  Wills9
join:2001-01-03
Port Charlotte, FL |
Wills9
Member
2005-Mar-28 1:33 pm
It goes a little deeper that this.The biggest thing I hate, is calling tech support, and getting a guy that knows what he's doing, but refuses to listen to what I say.
SprintDSL has some great tech support in comparison to most. But my main gripe with them is that I call after doing hours of troubleshooting, I can clearly see that the problem is on their end, roughly where it exists, and probably what is happening, only to be ignored by the tech support guy.
This past slowdown of DSL in SW Florida is a great example. I called after doing numerous speed tests to different servers on Sprints network. I called tech support various times telling them my speeds are great local, but when I go north of Orlando, Florida, the speeds drop off to just this side of dial up.
It finally took someone from these boards, inside Sprint, to get the ball rolling. If it wasn't for that one person, we'd still have slow speeds in this area.
They need to wake up and recognize when they have knowlegable people with a problem and take their recommendation with at least a grain of salt. I don't expect them to roll out trucks because I said there is a problem, but when I go through the trouble of solidly identifying a bottleneck, they should at least look into it better than they did to begin with.
Especially when it's something that can be replicated and verified on their end in a matter of seconds. | |
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 | sharksfan3
Premium Member
join:2004-02-16
North Hollywood, CA |
Re: It goes a little deeper that this.Agreed. I hate it when there are local network issues and tech support blames my equipment, or claims that everything is fine. I once had a third tier Time Warner rep tell me that 50% packet loss is normal. Granted my voIP hardware wouldn't stay connected, I couldn't connect to game servers, and webpages took years to load... What if I paid 50% of my bill and called it normal? | |
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Re: It goes a little deeper that this.Empty your browser cache  | |
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| | | sharksfan3
Premium Member
join:2004-02-16
North Hollywood, CA |
Re: It goes a little deeper that this.said by Freezone:Empty your browser cache LOL... the rep said that might be the problem | |
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| | | |  exocet_cmWriting
Premium Member
join:2003-03-23
Brooklyn, NY |
Re: It goes a little deeper that this."Have you ran disk defragmenter?" (when calling tech support about my TCP/IP settings) The ONLY tech support people that I actually approve of, and care for is the xbox tech support. So far they have been the most helpful, even made a few XBL friends by calling tech support | |
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| | | | |  packetscan
Premium Member
join:2004-10-19
Bridgeport, CT |
Re: It goes a little deeper that this.Well if you are running win98 on a p3 450 with 128mb of ram a defrag could mean the difference between a smooth machine and a choppy hell ride.. Then again the cache and a few other things come to mind BUT. For the average home user they don't know what to do and they've never Defrag or cleared their internet cache.. So in there (ISPs) defense you have to treat everyone like a newbie or someone that knows nothing.
Yet when I as a techie find a problem I do expect to be listened too.. Maybe they can Implement something were I give them my a+ or network+ or my MCP card to get access to the high level techs.. Nothing worse than being talked down to. | |
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| | | | | |  Thaler
Premium Member
join:2004-02-02
Los Angeles, CA |
Thaler
Premium Member
2005-Mar-28 3:58 pm
Re: It goes a little deeper that this.True...defragging then might make the difference in computer performance...but in fixing packet loss? Hell no...that has entirely to do with the network/ISP you're plugged into. (assuming your network card hasn't crapped out to all-get-out)
Having a tech tell you to clear the cache or defrag, when you clearly are suffering from terrible packet loss...is like having an auto mechanic tell you to "check the windshield wiper fluid levels" when your engine has literally (and visibly) blown up. | |
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| | | | | | | packetscan
Premium Member
join:2004-10-19
Bridgeport, CT |
Re: It goes a little deeper that this.Packet loss....Possible but that machine would have to be hella bogged down with crap. Yea Looks like you got a broken Flux Capacitor their... That's gona cost ya. | |
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| | | | | | |  vrpvrp
Premium Member
join:2002-12-05
terra |
vrp to Thaler
Premium Member
2005-Mar-28 5:40 pm
to Thaler
said by Thaler:... to "check the windshield wiper fluid levels" when your engine has literally (and visibly) blown up. . ... just to be devil's advocate here ... ... that still might be a possibility ... if someone banged his/her vehicle straight to a tree trunk or pole and got the engine busted/smashed as a result ...  . | |
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| | | | | |  MaxoYour tax dollars at work.
