsoft Bench Team, who tell Redmond what kind of calls they receive on the floor as techs, and have no more power to help you than any other agents), the technician you are speaking to does not actually work for Microsoft. Instead, he works for such companies as ACS, Stream, Sykes, and Teleperformance. Under no circumstances will the person you are speaking to reveal that himself; that would get him fired.
Q: WTF? I haven't heard of any of those companies.
A: They're call centers. Instead of actually hiring people to man the phones itself, Microsoft has contracts with other companies. This arrangement is known as outsourcing.
Q: So how much are they getting paid?
A: Lower-level techs make a couple dollars over minimum wage. Tier 3 isn't being paid enough to care, either.
Q: What tools are the technicians using?
A: The primary tool every technician uses is something called PAM, Phoenix Account Management. This, like every other Microsoft product, is poorly programmed with a slow, buggy interface. So when the tech says "Your ticket number is.. uhh..", that tech has just clicked "Save Ticket" but his PAM is being too slow and may not give the ticket number for several seconds.
On the Phone
Q: Is the tech/rep just trying to get me off the phone ASAP? He's getting paid by the hour, right- why should he care?
A: Because he is graded on something called Average Handle Time. The contracts drawn up by Microsoft and the outsourcing companies may vary, and are never shown to the techs on the floor, but one thing is true- it is always less efficient for the outsourcing company for its techs to take long calls. This is passed down to the techs in the form of AHT. Lower-level techs are usually much more concerned with AHT than higher-level ones. This is because higher-level techs are more apt to deal with long, complicated issues, thus their AHT is higher and not focused on quite as much.
Q: Sometimes I get the feeling that there's something the tech really wants to say, but can't.
A: You know how the recording says "This call may be recorded for quality purposes?" It often is. There are many things the technician may not say on the telephone- and if you're speaking to anything less than a level 3 tech, those may include solutions. They have to transfer you to a higher tier for that person to try the fix. You may think that's ridiculous, and it is. The reason hinges on AHT. Similarly, Level 3 agents are not allowed to call the phone companies for DSL issues themselves. Why not? It raises AHT and outbound calls cost money. Never mind what the benefit of that might be to you, the user. You are only a bit player in Microsoft and the outsourcing companies' grandiose play.
Q: I think the tech was a bit perturbed at me. It showed in his voice.
A: You must have really pissed him off. Call-center employees have two things preventing them from sounding angry: a general apathy towards you as a customer, and mental discipline preventing them from showing their emotions over the phone. If the technician shows in any way annoyed with you, he personally, fiercely hates you and would love to beat your head into the ground. Relax; five minutes after he gets off the phone with you, the technician will likely have forgotten who you were, except as a story to tell the other techs.
Of course, if he didn't, your name, address, phone number, and e-mail address are all on his screen. And if it's a higher-level tech, he can read your email, too. And send it to your wife and kids. Better hit that Delete button now, Sparky.
Q: Sometimes, when in a conversation with a tech that sounds a little exasperated or perturbed, he stops talking and the background noise cuts out, although I know I've got a good connection. What's going on?
A: He hit the Mute button and is probably swearing at you. Example: "Okay, I want you to click Start, and then Run." (mute) "And then type in C:\SUICIDE\HangYourselfNow, you stupid fucking whore." (unmute) "And then type in R as in Roger, E as in Elephant.."
Q: Wow! Is it because he thinks I'm stupid?
A: Actually, most people who call MSN tech support are quite stupid; smart people don't use MSN. Although Level 1 techs deal more with stupidity than anyone else (solving the simple issues caused by sheer stupidity and not escalating them), other levels get their share of idiots. You have to be genuinely, wholly, aggressively stupid for that to make a tech angry.
Q: I told the tech that nothing changed, but I actually clicked on one of those popups that said "Date/Time Update" last night and now I'm getting all these ads. I would have told him, but I don't want to be embarrassed..
