Typical tech support

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May 7th, 2001, 05:54 PM
JungleMan1

Typical tech support

This is just plain funny...true though

<hr>
Sony: Thank you for calling Sony, how can I help you?
Me: I'd like to upgrade my Vaio PCG-F610 to a bigger hard drive, I'd like to know how tall the drives are?
Sony: I'll go find out, hold on.
(wait 10 minutes)
Sony: 2.5 inches.
Me: NO, not the width. How tall the drives are.
Sony: What do you mean?
Me: In CENTIMETERS.
Sony: OK, hold on just a moment.
(wait 10 minutes)
Sony: I'm sorry I don't know. Try ordering a hard drive from Sony.
Me: OK, can I have the sales number?
Sony: (Gives number)
Me: OK thank you!

(Call Sony Sales)
(Wait 10 minutes)
Sales: How can I help you?
Me: Hello, I'd like to upgrade the hard drive in my laptop. Can you tell me how tall it is?
Sales: Wouldn't know sir. Would you like me to redirect you to technical support?
Me: They referred me over here. Maybe you could measure one of your drives?
Sales: I can't do that.
Me: OK. (hangs up)
<hr>

I open up the computer, get a ruler out, and I measure the height of the drive myself. 9.5MM, just like I expected.

I can't believe I know more about these things than the people who MADE them!
May 7th, 2001, 06:08 PM
MacGyver

Most of the time, tech support call centres are staffed by people who don't have a clue and just enter keywords from your discussion into a database and tell you what they see on their screen. The savvy people can get this data online, and don't bother calling tech support (at least I don't)

It's silly, but a lot of tech support calls are unnecessary. I remember a story about Nintendo tech support, how many of their calls were people who couldn't figure out how to hook their console game up. The instructions are in clear English with diagrams in the box!
May 7th, 2001, 06:10 PM
JungleMan1

And, that is why WINDRIVERS RULES!!!

OK... :cool:
May 7th, 2001, 06:40 PM
Radical Dreamer

Quote:

Originally posted by MacGyver:
Most of the time, tech support call centres are staffed by people who don't have a clue and just enter keywords from your discussion into a database and tell you what they see on their screen. The savvy people can get this data online, and don't bother calling tech support (at least I don't)

It's silly, but a lot of tech support calls are unnecessary. I remember a story about Nintendo tech support, how many of their calls were people who couldn't figure out how to hook their console game up. The instructions are in clear English with diagrams in the box!

Cheese and rice! Who couldnt hook up a nintendo!? there is a power cable to hook into the wall and console and an rf that goes from the tv to the console! Thats when people need to RTFM! LOL
May 7th, 2001, 06:47 PM
MacGyver

Actually, all of Nintendo's support lines are 900 numbers. So if you're too stupid to RTFM you can pay for it - by the minute ;)
May 7th, 2001, 07:21 PM
LongAgo

Being the jokester that I am, and before doing my present job, I used to call up the office tech support, when it was a slow day, and which happened to be in the cubicle next to mine and ask;

TECH: Hello ??????? tech support, how may I help you?
ME: Is the server running?
TECH: (after a short pause), Yes it is.
ME: You better run and catch it!
(click)

Then I'd hear DAAAAAAVVVVEEE!!!

Fortunately, it always ended in a good rubberband war. :D
May 7th, 2001, 08:16 PM
Darksteel

he he, ive completely pissed off eidos tech support cause im smarter than them. I was having a 3d sound problem with Deus Ex.(the game was trying to use it even when disabled, so it locked up. i can only play through the game's safe mode which disables it.) I email tech support asking for help and get the typical response: "its your sound drivers." i tell them that i know that its not and go on to list all the facts(i wont list them here, it would take up too much room.) They respond with "your drivers are too old". i sent yet another email to them, and they still havent responded. ahh, nothing like a 16 year old kid outsmarting a major game publisher's support.
May 8th, 2001, 07:20 AM
LongAgo

Quote:

Originally posted by Darksteel:
he he, ive completely pissed off eidos tech support cause im smarter than them. I was having a 3d sound problem with Deus Ex.(the game was trying to use it even when disabled, so it locked up. i can only play through the game's safe mode which disables it.) I email tech support asking for help and get the typical response: "its your sound drivers." i tell them that i know that its not and go on to list all the facts(i wont list them here, it would take up too much room.) They respond with "your drivers are too old". i sent yet another email to them, and they still havent responded. ahh, nothing like a 16 year old kid outsmarting a major game publisher's support.

