Stupid tech support operator tricks.

[Shorty82]

Lexmark tech support sucks! I dug out my printer and decided to set it back up as I now can use it with my computer fixed. I had trouble downloading the drivers and as it was after their tech support closed I sent them an email through their website. It took nearly 24 hours to receive the automated response and nearly 2 days to receive an actual response which was telling me to do all kinds of things to my computer. By this time I was able to download the drivers myself as it turned out the problem was on their end as I suspected.

The printer installed with no problem but the ink cartridges had dried up from sitting so long so I bought new ones yesterday. I was (and still am) having issues with the quality of color printing so I contacted their live chat support. The lady who helped me seemed dense. It took me forever to get through her head that this printer had gone unused for a long while and that the ink was brand new. For instance right me after telling her the cartridges were new she asked if they were the original ones. She also asked when was the last time something printer right after being told the printer has set up for a year. Idiot! If this had been over the phone she would have heard the annoyance I tried to keep out of the chat. Finally after trying a bunch of things, none of which worked, she said they were going to send me a new cartridge and to give her my address. I did so and I thought that was that.

Just a little while ago I got an automated email telling me my cartridge was shipped but the address was one in Wisconsin. I have never even been to Wisconsin and the address I gave was in Florida. I tried contacting their live chat but the site tells me it is closed even though their posted hours are until 11:00 PM Eastern time and it was only 9:15 or so Eastern time. I sent an email to them again (Lord only knows how long it'll take them to get around to it) but then I found their telephone support line.

I call but it turns out their phone support people have no access to the live chat reports and the best he could do was tell me to contact Live Chat in the morning. It is all Lexmark tech support, they should have access to each others reports. It doesn't matter that they are in totally different locations, it isn't that hard to connect them all together.

The operator said that this kind of thing sometimes happen with similar names in the system. How is my question. I had given the live support operator my address, they weren't pulling it out of the system. I think my dad lives up in Wisconsin (not 100% sure though) and our first names are very similar but spelled differently (mine doesn't have a letter his does) so I'm thinking they might be sending it to him. Our last name isn't exactly that popular, like Smith is, so I can't think of what else it might be. I can't find any of the very few things I have with his address on it to verify it right now though.

So tomorrow morning I get the fun of contacting their Live Chat department again. I am not happy and I will be filing a complaint with Lexmark when all this is done with. This is not good customer service. The Live Chat yesterday started with a message from the operator "I will help you in resolving the issue, to the best of your satisfaction." I am not satisfied. I was so happy that I was finally able to get something accomplished with being told they would send me a new cartridge I was willing to overlook the other annoyances with their tech support but these last things has pushed me over the edge. First getting an email telling me my cartridge was being shipped but the address was way wrong started me over the edge then Live Chat being closed though their hours say they are open and their phone support being unable to help me pushed me the rest of the way.

EDIT:
Now the Live Chat is open again and I've already begun receiving help. Maybe it'll get somewhere. He has asked me to wait 2 minutes while he checks his resources.

EDIT AGAIN:
According to the tech my information in the system is right and I will be receiving the cartridge soon. I am trying to presuade him to give me the contact info of a supervisor but he is giving excuses (having technical problems).

Somebody else is typing now, maybe it's a supervisor.

[hobie16]

Here's some contact info if you'd like to send them a nice letter.

Chairman and CEO - Paul J. Curlander

Executive Vice President - Paul A. Rooke

Vice President, Lexmark and President, Printing Solutions and Services Division - Marty Canning

Lexmark International, Inc.
740 New Circle Road NW
Lexington, KY 40550

Don't rant, just send the facts. I recently had a long term dispute with Hawaiian Tel. When they threatened to cut off my service and ruin my credit rating, I wrote to the CEO of the holding company that owns them and :cc'd a copy to HT's CEO and COB. A week later I got a call from their executive offices. My account was fixed, I got a refund and for a bonus, my DSL speed was increased over four hundred percent.

[Shorty82]

Thanks, Hobie. I think I might just do that.

I'm talking to someone claiming to be a supervisor. I told him my complaints and he has apologized, assuring me I will receive my replacement in a few days. He says he will look into my concerns from his end. After I receive my cartridge, especially if it is late, I may contact them. I have saved the logs and reference numbers just in case.

[hobie16]

Even if everything is taken care of, write. The guys at the top are usually insulated from the front lines. They should care about the customer experience and will do something about it.

If they don't care then there's always HP, etc.

[Shorty82]

You are right, I should still write. I'm the type who will complain when something wrong (how else will it get fixed) and I am working on complimenting people and places that do something right more.

[drcorey]

sounds like the print heads are dirty or gummed up.

[hobie16]

A thank you goes a long way. It can be a letter, tip or verbal but it does make people feel better about what their doing. I've been in positions in the past where I could hand out bonuses, stock options or make recommendations for people to go to cool events. I also could put a bug in senior execs ears about someone going beyond their job description to see that they got taken care of. Some were overt, others were covert. The covert ones were a lot of fun. :D:

[Shorty82]

sounds like the print heads are dirty or gummed up.

