Terrible Tech Support Is Frustrating
After a tough week of dealing with different tech support groups questions come to my mind. I won’t mention the companies that are the worst because I know many of you use Linksys, Dell, HP, or Microsoft products and don’t want to make them angry.
But, while spending hours on the phone, being hung up on, contacting the same vendor several times in the hope of getting a support agent that spoke English or one that could actually help me, you can’t help but wonder.
1- If Windows is so good, why are there so many updates? This is especially true with XP. XP has been out for over 6 years, you would think they have the bugs out.
2- While we are on the subject of updates, what if the updates themselves cause an issue? One example would be a recent issue with certain Gateway laptops. Windows released an update that caused these machines to ‘loose’ their CD/DVD drives. Turns out you have to edit the registry to fix it. The question is, if the update caused the issue should they be responsible for the repair?
3- What about companies that charge for support? Should you have to pay to get help with a product you bought from them? Microsoft thinks you should. And even though you are paying money you get the same second rate support as the companies that offer it for free.
Poor tech support is not limited to Microsoft or the other companies mentioned above. And it is not limited to the computer industry. Have you ever called a credit card company? Poor tech support has become the norm.
The only reasonable conclusion is that these companies don’t care about helping you. They care only about their bottom line. They offer up poor tech support only to bolster the illusion that they care about you as a customer when the truth is they don’t.
What can we do? That too is tough because we have come to rely on these products. But the only way to get attention is to attack the pocket book and stop supporting companies that don’t measure up.
Author Chris Kaminski is head web designer at Lone Bird Studio, an Asheville web design and SEO company located in North Carolina.
But, while spending hours on the phone, being hung up on, contacting the same vendor several times in the hope of getting a support agent that spoke English or one that could actually help me, you can’t help but wonder.
1- If Windows is so good, why are there so many updates? This is especially true with XP. XP has been out for over 6 years, you would think they have the bugs out.
2- While we are on the subject of updates, what if the updates themselves cause an issue? One example would be a recent issue with certain Gateway laptops. Windows released an update that caused these machines to ‘loose’ their CD/DVD drives. Turns out you have to edit the registry to fix it. The question is, if the update caused the issue should they be responsible for the repair?
3- What about companies that charge for support? Should you have to pay to get help with a product you bought from them? Microsoft thinks you should. And even though you are paying money you get the same second rate support as the companies that offer it for free.
Poor tech support is not limited to Microsoft or the other companies mentioned above. And it is not limited to the computer industry. Have you ever called a credit card company? Poor tech support has become the norm.
The only reasonable conclusion is that these companies don’t care about helping you. They care only about their bottom line. They offer up poor tech support only to bolster the illusion that they care about you as a customer when the truth is they don’t.
What can we do? That too is tough because we have come to rely on these products. But the only way to get attention is to attack the pocket book and stop supporting companies that don’t measure up.
Author Chris Kaminski is head web designer at Lone Bird Studio, an Asheville web design and SEO company located in North Carolina.
Labels: Computer Tech Tips
