I Pit people who call in for TV tech support

The BBQ Pit
21

The problem is that, 16-18 years ago, when pay-TV satellite boxes started existing, they were, and had to be, very simple. They had 1 coax input and 1 coax output, and you always got signal on channel 3 or 4. The remotes were much simpler and easier to use, as well.

This worked great for old people. Tech support calls back then took about 5 minutes or so, on average, because there were only a few things that could even be wrong. Wiring wrong? reverse the two wires, there’s only two, you can’t get it wrong. Snowy screen? Change to channel 3 or 4. Not much can really go wrong.

Now the boxes can record/rewind/FF, The remotes have 60+ buttons, and there can be 15 or 20 different connections on the back of the box, with 10-15 different types of connections.

In addition, TVs now have, instead of just a coax input, up to 10 or 15 different input types, plus multiple ports for several of those input types, like HDMI, DVI, USB, VGA, component, composite, coax, S-video, ethernet, optical audio in, optical audio out, red/white audio in and out, etc, etc. OMFG.

The technology has gone from pretty simple to painfully complex in maybe 15 years, and old people just haven’t kept up with it.

Even when they try to make a simpler version of the remote for older people, the remote is STILL too complex. Engineers have trouble understanding just how much trouble some people have with technology.

Cable companies are a little easier for old folks to deal with, because you can use your existing TV remote, and you always know which input to put the TV on to get the picture. However, if there is a cable box, then it’s every bit as complex as satellite TV.

This makes things harder for companies, too, because tech support calls have gone from 5 minutes or less to probably 9 minutes on average. That’s a big jump in operating costs, even when you outsource the work overseas.

22

Fucking remotes.

I use like 5 buttons on the thing, maximum. Half of those are very small. And then there’s these huge mongo buttons I never use. WTF? The designers need to be beaten to death with their own remotes.

23

I think it will be interesting to see the Apple TV remote, when that system comes out later this year. THAT remote’s ease-of-use and simplicity will have everybody else struggling to catch up, I bet.

24

You learn very quickly in tech support that even very smart, educated, and knowledgeable people do very stupid things. After one call spending 45 minutes bashing your head in because they insist they already followed the troubleshooting steps on the website, and then saying “Are you ABSOLUTELY sure that you restarted your computer when the installation told you to” and they go “Oh, it doesn’t really need that, right?”, you learn to check the easy stuff first every damn time.

25

These words make me want to stand a little ways back from you, so I don’t get singed, when you get smited, for hubris. Even if you believe this, or it’s just hyperbole, you shouldn’t really express this, ever, without a shiver, in my experience.

And you’re kind of trying to project control issues onto them, when it’s pretty clear, you got some control issues of your own.

And you do know, that one day you’ll be old, right? And you might even, not be as swift as, everybody else. Or fall behind on the latest developments. I’m just saying, if you don’t find some patience and understanding for, people challenged with less intelligence then you’ve been gifted with, you could be cruising for life lesson in such, of the not pleasant variety. What if you were going through life in a wheelchair? Requiring patience of strangers and yourself? I’m just saying, it’s something to think about.

All up, I enjoyed your rant, and can understand your pain. But old people aren’t going to suddenly become more savy, idiots are in seemingly endless supply, perhaps you should consider altering your view instead of hoping for change on their side.

It reminds me of a Dillbert cartoon currently on my bulletin board, I think you’ll enjoy it;

Bossman: I’m getting reports that you’re being arrogant in meetings.

Dilbert: That’s because I have a deep understanding of technology and a moral obligation to keep simpletons from ruining the world.

Bossman: Maybe you could tone it down?

Dilbert: There’s no kill switch on awesome!

26

Yep. The worst is when someone sounds knowledgeable, and you just assume that they’ve already done the obvious stuff. Then, 20 minutes later, out of desperation, you ask if they’re using the right remote, and they say “actually, no.”. :smack:

27

Who knows more about where the light switches are in your house, you, or someone who has only been to your house a few times?

It’s the same thing.

