OK, Fess Up..

[dmsalem00.livejournal.com]

Anyone on here work for AOL? If so, I wanna know.

Maybe you can explain to me why, every time a customer can't connect to AOL, they get referred back to MY company?

No, it's not b/c of a problem with the computer. And I'll run the customer through EVERYTHING before I refer them back to you, AOL. And I'll tell them WHY it's not a problem with our system. And I'll tell them WHAT to tell AOL when they talk to them again.

And no, it's not just an isolated incident. Someone's got a Dell? Refer them back to my company. Someone's got an HP? Refer them back to my company. Someone's got a Compaq? Refer them back to my company. Someone's got a Gateway? Ditto.

IT'S NOT MY RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX AOL'S INTERNET CONNECTIVITY ISSUES, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S NOT A COMPUTER BUILT BY *MY* COMPANY.

Someone explain this logic to me?

Comments

[dmsalem00.livejournal.com]

a major computer company called ____ woops >=D for my own protection i leave their name out of it

[dmsalem00.livejournal.com]

Nope. Hardware.

Starts with a D, ends with an L. but we troubleshoot the OS. and wtf is AOL sending customers with hewlett packards to my company anyway?

[dmsalem00.livejournal.com]

didn't think you did. you type english too well >=/

In all fairness, however, I did call their technical support line once, on the job. Should have asked them then, considering I got a very helpful american tech.

[azraelsdaisy.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

AOL is soooooo famous for this. Your DSL is working? But your username and password on AOL isn't working? Call us!!!

[thecrazyfinn.livejournal.com]

While I don't work for AOL, I am what is known as an AOL Watcher for a major backbone ISP that AOL buys much of their access off of.

Note that AOL's tech support is very much scripted low-budget stuff, so rep's are just going to use an answer that gets them off the phone if its not an AOL issue.

[gevauden.livejournal.com]

Interesting. Despite claims to the contrary I know for a fact that tech support for AOL in Australia doesn't go along this path. In fact there are quite a number of things they will go through before sending a customer to a PC technician or their manufacturer. Usually they will even try to fix things that are in no way directly related to AOL, certainly not for password issues.
Having never dealt with AOL in the USA I can't comment on their procedures...

[tsutton.livejournal.com]

All staff are given a sheet of paper to follow & ask questions. If the AOL staff can't help, they push you away and accepts the next caller, leaving you to figure it out yourself or with the computer company.

They are doing it to save time and wastes no time with figuring out what's wrong.

[dmsalem00.livejournal.com]

yeah, cuz figuring out the problem and solving it = waste of time

I want to meet the man who prints out the AOL call center mission statements.

[naggy.livejournal.com]

Also: If they're outsourced, they're paid by how many calls they take, not how many they actually fix. Thus, referring them to you means that they will 1.) get off the phone fast and 2.) probably ensure another call.

It's like minting money.

[dmsalem00.livejournal.com]

What if I were to tell you I was outsourced?

maybe, maybe not..

Either way, fixing the problem in my call center ranks WAY higher than a low call time. I really think AOL should take notes.

[naggy.livejournal.com]

My previous job was as an outsourced helpdesk. While we were highly encouraged to fix the problem first, the contract read that we were paid for calls and how many tickets were open; so if you didn't reopen the previous ticket, it *looked* like a new call (an easy mistake, if the caller doesn't tell you he called on this before).

However, amazingly, morons who couldn't guide someone to the one switch never got fired. Kinda gave me a hint where the priorities really were...

[dmsalem00.livejournal.com]

yeah, i'm not going to lie and say we're all "leet" techs in my center, i mean jesus on a hot dog stick how do some of these people keep their jobs?

I guess that's what metrics are for. i think i'm the one of the only(i was going to say only period, but my fiance just walked in, and she's pretty balsy too) in the building with the jueves to actually dig through a customer's registry on the phone with them.

fortunately, my call time's only about 2 minutes over recommended average. i'm not sweating. my first-time resolution is higher than people that have been there years longer.