We can understand his rage. We’d be angry too if we were born so stupid we couldn’t figure out how to press and hold the power button.
Watch your speaker levels, potentially NSFW. — BEN POPKEN
(Thanks to Capstinence!)
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Most times the problem is getting a Dell to do anything when it’s actually on… BAHZING!
that’s the third time i’ve listened to it now and it keeps getting funnier every time.
I’ve worked in a call center before and I probably would have asked the pointless questions to if I were the rep. Whenever someone spoke to me like that I would either hang up on them or go out of my way to make them as mad as possible so they would hang up themselves.
You don’t have to be rude, just antagonizing. It’s obvious the questions were pissing him off so I’d have just kept asking them until he blew up. There’s no excuse for acting that way, no matter how long he’d been on hold. It’s a computer that won’t turn off. It’s not the end of the world.
If someone was nice to me I’d be as nice as possible back, but if not screw ‘em. You can talk about the ethics of customer service all you want, but that doesn’t mean being a verbal punching bag. Let him call back when he’s sobered up/calmed down.
Mike_: The dumb thing is that every time I get prompted to enter some number via the keypad, that exact number is the first thing the CSR asks. Why do they even bother?
Dell technician while appearing assholish is following customer service procedures. This guy has obvious issues besides being stupid. If I’d had to guess, I would say he is bi-polar. Its probably not the first time this guy had a phone conversation like this. I bet utility, banking, phone service, 911, etc… all have similar calls of him on file. My wife has the disorder and I witness such an outburst at least once a week. The technician probably could have cut the identity interrogation short but why should he. At some point, it became a game for Dell dude. He knew that he could remain calm while the caller lost his mind. Tech support live for calls like this.
@nwogoldberg99:
“Seriously, Dell markets their products to average consumers who don’t know what a firewall is, and they expect them to know how to actually shit down a computer?”
Holy Hemorrhoid, Batman!
Buran, it DOES matter that the CSR records the call. 99% of the time the customer doesn’t get the same CSR if they call back. So if the customer calls back at a later time dealing with a similar or same problem the other CSR will note it. If there’s a pattern of the same thing happening time and time again, the CSRs will pick up on this. Otherwise if it wasn’t noted, the CSRs wouldn’t detect a pattern and each new CSR will believe that the occuring problem is just happening for the first time.
Believe me, I understand why you think it shouldn’t be noted, but there are reasons why they must record the information. If I were the customer and didn’t know about computers I’d feel the same way as you do and feel that having to supply all that info is unneccessary.
If the problem occurs x number of times and it’s basically time to replace the laptop, yet there’s no record of repeated calls, the manufacturer is going to tell the customer that there’s no record of recurring problems and that they can’t fix the computer or issue the customer a new one.
… If I was that tech I’d of hung up about the point where he calls him an asshole.
All opnions aside, the tech HAS to ask for that info. Of course he knows its an easy fix but part of his job requirement is to gather that information. Not getting that could affect his performance on the job. Working in tech support I would rather meet all my performance marks than make this guys life easier.
As for the customer, he has absolutely no right to harass the technician like that.
@Iron_Dragon:
@brooklynbs:
How could he have looked to Google or anything else online if the computer was stuck at “Windows Is Shutting Down”?
And I don’t care how mean, angry, screaming or swearing the caller was, the CSR was a total asshole for fucking with a guy who doesn’t know shit from Shinola about computers.
And I can’t tell you how many people that have used Windows for years don’t know that holding down the power button for up to 10 seconds will finally shut the thing off!
@Greasy Thumb Guzik:
You obviously didn’t read anything that was posted above.
That CSR was not fucking with him or taunting him, he was doing his job.
As a former CSR I would have given him a warning after the “…and you suck” and would have hung up on him after the next instance of abusive language. But my company is pretty good about making sure it’s employees don’t take abuse like that. Remember folks, CSRs are just trying to make a living like you are. We get in trouble when we don’t follow company protocol (like asking for the service tag number) and we don’t like getting cursed at by moronic dickslaps who can’t control their tempers.
I am unfortunately reminded of calls I have fielded from people in my own place of work, where I am an unofficial tech resource.
The caller started out abusive, and quickly escalated to the point where I stopped the playback. I can imagine that the caller may be frustrated, but they were treating the tech support guy with extreme disrespect from the start.
I have had to make calls to Dell and other company’s tech support, and have had service that ranged from great to poor, but I can still see the tech rep as a human being who is trying to make a living. I don’t treat them any worse that I hope to be treated myself. Lately, I have opted to use Dell’s text-based live support, and have had only great service. Perhaps I express myself better in writing. I know that I convey information more clearly when I write.