Premium Member
join:2002-11-04
Tallahassee, FL |
to packetscan
said by packetscan:Maybe they can Implement something were I give them my a+ or network+ or my MCP card to get access to the high level techs.. Nothing worse than being talked down to. Yech! People calling in sighting all their degrees are always the worst. They think they know everything and they don't know crap. I'd rather deal with grandma who's grandson just bought her her first computer. | |
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| | | | | | |  NyQuil Kid8f The Nyquil Kid
join:2001-01-06
Brick, NJ |
Re: It goes a little deeper that this.A+ = Joke; I've personally had to interview so-called certified people and they couldn't even tell me what netstat does or the flags used with that command. It's the IT equivalent to GRE's and GMAT's; some of the people who ace those exams are the dumbest fscks to walk the Earth.
A+ indeed....
[8F] The NyQuil Kid | |
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to exocet_cm
said by exocet_cm: tech support people that I actually approve of, and care for is the xbox tech support. So far they have been the most helpful, even made a few XBL friends by calling tech support I did a stint on X-Box Support back in 2002. The place is a freakin' call center. Half hour lunches. Inconsistent hours. Just one giant room with little partition type cubicles. Most of the time you never sit on the same computer you were at yesterday. Yeah some people who have been there have their own space and put in some personal things, but even those people don't get to work their mini-cube 100% of the time. As far as knowledgeable you're spot on. EVERYBODY in that place knows just about everything needed to know to give effective support. And if they don't there is a database to pull up what you don't know. From what I know there is no level one/level two support. You have one person and that person will either get you working right or get that repair order set up for you. If the problem is big maybe they pull in a resident expert, but that's it. You do have to admit though the X-Box is very limited in functionality compared to a consumer PC so there are only so many problems that come up without needing straight up repair. Doing support for something where the most complicated problem is getting the headset to work with Ghost Recon on X-Box Live just isn't in the same league with talking someone through configuring a new 56k modem. On the other hand broadband issues are a bit easier to work with on the user end than that. | |
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|  TechyDad
Premium Member
join:2001-07-13
USA |
to Wills9
Having done tech support in the past (and in the present if you consider the support I do at work for my applications), one of the first things you learn is to question everything that the user tells you happened. Most users either forget crucial details (no I didn't install anything new -- except for that free screensaver application) or are too intent on blaming you to go through basic support procedures (I don't need to check my system, the slowdown is obviously something you did wrong). That's why, whenever I call tech support, I try to be patient with them. I realize that 99 out of 100 users that they encounter aren't as knowledgeable as I am and it is hard from a brief phone conversation to tell whether I'm a knowledgeable user or a clueless user who knows some terminology (aka "Knows Just Enough To Be Dangerous). | |
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| |  djrobx
Premium Member
join:2000-05-31
Reno, NV ·AT&T FTTP
1 edit |
djrobx
Premium Member
2005-Mar-28 2:13 pm
Re: It goes a little deeper that this.That's why they need to take email support more seriously.
It's very difficult to communicate in-depth technical details to a first level tech support person that doesn't have the necessary knowledge to handle it. Things like routing problems and packet loss are much better described in an email with traceroutes and ping plotter graphs. Unfortunately most emails are greeted with an automated response or just end up in the circular file. If the first "level" email support doesn't understand the contents, he or she can simply forward it on to someone who does.
-- Rob | |
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| | oherra
join:2002-04-09
Blackshear, GA |
to TechyDad
I currently work as the customer support division supervisor for a regional provider and have to agree with everything you said. Once in a while, we manage to catch on to the fact that a user is very knowledgeable and if we do we do our best to run with what they are telling us. However the vast majority of the time we are dealing with individuals who either fail to give us key bits of information or insist that the problem is our fault. Spyware spyware is currently the biggest reason we see people calling in who are unable to surf. It's a tough position to be in, but in most cases we have to start at such a basic level, that it's hard for us to come out of that mode when we do get someone who happens to be well versed in troubleshooting. That said, when a user calls in and mentions buzzwords like trace route or ping, I'm much more inclined to step back and listen to them. Also, being nice helps! We're lucky, most of our customers are nice, and the nice ones get a whole lot more out of us than the ones who call in screaming. When I have to call company's support line, I try to be very patient with them, but often I happen to mention that I have done support call center work, or that I'm a bit more knowledgeable than the average Joe and usually this helps. | |
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to TechyDad
User always lies.
