The tale of annoyances

[spazmunke]

So this is a tale not so much of sucky customers, just annoying customers, so if this in the wrong place, please move it.

So I work tech support for a fairly large ISP, and the things my customers don't understand or don't seem to know what/how to do boggles the mind.

Annoyance the first:
Every day I get a call like this of some variation
SC - So i just bought this (insert device here) and i need to get it connected
Me - Okay, just bring up your list of available networs, chose yours and type in your password
SC - How do I do that?

GAH!!! You bought the damn thing, it is not my job to tell you how to use the equipment YOU purchased

Annoyance the second:
SC calls in for whatever reason, and we need to get them to one of our websites
Me - Okay, just go to page.company.net
SC - Okay, I'm there
Me - So you should see (insert function here) on your screen
SC - No I dont, i see this of possible options (lists options from a search result page)
Me - Okay, it looks like you did a search for the page, make sure you type that into the ADDRESS BAR not a SEARCH BAR

This goes a few rounds, as they seem to be unable to either locate the search bar, or choose not to. This is difficult as some pages can't be searched for and require direct navigation

How do these people use the internet? Do they just search for every page they want to go to?

Annoyance the third:
Or when people blame us for issues with their equipment

This is very annoying, and like all the other annoyances, happens multiple times a day
Me - *greeting*
SC - My Internet isn't working
Me - Okay, let me get your account information
SC - *gives information*
Me - Well Mr SC, I see your modem is online, is this a wireless connection?
SC - Yes
Me- Well, anything to do with wireless is going to be going through YOUR router, and I would not be able to assist you
SC - But what am I paying you for?
Me - Well, you are paying for INTERNET, and as this is YOUR router, we don't have access to it to help you, you will need to contact the manufacturer
SC - But I got it from you.
Me - Actually you did not as (company) does not provide routers
Takes a few minutes, but SC finally accepts, and i give him their number

If you are going to have your own networking equipment, know what you are doing with it!

Annoyance the fourth:
Similar to the third, and this is a call our center gets over 3000 times a month, I've seen the numbers.
This call is "I forgot/don't know my wireless information, can you tell me?"

GAHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

And Annoyance the fifth:
I don't get how people do not know how to hang up their phones.
We end the xall, say our goodbyes, then, call doesn't end. I hear the SCs in the background. It's like they get done with the call, and instead of hanging up, just put the phone down.
Bonus points when I hear them bad - mouthing us

[EricKei]

How do these people use the internet? Do they just search for every page they want to go to?

In my experience, yes. There are folks out there who, if told to "just go to www.google.com", will type that phrase into the Google search bar in their browser x.x

[lordlundar]

How do these people use the internet? Do they just search for every page they want to go to?

You clearly have not met my mom.

Annoyance the fourth:
Similar to the third, and this is a call our center gets over 3000 times a month, I've seen the numbers.
This call is "I forgot/don't know my wireless information, can you tell me?"

GAHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

Well on the plus side most of the plonkers don't change their default info so you can just direct them to the manufacturer.

[Jay 2K Winger]

How do these people use the internet? Do they just search for every page they want to go to?

*cracks knuckles*

*prepares to type--*

In my experience, yes. There are folks out there who, if told to "just go to www.google.com", will type that phrase into the Google search bar in their browser x.x

*--curses, beat me to the punch*

*no matter, I can still provide personal example--*

You clearly have not met my mom.

*--curses, beat me to the punch*

[dalesys]

*prepares to type--*
*--curses, beat me to the punch*
*--curses, beat me to the punch*

Are you maintaining current updates to your AG* software?

(*Anti-Gazumph)

[Kanalah]

Not the mention people who use the keyboard with the "search and peck" method. >.<

[Bud the Chud]

That's why I tell the user to hit windows key + R and then type www.whatever.com into the run box. You know it's going to be a bad call when you tell them to go out to the internet and they say something like "how do I do that?".

[Mental_Mouse]

These days, most browsers have an "address bar" that doubles as a search bar. If they don't have an autocomplete (or evade it), and what they type isn't an address, then they're probably going to get a search page.

[protege]

There are folks out there who, if told to "just go to www.google.com", will type that phrase into the Google search bar in their browser

My dad is one of those people. Instead of simply typing in an address, he has to search for it. Why you'd go go Google...and do a search for www.bestbuy.com (or whatever company he's looking for), I have no idea

[Dreamstalker]

My mom used to do that...until I showed her common typos and the malware that can reside on the typo'ed domains (using my old Linux laptop so if anything did get infected and managed to install I could just wipe the drive).

Now, she just has 30 tabs open in Firefox with all her regularly-visited sites...not sure if that's an improvement or not (you do have a Bookmarks menu which does the same thing but without the inevitable slowdowns)

[UncleImpy]

In my experience, yes. There are folks out there who, if told to "just go to www.google.com", will type that phrase into the Google search bar in their browser x.x

I blame this on AOL's 'go bar' or whatever the hell it was called, where you didn't HAVE an address bar to use and it was your only choice. So many unskilled masses brainwashed at an early age....

[EricKei]

I remember the go bar too, Impy. It's actually what I had in mind when I made my earlier comment I have encountered folks who will type 'google.com' into the actual search bar, though. When I had clients (used to do tech support and training), I frequently had to resist sending them to lmgtfy.com or www.justfuckinggoogleit.com

[Chromatix]

Chrome has that combined address/search bar, too - probably just to accommodate that style of use.

[otakuneko]

I like the Mozilla (suite) way of doing things: I type in the address bar, then either press enter to go directly to what I typed, or tap down, then enter to search. Opera (and by Opera, I mean Presto, may it rest in peace) also did this, as does Vivaldi, the true successor to Opera. I've done this for so long I get flustered on browsers that don't do this, such as Firefox and Chromium.

[prjkt]

all the browsers I use (Safari, Chrome, Edge, Firefox) all have their address bar as a search bar if it's not a URL typed on. Works well enough for me.