Tales From Technical Support Content
I work for a large retail chain as a corporate IT guy -- first level tech support. So I get all the "support, but if you can't fix it send it up the chain" calls. I didn't handle this call, but while rummaging through some recent tickets, I found this gem: Issue was Google Documents not loading on Google Chrome/Windows PC. (user was getting the "Aw Snap!" error when trying to create any new document). In reviewing the ticket here are the steps taken to resolve:
1.) Rebooted PC, problems persist.
2.) Had her try on another PC, she was able to log in!
3.) User called back because problems persisting on her own computer.
4.) Updated Chrome to latest version. Problems persist.
5.) Uninstalled/reinstalled Chrome. Problems persist.
6.) Cleared out local profile from PC. Problems persist.
7.) Submitted PC for rebuild (WHAT??? They're rebuilding her PC because she can't get into Google Documents?)
8.) User now has cleanly installed new PC running Windows 7 (her previous box was XP) and latest version of Chrome... Guess what.... problems persist.
9.) Opened ticket with Google over issue to investigate possible issue on their side.
10.) Google confirms this is known issue and happens when one has loaded more than 10 fonts into a document, they are working on issue, no estimated time of resolution.
11.) Google confirms temporary workaround: use Internet Explorer to access Google Documents.
So there you have it... my company would rather rebuild a PC than call Google first... and to boot Google's reply? "We know our stuff is broken, use our competitor's stuff!" Wow......
User from the deep, deep South, basic computer class.
Me: Press the mouse button.
User: You mean mash it?
Years ago I was the chief electronics tech for the R&D department of a fuel-injection manufacturer. One day, my manager called me up to his office:
Mgr: "I need you to put the Peugeot 505 in the cold box and take it down to -40°."
Me: "Fahrenheit or Celsius?"
Mgr: [Picking up piece of paper]: "Let me check--. You bugger."
(Fahrenheit & Celsius cross at -40°)
I do internal tech support for a major retailer, so the calls I receive are from folks who work for the same company as me. Our company recently had a change in our Wi-Fi name due to a legal requirement (our old SSID had one of our company’s trademarks in the name and apparently that’s not allowed). Emails went out announcing the new change and that everyone would need to connect to the “new” network as soon as it went live. Mostly a hassle-free experience until I encountered this person…
T – Me, the lowly tech // M – Traveling manager
M – I can’t connect to the new wifi, can you help?
T – Sure, which location number are you at.
M – Well I work at (number of location in California) but I’m currently on business in Florida.
T – Well, I can still help you, which location number are you at right now.
M – (Repeats same California location)
T – No no, which location are you at right now? Which Florida location?
M – What do you mean?
T – Which store are you at?
M – I’m not at a store!
T – Are you at a depot then? Or an office of ours?
M – I’m at my hotel here in Florida!
T – (Derp!) Oh… well if you’re not at a building owned by us, you can’t connect to the new Wi-Fi.
M – Then why am I able to connect to the old one?
…thinking maybe by some freak incident she happened to be right next door to one of our stores I even went as far as locating the hotel she was at by the address she gave me, closest store of ours was over 5 miles away. Had her go through her Wi-Fi settings to find out which network she was on, turns out it belonged to the hotel! I explained to her that if she was having connectivity issues on the hotel’s Wi-Fi that she call the front desk of the hotel and ask them if they’re having issues.
M – So you’re telling me that I have to call someone else to get my Wi-Fi to work?
T – That’s right, I’m sorry but we can only support our own company’s Wi-Fi, not the hotel’s.
M – Can I speak with your manager?
T – (What the ---?) Hold please…
My manager took the call, they were on for about 15 minutes and I couldn’t hear what was said… but after the call my manager walked by and all he said to me was “after talking to that lady, I think I need a drink and I just about suggested that she have one too.” According to the ticket notes that he put in after the call, she wanted to complain about my “incompetence” because I couldn’t get her set up on Wi-Fi when she was over 5 miles away from the nearest access point. My final punchline? I’m the one putting up with this while she makes the big bucks AND gets sent to FLORIDA for a business trip. I’ll take that drink now, thank you. :)
I'm not a tech specialist, but I am very computer savvy having grown up with the first PC in my home since the 1980's. I frequently help a lot of my friends with computer issues, especially those people over 60 years old who didn't grow up or work with computers most of their lives.
One day, I was helpingmya 62 year old friend, Bob, make a simple website for his business, and I taught him how to take the pics on his super basic cell phone and transfer them to upload pictures on the provider's website, and then text them to me so I can post them on his business website.
For about a week, Bob had been noticing that he was having a hard time finding his pictures on the cell company's website.
He finally called them to see why he was not able to see any of his photos. The tech support person explained to him that other customers were having the same issue, and that they should have it fixed within 24 hours.
After she was done, she asked Bob if there was anything else she could help him with, he asked her "When will a technician be coming out to my house for repairs?"
LOL
When we got our first computer in 1995, my brother was helping me set it up and installed some programs he had from work that I could use for college. We decided to play a trick on my computer illiterate husband. We typed up a scrolling screen saver alert that in big, bold, red letters:
"Warning, this computer has detected an illegal software upload. The FBI has been notified."
My husband reacted by saing, "it's not my fault, you guys are in trouble."
We got a big laugh out of it. We then told him it was the screen saver and you can type anything you want into it.
An older "customer" who asks my advice on computer matters just called.
Sweet person - not really what you'd call an early adopter on technology...
They've been collecting all these OLD computer books that they want to get to people who NEED them...so they were going to donate them to the local Goodwill Computer store...which said that they were too old and the books would be sent for recycling instead of put up for sale.
The books are twelve to fifteen years old - some of them are for operating systems older than Windows XP or versions of Office, Photoshop, and the like that are also twelve to fifteen years or older...
I agree with saving GOOD books from recycling - but sometimes reference books are just too out of date to be useful...Windows 95???
