OK, for the last time ..

[lihan161051.livejournal.com]

If you are calling tech support:

1) Do what the tech tells you to do.

2) Do ONLY what the tech tells you to do.

3) Tell the tech exactly what happens after you do it. (And for SHIT'S SAKE, don't paraphrase, please.)

Arguing with the tech about whether it's really necessary, or going off and doing half a dozen other things without telling us (like, say, deleting the email account we're trying to get working), or replacing the one *crucial* bit of info in your readback of an error dialog with "blah blah blah", will only make the call longer and more aggravating for both you and the tech.

I repeat, mumbling and typing and mouse clicks in the background (and don't think we can't hear those perfectly well) are a Bad Sign. (As well as an overwhelming temptation to leave something dangerous open in front of you and .. well, just see what happens. >XD )

Comments

[rbos.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty guilty of doing that, but I tend to treat a call to tech support as a mutual brainstorming session rather than as a trip through a decision tree. :P

[amynnah.livejournal.com]

People don't know how to employ those listening skills. I've about given up on users.

[xforge.livejournal.com]

I want to be paid one dollar US cash for each time I ask "what is the erorr you are getting?" and the person at the other end of the line either doesn't know or makes something up. One dollar each time. I can retire in three months easy.

[ofstarstuff.livejournal.com]

WORD. It's always an effort not to grind teeth and ask sweetly, "Sir, what the frak do you think you're doing?"

Damn, am I glad I managed to dump support a few months back.

[bekscilla.livejournal.com]

Ugh, yes. Seriously, i'm pretty sure that the error message doesn't say "The drive was able to connect", cause otherwise it wouldn't be an error

[mel-redcap.livejournal.com]

I think I startle IT staff when I actually write down ominous-looking error messages before clicking "OK"... so that I have the info if/when I have to call them instead of having to say "Uhhh, I forget what it said, it was kinda long."

[demented-pants.livejournal.com]

Oh, hell.

Today, I had this call:

"Okay, now choose option x."

"Okay, so I choose option x, and then I go Next..."

"No, no, you weren't supposed to click Next yet, there are still things to be done on the last page. Go back, please."

"Okay, I went back. Now do I go next?"

This lady obviously was a genius in the pattern recognition department.