sign in • sign up
web   discussions   tasks   blogs   photos

technical support  email this discussion to a friend?

myLot reputation of 79/100. trruk1 (796) 3 years ago

Have you ever had to contact technical support? For your phone, your computer, television service, or whatever? Did they help? I have spent several years in technical support, most of that as a supervisor, and I have found the competence of tech support personnel appalling. Many do not understand the product they are "supporting", and the worst part is that knowledge and competence are not encouraged or rewarded by management. Corporate executives want two things out of technical support agents: sales and customer retention. I am pretty knowledgeable about the products I use, so I have rarely found it necessary to call for help. When I do, I almost invariably get somebody who knows less than I do about what is going on.
Technical support agents are taught to use "troubleshooting flows". This is basically a Q and A process that could be handled by a computer. Any deviation from one of those flows is punished by management.
It is a short-sighted and destructive attitude at the executive level, and it permeates American business. If somebody calls that is having a problem, she wants the problem solved. What she gets instead is an overt empathy expression (which agents are required to state) and some cookie cutter "help" that might accidentally solve the problem. Knowledge of products and solutions is actively discouraged and using that knowledge in an innovative way can result in punishment or even termination, even if it fixes the problem.
In brief, "technical support" is usually not technical and does not provide much support.

 

customer service
sponsors
ORIGIN PC Custom Built PC
Started by former AW execs. Customize your desktop or laptop today.
OriginPC.com

Direct Mail List Work
Direct Mail Center works on Computer Programming - Request a Quote Now
DirectMailCtr.com

Checkmagic
Prints Quickenr Quickbooks checks on blank check paper.
www.checkmagic.com

User has not selected a best response.
tags:  computer, customer service, help, supervisor, support
 
1. myLot reputation of 99/100. bunnybon7 (7729)   3 years ago

shocked oh my goodness. i always wondered why they are so hard to reach and so hard to make sense with when you do reach them. i have had to stay on the line with them for 30mins to an hour just to get someone to finally answer. then like you said they seldome really help. doesnt it seem like the company should want them to help? or is it they want to send someone out, which usually ends up happening.??rolleyes


myLot reputation of 79/100. trruk1 (796)  3 years ago

The companies (nearly all of them) require their technical support personnel to be first and foremost "customer service" agents. To them, that means selling products and services, soothing ruffled feathers when a customer is upset about something, and in general providing a pleasant experience. To me, a pleasant experience for a technical problem is to get it fixed. Customer service managers do not see it that way. As a matter of fact, they tend to look down on or just tolerate those agents with really good technical skills. There is no reward (I mean nothing--no certificate, no expression of thanks--nothing) for solving a particularly difficult technical problem. Even if the agent saved a customer that would otherwise have moved their business to a competitor, the agent involved may well get reprimanded because the call took too long. It is short-sighted and stupid, but that is how it is.

ORIGIN PC Custom Built PC Started by former AW execs. Customize your desktop or laptop today.  OriginPC.com
 
2. myLot reputation of 83/100. magtibaygom (3640)   2 years ago

Thanks for bringing this up. I call technical support every time my Internet connection is not working properly. It looks like I am not paying my bills, and I am really mad because I pay my bills on time. When I call him, I express my anger and threatens them that if they will not help me solve my problem, I will visit the main office of the company to file a complain, and I will defame them in forums all over the internet. I never give up calling them as many as I can until the problem get fixed. Maybe because of my persistence, my problems are often solved by them.

Direct Mail List Work Direct Mail Center works on Computer Programming - Request a Quote Now  DirectMailCtr.com
 
3. myLot reputation of 49/100. arielbsn (156)   1 year ago

It's true, I worked as a technical support in a known phone manufacturer and I don't really understand the product that I support because they seldom provide us the trainings for our products so when a new product is released we don't know how to handle issues. Supervisors and all in higher positions don't really focus on resolving the issues, they focus on our stats, meaning the whole stats or metrics of the team. We are just trained on how to establish rapport, empathy and all of that which has nothing to do with technical issues.

Checkmagic Prints Quickenr Quickbooks checks on blank check paper.  www.checkmagic.com
 
sponsors
Customer Service Skills
100% Online Associate's Degree in Customer Service for Working Adults
EducationDegreeSource.com/Free_Info

New: Laptop Computer -57%
Laptop Computer at bargain prices: Compare offers and save up to 57%!
www.news72.com/Laptop-Computer

Local Electronic Stores
Find Local Electronics Stores& Get
yellowpages.com

similar discussions
I just bought my first external hard drive
I just bought an external hard drive for my computer. I have so many videos and files on my...
Is My Computer Suffering of Old Age??
My computer reached the old age of 6 years this autumn, and I´m beginning to wonder if I need a new...
Apple computer or ordinary computer?
Apple products are becoming popular here in China. Recently I had an orientation show in the Apple...
greateeeeeeeeeeeeeeesttttttttttttt revelution of the world
computer is the greatest revelution of the world.....without it we can live even a day.....we can...
sponsors
Customer Service Skills
100% Online Associate's Degree in Customer Service for Working Adults
EducationDegreeSource.com/Free_Info
New: Laptop Computer -57%
Laptop Computer at bargain prices: Compare offers and save up to 57%!
www.news72.com/Laptop-Computer
Local Electronic Stores
Find Local Electronics Stores & Get
yellowpages.com
Fix Computer
(New) Fix Computer Quick & Easy! Download Repair Tool.
DownloadUpdates.com
return to mylot
We are loading a word from our sponsors. No thanks, cancel loading.