From the moment I had to explain that 2 of 3 computers being online = working internet connection

[ghostsofgiants]

I knew this would be a shitty call. It should not take 45 minutes to explain how to connect to a wireless network. Even the biggest ludite with the most basic listening skills and ability to follow instructions should have bneen able to do this in 10-15 minutes. x(

An IQ test should be required before you call into your ISP's support line.

($375 is not enough of a bonus for the idiocy I deal with sometimes.)

[mikeytherat]

1. The pain of the tech support call varies inversely to the IQ of the caller.

The lower the IQ, the higher the pain.

I'm with ya, dude, I'm with ya.

mikey_the_rat (25+ years in the biz)

[ghostsofgiants]

2. I think it's more of a bell curve.

Stupid people and overly smart people who are dicks because they think they know more than you are equally frustrating.

[DS1]

3. I had one of those last week

How are you getting your Internet connection? Cable? DSL? Modem?


Through the air.

[ghostsofgiants]

4. The call took an hour and 10 minutes altogether.

It should have taken 10-15, like I said. Kill me.

[CatholicEdHead]

5. Was it an open connection or did you have to go into setting up WEP or WPA?

[ghostsofgiants]

6. WEP, but even that is a relatively easy process if they just follow my instructions.

[ScreamingMeemie]

7. Yes, but what do I do with this cupholder that keeps popping

out of my tower?

[ghostsofgiants]

10. Put a cup in it.

Duh.

[cemaphonic]

8. I still think I win the tech support stupidity sweepstakes award:

Not being able to run CD-ROM software on account of NOT HAVING A COMPUTER! I think she was trying to use it with a CD player or something. God only knows what she was expecting it to do. And speaking of God, she was one of those really obnoxious pushy fundies too.

Thankfully the tech support volume at that job was low enough that it was just a few calls a day, spread around the production staff (though doing it at all was NOT what I signed on for). Doing that nonstop would probably make me murder someone.

As with the tipping discussion, whenever I have to call tech support for anything I try to do my homework beforehand and keep my own stupidity to a minimum.

[ghostsofgiants]

9. Wow, that is hilariously stupid.

[LeftyMom]

12. That happened to a friend of mine who was a tech for Earthlink, back when they had stateside techs

Some cranky old man who got angry when he found out he couldn't get to that nebulous thing called the internet on his radio shack hi-fi.

[Lil Missy]

11. Sorry you had a bad day, But could you help me with something?

I have looked all over for a new coffee cup holder to replace the one that broke on my PC.

Do you know where I could order one?

[ghostsofgiants]

13. Any computer coffee house should carry them.

[Duer 157099]

14. No offense, but until I got to the last line of your post

I thought you were talking about the ISP support tech.

I'm surprised when I get a tech who knows at least as much as I do, and I'm not a computer tech.

Good for you, you're probably one of those few - wish there were more of you.

[ghostsofgiants]

15. There are plenty of idiots working customer support, but in my time at this job...

I've noticed that stupid customers far outweigh those.

Example, my call just now:

"Internet Explorer isn't working, I can't bring up this webpage."
"Try another page."
"That page came up."
"Then your connection is working fine, it's just an issue with that page. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"You haven't fixed my problem, Internet Explorer still isn't working."
"Yes it is."
"I still can't get to that page."
"That's a problem with that page, not Internet Explorer or your internet connection itself."

x(

[Duer 157099]

16. Yeah, not surprised at all (what, you are?)

I would never survive long in a job like that, I fear. Oh, I'd be ok the first hundred or so times, but then I'd snap and say something horrible.

But the difference is that you should expect the public to be ignorant. I shouldn't have to expect that the techs are, but yet, I do (just so that I can be surprised when they are not - and I ALWAYS tell them so when I find one, too, anything to keep them coming back to their job)