Gizmodo 
Enter your username and password.
-
posts about #gadgethelpline more → 
64% of Men Don’t RTFM Before Calling Tech Support
Tip your editors:
tips@gizmodo.com
Editorial Director:
Brian Lam | Email | Twitter
Editor:
Jason Chen
Email | AIM | Twitter
Features Editor:
Wilson Rothman
Email | Twitter
Senior Contributing Editors:
Jesus Diaz
Email | AIM | Twitter
Mark Wilson, Reviews
Email | AIM | Twitter
Contributing Editors:
Matt Buchanan
Email | AIM | Twitter
Adam Frucci
Email | Twitter
Sean Fallon
Email | Twitter
Jack Loftus
Email | Twitter
John Herrman
Email | Twitter
Dan Nosowitz
Email
Chris Mascari
Email
Danny Allen
Email | Twitter
Rosa Golijan
Email | Twitter
Chris Jacob
Email
Columnist:
Brendan I. Koerner
Interns:
Don Nguyen
Email
Kyle VanHemert
Email
Comment Intern:
Nick Ellenoff | Email
Comment Account Questions:
Comments@gizmodo.com
| posts about #gadgethelpline more → |
64% of Men Don’t RTFM Before Calling Tech Support |
Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.
11/09/09
11/10/09
11/10/09
Oh lordy, I wish I had a dollar for every time I had to explain to someone that they should have read their manual about where to take their laptop for repair. What part of "authorized service center" fails to impinge on the consciousness! #gadgethelpline
11/09/09
I know it's protocol, and they'd be in trouble if the options weren't exhausted, but it's just annoying that I have to deal with all the steps I've already done (as per the manual, etc.) because of the other people who call immediately. So yea, I guess this kind of annoys me, too. Because if I ever hear another damn tech support person telling me to power cycle my modem...argh. #gadgethelpline
11/09/09
Me to Charter: Our internet connection is down.
Charter: How many little icons are in that bar at the bottom of your screen?
Me: Say what??? #gadgethelpline
11/09/09
These days, a lot of lines will have automated voice detection of issues--e.g. "Please briefly explain the issue you are having" (it's usually not that complex, but I couldn't think of the wording offhand) and you say what it relates to, and it forwards you to the correct line.
What it needs to do is analyze the types of words you use (or the way you speak), and forward you to a "skill-appropriate" line. People who pause, stutter, and use phrases like "can't get online" and nothing more descriptive can go to the level 1 line. People who mention "router" can go to the level 2 line. And anyone who says "DHCP" or "DNS lookup" can go to the level 3 line.
Obviously those are generalizations, and are not meant to be taken scientifically or literally. But if a filtering system like that could be put into place, I'm sure there could be better customer support offerings. And obviously once ON the phone, they could still be transferred, or spoken to differently as per the tech's discretion.
But I'd love it if I could describe the problem thoroughly, and be put through to someone who understands that I've tried just about everything. And I'm sure there are plenty of people who wish the tech support specialists would speak in a "Networking for Dummies" manner, to make things easier to explain.
Different tiers of service would make me very happy. Shame it'll never happen quite like this. #gadgethelpline
11/09/09
I'm not a super techno whiz in all areas, but I'm sure as heck not the kind of person who needs to be asked if she'd plugged in the computer, either.
It recently took me about ten calls to Charter before I finally got ahold of someone who gave me credit for knowing what I was talking about--and that was only because I'd connected with one of their techs who monitors Twitter. It shouldn't be that way. #gadgethelpline
11/09/09
11/09/09
11/09/09
11/09/09
I've only contacted MS support once and it was their Exchange group. It was honestly the best support experience I have ever had, but I highly doubt that level of support exists for the desktop. #gadgethelpline
11/08/09
11/08/09
11/08/09
:from Digital Photo Frame manual #gadgethelpline
11/08/09
11/08/09
11/08/09
11/08/09
11/08/09
11/08/09
11/08/09
11/08/09
11/08/09
However, I admit to an even more monstrous level of idiocy. I cannot even locate the stupid manual on most of the tech gadgets I buy. And, another knock of my lunacy comes when I just do my best to fix it myself without reading the manual or calling anyone. Yup, I am the fountain of stupidity.
That said, my wife does not read the manual or call anyone - she just hands it to me and says "fix it". Yes sir, those chicks are smart. #gadgethelpline
11/08/09
Tech support is very rarely free. #gadgethelpline
11/08/09
11/08/09
11/08/09
me: Hi, um, my computer won't turn on
Intel: Have you plugged it in?
me: Um... no, let me see if that works, I have my doubts though, prolly bugged.
Intel: uh... okay
me: hmm, yea I plugged it in, but it's not working.
Intel: have you tried the power button?
me: Uh... duh.
Intel: uh, are all the cables plugged in?
me: uh... yea, you told me to plug the power cable into the wall so I did.
Intel: Umm... I mean, are the cables plugged into the computer? Like the power cable etc?
me: Oh... I didn't know you had to plug it into the computer, which cable is it?
Intel: umm.. the thick black one, that has a 3 prong plug in on one end
me: ooooh, gotcha, lemme try that, I still have my doubts though
Intel: um... right
me: Hey! it didn't work!
Intel: Well, something could always be wrong with your computer, pull the side off and see if everything is plugged in
me: Sure thing, give me a minute.
Intel: Of course, take all the time you need
*5 minutes later*
me: um, I can't figure out how to get the side off
Intel: Right... well, how about you just send your computer in, and we'll send you a new one free of charge since something is probably wrong with it.
me: hmm.. I just hit the power button, and my computer turned on.
Intel: Great! I'm glad I helped solve the issue
me: So, just to let you know, I was just jerking you around, my computer is fine, in fact, I built it from ground up with a liancool mid tower case, with a MSI NF750-G55 mobo, phenom II processor, and dual SLI GTS-250's. To be quite honest I just wanted to see how well you guys put up with complete fucking morons.
Intel:......... *hangs up*
funniest thing I had done in a while. #gadgethelpline
11/08/09
.....You're a jerk. #gadgethelpline
11/08/09
11/08/09
11/08/09
"Prison's not so bad. Y'can make sangria in the terlet. 'Course it's shank 'er be shanked." #gadgethelpline
11/08/09
11/08/09
I thought manuals only exist so you have something else to turn to after tech support completely fcks everything up.
11/07/09