Rant Incompetent Tech Support Agents

[wildcard]

So, I was working on Rant Central yesterday and ran into a problem accessing some of my domain resources. So I decided to contact tech support via their web chat application.

It wasn't long before I discovered that I had gotten the worst tech support person in the world

WWW.REDDIT.COM

You Know You're In Trouble When The Agent

Struggles With Copy And Paste...

I posted it on Reddit as it was happening...I just couldn't believe this person was responsible for helping me, but didn't even have basic computer skills. I do want to add that in my message I was a little rude, and felt bad about it immediately. I was just so shocked that I was having to coach the tech support person through something like it was my grandma or someone.

  for those who won't click the link   Hide

Have you ever dealt with a tech support agent who didn't know what they were doing?

[srijantje]

they must have been taking the piss

[wildcard]

No way. By the time we got to the end, it was evident that they were either very young and/or extremely unskilled with computers.

But a really nice person, though

[politux]

No way. By the time we got to the end, it was evident that they were either very young and/or extremely unskilled with computers.

But a really nice person, though

Have you tried turning it off and on?

[LZA]

From what I remember at work. They had I.T.specialists rated in categories...Stage one was like the password reset guy, The guy that would suggest you reboot the system, etc...Then you would be "escalated" if they couldn't figure it out. Usually, the people right out of school not knowing the specifics would get that position.

I was friends with a high tier IT guy and he says while he knows how the computers work, he doesn't know all the systems and functions of them...So we'd have to explain why a system was needed and what it's function was, then he can figure out what was wrong...

That is just a general observation though...I have 0% IT experience and even I know to paste links in browsers... I'm guessing you got a newbie since if they were there for any length of time not knowing simple stuff Then there would be an issue...There were people like that there too... Hopefully, you taught them so they won't annoy other people...

HAHAHAHAH Funny you got annoyed... I would have too, but it reminds me of the Dunning-Krueger effect you told me about in the flat-earther thread... It's not just for limited intelligent people who think they are smarter than they really are, because the other side of the coin is really intelligent people thinking that others are as intelligent as them. I'm not saying that this is the case for you because there are basic skills that people should know in their profession, but I'm just saying that it reminds me of it, and makes me wonder where the line is between that and basic competencies people should have about things...

I can empathize with you thinking that you would get no help with your issue since you were teaching that person to copy/paste...I remember thinking at 5th gear speeds, then having to start from the beginning was like downshifting from5th to 1st... All that does is grind gears...

Which reminds me...

[wildcard]

HAHAHAHAH Funny you got annoyed...

I'm glad my pain can be a source of amusement for you, @LZA

[Serpius]

So, I was working on Rant Central yesterday and ran into a problem accessing some of my domain resources. So I decided to contact tech support via their web chat application.

-- SNIP --

Have you ever dealt with a tech support agent who didn't know what they were doing?

Once, I contacted my previous hosting company wanting to have a static IP address for one of my subdomains.

The "tech person" kept on asking me WHY did I want this? I said because I have my reasons and Yes, I know this will be an additional charge. I had no problem paying extra for this.

Again... this "tech person" was perplexed (that's the only word I can come up with) as to why I wanted a static IP address for a subdomain. I basically told this person that I read the hosting contract and it is permitted if I made the request... so I relayed that to the "tech person" and stated clearly and forcefully that I am making this request NOW.

That "tech person" must have had a major brain fart or something and kept on wondering why I was asking for this. I basically told this person... "Look, it might be out of the norm for you, but can you just do what I am requesting and stop asking too many questions?".

NO... was the answer. WTF?? I said that out loud, too... twice. (I did it on purpose because you know how they supposedly record the conversation for "quallity purposes"?)

Then, I said... put me through to your supervisor/manager now.

To my surprise, she did. Within 5 minutes, I was talking to the supervisor.

Explained the whole thing all over again... the supervisor didn't question my request and gave me the static IP address for the subdomain.

I told the supervisor that he needs to review the conversation and see how dumb that first "tech person" was.

He said that he would.

That was one of my more frustrating experiences with a "tech support" person.

6 months later, I ended up switching hosting providers.
Not for the above mentioned reason, but for other reasons that I won't go into detail here.

[LZA]

^^ Another thing I forgot until reading this... Some "tech" people are not tech at all. This doesn't only apply to computer people, but ANYone in a particular job function.

For example: When I learned insurance They gave us generic scripts for answering questions. I refused to read them since I needed to learn the subject matter myself. But they were tailored to anyone being able to handle the job... People who would use them would get yelled at since customers KNEW they were reading off a script...

No real experience needed...

So in a weird way when I read these stories, I'm hopeful that they are not just Uberly bad at the jobs they were trained in, but maybe they were just off the street dopes with no experience at all??? That would at least provide a better explanation as to their incompetence level...Plus, these companies probably don't have to pay as much.

As far as the supervisors??? Please, some of them are WORSE than the workers... Again, this is just a general corporate politics statement than a tech position one, but I can see where it would apply in that field as well.

I bet that sup told the rep how good of a job they did and that you were overreacting and grumpy. I good portion of sups don't know WTF is going on any more than the reps... Again, speaking from an office politic standpoint. But my I.T. friends would complain about the same BS I would regarding that...

[HTorr3ntz]

you don't need an education nor knowing anything about the specific tech to be a Tech Support. they read of the answers of their computer screens anyways.
its kinda sad if you think about it to be honest that they don't need any form of training or education for it.

It's even sadder when they don't even know their own guidelines / TOS.

(This post was last modified: 11-23-2018, 10:32 AM by HTorr3ntz.)