A: Do not, under any circumstances, lie to a technician, even if the tech is incompetent, even if you think he's lying to you. Techs are like doctors- you can't be embarrassed in front of them. Just tell the tech you goofed and put the malignant spyware on your computer, and the tech will at least try to get it off. Otherwise the tech will just say "I don't know what's wrong. Something in your operating system is malfunctioning." and ask you who your computer manufacturer is.
Q: Why do I get this impending sense of dread when the tech asks me who made my computer?
A: This is because the technician is probably going to refer you to your OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) to completely wipe and restore your computer. What this means is that your computer is so fucked up that we can't even try to debug it, and the only way the tech knows how to fix the problem is for you to start from scratch. Better start backing up your files while you have the chance.
Escalations
Q: The tech I was talking to said he was going to transfer me to someone else, but I got him back instead, and he had more stuff for me to do. What happened?
A: His escalation was rejected. The higher-level technician will gleefully reject it, lowering his average handle time (as it only takes a few minutes for him to reject the call) and avoiding dealing with you. Remember, most technicians would, given the choice, rather not talk to you.
Q: Why did the higher-level tech ask me if we did certain things? Didn't the lower-level tech tell you what we did, or put that information in the ticket?
A: This is because lower-level techs, trying to get you off their phones, will lie about what has been done in order to get an escalation. Thus, if you answer 'no' to an inquiry about what has been done (again, DO NOT LIE to a tech, no matter how much lying techs do!), the higher-level tech will probably report the lower-level tech for it.
Q: Wow. I just spent half an hour with two techs trying to fix this weird-ass "Windows Logo Testing Error", and the third tech I talked to just had me type in ' regsvr32 softpub.dll ' and BAM, it was fixed! Why didn't the first guy just tell me this?
A: Because that's outside his support boundaries.
Q: Why is that?
A: Who knows?
Q: Exactly who is the Network Operations Center, why is something sent there going to take so long, and why can't I talk to them?
A: The NOC is a small group of technicians that have special abilities and access to the guts of the MSN data servers themselves, not having to go through PAM. They actually get paid real money, and no tech is allowed to speak ill of them in the least; this can lose them points on call coaching.
In fact, they are so highly esteemed that mere level 3 technicians must get permission, and follow a certain series of troubleshooting steps, just to escalate a ticket to them. If everything is not done, or everything is done but not documented to the NOC/Microsoft's satisfaction, the ticket will get rejected and you'll find yourself getting called back. This is why the tech is often being pedantic with you; he's just doing what he needs to do to have any chance of getting the issue fixed.
The NOC is often very late in responding to issues, often leaving tickets open and ignored for far longer than the (ridiculously generous) ten-business-day deadline. Similarly, after that time, the L3 tech has no power to confront them directly; instead, he must post what is called a 10-day escalation form which the NOC is also free to ignore.
The reason you cannot talk to them is because you are not worth their time.
The kicker? They're outsourced, too.
Q: Wouldn't it be better for all concerned if Microsoft simply hired some Level 4 agents who we could talk to who have NOC-like powers and could fix the problems on the back-end over the course of a few minutes instead of weeks?
A: Yes, but that's not how Microsoft does business. The purpose of the MSN tech support structure is to keep users away from people who can actually do things. There is no technical reason for this. Perhaps they just don't want someone accidentally revealing how shitty their database actually is.
E-mail
Q: What the hell is HTTP email?
A: HTTP email is mail which is not locally saved unless you choose to do it yourself, but instead is left on the webserver. With a POP3 mail account, the server stores your mail, and you download it.
Q: There's really not that much difference. In fact, I've seen ISPs who have web interfaces for their mail, and I look at it at work before downloading it via POP3 at home. What's the big deal?
A: There really is no logical reason. As a way to lock you into Microsoft products, it fails miserably; any Linux-wielding joker can program a Hotmail interface. It's just the way they want to do it, and if that means that your favorite POP3 mail client no longer works with their 'service', tough luck.
Also, outbound port 110 is blocked on narrowband accounts, meaning that you can't directly get your POP3 mail on another ISP. Why? Because Microsoft doesn't want you to.
Q: I've had POP3 for years, now I don't. I never wanted HTTP mail. What happened?
