For Iambob - Sums Up How You Feel About Tech Assisting?? Hehe

[ibemarshall]

Just for you Iambob ~ Cheers!!!

[i am bob]

Thank you Mr Youbemarshall... :mocking:

It's funny... Everybody starts on Windows and it never works for them. I've had so many people call me up crying and screaming... Over the years I have had at least half a dozen people toss their Window machines out the window! Some people get to move over to Mac and that is where I had a lot of fun. I"ll talk about that in a second. Now I am happy playing with my different versions of LInux and have no intentions of ever owning another Windows or Mac machine if I don't have to! Because they work the way they are suppose to!

As I was saying, I have had a lot of fun as a Network Engineer / Systems Administrator / Security Specialist (my own business) or doing Quality Assurance for other companies - including one company that did Tech Support for HP Printers. Some of the funniest things I ever had happen was when I was doing work with HP. Even though I was in Quality Assurance, once in a while I had to join in on the phones for Tech Support when it got overly busy - mostly for HP printers on Macs and a bit on Windows machines. My favourite call is is a toss up between 2.

The one I took personally when an elderly couple called in for help in getting their printer installed on their Mac - both brand new and completely computer illiterate between them. The elderly gentleman positioned himself behind the Mac and the Printer so that cables could be connected at the proper time and his little old wife sat out front with the keyboard. He had a portable extension and she had the base of the phone that was set up as a speaker phone. What was normally a 3 minute call turned into 3 hours and 48 minutes - I'll never forget it! She was fine while I needed her to input anything into the Mac but as soon as I mentioned that I had directions for her husband, she would break into singing Amazing Grace at the top of her lungs over and over and over and over and over... For those unaware, most speakerphones will not produce a sound out if somebody is singing into it...

My other favourite call was picked randomly to be used as a Calibration Call with the HP bigwigs in Boise while we conferenced in on the call from here. It involved an independent (female) tech calling in for support on an HP LaserJet (commercial series). The rep at our site was asking all the pertinent questions and trying to maintain a professional demeanour yet the tech was flirting outrageously with him. The Senior Management in Boise were commenting on how professional he maintained his call while everybody at our office was rolling on the floor laughing! Eventually after 15 minutes or so the issue was resolved. While closing the call, our rep asked if there was anything else he could do to assist her and without hesitation she asked if he would bring pizza home tonight. He replied "Sure" and then the tech replied "See you tonight Sweetie"! Boise went nuts over the patronization with a client rule but we had to break in and let them know - our rep had taken the call from his wife!

[ibemarshall]

I bet you have many "battle scars" to be sure!

A couple of months ago I had to call tech support for a connection issue/problem I was having with my Time Warner modem. I dutifully called the 800 number and started speaking to the rep.

In the background I could hear singing...it sounded like a young guy singing his favo(u)rite song. I asked the rep who was female how the weather was there where she was ...in the Philippines....

I could almost hear her eyebrows raise up and her surprised facial expression..."ummmm Sir, how did you know our center is located in the Philippines?" I told her that I recognized her 'accent' and knew it was the Philippines for sure because of her workmate's Karaoke singing talent. Needless to say she was able to get my issue sorted out and was more than helpful and professional.

I went on to tell her that I was married to a Filipina and that is how I recognized her 'accent' and that I appreciated the quality of care she provided. I ended the call with "Salmat" and a smile on my face, a very happy customer!

Life is good eh !

Edited January 6, 2013 by ibemarshall

[i am bob]

Yup! For those who think the people in the Philippines doing Tech Support are dummies? Many of them are just as good if not better than most of our home grown tech support. And that I find very rare when dealing with international support.