Support? You’ve Got To Be Kidding!

Support, or the lack thereof, is one of the most frustrating challenges with today’s software and the software providers aren’t doing a thing to correct the problem.

I don’t know about you, but I’m REALLY fed-up with all this outsourcing of software support to in-duh-viduals (sorry Scott Adams), often working in a call-pool located in a foreign country.  They often have no knowledge of the software they are supposedly supporting. 

Incident #1:

I was on the phone the other night trying to resolve a problem with a support person who was reading from a script.  I could barely understand him, and he had no idea what I was talking about.  I didn’t dare try to interject a comment, or it would lead him away from scripted instructions and force him to begin again from the top!  After an unsuccessful hour and a half I was elevated to the second level of support.  At least the second fellow was able to determine that the problem was above his knowledge, and after 15 minutes I was elevated to the next higher level.  I lost count of the times I was “elevated,” but eventually I wound up talking to someone who actually worked at the company, not some foreigner!  He solved the problem in about 5 minutes.

Incident #2:

Here’s another case of ignorant support people.  Recently I bought a new computer.  I had only a dial-up line available for Internet and E-mail at the blazing speed of 26kbs.  It was nearly impossible to download anything.  After 2 weeks the modem would not respond.  I called support and was pleased to find at least they’re here in the U.S.  The support person asked what release of the operating system (OS) I was using.  Their reply was that my OS had problems supporting their proprietary modem, and that I needed to upgrade my OS.  I said, “Fine could you send me the new release on a CD?” Their reply was, “Sorry, we don’t do that anymore you’ll have to down-load it from the Internet.”. . . . Hello? Don’t you get it?

Has anyone else out there had these problems?