A: You just had to get MSN 8, didn't you? It automatically 'upgraded' your account. What's that? You've been using Outlook 2000, which doesn't have HTTP functionality? Better go buy the latest version.
Q: Doesn't this sort of migration cause large problems?
A: Yes. There's a "Split Inbox" problem where MSN.com mail goes to the Hotmail account, and outside email goes to the POP3 account. Sometimes you can send email but not recieve it; sometimes you can receive but not send. Sometimes it's working half on Hotmail and half on POP3; sometimes it works half on Hotmail and the other half just disappears into the void.
Q: I heard that MSN's been having big problems with email recently. What happened?
A: In the interests of spamfighting, program was introduced that blocked every domain that was sending more than 50 emails to MSN customers a day.
Q: Hey, wait- customers of other ISPs such as AOL, Earthlink, and...
A: You've got it. Even military providers were blocked. And this happened around the 17th-18th of Februrary, a time when people were being shipped en masse to Iraq. Mothers and sons out of contact, servicemen wondering why their wives were sending them messages saying "Please respond! Are you okay?!" when they had just emailed them a few hours ago. All because some bonehead with too much access and too few brain cells decided to block mass mailings the only way he knew how.
Every single one of those providers had to be un-blocked. Individually. After extensive L3 troubleshooting. By the NOC. They're still working on it as of this writing.
Strangely enough, this still didn't stop the spam.
Q: Shit- my daughter was going to mail my free Hotmail account when she finally delivered her child..
A: Congratulations, Gramps.
DSL
Q: My DSL stopped working after I changed my phone company.
A: You're fucked. Dumbass.
Q: I've ordered two months ago and received nothing.
A: Between the phone companies and Microsoft, it's easy for things to break. The phone companies aren't really under much obligation to make things work (as you aren't really 'their' DSL customer) and Microsoft has no liaison into the internal workings of the phone companies. What do you think happens? Orders get stuck in the gateway between Microsoft and your phone company. It gets set up on the MSN side but the phone company never provisions the line. The phone company provisions the wrong phone line and MSN thinks your service should be on the right one. You live in Colorado but the modem is sent to Portland.
And no, errors are not automatically caught by the system, and nobody is tasked with looking over new DSL orders to make sure they're proceeding properly. You have to call.
Q: Well, I'm back on dial-up as, after three weeks of this nonsense, they finally told me that I couldn't get DSL after all. But now I can't even connect through that. What happened?
A: When your account was downgraded back to dial-up, you somehow lost your 'narrowband provisioning'. Of course it doesn't make sense. You'll be off the Internet for a week while the NOC circle-jerks on your account. Enjoy.
Getting to the Boss
Q: I asked to speak with a supervisor, but I could have sworn I was talking to the supervisor just the other day, only he was a tech. Do people get promoted quickly in this business or what?
A: When you ask to speak with a supervisor, this is what is simply called a 'sup call'. Depending on the call center you get (as of this writing, Microsoft has no policy on sup calls, meaning it's up to the call center to deal with you), sup calls may get you a higher level technician, or you may get a 'supervisor' (just another technician) playing a 'non-technical' role trying to calm you down and send you back to the original tech. Under no circumstances will you get anyone technically classified as a boss.
Q: But I want to speak to someone in charge!
A: YOU CAN'T. Don't even try. It doesn't matter what you say or do- nothing is going to get you on the phone with the technician's actual manager. This is the way it should be; managers have better things to do than deal with complaining idiots, such as holding meetings, sending emails, micromanaging their employees' schedules, and playing FreeCell.
Q: What kind of bullshit is this?! I run a business and...
A: You run a fucking business on MSN?! You dumb shit. Hey, asshole, do the words residential use only have any meaning to your thick, under-used head? In fact, the moment you even used the word 'business', you increased the tech's annoyance level a notch. By saying that you run your business on MSN, you have demonstrated four things:
1. You have not even cursorily glanced over the EULA. No one actually reads that monstrosity word-for-word, but one would expect- ahem!- a businessperson to be a little more conscious about that sort of thing.
