The worst question to ask?

Tech Support - Cute cartoon explaining tech support
@fwidman (11514)
United States
August 4, 2009 3:20pm CST
I tried to access my email this morning and it still isn't working. So, I went to the Verizon website to try there and was told that my account has been suspended. WTF?? So, I called their help line and got nowhere fast, transferred several times to different computers and then finally transferred to a line that cannot be reached from my area code So, back to the website help section. I turn in a help request and get several emails that attempted to help me via the web but to no avail. So, I send them one more email help request saying I would like to talk to a real human being. I got this in reply [b]Verizon E-mail Help Thank you for submitting your help request to Verizon. Please visit Verizon Help & Support [/b]I guess asking to talk to a human being was the worst question I could ask a human being! Or, maybe, the human in tech support answering my emails doesn't think he is human Or worse... I actually got the tech support that is in this cartoon! LOL What is the worst question you have ever asked a tech support person? Did you get an answer??
3 people like this
11 responses
• United States
5 Aug 09
I always feel bad because I can never quite understand whenever they're spelling something out, I always forget a number or a letter and they have to start over or repeat.
@fwidman (11514)
• United States
5 Aug 09
Yeah, it's like they rattle them off too quickly thinking they are talking to a secretary taking diction or something
5 Aug 09
Hi fwidman, Lol, I cannot understand all that but I really get angry when I can't speak to a human being, what is the world coming to? are we all robots or what, my hubby does all the calls and he gets mad as well and eventually we get someone on and say "at last a a human", its just so annoying. Taamra
2 people like this
@fwidman (11514)
• United States
5 Aug 09
Hi, tamara! I don't know what the world is coming to. It's progress I suppose I don't know which is worse, never getting to talk to a real human or being put on hold for what seems like hours listening to something someone thinks is enjoyable music
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
10 Aug 09
Don't you just hate that?..The worst one I had was when signing up for a dial up connection since my people pc didn't have a local number in my area anymore and trying to cancel my account with them because of that took me over a year.. everytime I called to cancel they would give me two months free..told me not ot cancel that they would try to get a local number..but then I tried Net Zero was supposed to get a month free..as.sholes told me they had a local dial up number only reason tey ended up with my account number..and then came down to it they didn't..and I was pissed but I didn't get a free month even..I called when they took out $12.45 of my account since they told me they wouldn't cause it was a month free...so when I called about that they told me they would give me a month free..well I told them I couldn't even use the numbers they provided and wanted to cancel my account..now this is only the days after opening account..and they turn around and charge me 24.95 to close account...I changed things so they couldn't draw more out..
1 person likes this
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
10 Aug 09
Yeah my sister had AOL and had problems..well hope you get them straightened out..
1 person likes this
@fwidman (11514)
• United States
10 Aug 09
NetZero is a pain in the rear to cancel, same as AOL I need to call them idiots, again. I noticed that they charged my monthly fee, again. After I thought I had it all straightened out last month and had the account cancelled.
@Aussies2007 (5336)
• Australia
7 Aug 09
They never have enough tech support available. When your question is easy... they answer you. When its too hard... they ignore you. In that later case... the best thing to do is to find a new service provider. Send them an email saying "You have 24 hours to fix my problem or I am going somewhere else". That's usually get their attention.
1 person likes this
@fwidman (11514)
• United States
7 Aug 09
Excellent idea
@dawnald (85130)
• Shingle Springs, California
10 Aug 09
I tried to talk to SBC about a home network since they're our internet provider. I got transferred all over India. Best Buy was a better bet...
1 person likes this
@fwidman (11514)
• United States
10 Aug 09
Sometimes I think these people don't actually want to talk to us
@ShellyB (5241)
• United States
4 Aug 09
Basically to me the worst tech service was at Virgin Mobile, where their automated system did not understood why anyone would even want to talk to a human being, it would go on and on for minutes, till a little automated voice will say, I understand you want to talk to someone but before tell us why we are transferring to live help? lol My last call to them was less painful but the last time I call for tech support, I am sorry but I am not paying 2.50 or more for someone to help me swap cell phones, I learn their system and I can do it by myself now.
1 person likes this
@fwidman (11514)
• United States
4 Aug 09
I think the problem with Virgin Mobile is that the entire system is geared for teenagers and they know any sensible teenager would never really want to talk with an adult
1 person likes this
@ShellyB (5241)
• United States
4 Aug 09
I take offense at that, especially since the website for the British users seems more gear at adults or anyone that is a paying customer, and I do understand what you're saying, to me it is like talking to us is a huge waste of their time and money.
1 person likes this
@fwidman (11514)
• United States
5 Aug 09
You are probably interrupting something important they are doing online, like watching a video
• United States
5 Aug 09
Ah, the worst question I ever asked a tech person. Well, I was working in a law firm and the system was so outdated we still had green screens, DOS, this was just a few years ago. I asked the tech person who pulled up in his Lexus suburban, "How does it feel to screw these lawyers out of thier money with this antiquated computer system?" He just smiled and pointed to his Lexus, actually it was the best question I ever asked an IT person. Hope you get your e-mail working again.
1 person likes this
@fwidman (11514)
• United States
5 Aug 09
I hope so too. That email is tied to almost everything I do online to make money
5 Aug 09
Well usually, those people who work as tech supports are sometimes called as "call center" agents, and sometimes, no offense to those who work in tech support, they act like robots, who just read their employee manual and when they can't help the client, they just say please visit our help and support, hope i helped;).
1 person likes this
@fwidman (11514)
• United States
5 Aug 09
That certainly is a possibility. Perhaps the person I got didn't really know how to help me
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
5 Aug 09
Hi fwidman, well I'd say after waiting for hours to get through and then finding someone who speaks English as I can't do computer Greek on the phone I finally get through to someone who talks me through lots of things I've already tried and then tells me to unplug a certain line from the box (this is before broadband when the internet and telephone shared the same cables as they well knew) and the phone cuts off mid sentence. Then after finally getting back through on the line and finding the same person and telling him not to tell me to unplug that cable again he announces to that the time is up and they are only allowed so many minutes per customer. This was total rubbish of course, why couldn't he just tell me he needed a coffee and a cig.
1 person likes this
@fwidman (11514)
• United States
5 Aug 09
Time is up? Oh brother! That person was NO help at all
@diamania (7011)
• Netherlands
5 Aug 09
Once I asked why I couldn't get my game working and explained everything I did. They came up with all kinds of nonsense and got different responses from different people everyday. Then the chap who first replied said: What all those people said is nonsense... They've never been able to help me out... I just threw the cd away and told them I'd never buy a product from them, and I kept my word...
1 person likes this
@fwidman (11514)
• United States
5 Aug 09
It does seem like all these "help" people always have a different solution to the problem.
@x_Jo_x (1040)
5 Aug 09
Help lines are never actually helpful! You either have to wait ages and then get told they cant help. Or you have to keep phoning loads of different people who cant help you either! I think the worst question you can ask is something that they can take 2 ways. Because you will never get the answer you want!
1 person likes this
@fwidman (11514)
• United States
5 Aug 09
No, help lines are generally not that helpful Maybe, if it's a question that can be taken two ways, when they answer you can say "no, I meant the other way"