I have never understood how anyone can pay over a thousand dollars on any equipment and never crack open the manual or even read the color-cartoon quick-start guide. If I purchase a label maker, I skim the manual to see how to insert the tape cartridge. I figure I should devote even more attention to an expensive and complex device like a modern PC! Yet I know that a farmer may borrow a quarter million dollars and buy a harvester, and not pay attention when being shown how to use and maintain it properly. They will then complain when the machine doesn’t deliver perfect results every time!
The caller obviously did not read any of the user documentation for the hardware or OS. They were abusive to the support rep from word one. They were uncooperative when asked for basic information like the service tag number (although I will admit that it is not a good practice for Dell to ask for this information repeatedly). I would say that the caller was completely out of line.
@Greasy Thumb Guzik:
And I can’t tell you how many people that have used Windows for years don’t know that holding down the power button for up to 10 seconds will finally shut the thing off!
This is like saying that it’s normal to own a vacuum cleaner for years, and never realize that you have to change the dust bag when it’s full.
Truly, the only appropriate response to such ignorance is “RTFM”.
My husband and I bought two Dell Latitude laptops 2 weeks ago. One of them needs to be returned so I had to reorder an entire new system. I did so but they won’t put it through because my husband’s business phone is a cell phone. I had the laptops delivered to my work, a LAW FIRM, but they still say because Dell Customer Svc cannot verify my husband’s work phone, it is listed as fraud. I asked what they wanted, the Federal ID number, the articles of incorporation, what? The CS rep said no, those documents can be forged or stolen. ???!!! I’m returning both laptops, totaling over $4000, and they can forget our business. Never mind they already delivered TWO laptops to me here last week! Duh…
@DanYHKim: Your vacuum analogy doesn’t work. You HAVE to empty the vacuum at some point or it stops being effective. You can shut down your computer by selecting “Shut Down” from the Start menu. Emptying the bag is necessary but shutting down using the button is not.
A lot of people here seem to be assuming that:
1) Everyone, even people who’ve never used a computer before, should know to hold the button down. Never mind that it is the only thing with buttons that requires you to hold it down instead of just pressing it.
2) Everyone knows that CSRs work from scripts. Umm…no.
3) He had the manual. Why should he have the manual for something he doesn’t own. It’s his mother’s computer; maybe she lost it.
Again, not saying that screaming and swearing is ok. But from the caller’s point of view the CSR was being intentionally slow, irritating, and unhelpful by asking irrelevant questions, giving a lame answer as to why he needed the information, and ignoring his frustration (to the point of remaining silent during the pauses in the screaming).
Rectilinear Propagation: I liked your breakdown of assumptions
To commenters who are saying, “the customer is a jerk, so the CSR is justified in not helping him”, or “the guy should have read the manual”, YOU are why customer service is so bad in general! You demand that customers come to you on your terms, and jump through whatever hoops you decide are necessary for you.
So what if he could have read the manual? That’s the difference between good and bad customer service. Good customer service is helping the customer any way you can. You don’t use someone’s mistakes against them. Only when someone is interfering with their own ability to receive your help do you give up. In this case, the guy was abusive, but not in a way that stopped the CSR from answering the question immediately if he chose to. He was not raving so badly that he couldn’t be understood or refused to listen to what was being said. He wasn’t making violent threats.
Good customer service sees an opportunity here. Apologize for the frustration he’s experienced. Give him what he’s asking for without hesitation (to everyone who says the guy was stupid because it was such a simple question, then it was an equally simple answer and it was witheld as long as possible). Tell him you understand he may need to know some other things, and ask him if he has any more questions. Turn the guy from a raging jerk into someone who comes out feeling pretty good about the situation.
It doesn’t always work. You don’t get 100% on these. No matter how much you help some people, they just want to be mad. But if you design your customer service procedures around the worst of your customers, you’ll guarantee more of them than you can handle — you’ll create them in droves.
It’s easy to complain about bad service. It seems a lot of people here think that good service is only applicable under ideal conditions when they are delivering it, but should be universal when they are receiving it.
i have a dell xps laptop and every time i call i dont think ive ever waited more than 5 minutes or so and i give the guy the simple info he needs which takes all of a minute and i have always been happy with my tech support and when i call its always something complicated, once it turned out my hard drive needed to be replaced and i had one the next day for free under warantee ofcourse but it seems that xps customers get better treatment then the normal ones so i wont buy anything else other then the xps systems but i do agree that the normal dell tech support lines can take a while.
Wow considering you usually order Dell online, how the hell did this nimrod order a computer. Furthermore, why the hell does he even own a computer.
fearuncertaintydoubt, listen to the audio playback again. The customer was the one who threw the first punch.
