Hi people!
I used to be a Tier 1 Analyst for Verizon, and I want to ask all people on this board a question.
I read here and there that most people think techs don’t know *#%$ and they are generally unhelpful.
From working at Verizon, I seem to disagree with that.
Example, if a customer calls and tells the tech to fix a problem that only our network team can; and if they can’t they seem to get angry.
What do you guys think?
Hello.
I’m so, so sorry. I feel your pain. Actually, I don’t. I was just pretending to be sympathetic.
That’s what we’re here for!
Oh, well, I’ve come accross several smart, qualified techs in my day, and I’ve come accross many complete idiots. The idiots mostly work for large companies, with managers who are unable to understand a candidate’s qualifications, and with “procedures” that they are supposed to follow in order to solve problems, when common sense dictates an easier solution.
Well, goody. I must admit the one tech I talked to at Verizon (my DSL was screwy) was quite intelligent, and unfortunately worked far too hard to solve my problem, since he was never informed by his fellow beaurocrats that my local CO was having issues, and there was nothing he could do. (Found this out from a friend who works at the CO).
I think this is hardly a Great Debate.
[Edited by Lynn Bodoni on 03-20-2001 at 04:25 AM]
Damn. Mr. Mod, pretty please fix my screwy Quote tags. 
friedo, take two of these and call me in the morning. Heck, take as many as you want, and use them in good health.
/////////////
Lynn
joonshin,
follow this link please.
free domain?
thanks
as to the OP, yes I have heard several folks here be quite upset at a few specific techs, or tech support centers,
or for that matter specific companies,
such as, here
and,
Now, I am a phone based technician, and I readily admit there are many things I do NOT support, will not support, and have no business supporting. I will try, if its even vaugely with in the scope of our supported hardware or software, sometimes even if it isn’t.
As do many of the members of this community.
see, here
just a heads up,(and I always wanted to say this)
this is great debates and many folks around here will ask you for a linkety
Mr. Mod, please add a " to the end of my last link url.
pleasepleaseplease?
thank you…
From my experience, people only join first line tech support to learn about the business. As soon as they know enough to get another job they do. Consequently if you find someone good on first line support, you can be pretty sure that he’s on his way out of there.
First a background of what I do and have done…
I used to have the unfortunate pleasure of working for Packard Bell’s technical support when I was starting up my career in computers. There were some of us that knew what we were doing with computers, and the others were basically “trained monkeys” on the phone. When you have a thousand or so people working the call center, and you have a massive turnaround rate, it’s just hard to get good people. Especially when you pay your people diddly squat. You do have a few people that know what’s happening, but when your average tech at a big call center takes between 20 and 60 calls a day, times around 1000 people, that’s alot of questions being fielded by people that don’t know what’s going on.
Now I work for a small company’s tech support, and we have about 10 people in that center. Since the companies products work quite well, there really is no need for more than that. The company pays well, has good benefits and has attracted people that have experience and knowledge in the field. We very very rarely have a complaint about our support, and when we do, it’s usually because someone’s upset because we wouldn’t support someone else’s product, and they are thinking, I have your product on my network, therefore this program that uses the network is your problem too, even though you didn’t make it.
I do know what you are talking about and many people’s negative opinion about tech support people. Below is my opinion and theory on the subject, based on a good 6 years in this field, with both good and bad companies, large and small.
ahem
The great masses tend to not know much about computers, therefore they go out and purchase a computer made by a large company like Dell, Compaq, Sony, or some other company that has bombarded the public with advertisement, and as an added bonus you can get their systems at pretty much any major chain that carries computers.
These large companies sell gigantic quantities of systems, and having made claims about tech support, try and provide it. They do this in one of two ways. Do it themselves, or pay an outsourcer to do it for them.
Either way presents problems. First off, these companies are having to hire a rather large number of people to support their products. And let us face the fact: The number of people that are knowledgeable enough about computers or have the training, education, experience, or certification to perform quality support is not going to be great enough to staff the entire call center with computer geniuses.
Next, there is the money issue. Generally speaking, technical support is a drain on a company, and like any business, they will look to cut costs. In the case of big computer companies, this involves setting up shop somewhere they can hire lots of grunts at a fairly low payscale to save some money. Then then give them a whirlwind training session and plop them on the phones with a huge database of canned answers and policies on how to handle the customers. This same thing happens when the help is outsourced. The company pays a specific amount of money to the outsourcer, and they pay their employees, with any money left over as the profit margin. You had better believe they are going to try and cut costs to make more money as well.
These two things add up to having a bunch of people on the phones who know enough to handle common issues that come up. But when something out of the ordinary or something not in the list of “canned answers” comes up, these same people are clueless, or know just enough to make the problem worse. This gives the impression that techs are “generally useless” and explains the attitude that you see.
Anyone who has talked to any number of tech support reps can probably tell you about the idiot they talked to on X tech line, and it’s probably a valid gripe. Chances are, they could call back, luck out and get a knowledgeable person, and would be praising that tech as a demigod by the end of the call. Believe me, I’ve been on the tech end of calls like that. (And as a sidenote, I’ve had several marriage proposals, offers to come stay with people on vacations in various exotic locations, people have offered me their daughters hands in marriage, and professed their undying love for me. It’s kinda scary and funny at the same time) 
Anyway, I hope that answers your question. Speaking of which, shouldn’t this thread be in GQ?
I think this should be in IMHO, after all, it’s Tech Support OPINIONS, is it not?
It seems to be taking a poll as well.
Welcome, joonshin. Don’t worry, our bark is worse than our bite.
unless you’re into, you know, that sort of thing…