If you called a mechanic for car help over the phone, would you give him a bunch of lip?

As far as control issues, sure. But if you had to get Grandma’s remote issues fixed in under 10 minutes, 20 times a day, 5 days a week, or lose your job for not getting it done in that extremely limited time frame, YOU might get a bit irritated too. :slight_smile:

28

Yeah, it’d be sweet if nobody ever called you for help. You wouldn’t have to go through the trouble of speaking to your customers, or doing your job, or getting out of bed in the morning, or collecting a paycheck… how fucking annoying all that can be.

Look, I feel your pain. Some people are assholes. We *all *have to deal with them, no matter what our job. But your rant seems misguided because “people who call in for TV tech support” are apparently *the entire reason your fucking job even exists! *

29

You’re the type who would abuse tech support agents, aren’t you? Can’t find your remote, have to be told to turn on the TV, and gets personally insulted when I point out that a TV has to be ON before it can be correctly diagnosed.

ROFL

And here’s the thing…I keep people like you happy all day, every day. I work around your egos 8-4:30, 5 days a week. I get your issue fixed quickly while still working around your ego.
I mean, if I can’t rant HERE, then WHERE? I certainly don’t do it on the phone, because my customers are happy with me. I get excellent survey results, generally. I admit I’m not the absolute nicest person out of the 600 or so where I work, but I’m definitely in the top 10% as far as customer satisfaction survey numbers.

What I lack in smarmy sweetness, I more than make up for with my tremendous commitment to fixing customer’s issues. A lot of people couldn’t care less if you sigh, moan, and snark at them, if they can tell that you really care about fixing their issue.

30

I don’t abuse tech people, no. (That is, unless they keep telling me to unplug my modem for 30 seconds and then plug it back in, after I’ve told them that I just did that 4 times and it didn’t fucking fix it.)

But you misunderstand me. What I think you were *trying *to get at was “I pit people who call me at work and act like assholes.” That’s a rant I can get behind 100%.

However, it came out more like, “How dare these people have less knowledge than I do, bothering me all day with problems they would know how to fix if they were me!” I dislike arrogant and consescending tech people almost as much as you dislike asshole customers.

31

To the OP: shut the fuck up, drone, until I tell you to talk. Then, and only then, open your piehole and tell me what I want to know. After that, you may politely ask me if there’s anything else I require. If not, hang up the fucking phone and move on to your next customer.

32

Am I the only one who didn’t think tech support was really necessary for strawberries?

33

I sincerely hope that your management and customers treat you with that exact same level of respect.

34

Nope.

35

I am not the problem. If I were, I wouldn’t be in the top 10% for stats every month, including for customer surveys.

And I know about jerky/clueless tech support. I’ve had to call tech support plenty of times over the years, too.

It’s usually customers that are the problem. However, when I hear an Indian or Phillippino accent on the other end, I do a pretty big internal groan.

36

How about I skip straight to the hanging-up part?

People like you are the ones that own the stock, bitch about agent’s high pay/benefits, then bitch about turnover, then bitch about the quality of the tech support, then bitch about high taxes, then bitch about low dividends, and forget to turn your TV on before calling to complain that the screen is black.

And yet you’d still give me a high score on a survey, because you’d be able to tell I really cared about fixing your issue.

And that’s why I’m good at my job.

37

No, that would be the tech support guy.

“Is your TV plugged in?”

:rolleyes:

“Have you switched it on?”

:rolleyes:

“Is your TV hooked up to your cable box?”

Motherfucker, that’s why I opened our conversation with an exhaustive list of things I’ve already checked, so we can skip past your scripted bullshit that always takes 10 minutes to fucking work through. Pick up a pad and pencil and TAKE NOTES when I tell you what’s up. That way, you won’t have to ask me stupid questions.

38

So what’s wrong with you that you can’t offer the same to others?

Or are you just a complete shitstorming asshole in every aspect of your life?

39

Yes.

40

We ask that because sometimes the device isn’t plugged in and the person didn’t bother to check. Yes, I have received one of those calls.