1. The CSR asked for some express service code.
2. The customer started to wig out saying he already gave the number but the customer gives it again, louder.
3. The CSR reads back what he thinks is the number but says that he didn’t clearly get it, and even noted earlier that the customer is breaking up on the phone.
4. The customer says “close enough” then wigs out more. Goes so far as to tell the CSR that the CSR sucks when the CSR never did anything wrong to begin with.
Read my earlier statement on the CSR having to have the correct info from the customer.
You state “Only when someone is interfering with their own ability to receive your help do you give up.” The CSR was abused verbally and kept on going, yet you think the custoemr is not getting good customer service? You want “good customer” service? Then be a good customer. With your attitude towards CSRs and store clerks, it’s no wonder you get “Bad customer” service, not “Bad” customer service.
If someone tells me I suck when I haven’t even done anything wrong, there’s no way I’m gonna kiss his or her scabby butt. The people who complain left and right don’t think that they’re talking to a human that has feelings as well. So you’re telling me it’s ok to verbally abuse a human being? hmph…
I agree to design customer service procedures around the worst customers, but keep in mind that everyone (and every company) has limits. This is why those who frequently write bad checks and those who shoplift aren’t permitted to shop in certain places anymore. It takes a toll on the morale and well-being of the employee, and when management keeps giving away free stuff to attempt to satisfy the never-satisfied customer, the company loses money, and eventually has to let those unprofitable customers go.
I bet you wouldn’t take the crap that CSR had to take from that customer if you were in his place.
emax4: I bet you wouldn’t take the crap that CSR had to take from that customer if you were in his place.
You’re wrong. I’ve taken that kind of abuse before from people I am trying to help. I’ve learned that in most cases, you can actually defuse the situation if you try.
So you’re telling me it’s ok to verbally abuse a human being?
I never said that. You’re taking my point and distorting it into an extreme position just to make it look wrong. My point was the opposite. Given that it is wrong to abuse someone else, retaliating against the customer who does so is no mark of excellent customer service. Great organizations will try to overcome the problem, not escalate it. Just because you have the right to respond harshly to someone doesn’t mean it’s the best thing.
This is why those who frequently write bad checks and those who shoplift aren’t permitted to shop in certain places anymore.
This is a red herring. The situation has nothing to do with someone trying to take advantage of Dell for free stuff or anything like that.
If someone tells me I suck when I haven’t even done anything wrong, there’s no way I’m gonna kiss his or her scabby butt. The people who complain left and right don’t think that they’re talking to a human that has feelings as well.
Often, those who complain left and right are people who themselves feel as if they have been treated like they don’t have feelings. It’s the “an eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind” phenomenon. It’s not appeasement of terrorists to try to calm an irrational customer down. It’s just good for business.
1) There’s no question that the caller is a jerk.
2) I also think that he’s justified in having some angst when he can’t do something as simple as turn the computer off.
3) I do think there is a certain point when a CSR agent can just bypass some required questions and just say “press and hold the button”
4) Anyone reading these comments is probably a member of the digerati and would never need this advice, but we are not the normal customer.
5) If only Dell actually saved the customer call info before a call handoff, this guy would not have started out so angry.
@genericuser1: I’m not sure what kind of obscure, exotic setup you have, but every ACPI compliant system I’ve come in contact with has that exact “hold power button for X seconds” failsafe to let you forcibly power off the system in the event that the OS can’t. It’s something I’ve come to expect from every computer made since 1999. Maybe I’m biased, being more knowledgable than most in the inner workings of a computer, but Iunno. It’s a pretty basic thing that you pretty much have to know with the current state of modern operating systems (IMO).
he lives with his mom….goddam it!
I just took a look at the manual for our Toshiba laptop since I have it right here. Much to my surprise there is nothing in there that says to hold down the power button to shut the machine down. It gives you a variety of options to shut the system down, depending on your OS and whether you want to shut down or turn off (hey, everybody knows whether they’re hooked to a domain server or not, right?) hibernate or standby, Most of them end “and then Windows will shut the computer off.” Nothing about what to do if it gets stuck at the shutting down screen.
The only thing that’s related is that it says to press (not press and hold) the power button if you set it that way to put it into hibernate mode. IME, that does take a press-and-hold, even if it doesn’t say so. Oddly enough, it does say to hold the button to turn the unit ON. If I were trying to shut it down and I had read that, I probably wouldn’t want to hold because that would seem contradictory. I want to turn it OFF not ON. Sometimes RTFM doesn’t do any good because the information isn’t there to be found. I’d be willing to bet the Dell manual is similar.
The guy was a jerk, no doubt about it. But he had a common problem that could be solved by a little work from the manufacturer. That kind of thing is common too, it’s just that us geeks don’t notice because we already have the information.