Did you install anything right before this happened? No
Did you make any changes to your system before problem? No
After a little digging you find they did and then all of sudden it is.... Oh yeah, I did install that last week but it worked fine until now.
Quick check shows they just installed it.
Seen that many many many times.
I love it most when they bring a broken laptop in and say it just quit working. Examining the machine shows signs of liquid in it and when confronted they admit it.
The best one ever was when a guy brought his laptop in that didnt work and I noticed the keyboard was a little weird. I removed the keyboard from the laptop and everything underneath it was crushed. His response was, "I got mad and punched it." | |
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| | | NyQuil Kid8f The Nyquil Kid
join:2001-01-06
Brick, NJ |
Re: #1 rule of support.....My best retort to the "But my laptop was working yesterday" nonsense is this:
"Ever drive a car that failed one day but worked the day before? Same thing..."
[8F] The NyQuil Kid | |
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| | | | MaxoYour tax dollars at work.
Premium Member
join:2002-11-04
Tallahassee, FL |
Maxo
Premium Member
2005-Mar-28 9:00 pm
Re: #1 rule of support.....said by NyQuil Kid:My best retort to the "But my laptop was working yesterday" nonsense is this: "Ever drive a car that failed one day but worked the day before? Same thing..." [8F] The NyQuil Kid I used that a lot. Everything works up to the point that it breaks. People seem to be so baffled that that holds true with electronics. As if technology only breaks when you aren't paying attention and you forget about it. | |
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to Skippy25
god i love that one. i get that 2-3 times a day at least. customer's lie because they want to believe the issueisn'w caused by them. | |
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| |  Radio ActiveMy pappy's a pistol
Premium Member
join:2003-01-31
Fullerton, CA |
to TechyDad
said by TechyDad:Having done tech support in the past (and in the present if you consider the support I do at work for my applications), one of the first things you learn is to question everything that the user tells you happened. Most users either forget crucial details (no I didn't install anything new -- except for that free screensaver application) or are too intent on blaming you to go through basic support procedures (I don't need to check my system, the slowdown is obviously something you did wrong). That's why, whenever I call tech support, I try to be patient with them. I realize that 99 out of 100 users that they encounter aren't as knowledgeable as I am and it is hard from a brief phone conversation to tell whether I'm a knowledgeable user or a clueless user who knows some terminology (aka "Knows Just Enough To Be Dangerous). Especially if there are "Scripts" involved. But what can be done when service providers have a rigid CSR policy? (Sorry-rhetoric) What needs to be done (IM not-so-humble O) is to pay MORE for REAL technicians who can get down to the real network/user issue... Not some scripted drones who know next to nothing about these inter-relationships. Empowerment is the key to technical service. The money that service providers save may go a long way toward giving better technical support. It might even be cheaper for operations and ultimately improve the bottom line for investors, enabling the company or corporation to be more competitve and (dare I say?) reduce prices for the consumer. My $.02... Keep the change. | |
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to Wills9
I agree with you wholeheartedly.
Recently(and this was a first for this), I called Sprint Tech Support. There was what I could diagnose as an intermittent latency problem on the NJ network segment, or at least where it went out to. I ran my diagnostics and compiled clear data, as always, as I know it is helpful to them(as other TSRs have told me, in the past). When I called, I got a gentleman who was brusque and impatient in the beginning, cutting me off in mid-sentence. I remained firm and focused on the data. After going through the "turn everything off and back on, a non-trivial exercise with my home network, and after, yes, clearing my cache;'), he started to finally get it that I was truly not devoid 'o clue. He finally handed me off to Sprintlink, where I promptly was banashed to bad music and worse canned statement hell. After waiting 15 minutes, I bagged it.
Interestingly, I have not gotten a quality assurance call on this one. Wonder why that is?