Just cos your 16 DOESN'T mean your stoopid.
;)
May 8th, 2001, 07:28 AM
bigpiper

Quote:

Originally posted by MacGyver:
Most of the time, tech support call centres are staffed by people who don't have a clue and just enter keywords from your discussion into a database and tell you what they see on their screen. The savvy people can get this data online, and don't bother calling tech support (at least I don't)

It's silly, but a lot of tech support calls are unnecessary. I remember a story about Nintendo tech support, how many of their calls were people who couldn't figure out how to hook their console game up. The instructions are in clear English with diagrams in the box!

I work in tech support for a large telecommunications firm, and am proud to say that we have probably the most informed tech support staff available. All of us are at least MCP's for everything we deal with, and I am one step away from my CNE. Of course with that cert comes a move out of tech support and into SE work. Also, we all use windrivers all the time and I am a regular in the drivers section.
May 8th, 2001, 07:55 AM
Geek #1

I have found that even the most intelligent person with a number of letters after their name becomes an idiot when sat in front of a computer.

Me: Press the keys on the keyboard in front of you, it works just like a typewriter
X: What keys?
Me: The large matrix of plastic symbols between the monitor and your chair...
X: Oh, it works just like a typewriter.

Oh well, it keeps you in a job....
May 8th, 2001, 08:44 AM
FooL

The only time I call tech support for my machine at the house is when I know something is broke and I want it REPLACED. I don't need a phone monkey to read through a book and tell me what the BOOK thinks is wrong. (No offense to anyone that works phone support of course :p ) It's just that with a little knowledge, it's pretty easy to figure out what's wrong with the machine sitting right in front of you.
May 8th, 2001, 11:40 AM
Kymera

Usually I just humour them. I can't be bothered to go through the same motions that I just went through with some guy on the phone. I just start giving them messed up answers and listen to them sputter and stammer trying to find the line in the script that tells them what to do next.

Them : "Has your computer finished rebooting?"
Me : "I just got an asychronous i/o overflow error"
Them : "Hmmmm. Maybe we should send you another hard drive."
Me : "If you think I need it."
May 9th, 2001, 07:08 PM
JungleMan1

Quote:

Originally posted by Kymera:
Usually I just humour them. I can't be bothered to go through the same motions that I just went through with some guy on the phone. I just start giving them messed up answers and listen to them sputter and stammer trying to find the line in the script that tells them what to do next.

Them : "Has your computer finished rebooting?"
Me : "I just got an asychronous i/o overflow error"
Them : "Hmmmm. Maybe we should send you another hard drive."
Me : "If you think I need it."

Maybe i'll try that...LOL, just describe a long list of technical problems you can barely understand yourself...heheheh
May 10th, 2001, 08:49 AM
Triumph

I could have told you in 2 seconds that Sony uses 9.5 mm drives in all it's Vaio Sub Notebooks, Sony Sucks.
May 10th, 2001, 11:17 AM
bfrau

Quote:

Originally posted by MacGyver:
Actually, all of Nintendo's support lines are 900 numbers. So if you're too stupid to RTFM you can pay for it - by the minute ;)

Not to change subjects, but this just popped in my head when I saw this. When I was younger, 13-15 years old, my family didn't have money, so I didn't have much, but the neighbor kids just down the road had everything. So, all of us kids would be over there most of the time. We had become serious Nintendo addicts. So badly that we started calling a Nintendo hotline for tips on how to solve games like Zelda. I don't remember right off hand, but I think between all of us we racked up a couple hundred dollars worth of calls to these hotlines. I'll never forget the day we were all over there and there parents opened the phone bill!
May 10th, 2001, 03:46 PM
d0cman

Having worked in tech support, what you say is quite true I.M. The techs aren't trained in the physical specifications. They are trained in GIGO (garbage in, garbage out) ... what I mean is they are told what the common problems are and if those problems don't solve it, then RMA something.

Believe it or not, it's cheaper for the company to follow that principal than incur increased phone charges actually trying to think their way through a problem. Most (present company excluded of course) tech support monkeys are reading problem sheets in databases. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
May 10th, 2001, 05:04 PM
JungleMan1

Quote:

Originally posted by Triumph:
I could have told you in 2 seconds that Sony uses 9.5 mm drives in all it's Vaio Sub Notebooks, Sony Sucks.

1) It isn't a sub-notebook
2) Sony *TECH SUPPORT* sucks, however the computer is a ton better than my Compaq. It takes a lot to beat a VAIO.
3) What's your fave make of computer