2. Your 'business' cannot afford even a single real IT person and you are too stupid to actually find an ISP that handles business accounts.
3. Your 'business' is likely a "Home-Based Business" or MLM scam, making you the scum of the earth.
4. You believe that this makes you more important than anyone else, even though you're paying the same amount of money.
If you "run a business" on MSN, you should be putting a gun to your head, not a telephone.
Q: ...I need the problem fixed NOW!
A: Ever see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? You're a bad egg and my incinerator's always on.. really, after reading the rest of this SAQ, you'll understand why complaining to the tech or his supposed supervisor will do you no good.
Q: Okay, okay! I'm not like that. I'm not trying to run a business. I'm just a gamer, and I'm missing out on my Shadowbane beta. This thing's been languishing for weeks now and dial-up sucks. Just who do I have to call to get a fast, working connection?
A: The MSN cancellations department (aka the SAVE desk, whose job it is to feed you bullshit and get you not to cancel), then another broadband provider.
Conclusion
Q: So, in total, is MSN a good ISP?
A: NO. By almost any standard, MSN is a horrible ISP. Serious dial-up ISPs and DSL providers have much more efficient service, no bloated software, and tech support that has the power to actually fix problems on their end without you having to wait a ridiculous amount of time. They need your continued business and generally act like it; this is where the term 'valued customer' comes from. MSN does not see you as a valued customer. MSN sees you as a tiny portion of their market share.
With a cable modem or a big DSL provider, it's a big company, their tech support is also probably outsourced, and you're a tiny portion of their market share as well, but for some reason you're usually not going to get the same kind of bullshit.
This illustrates the core problem. The flaws are not inherent in the way that large companies work, or
Q: But it sure beats AOL, doesn't it?
A: Yes, it does, but that's not saying much. The Information Superhighway provides an excellent metaphor.
In the fast lane of the highway are people in cable-modem sports cars and DSL drag racers. Burning down this electronic autobahn, these Low Ping Bastards zoom their packets to game servers and peer-to-peer networks, downloading whole movies chunk by chunk.
High above are the people in truly ultra connections, the big-server cargo planes, and the occasional jet-setter with his own personal T3. That kind of power is out of reach except by corporations and the truly rich.
In the slow lane are the narrowband users, the mass of bikes resembling Shanghai traffic. The technically inclined who cannot get cable or DSL go past on carefully-tweaked 10-speeds. The AOL users, in the slowest lane of all, are toddlers on plastic big-wheel tricycles, watching the world pass by as they struggle to make their tiny legs move their inefficient transportation, wondering why they left the giant AOL nursery to visit the wider Internet.
Where do you fit into this? You are the dorky-looking 9 year old wearing cumbersome elbow and knee pads, the training wheels on your flimsy, gearless bike rattling as you struggle to keep the adults in view.
Sort of brings new meaning to Parental Controls, doesn't it? MSN is the parent. You are the child.
(With MSN DSL, things are a little better. You're in the driver's seat of an old, half-broken Yugo, and if you're running the software, with a cranky Driver's Ed teacher who has the passenger's seat brake pedal.)
Q: Well, I got this $400 rebate on my computer but I have to have 3 years of MSN, so I'm kinda stuck..
A: WTF were you doing buying your computer there anyway? Any honest, small-time comp shop- or even the computer geek next door- would have sold you a real, custom-built puter, from standardized parts, for a fair price of parts + labor. Instead, you went and bought a proprietary piece of crap from Gateway, Dell, HP, Compaq, Emachines, or (God forbid) Sony. (They make much better game consoles than computers, trust me.) So not only are you shackled to an inferior connection, you're stuck with a wimpy machine that is nigh-impossible to upgrade or repair.
But since you can't go back in time and correct your mistake, the solution is to make a connection in Dial-Up Networking with your username as MSN/yourusername (With no @msn.com part. And if you have a Hotmail email address, you can't do this.) and the phone number as simply one of the access numbers. (If you need to ask what goes into the Password field..) This will take off the useless pads and training wheels of the MSN software, although it's still a crappy bike.