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|  neonhomerDearborn 5-2750
Premium Member
join:2004-01-27
Edgewater, FL |
to Wills9
Hmmm, what about crappy tech support, but you can afford a commercial to see which employee gets a company car??? Tell the guy to drive his own damn car, and pay that money to get an English speaking tech! | |
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 drkkgtBoo
Premium Member
join:2003-08-26
Whittier, CA |
drkkgt
Premium Member
2005-Mar-28 1:42 pm
AlsoCentralize it or give me easy access to the numbers for different departments or areas. Don't give me one number who tells me I need to call another number, who then tells me I need to call my local office, which isn't listed anywhere, and they need to connect me to sales to get that number. | |
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 FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ |
FFH5
Premium Member
2005-Mar-28 1:44 pm
Poor customer service biggest ISP failingThis area is probably the biggest failing in the broadband arena. ISP's should be spending the largest percentage of their expenses in this area instead of in marketing. If an ISP had an excellent customer service department and excellent network operations staff, marketing costs could be lowered because word of mouth and favorable reviews would drive new business to them. As it is, customer turnover is high because the ISP's do such a poor job of providing helpful and quick customer support. | |
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|  rawgerzThe hell was that?
Premium Member
join:2004-10-03
Grove City, PA
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rawgerz
Premium Member
2005-Mar-28 1:49 pm
Re: Poor customer service biggest ISP failingyeah really i call verizon about their dsl and im on hold for 20 minutes! its verizon for god sakes they have money pouring out but refuse to get 3x the tech sup staff?
the Best tech support ive found is on msn dialup.. the guy understood what i wanted thats rare sometimes..
hahaha i like that 50% packetloss is normal only in America! | |
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| |  xirian
Premium Member
join:2003-01-26
Beacon, NY |
xirian
Premium Member
2005-Mar-28 2:29 pm
Re: Poor customer service biggest ISP failingsaid by rawgerz:yeah really i call verizon about their dsl and im on hold for 20 minutes! its verizon for god sakes they have money pouring out but refuse to get 3x the tech sup staff? the Best tech support ive found is on msn dialup.. the guy understood what i wanted thats rare sometimes.. hahaha i like that 50% packetloss is normal only in America! I guess im lucky, the only time Ive ever been on hold for a long time was optimum online. When the craptastic setup cd for verizon wasnt working, I got a rep within a few seconds of saying "let me talk to a representative" or something like that (something that the voice prompts didnt tell you to do and instead tried to frustrate you). She went in remote desktop and set it up for me (and couldnt find my start menu because of my windows theme). | |
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to FFH5
I agree.....I do tech support and most of the company's money that i work for goes into marketing....sure its important to put that money there but there needs to be money put into tech support for instance....where i work there are 9 people that do tech support 6 tier 1 support analysts and 3 tier 2 and and we have a large amount of customers alot of them are business customer's that we provide T1's, Ethernet drops, BGP,Web hosting and so on and all we here about at these employee meetings that we have is how marketing and sales are doing this and that and not a word or very little is said about support and how good of a job that we do in order to keep the customers that we have of ot wasn't for the support that we have, i don't care how good sales and marketing are if support sucks then customers leave.....so the theme to this post is that support in general is underappreciated by most companies anymore because of outsourcing and so on. | |
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ditto!!i for one agree with the script reading problem. i do not need some one telling me to do things that i have already tried to no evail. when i do call tech support (wich is rarely), it will require at least leval 2 tech or higher. i think they should just do away with leval 1 tech's all together or at the very least have them take an exam to prove there knowledge before hireing them. it is no fun talking to some one about an issue when you know more about computers than the so called tech  | |
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|  clevere1
Premium Member
join:2002-01-06
Vancouver, WA |
clevere1
Premium Member
2005-Mar-28 2:21 pm
Re: ditto!!said by basket case:i for one agree with the script reading problem. i do not need some one telling me to do things that i have already tried to no evail. when i do call tech support (wich is rarely), it will require at least leval 2 tech or higher. i think they should just do away with leval 1 tech's all together or at the very least have them take an exam to prove there knowledge before hireing them. it is no fun talking to some one about an issue when you know more about computers than the so called tech You know, about doing Tech support for a number of years, I can tell you straight up, the tech needs to first figure out what the heck is going on. Even if you don't think the questions are relevant, they very well could be. I get customers all the time that tell me "I've already done that", but when we go and do that exact same thing, it normally works. (Mind you, I am not in ISP tech support). | |
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to basket case
said by basket case:i for one agree with the script reading problem. i do not need some one telling me to do things that i have already tried to no evail. when i do call tech support (wich is rarely), it will require at least leval 2 tech or higher. i think they should just do away with leval 1 tech's all together or at the very least have them take an exam to prove there knowledge before hireing them. it is no fun talking to some one about an issue when you know more about computers than the so called tech But if they pass a test, then you have to pay them more. If you pay them more you lose more of your bottom line... | |
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|  JRW2R.I.P. Mom, Brian, Gary, Ziggy, Max.
