Tech Support?

[CapeDawg]

Alot of the big companies are outsourcing all thier tech support and customer service to countries like India now. It's a very bad business move.

These people take a course on how to 'sound American' and try to feign and American accent. They even say their names are things like Steve, Buddy, Sheila, Betty, etc to try to pull it off.

It ridiculous, because they all work from a script, and if you knock them off that script with questions, they sit there like deer in the headlights. And then go right back to the script, where they left off, even when it isn't pertinent. But then off course, if you take the script away and they have to think a little, the answer is always 'sorry sir, I can't help you, the problem is yadda yadda, and there will be a incident report filed, here is the reference #, please call back and talk to someone else.'

Dell Computers comes to mind with this, because I've been hearing alot of people say they won't buy from them anymore just for this reason. It sucks, because Dell used to have great customer service, and now it's in the cespool.

[The Dad Fisherman]

Originally Posted by CapeDawg

It ridiculous, because they all work from a script, and if you knock them off that script with questions, they sit there like deer in the headlights. And then go right back to the script, where they left off, even when it isn't pertinent. But then off course, if you take the script away and they have to think a little, the answer is always 'sorry sir, I can't help you, the problem is yadda yadda, and there will be a incident report filed, here is the reference #, please call back and talk to someone else.'

I've been in IT for almost 20 years now and that is how its ALWAYS been done. Way before they outsourced over seas, level one tech support always read from a script and got just as confused when they had to deviate in any way from the script.

Honestly, other than the language barrier, I don't see much difference in the way Tech Support is working. Its always worked like that

[Raven]

hello....? aw crap !, i can't hear a damn thing now... hello?

hello? can ya hear me now? and then i call back to get a different person

until i can understand the person that answers... it is after all...my dime.

[Bass Babe]

It seems like nowadays there are more local, independent tech support people who have a very broad knowledge of most computer systems and can troubleshoot much better than some person reading from a sheet. They're especially prevalent in college towns where they can score $50 a pop or more for setting up a freshman's computer in their room (they color code the plugs now, even! come ooon!) Some of them are real nice, will come to your house, and will charge you a fair price. I'd go with them over an 800# any day.

[striperman36]

I have to live this eveyday. If the beancounters only listened to their customers