Q: How much of this is confidential information?
A: About all of it, really.
Q: If they find out who you are, won't you get fired?
A: Actually, I'll also probably get sued, and the infamy will prevent me from getting another tech support job ever again.
I no longer care. | |
 Jim F4
join:2001-11-22
Kennewick, WA | Priceless. Absolutely priceless! | |
| reply to Tier 3 Tech
Dude-- what made you get so fed up? Everyone who works for MSN feels that way... But I give you props... | |
| reply to Tier 3 Tech
I'm with ya on everything but the part where you said "or (God forbid) Sony." That part should have been on either the Emachines or Compaq. Both are FAR inferior to the others. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't buy a Sony for all the tea in China, but the other two take the cake, lol. Anyway, having worked for Micro$oft directly, I can only say, you hit the nail on the head. Granted I was a code monkey on main campus in Redmond and had nothing to do with M$N support, I was at least familiar with the poor service and outsourcing. Excellent job!! 
--
Stare into the light, dance along the ledge. Feel the wicked blade, Kiss the razor's edge. | | |
|
| reply to Tier 3 Tech
Now this is a Joke, I have heard some of the Tier 3 agents say the same thing and ask the same question that the Tier 2 and Tier 1 agents already asked..... DON'T YOU HAVE A SYSTEM. You want so much to blame the other company... have you never heard of team work? HA.... it takes allot to make a team.... it takes a thread to BREAK that team....
What a wonderful WEB YOU WEAVE.....
Thank goodness for all the MSN CENTERS around the world. I don't know what this world would do with out them.... wait... there would be no technical support.... so you people would be hanging in the wind.... and then who would you talk to .... your local computer tech? HA now that is a funny thing... since they know nothing about your DSL hardware.... and let me guess... When the Level 3 technical support sends you 4 modems because each one was defective.....ROFLMAO.... when do you think they would get the clue that there might be something else wrong...
Yes folks, according to all the levels below level 3, only level 3 can order you that modem....
Now you tell me... who is the incompetent one.... LEAVE THE MSN BASHING ALONE.... Where do you people think you will be.. if the technical support team was not around??
YOU would be in the middle of the earth, after the Nuclear war was done.
And again...
WHO_AM_I | |
approval from:
Jim F4
| yet another tech responding.
if you ever get through to some people in "canada, out on the west coast" that's my group. personally, I hold MSN in the utmost contempt. they instruct us to lie to customers, set unreal expectations, and create a system that doesn't function, and when it does break, or there are changes made to it, the customer is to be kept clueless. ever notice that you weren't told about going from POP3 to web based? or that your version of the software will no longer be supported? (not that it makes a difference, that's a lie too. we just have to tell you that so you will upgrade to the latest and greatest and be further tied into the Microsoft product, as said by mr tier3).
it's not just MSN though. each outsourced company has it's own problems, and that is inherent in all situations of outsourcing. our company hires without discrimination (or so it appears) and I KNOW we have MANY incompetent techs on the floor. not only that, but there are quite a few incompetent tier 2 agents (not just relating to knowledge, but life in general. in short, they should be shot)
in each company, the people who are best at bs'ing generally get advanced sooner. (if you have good quality monitoring scores, you are a "supervisor" on sup-calls. then from there you can move into tier2).
the people who end up spending 30 minutes, or even 50 minutes on a call (and get flak for it afterwards) and TRY to resolve your call, or even succeed in doing it, are not congratulated. they are HOUNDED.
but that's al besides the point. tier3 man is correct in what he says and how he says it, even though he has much more knowledge than myself and I cannot validate his claims with any assurances that are backed up by a large number beside my tier assignment.
