Mixed feelings.

[linkslut.livejournal.com]

On a scene-setting note, I work in a callcentre, for a large ISP, fielding technical support calls.

My mother is a customer of another ISP, and she and I have had enough conversations about computers that she now phones her own ISP before she phones me (I really hate doing techsupport out of working hours).

She phoned me tonight, and advised me that her ISP had told her that she needed to replace the cabling that connected her modem to her computer, and if that didn't work, see a computer technician.

Now, my mother isn't the most technically capable person on the face of the planet, but she can follow instructions fairly well, so I sighed, and asked her what the error message was, resigned to the fact that it was now my problem.

"691" Came the response.

Now, I already have a low tolerance for idiots, but this really pissed me off.

5 minutes later, I had talked her through recreating her dialup connection, and she was back online.

I stewed on it for some time, but about 30 minutes later, I phoned this ISP, and asked to speak to a manager, and I filed a complaint.

For those not-in-the-know kind of people who may be readng this, "691" is a username/password error.

I feel a little dirty about having phoned someone's manager about something like this, but working in the same kind of situation, this is not the kind of mistake I would forgive for someone who was still in training.

Comments

[valiskeogh.livejournal.com]

jesus christ, i would have done the same damn thing but not waited that long, lol

idiots... STUPID tech support people give us all a bad name

[taleya.livejournal.com]

jesus fucking christ that level of incompetence (Or laziness, which is worse) should be a fireable offense.

[jarad.livejournal.com]

Dumb techs who don't know what they're doing deserved to get called on it. They give the rest of us a bad name, and only serve to cause problems for the rest of us when the poor still has issues despite having blown time and money on a useless answer.

[jarad.livejournal.com]

"poor user" that is. My fingers suck.

[bekscilla.livejournal.com]

Good job on calling the manager. I didn't know what error 691 meant, but then again - I don't work for an ISP. It certainly sounds like something you need to know in that kind of role.

FWIW

[be4u.livejournal.com]

I think you did the right thing. I always thought "reinstall Windows" was the default reply to any question a tech doesn't know? I guess things have changed.

[redqueenmeg.livejournal.com]

Now, that's just sad. I mean, you can GOOGLE "error 691." For pete's sake. And I used to Google all the error numbers when I was an ISP tech just to make sure I wasn't missing anything. Bleedin' ...

Anyway, pride in one's work just doesn't seem to exist anymore. ;) The only times I ever gave up on a call were the "frequent disconnect" complaints where the phone line was clearly to blame. "You hear all that static on the line, sir?" "Yeah, I do." "Yeah, um, it's not us disconnecting you."

[ihateemo.livejournal.com]

Now, that's just sad. I mean, you can GOOGLE "error 691." For pete's sake. And I used to Google all the error numbers when I was an ISP tech just to make sure I wasn't missing anything. Bleedin' ...

Would you believe that when I worked for a major telecoms company in the UK they didn't ALLOW staff to do things like that?

[redqueenmeg.livejournal.com]

Yes, I would. :(

The techs who did support for the HP/Compaq account at the outsourcer I worked at did not have CD drives or any Internet access whatsoever on their computers. (Florida)

[klytus.livejournal.com]

Its especially dangerous when they don't *know* how stupid they are.

[110billion.livejournal.com]

It's quite unfortunate that I feel that there are some people in the same call centre as I who would be so stupid do say something like that. linkslut, dude, you probably know who I'm talking about.

[geekgrrl-ca.livejournal.com]

I hate cleaning up after other techs, I have no problem reporting them to management for extra coaching when I've had to deal with an irate customer because the previous tech dropped the ball.