The CSR really didn’t do anything wrong. They need to verify that the computer is one that they are supposed to be servicing, so they need that information. The guy is even saying that its not his computer but his mom’s. They ask for your phone numnber so they can call you back incase there is a disconnection (which they’ve probably never done in the history of the universe). The ranting lunatic customer merely had to answer a couple of questions to get tech support. True, it was a simple fix, but think about it. If someone is calling saying that windows won’t shut down and the computer won’t turn off, the rep has to figure that its a big problem, and thus go through the required verifications.
It is frustrating though to have to go through an automated system, enter in your information, and then have a person request all that information again.
How much time do companies really save with these stupid automated systems anyway?
Heh, the CSR didn’t do anything wrong, sure. But I’m definitely on the callers side here. I can’t imagine how many times he had to give that same exact information to 5 other CSR’s over such a small and insubstantial issue.
Sure, he didn’t know you had to hold the power button down for 5 seconds but it’s not exactly intuitive. One who was unfamiliar with computers would expect the power button to turn off the computer.
I’ve gotten just as irate over small issues when dealing with these types of automated customer service systems.
First, I’d like to say that I’ve done tech support for a number of years. I’ve even worked for Dell. I’ve been considered a top technician by most of my employers, I’ve been a team lead, a supervisor, and have done quality control for calls like this.
Now, onto the situation.
1. The customer was on the phone for an hour. Yes, that is bad. Yes, he is most likely frustrated. And yes, he should be given a little slack.
I’ve seen customers get frustrated at Autocomplete, because they felt that the “Tech was using my computer without my permission.”
2. At no time once the customer “lost it” was he being a good customer. Some companies provide a 1 strike rule, some a 3 strike rule, and some companies I have worked for say that the CSR has to take all the abuse dealt to him or her. Not many people enjoy being yelled at, and fewer still when they cannot do anything but take it. This is especially unkind to a CSR with low self esteem, no real social skill, and a lack of disarming techniques.
Techs are known for being socially inadequate. People often make jokes about it. Heck, techs even make fun of it themselves.
3. I know a lot of people say the CSR was being a bad rep, and antagonizing the customer, but there are a few other facts to take into consideration.
Was the CSR new? Maybe the CSR did not know how to handle such an irate customer. When we do not fully know what to do, we often fall back on what we know. This is why you will often see CSRs sticking to a script much more with an irate customer than a happy one.
There are also a lot of CSRs who are smart, but cannot handle any type of criticism well. It’s why they learned about computers in the first place. It’s often why they work in a place with no face to face interaction. And most often such CSRs will move on as soon as they have the skill and knowledge to do so; right into a job with less interaction.
4. Scripts are used for a reason. One is to try and ensure consistent and accurate customer service. Another is to make sure all pertinent information is gained.
I’ve worked for companies who HAVE fired employees for failing to stick with a script or obtaining all required information. Back in ’01, when I was doing contract work for dell, it occured twice. I’m not sure what their call centers are like now, but back then, you could lose a job for failing to correct the information.
Yes, the CSR should have been nice and explained why he needed the information, and that if the customer would be paitient for a moment, then the situation could be resolved.
Also, for those of you who say “Just skip the questions, and tell him how to shut it off,” if you will recall, he said there was also a battery issue at one point, and that the screen was in the same position for hours. I am unsure if he had the computer plugged in the entire time, but either of those statements could be an indicator of something more serious. And it would be a plus to have it recorded.
5. The CSR handled the situation. Maybe not gracefully, maybe not well, but in the end, the users issue was resolved. The CSR did not hang up on him for abuse (When I worked there, Dell had a three strikes policy), and did answer the question. All in all, I would side with the CSR on this issue, but would work with him on resolution of calls with hostile customers.
In regards to the comments that the tech should have just answered the question: I worked tech support for a ‘major’ computer company. Granted, I’d never buy anything from them, but they paid me
Trust me, not filling out the customer databases has disastrous effects on your job. In our case, our commissions would get docked, our metrics would fall, we’d be out on bonuses, we’d get called into the manager’s office, and would get all the crappy schedules. All this is actually POLICY, not just a manager on a power trip. The system may suck, but the tech is asking these question out of his own self-interest. And the caller is, in fact, a douche. My mantra: “RTFM, RTFM, RTFM” (Read The Freakin’ Manual!!!)
Wow. I’ve been in tech support for a while (internal and external) and yea, we need info like that a lot because we’re required to get it.
Either way, no one deserves to get chewed out like that. I’ve had the run around from Dell, HP, IBM, Sprint, Verizon, etc. They’re people too just doing a job. Hopefully someone calls him at his office and rips him a new one like that.
Just another example of people not RTFM and not being patient. Has nothing really to do with Dell’s tech support. The poor dude just got reamed because he was doing his job. I doubt he maintains the automated system.