Tech Support Rage: Is It Intentional? - Comments Page 2

ALL SO TRUE. BUT I JUST HAD A REALLY NICE AND SHORT INTERACTION WITH SPECTRUM THAT RESOLVED MY PROBLEM WITH MINIMUM EFFORT AND ANGST. NOT THE USUAL WHEN DEALING WITH LARGE COMPANIES, BUT SO NICE TO FIND.

I've had to call Comcast recently for various issues. I try to be really nice and friendly with the rep who is probably in India. Each time, they are profusely grateful and thank me over and over for my kindness. It's a sad commentary on Americans when a foreign rep's only interaction is with some hotheaded a-hole. Being friendly and kind has gotten my problems solved and usually a nice rebate or gift card.

I have had very good experience with 3 companies which are DISH, Consumer Cellular and Starkey Hearing Aids. All three have English speakers and I believe are in the US. I have recommended these companies to friends who have switched to them. A referral is worth 10 times the advertising dollars.

Its not just tech companies that have bad support.

While discussing my bill and an insurance SNAFU with a local hospital, I was told "figure it out yourself." Almost a year later, they did finally refund my $600 over payment.

Let me repeat what I was told by the lady on the phone: "figure it out yourself."

Bob please fix this.
If I wish to send a response & fail accidentally to enter email & name I lose my work (IE my response to you). This is no fun & happens enough to be a real PITA.

I worked in tech support with Microsoft for 10-years (long ago). Depending on who was in charge of product support at the time determined how helpful we were encouraged to be. It varied between making the calls as quick as possible to going above and beyond to make sure the customer was happy. Everything was "recorded for quality purposes." One time we were given small magnetic mirrors to put on the edge of the bookshelf in the cubicle. There were bullet points printed beside the mirror with the last thing written in big, bold letters, "Smile!" Apparently people can hear you smiling, no matter how irritated the last caller made you.

My favorite calls were the ones that started with, "I'm the company admin and I've been doing this for 10-years. I know what I'm doing. This "program" is just impossible! I've done everything to make it work..." After remaining quiet and listening to the rant, I'd ask, "Have you tried...?" Most of the time the answer was, "Uh, no. Why would I do that?" I'd suggest it be tried (knowing it would work), and in a moment I'd hear a long apology. "Is there anything else I can help you with today?"

I really don't miss that job.

I have AT&T DSL the speed I'm paying for changes often. If it rained hard the Internet would die and a call to the rep/help line. They made it sound like I was nuts when telling them about a rainy day/night. Ha, saw the repair dude in the alley he told me water had gotten into a junction box.
Oh, another call to the help line, she asked how old was my computer, told a little fib I said 5 years,
She then said I was using an outdated computer!