Don't tell me it's my PC! Your internet service is why I have no dial tone!

[greensinestro]

I loved this call I had dealing with a 680 error. To those who do not know, a 680 error is where your computer does not detect dial tone when trying to call into the server. So, this man called upset because he kept getting that error message, demanding to have us fix it for him. When I politely explained to him what a 680 error was (after he asked, of course), it was like a bomb had gone off. "What the BLEEP do you mean my dial tone isn't working? I'm talking on that phone number right now!" Well, this number also appeared to have static and crackling, and in my experience with this, that also can cause issues when dialing up on the internet. No matter what I said to this bastard, "Nope! You are not going to convince me that it's my phone or computer. It's your sucky, nasty service!" My next attempt was to also refer him to where he bought the computer, or to an IT help desk number for Microsoft. No, he wasn't going to do that, nor was he going to even take down the number and consider looking into what they might have to say. "I'll just call back and speak to someone else!" I love that line. It's as if when he calls back, a 680 error will mean something totally different.

Interestingly enough, he called back ten minutes later, this time telling the other rep he was getting a 691 error. This error relates to the username and/or password being invalid. Upon checking, it was found this assholish man did not even have his username or password populated in his connection. Yet, when he spoke to me and this other rep, it was his internet provider's fault. Yep, we actually have a way to hack into your computer and wipe your information clean because we have nothing better to do with our time! Please!

I can understand a complaint when it comes to things like slow connection speeds and so forth, but why do customers think that after an explanation is provided to them on something due to carelessness of the customer, and/or human error, these people immediately think their internet provider causes the problem? Sure, I'm happy to get these calls being it keeps me in a job, and I don't mind helping people out. But, be reasonable.

[MadMike]

I almost made an ass of myself once, over a busy signal I was getting every time I tried to dial in. I had recently had to redo my dialup settings for some reason (I forget why), and when I tried to dial in, I got a busy signal.

No big deal, it happens, right? I retry, and the same thing happens. Again, busy.

This just kept happening over and over again, and I started getting annoyed. Damn it, I thought to myself, they failed once again to keep up with the increase in the number of new users. I'm paying good money for something I can't use, blah blah blah...

I was just about to call in and complain, when I took one last look at my settings. Turned out that I had my own number there, rather than the number to connect to my ISP. Oops...

[greensinestro]

I almost made an ass of myself once, over a busy signal I was getting every time I tried to dial in. I had recently had to redo my dialup settings for some reason (I forget why), and when I tried to dial in, I got a busy signal.


I was just about to call in and complain, when I took one last look at my settings. Turned out that I had my own number there, rather than the number to connect to my ISP. Oops...

See? Why can't more customers do what you did? But then again, as I stated, if it weren't for those type of customers, there would be no need for tech support reps to be on the phones.

[jobe457]

wow that sounds like my experience at verizon, I used to do tech support for verizon, we had the plethora of stupid questions, mostly the big complaint was "Why isn't my dsl service not working?" "Well Mr/Mrs Stupid Customer, looks like theirs an outage in your area" Can't you do anything to fix it?" "Nope, I'm Texas would you like me to put a service ticket in for you" "SIGH, YES" I hated talking to people from New York and New Jersey, VERY RUDE, VERY RUDE, If you said one moment, they wait about 2 seconds and say, "WELL" like everyone at tech support has the answers for everything, anyways I was glad when I left, that place drove me pretty nuts.....

[greensinestro]

wow that sounds like my experience at verizon, I used to do tech support for verizon, we had the plethora of stupid questions, mostly the big complaint was "Why isn't my dsl service not working?" "Well Mr/Mrs Stupid Customer, looks like theirs an outage in your area" Can't you do anything to fix it?" "Nope, I'm Texas would you like me to put a service ticket in for you" "SIGH, YES" I hated talking to people from New York and New Jersey, VERY RUDE, VERY RUDE, If you said one moment, they wait about 2 seconds and say, "WELL" like everyone at tech support has the answers for everything, anyways I was glad when I left, that place drove me pretty nuts.....

I feel your pain on that one. I also deal with New York and New Jersey customers, and they are downright rude and nasty. Most of them are. I loved the one I had the other day who lives in New York in the spring and summer, then brings her sorry ass to Florida during the fall and winter. She has internet with us up there, but in Florida uses a provider in the local Boca Raton area, which is not affiliated with us. She demanded that I give her an access number for boca.net being she is our customer in New York. My politeness did not matter when I told her I was sorry, but boca.net would be who she needed to turn to for that. The fact that we provided her service elsewhere was reason we needed to give her the number for a competing provider for access. I wanted to say, "Maam? Why the BLANK are calling me for dial up access when you probably have enough bucks to get high speed?" Then again, these are the people who could care less about technology. Rudeness and impoliteness rule in their books!