Premium Member
join:2004-12-20
La La Land |
to basket case
Every place I have ever dealt with has forgotten this golden rule, "The customer is always right" and by this I mean that if they are calling you, they are having a problem, regardless of where it exists. I hate when I get on the phone, and EXPLAIN my situation, to the extent that any half brain-dead person should get that I have a clue, and I am treated like a drooling idiot. OOL's standard first request is "remove your router", why is this their first request ALL THE @^%#^@%#^%@ TIME!!!!!
My favorite example happened recently, I was by the OOL walk-in center, I went in because I was having trouble with the cable modem DIEING all the time, requiring a HARD reset. I asked the lady behind the counter if she could check my cable modem to see if it was functioning, or put in a request to have tech support take a look at it remotely. Nothing, all she would say was "bring in your modem and we will swap it"
This is providing support??
I do support for a living, I know who the idiots are, yet I still listen to what they say, because that will always point me to the problem, be it with a system or "between the keyboard and the chair" | |
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| | Wills9
join:2001-01-03
Port Charlotte, FL |
Wills9
Member
2005-Mar-28 3:14 pm
Re: The customer is ALWAYS right.NO! The customer is NOT always right when it comes to technical support.
When I worked in a local computer shop, I had a customer pull that line of crap. He tried telling me his computer was locking up because of the software we installed, even though his CPU fan wasn't spinning due to the 10lbs of cat hair stuck in it.
I put his computer back together, handed it to him, and told him if he was right, then he could fix it.
If the customer was always right, then he wouldn't need me...
And I agree with them wanting you to remove the router. For all they know you can be an incompetant fool that set the router up wrong to begin with. Take it out of the equation and then troubleshoot. I have no problem with this and always have my network set back to standard prior to even calling tech suppport. | |
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| | | NyQuil Kid8f The Nyquil Kid
join:2001-01-06
Brick, NJ |
Re: The customer is ALWAYS right.said by Wills9:NO! The customer is NOT always right when it comes to technical support. AMEN Brother! [8F] The NyQuil Kid | |
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|  needforspeed59Cruise Ship Just Passing Through
join:2001-05-02
La Place, LA |
to basket case
said by basket case:i for one agree with the script reading problem. i do not need some one telling me to do things that i have already tried to no evail. when i do call tech support (wich is rarely), it will require at least leval 2 tech or higher. i think they should just do away with leval 1 tech's all together or at the very least have them take an exam to prove there knowledge before hireing them. it is no fun talking to some one about an issue when you know more about computers than the so called tech The tier 1 resp probably handle and clear 98% of the calls to the customer's satisfaction. They don't get paid like tier 2 reps that handle fewer and longer calls. What would be cool is if the phone system recoginized your incoming call automatically or by you inputing the number and then route you based on if you have called in recently. Maybe ask if you have an open ticket number that you can enter and then route you right to level 2. | |
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 Sean8
join:2004-01-23
Toronto |
Sean8
Member
2005-Mar-28 2:33 pm
Fundamental flaw of society.quote:
Do you pay your network architects and your customer support executives, as much as your top marketing executives?
That is a fundamental flaw in our society. To each according to his ability is apparently no longer a valid way of life. Fat ass folk that know how to extort the customer get paid a few million a year, while a talented person who is the mind behind providing a few hundred thousand people with internet access gets paid maybe $60K if he's lucky. | |
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 insomniacOh Yeah
Premium Member
join:2002-09-22
Naperville, IL |
Here's a gripe...A "reverse countdown" is counting from 1 to 10. This is just a countdown.
