An Open Post-it Note

[wxgeek.livejournal.com]

Dear wireless customers: When I ask you which way your very sensitive directional antenna is pointing, "Outside" is not a helpful answer.

PS: "Out a window", while mildly less unhelpful, isn't so great either.

Comments

[gremlingirl.livejournal.com]

Bwahahahahahaha. That's excellent. That sums up tech support right there.

[notthebuddha.livejournal.com]

What kind of elitist are you, expecting people to know north from south? Half of my on-site residential customers couldn't even tell me where they live!

[nem0.livejournal.com]

Things I will NOT miss from doing phone support:

"Can you give me your zip code?"

"Uh... hang on."

Dude, unless you moved less than a month ago, I will find it hard to believe you don't know your own bloody POSTAL CODE.

It's worse when they don't even know their own phone number. Worse yet when they don't know their EXTENSION. It's three digits! FFS!

[wibbble]

When I did tech support for Nokia, I was always impressed that people could just rattle off their own mobile phone number. I never know mine, or anyone else's. My address book knows them, so I don't need to.

[pne.livejournal.com]

Besides, when was the last time you called yourself?

I think many people don't know their phone number because they don't call themselves (and have, presumably, given out their phone number to everyone who needs it long ago so they don't need to recall it for that reason.)

[penguin-attie.livejournal.com]

I need to give my phone number to someone at least once a week, so of course I know it. I think it simply depends what you do... I'd be totally incapable of giving you anyone else's phone number though. I don't even see it when I call them, all my phone shows is their name!

[wibbble]

I can't even remember my day job's support number. I know it ends in '1260', but that's not really helpful when people are asking for the whole number.

[wxgeek.livejournal.com]

"What's your zip code?" "850." "uh..."

[mattcaron.livejournal.com]

Actually, I find that my cell phone is the one I don't remember, because I never call it. I do remember the land line, because I occasionally call that one (cell phones don't work at my house, so if I want to get a member of the family, I call there).

[mattcaron.livejournal.com]

What? "In my house" isn't good enough?

[canray.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it was a stainless steel fridge in front of the Wireless Router/Cable Modem Combo unit in my case that was neglected to be mentioned.

[mattcaron.livejournal.com]

What? You mean it can't just beam it through the fridge?

Additionally:
(1) I bet being on the same circuit as the compressor isn't very conducive to reliability (assuming this is true).
(2) I bet the RFI put out by the compressor doesn't help much either. (Microwaves supposedly leak all over the 2.4GHz band like crazy..)

[canray.livejournal.com]

No clue if those were true, but, yeah, a few phone calls due to Microwaves, but those were rarer.

The real issue?

Cordless Phones in the 2.4 GHz range. "DAMNIT! The phone rings, and everyone gets dropped offline!"

Especially the expensive phones that constantly jump channels to "Get the clearest signal."

[mattcaron.livejournal.com]

See, my wireless would always kill the phone, not the other way around.

[awarrenfells.livejournal.com]

I think, "It's facing me," is also an unacceptable answer :P

[canray.livejournal.com]

"It's to the left of me."

"Is that my left or your left?"

[awarrenfells.livejournal.com]

Win!

[canray.livejournal.com]

Win and a half, it worked, and he realized what I was talking about.

[awarrenfells.livejournal.com]

LOL. Even better :)

[mattcaron.livejournal.com]

Actually....

(1) Get customer to point antenna at self.
(2) Trigger secret mind control pulse.
(3) Remote control customer through fixing problem.
(4) Release customer and tell them that you fixed everything remotely.

That should cut your call time dramatically.

[awarrenfells.livejournal.com]

Oh God, if only.... :)

[argonel.livejournal.com]

You got it close, but your instructions have a slight flaw, let me fix them for you.

(1) Get customer to point antenna at self.
(2) Trigger secret mind control incineration pulse.
(3) Remote control customer through fixing problem. disconnect customer's ashes
(4) Release customer and tell boss them that you fixed everything remotely.

[mattcaron.livejournal.com]

Coroner's Report: Spontaneous Human Combustion

[kenbrody.livejournal.com]

s/\(4\).*$//