[jobe457]

I feel your pain on that one. I also deal with New York and New Jersey customers, and they are downright rude and nasty. Most of them are. I loved the one I had the other day who lives in New York in the spring and summer, then brings her sorry ass to Florida during the fall and winter. She has internet with us up there, but in Florida uses a provider in the local Boca Raton area, which is not affiliated with us. She demanded that I give her an access number for boca.net being she is our customer in New York. My politeness did not matter when I told her I was sorry, but boca.net would be who she needed to turn to for that. The fact that we provided her service elsewhere was reason we needed to give her the number for a competing provider for access. I wanted to say, "Maam? Why the BLANK are calling me for dial up access when you probably have enough bucks to get high speed?" Then again, these are the people who could care less about technology. Rudeness and impoliteness rule in their books!

YOUCH I had some calls like that, I did DSL tech support and they would ask for stuff we didn't even support beyond the support boundaries, Like supporting windows, what I always hated was the one holdout using windows 95 or 98 and seeing how I did tech support in 2004 come on now? It's not too much to buy a new computer they are just getting cheaper and cheaper! I just hate 95 and 98 having to use a freakin disk to create a connection vs. just going to network connections and configuring from there....but even then getting people to click the right thing to get on network connections was another story! LOL bad thing is I was willing to go back into tech support doing it for modems and routers made by 2wire, but then again they said "I didn't have enough customer service experience" and I just laugh and say "4 years isn't enough these days?" ohh well Sorry you have to deal with dumbasses like that on a daily basis, LOL I remember when I was going to quit my job in 2004, I was gonna be a total ass to the last call I had, but you would know it would be a nice person so I just couldn't bring myself to be an ass!

[greensinestro]

I love it. I cringe when I ask a customer for their operating system, and then it's like I'm Atlas with the world falling off my shoulders when they say they have XP. If they have any other version, especially an older version like 95 or 98, it takes forever to set those people up. And, it's not because those systems are that difficult to use, it's because of customers who pull up other windows other than what they should get. How about those that you tell them "right click" and they continue to left click? Ah, how we love dealing with these people!

[jobe457]

I love it. I cringe when I ask a customer for their operating system, and then it's like I'm Atlas with the world falling off my shoulders when they say they have XP. If they have any other version, especially an older version like 95 or 98, it takes forever to set those people up. And, it's not because those systems are that difficult to use, it's because of customers who pull up other windows other than what they should get. How about those that you tell them "right click" and they continue to left click? Ah, how we love dealing with these people!

LOL What I would do if their computer and OS was too slow was just refer em back to the OEM, I cant deal with shitty equipment it had to atleast be functioning and have a supportable OS, we stopped supporting some of the out of date ones so that was always good

[greensinestro]

Yes, that is good, but you have those stubborn customers who won't upgrade or just buy a new computer. I don't mind having to take the extra time for older systems, but it flusters me to no end at times when your customer does things you tell them not to do, or they think they know more so they try working ahead of you. They pay me the same here, bud!

[jobe457]

Yes, that is good, but you have those stubborn customers who won't upgrade or just buy a new computer. I don't mind having to take the extra time for older systems, but it flusters me to no end at times when your customer does things you tell them not to do, or they think they know more so they try working ahead of you. They pay me the same here, bud!

yeah that bothered me as well I liked working with the people that actually did know what they were doing and were just like, okay I need my password reset, I've configured my account for PPPOE just reset it....those calls lasted under a minute
PPPOE sucks! I doubt I'll ever go with DSL, I dont like relying on telephone based stuff and as many times as there were service outages in the northern part of the united states no thanks :-p cable seems far more reliable but thats just me

[anode_probe]

I get the opposite all the time. Authentication Failed error. It litterally means that the authentication of the account information didn't go through, more often than not, it is due to an incorrect password, only issue with that is trying to convince the customer that it truely has to do with settings and not a problem on the computer.

I had a system for this. I would have them create a new set of network settings, and enter the information that they have on hand, when they tell me they don't know their password, I tell them to call their ISP and just ask for the password, we'll take care of the rest. Normally they don't have to call back because once they have the correct password, all is well.