I keep wondering, why do you people use MSN? just get a real isp and use hotmail if you really want it. or use MSN explorer, the free version.
anyway, it doesn't matter to me, my centre is probably losing our contract because we aren't paid enough to care about coming in. | |
| Re: The MSN Tech Support SAQ Alright for one Everyone needs to can it.. Its not msn's fault you guys are all idiots. A tech support line is only as good as the agents. And if agents didnt look for loop holes there wouldnt be a problem. Yes MSN has changed quite a bit over the last 6-8 months. But MSN will come out better then most isp's im not saying it will be best but its far better then many competetors.. and as for the "bloated software" thats one of the features msn customers WANT 9/10 customers want to use MSN Explorer or MSN 8 end of story. Yes some Partner vendors should invest more in training agents. Its not microsoft telling our agents to lie to our customers.. Its our agents not knowing the full story because management at each of the centers arent paying attention to them. Each center has internal support. and yet again who cares about how much our techs get paid they were aware of the pay rate before they signed on if they dont like it go bye bye dont whine and complain. MSN's goal is to create a advanced network of standerdized tools and trouble shooting steps. If you dont follow em dont b*tch about msn . Pretty much if you cant do your job leave before you make msn look badder then you people already have. And i hope they find out who posted the orginal message and sue your little a$$ off for bad mouthing a company thats worked hard to provide internet services for over 8 million customers and growing
For the rest of you that can do your job Thank you so much your a valued resource to MSN and Our customers | |
| Oh please..are you one of the Redmond rah-rah's that makes 40 or 50 grand a year to spew the ms drivvel you are carefully spoon fed or something? Get real. There aren't many outsource agents working the msn account that have an ounce of respect for msn or microsoft. They are managed by a bunch of micro-managing idiots who could care less whether or not they lose thousands of customers a day because they figure eventually, like the airlines used to think, you will have to use them again someday.
I would have had more respect for SAQ had he cooled it with the foul language, which really wasn't necessary. You, (he) writes and expresses himself very well without using the extra verbs and adjectives. (or whatever they are!) Broadband Reports offers all of us a great opportunity to let the rest of us know just how bad, and how good, an isp is. MSN IS REALLY BAD..and for those who have dodged the bullet, lucky you. However...way to go SAQ. Thanks for taking the time to let everyone know just exactly what all tech support agents have wanted to say about this bunch of goof balls for a long time.
One more thing before I post this and watch as another one of you dimwits tear it apart..if you're going to post, at least get your spelling and grammar straight! Badder? C'mon! 8 million and going down after more people get wind of SAQ's and other's posts that are sure to follow. There is nothing I would like to see more than msn go down...and count me in on that antitrust lawsuit! | |
| reply to Tier 3 Tech
"And i hope they find out who posted the orginal message and sue your little a$$ off for bad mouthing a company thats worked hard to provide internet services for over 8 million customers and growing."
It's not hard to obtain 8 million customers when you monopolize the computing industry.
Anyways, any anti-trust lawsuit that happens, count me in. I'm sick of dealing with and hearing about all the problems that people go through with MSN. There needs to be something done about it.
And enough with the pro-Microsoft sentiment. It's not like Bill Gates is going to show up at your house and hand you a cookie or a free month of service.
| |
 zhatka
join:2003-02-17
Longview, WA | Seems the biggest complaint is that POS modem you get.
Replace that damn thing and MSN is as good as any other ISP.
Just my $0.02 | |
| reply to MSN2
Did you actually use the word "badder"? LMAO!!! | |
| reply to Tier 3 Tech
MSN. Hmm, ok. Its an ISP. Is there need to say more? It provides a service for the general consumer. If that consumer does not have the forsight to research to the product that they enter into a term commitment with then whos at fault? If this costomer was buying a car would they not take it out for a test drive first or AT LEAST look under the hood? I guess what im trying to say is that MSN as an ISP is not great (what is?) but it it still provides connectivity.
Now as for MSN's technical support... Where to begin. Most of these points are valid but they are all from the point of view of the person. MSN tech Sure its not great but at there and its free (even thought they pay the monthly fee). Anyone has the oportunity to go to a local tech. There are some good tech there are some bad tech then there are some people that arnt techs at all but the fact is that they are there to "support" the customer wheather its refering the customer or actually attempting to fix the problem. Now as for lying to the customer. EVERY BUSINESS DOES IT. Most of the time the 1 hour photo places take LONGER then 1 hour and businesses that say "the customers important" do you really think they think that? NOOO. The single person would look at that and say "they dont really care" but people on a whole like to hear that even though they know its not true.
