From zero to annoyed in 20 minutes

[linguafranca.livejournal.com]

(X-posted to ts_sucks)

Customer: I can't get to my email.
Me: Are you using a mail program or are you using Webmail?
C: I'm using... Express, is that what it's called?
Me: Outlook Express?
C: Yeah.
Me: What happens when you open Outlook Express? Do you get an error message?
C: It says somethin' about a virus.
Me: Um... What about a virus?
C: I'm not sure, I'm not at home right now.

There's a message in our queue that asks you to be in front of your computer when you call. Why is that hard?

Comments

[hoffman-log.livejournal.com]

In this case I usually feed them some bullshit just to appease them. They'll most likely forget it by time they get home, end up calling again, and none's the wiser.

_MaH

[saintrigger.livejournal.com]

sweet, a linguistics based username :)

[trenthamfamily.livejournal.com]

What is your icon of? I have an idea but it's a pretty dumb and long shot one.

[saintrigger.livejournal.com]

It's um.. a man leapfrogging a polarbear.

Think of it as an extreme sport of sorts.

[trenthamfamily.livejournal.com]

I kind of figured that part...but for some reason the 'man' looked like Freddie Krueger. Yeah I need to lay off the horror flicks.

[ximinez]

There's a message in our queue that asks you to be in front of your computer when you call. Why is that hard?

Because the kind of person who is going to think that it's not an incredibly stupid idea to call in when away from the computer tends to be the same kind of person who doesn't pay attention to instructions unless someone is beating them across the head and shoulders while explaining them.

[daerlyn.livejournal.com]

Well put.

[ximinez]

Why, thank you. *bow*

[runsamok.livejournal.com]

I've talked to customers who lost sync on their DSL connection that morning, left to go to work, then called from work to tell me that it was down. They neglect to tell me that they are calling from work, and they know the basic answers to the questions, modem type, light status (as of this morning), etc.

So I go through some troubleshooting steps, and they answer "Uh Huh" or "Just a minute, Ok". It turns out they are writing the troubleshooting steps down for when they get home. Or they are trying to "make up" the answers like "What are the modem lights doing now?" because they don't want to have to call back from their location.

I've had to escalate a call to my supervisor because a customer refused to speak with me after I "wasted their time troubleshooting the connection on their work computer" instead of just "fixing" their problem.

Yep, I forgot my psychic headgear today and couldn't "guess" that you weren't calling from home..