Tuesday, January 29, 2008

You say: Thank you, have a nice day.

But here's what you're really thinking when you're talking to technical support people in other countries who mean well and are really pleasant but don't speak very good English and are really hard to understand and they've already transferred your call three times and each time you had to be put on hold for several minutes before talking to someone new who has you repeat the same information each time (serial number, your name, model number, what's wrong, your name, address, and telephone number) and then asks you to run the exact same diagnostic test that all the other technicians asked you to run and you get the exact same results and you told them that before they insisted that you run the exact same test again and also despite the fact that a certified technician diagnosed the problems as a hard drive failure and that the test shows that fact every time you run it and it's under warranty and you really just want them to send you the new hard drive already and then the fourth guy says, "let me transfer you...:

"AAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

...

13 comments:

  1. Been there-hate it! Want to scream every time it happens! I now just ask right off the bat where are they in india-shuts them right up. I'm not a big fan of outsourcing! Do we not have qualified workers in this country??? I think so!

    Southbay Girl of Planet Ynnep Running

    ReplyDelete
  2. You Americans are so polite!
    Can't the shop bloke orgainse it for you? You could smile winsomely at him.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I ask to speak to someone at least in the US who CAN speak English after saying "Whaaaaat? I can't understand you...again!"
    "The Violence of Outsourcing" -Obama

    ReplyDelete
  4. I would have yelled NO! DO NOT TRANSFER ME AGAIN! I really would have. I would have explained that YOU, Mister are the 4th guy I've been transferred to and you all asked the same questions and got the same answers and then transferred me to the next guy who asked the same questions and got the same answers and I WILL NOT BE TRANSFERRED AGAIN!

    They hate it when you yell and they put the boss on so they don't get fired for being rude. Try it some time!

    ReplyDelete
  5. actually, the expletive I scream tends to typically start with an F.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thats one reason not to buy computers or equipment from companies that outsource to other countries, Yeah it's a soap box of mine. Sometimes you don't have a choice but when you do support the companies that have "local" support. Sorry to hear you are having problems, welcome to my world. BTW when folks start losing jobs to outsourcing (like I did, after an 18 years at the same company) maybe people will start paying attention to where their products are being manufactured and supported. Okay - off the soap box.

    It would probably be easier just to purchase a new drive. Google the specs and just buy a drive from CDW or some place. They take about 5 minutes to install. Now adding the software, thats another issue. Keep trying to get the drive from the MFG, and when they finally come through take the drive and put it in an external case for extra storage. I can lend you the software installation disks as long as you have the correct keys

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ah, Bones, sorry to hear about your outsourcing woes. As much as I complain I'm still getting the hard drive for free, so I guess I'm willing to put up with a little inconvenience to not have to put out $$ for the part. We'll see how it plays out!

    ReplyDelete
  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  9. yes i have been there too. They read down the page in the right order and it really doesn't matter what you say, they was you to do just the next thing on the list. And the language barrier is ridiculous! I know for those people in India it is a gold mine to get a job like that but taking jobs away from our own is a problem also.
    I am sorry you fairly new computer is broken-that sucks!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Good luck! Its amazing how much we all have become dependant of technology!!! Train Safe!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Um...as a tech support person who sometimes has to talk to tech support people at various companies...

    ...I usually see if there is a chat or email form instead of a phone conversation. Mostly because they can't transfer me, I don't have to wait on hold, and I don't have to strain to understand the broken Engrish.

    ReplyDelete
  12. That does sound SO frustrating. Sounds like you hung in there and got the new drive. I probably would have disconnected myself, and have made absolutely no progress. And, of course, T would have to hear me rant about it everyday, while it sat there unrepaired....Hope it all goes smooth for you from here on out.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I'm with bones, I lost my job because of outsourcing to India, to people that are less competent then I am. Not anger, just a fact. I recommand you complain to the company. If there is enough complaint, maybe they will bring back the maintenance to your country. Sorry, but it is a sour point for me to.
    Buy from your country with support in your country.

    ReplyDelete

Comments containing links to commercial websites from people with invisible profiles are deleted immediately. Spammers are immediately deleted.

Moved.

 I'm no longer involved in multisport or endurance sports. I've started my own business, a psychotherapist specializing in anxiety d...