Everything is perspective. Bad tech support, not enough access numbers (for dial-up), e-mail storage is to small but ALSO MSN has to be doing something right to be able to "monopolize" the ISP's. THe fact is that people still move to MSN after already having other ISP and some people wouldn't even beat MSN with 10 foot pole.
Most people arnt fully happy with almost any product they obtain but the fact is that without most of these product things would start to colapse because 99.99999999% of the general public have come so acustom to the leisures of life.
Tier 2 (under-paid Entry level position) MSN Tech support agent | |
| not to turn it into a flame war here, but if you're going to claim yourself as the "GrammerPolice" and question the use of the non-word "Badder" please spell grammar correctly | |
| said by not-a-tech:
not to turn it into a flame war here, but if you're going to claim yourself as the "GrammerPolice" and question the use of the non-word "Badder" please spell grammar correctly
LOL, I noticed that also.
--
Stare into the light, dance along the ledge. Feel the wicked blade, Kiss the razor's edge. | |
approval from:
Jim F4
| reply to Tier 3 Tech
Talk about bringing back memories. I used to work T3 support for MSN and, if anything, SAQ was too lenient. Bitch session? Not hardly, more like a frustrated tech with his facts straight.
Some points I'd like to touch on:
What SAQ said about sup calls is absolutely true. I was frequently asked to be a 'supervisor', and by all rights was one of the better ones doing it at the time (at one point that's all I did although I was still a technician). I actually fixed customers, I got to call RTAC (NOC got tired of hearing T3 bitch, so they gave us another group called RTAC that could talk to NOC; we couldn't), got to work with customers over a long period of time... the whole bit. What happened? My stats started to suffer, high outbound call times, high wrap time... Management finds out and BAM, I'm back to the phones. Lesson: Don't fix customers.
NOC is a mess. There were a thousand or more tickets sitting in what we called 'the Black Hole', never to be taken care of. I remember getting calls from customers who were checking on their issue that had been going on for a year or more. What do they tell us to tell the customer? 'Tell them to switch ISPs' But their line is still provisioned with the phone company, and we can't call the ILEC! Back to the NOC with you!
In all honesty, the reason techs are so upset, as SAQ is, is because the Techs DO care, they just have no way to fix a customer. Many times do I remember customers exclaiming 'you don't care!'. Fact is, I would fix you in a heartbeat if I could, ma'am.
I remember when I first switched to the MSN team, within the first month over half of my fellow classmates quit (out of fifty or so). These were technicians with at least a year or more of experience on the phones, and well adjusted to the stresses of a call center. With a job market as poor as it was at the time, I think that says a lot.
I wish SAQ the best, and I hope he finds a new job soon. | |
Jim F4
join:2001-11-22
Kennewick, WA | said by FmrT3tech:
Talk about bringing back memories.
I happen to agree 100% with what you, SAQ and others state.
I was an original member (charter member, if you will) of the MSN MVP program. We are the ones that manned the msn newsgroups curing subscribers problems as best we could via pen (keyboard).
Attitudes, policies and procedures regarding msn support are no different today than they were 7 years ago.
Note my signature. I believe that just as sure as I believe the sun will rise in the morning.
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With MSN, failure is not an option. It comes bundled with the service. | |
| reply to Tier 3 Tech
This is a crock, you guys have runs of the mouth going on.... you are not happy unless you are badmouthing someone. Hey does it make you big to bring someone down, READ THE BIBLE. | |
| Hey..who am I..maybe you should go away if you can't handle a little msn bashing. MSN DESERVES to be bashed..as well as that Sykes idiot. We're blowing off steam the best way we know how...so don't knock it.....ignore it.....and go away will ya? | |
| reply to Tier 3 Tech
msnhatr,
I disagree strongly and wish misfortune upon you. (well, it was the best translation I could come up with on the spur of the moment - 2kmaro)
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