I'm not normally one to nitpick, but this isn't a difficult concept. | |
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Re: Here's a gripe...haha i didn't notice until you mentioned this but you're absolutely right! it should be changed for the rest of the countdown. | |
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 NightfallMy Goal Is To Deny Yours
MVM
join:2001-08-03
Grand Rapids, MI |
Would consumers pay for better service?I have called tech support line for my ISP only a handful of times. In that time, I have learned that, for the most part, they don't know much. A lot of them do read from scripts and really have no idea how to fix problems due to their lack of real world experience.
On the other hand, lets say an ISP decides to hire great tech support reps. When you hire these reps, you end up having to pay them more due to the fact they have experience and are proven to be very good when it comes to computers and help desk work. You expect the ISP to eat that cost? Eventually, it trickles down to the people who pay for the service. In their minds, paying that extra money may or may not be worth it and may take their business elsewhere.
Don't get me wrong, I am all for hiring the best support people. I would be more than happy to pay for service with the best technicians and support people. With people like that in charge, the service will remain top notch. However, to a lot of other people, they don't care about paying more for better support.
Look at companies like dlink, SMC, linksys, and netgear. Here are companies that are undercutting each other constantly to bring out a product that is going to sell well. Support is not on ANY of these companies minds as a #1 priority. You can make a similar arguement for broadband. With prices already very cheap, that extra $3-$6 a month may turn some people away. | |
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Comcast is horrid in this aspect!It takes 3-4 Live Chat sessions before you finally get someone who will drop the script and listen to what your trying to tell them!!
YES WE ALL KNOW WE SHOULD TRY CYCLING OUR MODEMS!!!
If that WAS the problem we would not have needed to get a hold of tech support for crying out loud!!!!!
What ever happened to the customer is always right? Now days no one cares about the customer or their problems. Just keep the checks coming in and we are golden! | |
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zipjay
join:2003-03-11
South Williamson, KY |
zipjay
Member
2005-Mar-28 2:54 pm
actually.. i had a pretty good experience..a customer of mine called up verizon and told the tech that i am certified and that i am knolegable about computers and the lady was like "ok so what do you need to know?" and she solved my problem.. instead of going threw the "is your computer on? is your computer plugged in?" crap | |
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moot....if the network is down-they are not going to tell ya
if they are working on it-they are not going to tell ya
if the product is $h1tty and full of known issues-not going to tell ya.
and ya ain't ever gonna get quality tech support cuz that would actually cost money, and corporate big wigs would like to conserve as much of that for themsalves as possible: remember people it's quantity NOT quality / profitability OVER integrity. So at the end of the day ISPs are company/corporate entities and the bottom line is always going to be money. Now if they were founded, owned and run by techies and geeks things might be a little different. | |
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| Thaler
Premium Member
join:2004-02-02
Los Angeles, CA |
Thaler
Premium Member
2005-Mar-28 3:16 pm
Re: moot....said by AtomicZero:Now if they were founded, owned and run by techies and geeks things might be a little different. Good luck. We'd be too busy entrenched in Windows/Macintosh/Linux debates over our workstations to get any ISP management done.  | |
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 thender2Glamour Profession
Premium Member
join:2004-05-16
Staten Island, NY |
thender2
Premium Member
2005-Mar-28 3:11 pm
Says it all.» www.illwillpress.com/tech.htmlI've never called Verizon tech support out of fear of what I'd hear during the slowdown problem. I've had to call Dell's a few timees and they wanted me to pay $1000 to replace an LCD that broke without reason even though it was in the warrenty, on their lemon laptop. Tech support sucks. Unless something needs to be replaced, I never bother calling: and that's what RMA is for. If things got bad enough to the point where I'd need tech support, I'd probably just switch providers - it's less trouble than dealing with tech support. | |
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Turbocpe
Premium Member
2005-Mar-28 3:12 pm
I can relateMy cable ISP has more than several times let me down with their "official" support, which is why I appreciate the support on this site that some provide.
One latest example was when there was a router in my path by this ISP (2nd hop) that was adding consistent 250MS+ response times. Normally, that router would provide under 20MS response times.
After calling my ISP's Tech support and trying to explain to them how the 2nd hop router that all my traffic runs through, is now adding 250MS+ response times to all the traffic when it normally had typical response times of 20MS at that router (did not appear to be a simple ICMP priority), I was told that it was "not too bad" by official Tech support.
I usually end up further upset or frustrated whenever I call support in regard to these issues, as either my issue is downplayed, or I'm told they can't see a problem, just when they simply ping my modem a few times.
