An internet tech support job I don't want

[TNT]

As you're all familiar with, internet tech has certain lines it can't cross... basically, if the customer has an internet connection, we're not able to do much past the modem.

Today, Verizon announced "Premium Technical Support" for its DSL customers who pay $10 extra per month. They'll now support, "routers, network cards, video cards, sound cards, CD/DVD reader-writer, hard drives, flash memory systems, printers, scanners, gaming consoles and firewalls. Operating systems and software supported by the service are Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows 98 and Windows Me."

I don't work for Verizon, but what happens there usually comes my way soon enough... I can see it now... "Okay, Mr. 90-year-old Computer Illiterate. What I want you to do is go to Windows ME... we're going to start up 'regedit'!"

Seriously, the plan seems whimsical. It sounds like the techs are going to be asked to support every configuration of every computer and peripheral ever made (except for Macs)... and doing it by telephone... for $10 a month. (Can we say "offshoring?")

I don't know.

[BlackIronCrown]

Screw that noise.
Yeah, the entire thing will be outsourced and probably completely scripted. :lol: My bet is that they wack it over to the Phillipines rather than aught else.
Reading the news article on DSL Reports already shows what a complete train wreck this will be.

[Mr. Rude]

A train wreck in sloooowww motion. I wouldn't want to be handling those calls.

[BravoOrig]

Oh my god! I know noone at my level will think thats a good idea, but I'm sure corporate will get wind of it and think thats an excellent way to make money. Thats less than I get paid an hour, and I'm not going to support someone's videocard issue on their Windows98 machine. Theres a very good reason we don't go beyond the modem, we just don't have access to all the information about each manufacturer's line of computers. I'll let them deal with finding out the customers model #, etc. Oh, and we'd rather not be held liable for messing up someones POS any further.

[Crosshair]

Do you have a link BlackIronCrown? I wana read the train wreck.:p

[BlackIronCrown]

Do you have a link BlackIronCrown? I wana read the train wreck.:p

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/82738
And, oh Gawds, pay attention to the comments of the user Morbo, who states with pure authority that, by all that is CUSTOMER!, techs should support everything. After all, it's what he pays for!
Save me now. :cry:

[iradney]

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/82738
And, oh Gawds, pay attention to the comments of the user Morbo, who states with pure authority that, by all that is CUSTOMER!, techs should support everything. After all, it's what he pays for!
Save me now. :cry:

Oh, BlackIronCrown, that is horrible. Absolutely horrible. I really do feel for you...
*passes extra-strong chocotini - more tini than choco*

[RichS]

Even I wouldn't take that job (I've been unemployed going on 7 months now :( )

And supporting Win9X and ME???? Even Microsoft doesn't do that anymore!

[TNT]

Oh my god! I know noone at my level will think thats a good idea, but I'm sure corporate will get wind of it and think thats an excellent way to make money.

I can almost hear the wheels turning where I work...

Corporate: Wow, we should do that. But we'll have to set it up, do some minimal training, etc.
My manager: What are you talking about? My guys can be ready by this afternoon! Wait... what am I talking about? We're ready now!

[Aressel]

Oy! Phone support is a pain in the butt at the best of times. I should consider myself lucky, at least I have the option to tell customers to just bring the system in.

[IlovemyGeek]

I'd spork my eye out first. They don't make enough happy pills in the worlds to get me through that scenario

[NightRain]

I'd do that, providing the users agreed to install a remote software client provided by the company to go into their machines.
Program not working? user won't install? Then tough, we can't do it :D

But management won't be that smart will they?

(or they'd get a cheap as hell remote tool, and boom, massive invasions of anyone using that ISP)

Thank $deity I don't (as in refuse) to do helldesk/call centre stuff!

[volatile]

That is the most retarded idea ever. But, once the lawsuits start coming in because they blame tech support for jacking data up their data, I'm sure they will scratch the plan.