Sending email into their support was my preferred method as it was easier to show examples of what was occurring. However, I can't recall how many emails that I've sent in that have not returned any response other than the automated response indicating that Support would respond.
Sometimes, "official" support is a hurdle than an assistance, which makes me appreciate the people on this site even more. | |
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| Thaler
Premium Member
join:2004-02-02
Los Angeles, CA |
Thaler
Premium Member
2005-Mar-28 3:23 pm
Re: I can relatesaid by Turbocpe:After calling my ISP's Tech support and trying to explain to them how the 2nd hop router that all my traffic runs through, is now adding 250MS+ response times to all the traffic when it normally had typical response times of 20MS at that router (did not appear to be a simple ICMP priority), I was told that it was "not too bad" by official Tech support. Make them play CS 24/7 with that 250+MS added to his response time until they finally recognize that there is a problem in the works. | |
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Turbocpe
Premium Member
2005-Mar-28 4:08 pm
Re: I can relateIt's funny that this topic comes up. I can't recall how many times I had a valid issue, only for it to be sidelined by someone in official support who thought all was well by their opinion. 250MS+ (usually higher, I'm being conservative), and the official Tech support thinks that it's "not too bad"?! This is a broadband cable, not dial-up service.
Very frustrating to know that you have valid issues, but yet official support either does more harm than good (at times), or is more of a hinder than an assistance. | |
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 rodoke
join:2003-10-28
Carbondale, IL |
rodoke
Member
2005-Mar-28 3:31 pm
A Big "Secret" of ISPsI can understand why some techs are leery of reports from the users' equipment, but why does the existance of cable (and DSL) status pages seem to come as news to their "Tier one"'s? It seems to me that to a script-reader so used to unknowlegeable customers, a device they approved with (almost) zero user-configurability would be a godsend. If they're models they give out to customers, you'd think the support would at least know of them.
My favorite was two years ago when all of a sudden my modem would not connect to the network. The modem status page said in effect I was specifically denied access. When I called their "support" and put this information to them, their response was "Silly rabbit, modems don't have webpages!". Not listening to this, all they would do is "send somebody out". When he got there I told him this information; uncaring, he insisted on going through the routine of connecting different parts of the network. When even his laptop wouldn't work, he called some "secret" number to confirm what I had known all week—and he still insisted on replacing my modem.
Needless to say, I dropped the cableco when after I had settled things with them, they told me explicitly they intended to charge me for the week of non-service it took them to tell me the problem and the two needed to fix it. | |
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Dont just take it -
Anon
2005-Mar-28 4:47 pm
Re: A Big "Secret" of ISPsYou can balk about that if you want. Let them know that you will pay their charges, but drop your account - or they can drop the charges and you will keep your account.
Sometimes they will care enough about your business to comply - and if not, what have you lost?
I've done this before when I had extended problems, and almost always gotten a credit. (note, by extended I mean more than a few consecutive days). | |
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| | rodoke
join:2003-10-28
Carbondale, IL
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rodoke
Member
2005-Mar-29 3:06 am
WellIt wouldn't really have mattered much, as by the time I did get this settled, I was planning on moving out in two weeks (end of lease). It was annoying to have to use the (free) school dialup, but in the end it didn't matter much.
Oh, and I doubt that would've worked with this company, as their techs were awfully fond of the "I'm not authorized to _" excuse when faced asked to do something. | |
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 mxracer747
Premium Member
join:2004-07-17
Hazleton, PA |
Others should take note as wellI definitely think this applies to most tech support lines, not just broadband companies. On a few occasions I've gotten some very nice techs who were more than happy to try and help (and eventually transfer me). While most were downright miserable. Whomever said they don't listen really got it right. Linksys comes to mind as a tech support line I will never call again. I don't like calling verizon tech, but compared to other companies, they're not half as terrible. | |
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Technical Support issuesLet's start with the obvious.
1. Too many companies depend on outsourcing this work.
2. The scripts are dictated by the ISP and must be conformed to all ways.
3. Most of the people who do support for the Telco ISP's have their performance based on time and not substance.
4. If the customer mattered, why would they constantly shift support to different states based on wages?
For all those who were Ameriwreck customers prior to being SBC customers, you know what I mean about #4.
I will agree that the level from person to person in Tier 1 does vary. This is not common to just Broadband, it is indicative the service industry in general. Some companies are better then others.
Having done Technical Support in the past, maybe 4 to 5 years ago, I can understand the frustration many people do have with process. I remember the days of mind numbing phone calls (people would not even tell you what version of Windows they were using) to getting transferred to Email and deciding that the standard script responses were a complete joke (I refused to use them and my hardest to help people with the limited tools the ISP allowed us).
The blame of this issue should be squarely placed on the ISP. Although not all Tier 1 support personnel are not at the same level, they are just doing the job they are paid to perform. Since the structure of the telecom is unlikely to change, this issue will always remain.
A special note to RadioDoc and all of people of the Ameritech forum a few years back, I do appreciate the support and encouragement to myself and all the people who helped resolving issues. Thanks. | |
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Re: Technical Support issuesMy problem with SBC tech support is not being able too understand them, ive called a cpl of times and couldnt understand a damn thing the guy was saying so i finally asked him where he was located and he said "India" i was like wtf? no wonder i couldnt understand these ppl when i call, then they get a attitude cause i ask them too repeat themselves..but being a hard core gamer for years ive learned how to trouble shoot my problems on my own or make sure its not my pc before i call them. | |
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 cork1958Cork
Premium Member
join:2000-02-26 |
cork1958
Premium Member
2005-Mar-28 6:43 pm
Please, Charter?"then provide excellent central network status pages and automated phone answering messages that honestly and accurately communicate outages"
I've been trying to get Charter to do this for years now. Maybe, their website would actually have something useful on it then!! | |
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lol reboot ure modemsGUYS JUST REBOOT YOUR MODEMS ITLL EVERY PROBLEM KNOWN TO MAN
thats basically what i hear from tech support when i call them up. In addition, it's usually an Indian individual who i cannot communicate with efficiently. The only reliable tech support for my isp comes from the Earthlink forum here. BBreports saved my life several times, seriously, because had i not found the isp help forum here i would probably have died of exhaustions from trying to get a hold of tech support and if not that i would have gone mentally unstable from listening to the repetitive and god awful hold music they make us listen to. | |
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Ihave7minutes
Anon
2005-Mar-28 11:32 pm
Bottom LineMost of all your comments are right on the mark. These companies spend millions of dollars on advertising, not on their tech support staff. I worked in a call center for A--, and let me tell you it sucked. The most important thing was call time, get the customer off the phone in 7 min or less you are the master, anything over 8-10 min oops the line somehow was disconnected. If you think those mysterious dropped calls are a fluke, I have some swamp land in NJ.
When you are pressured by the idiot supervisors, to keep you call times below 7 minutes it get really irritating, and many of these so called STUPIDvisors whom knew far less than I did on a bad day. I pretty much guarantee most of these call centers have the call time limits.
So the next time you call into one of these centers, make sure you have discovered the fix. Because, the clock is ticking and guess what! 7 minutes all is well, going on 10 or above CLICK oops line problems............. | |
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Matt_B13
Anon
2005-Mar-29 11:54 am
#7 is also my problemYes... customer support. You feel my pain Too often my ISP comes down with problems ranging from annoying ping problems, to complete blackouts. When I call tech support, they can never tell me exactly what is going on... and when they do it's extremley vague... and so isn't the estimate on when it will be fixed. Another problem is poorly trained tech support. I always get a real person when I call, but they're just as good as a machine would be since they really have no clue about the industry, and basically act as an human answering machine, taking your message and repeating back whatever their supervisor told them. The worst time was when I called to have my service upgraded, they said they'd get right on it... I call again 2 weeks later to ask why hasn't my speed increased, and they say "We never received an order from you"... now that's tech support! | |
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 PlasticmanWill Work For Bandwidth
Premium Member
join:2002-09-06
Johnston, RI |
What Happend to #6What happend to gripe #6
Plasticman | |
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|  Chris 313Because It's Geekier
Premium Member
join:2004-07-18
Houma, LA ·Comcast XFINITY
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Chris 313
Premium Member
2005-Mar-30 12:36 pm
Re: What Happend to #6said by Plasticman:What happend to gripe #6 Plasticman Gripe Number Six: Stop trying to kill the messengers | |
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