Cleaning those was a big part of yesterday's assistance. On this kind of printer the heads are on the cartridge itself so I'm thinking the cartridge may be defective and I guess so was the tech as she offered to send me a new one.

[Whazzup]

Cleaning those was a big part of yesterday's assistance. On this kind of printer the heads are on the cartridge itself so I'm thinking the cartridge may be defective and I guess so was the tech as she offered to send me a new one.

A defective tech? Well said, Shorty! Hope you get your cartridges ASAP.

[Shorty82]

A defective tech? Well said, Shorty! Hope you get your cartridges ASAP.

LMAO!! I didn't even realize what I wrote could be taken that way until you said something. I crack myself up so much sometimes.

[BRWombat]

A defective tech? Well said, Shorty! Hope you get your cartridges ASAP.So what's the tech support number to fix a defective tech? :D:

[Whazzup]

So what's the tech support number to fix a defective tech? :D:

It's 1-900-FIX-TECH! :D:

(Warning - if you are under 18 years old - DO NOT call this number without your parents' permission)

[Cranbiz]

So what's the tech support number to fix a defective tech? :D:

The web site it www.stupidtechtricks.com :D:



Now that I'm doing 100% remote tech support, I'm not surprised by this. Even in my company, talking to different departments is a royal PITA. We have tech support sites in FL, NC, CA, UT, Holland and China and the customer support site in in India. The trouble that I have with our CSR's is amazing. It's a wonder that our customers get pissed.

The problem with most consumer tech support sites is that the rep is reading from a script and they usually don't know anything about tech support (and usually not in the US :twisted: ). They continue to go thru the checklist and when you get to the bottom of the checklist, if you have not fixed the issue, it's off to level 2 support. It's only then that you may get a real tech.

[CBeilby]

One thing to keep in mind is that a lot of times, these tech support people are working from a prepared series of troubleshooting steps and solutions. When I worked at AOHell, we had to work through a series of steps with the callers. Now, admittedly, that doesn't excuse what this tech did. I always tried to make sure I remembered what steps they've already tried (and I do the same thing when I have to call Tech Support today.)

[hhsrat]

There actually IS a website "for techs, by techs" ... http://www.techtales.com ... similar to SGT, but since it's not a message board, it's not updated nearly as frequently (i think the last update was sept 2007)

[Big Wallaby]

My biggest problem with customer service I receive is that I know the kind of service I give. I like the fact I work in a place where I can give my best and I don't have to worry too much that it's going to get me in trouble to give my best. When I buy something off Disney property now, I have to remind myself that the people I am dealing with are NOT Cast Members, that they are not expected to give good service (sometimes any service). It's a PITA sometimes, because I want to receive the same customer service I would give that person if they came to my place of business.

But that could be a whole thread in and of itself.

[Polar33]

My biggest problem with customer service I receive is that I know the kind of service I give. I like the fact I work in a place where I can give my best and I don't have to worry too much that it's going to get me in trouble to give my best. When I buy something off Disney property now, I have to remind myself that the people I am dealing with are NOT Cast Members, that they are not expected to give good service (sometimes any service).

I completely understand. I'm regularly frustrated for the same reason when I go out to shop or eat. Only once have I been impressed enough by service received to write a written compliment letter. It was at an Arby's drive through of all places. Sadly I never encountered that employee again.

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

I completely understand. I'm regularly frustrated for the same reason when I go out to shop or eat. Only once have I been impressed enough by service received to write a written compliment letter. It was at an Arby's drive through of all places. Sadly I never encountered that employee again.

That employee probably moved on. They seem to be harder and harder to find. Maybe she will show up as a CM?

Thats one of the reasons that I like to do all my hardware shopping online. I don't have to deal with clerks that "know" more about an item than I do, especially after I research what it is I want before I buy, usually on the manufactures site. (But they DO try and sell me a more expensive item, that I don't need!)

DW keeps telling me about the slow decline in service at the various stores she does business with.

[Whazzup]

I was just commenting to DH the other day about the good service I've received at local Chick-Fil-A restaurants. They seem to train their employees to provide fast, courteous, and gracious service WITH A SMILE and cheerful comments. Soooo much more pleasant than most fast food places, or most other restaurants for that matter. There are a couple local Hardees and Burger Kings that we won't even visit anymore because the employees seem to be inept and uncaring about providing customer service.

[hobie16]

Darth Vader calls Microsoft tech support.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0C2SIZ5qsSQ

[felinefan]

I use an ancient (2003) Compaq Presario, with an HP printer, and other than a few minor issues, it works fine. I've had some tech issues with the desktop, but hopefully they can be resolved with the latest fix they sent via email. I'm afraid to call because obviously my computer is way out of warranty, and I don't have the cash for a tech call. My big problem is with my current ISP, AT&T Yahoo! Specifically with their mail. I can't get into my mailbox, and when I try to send a message to tech support, I keep getting a message that their system is down.
Trying to navigate through Microsoft's help page is, to say the least, a convoluted path. Yes, I have been tempted to send a letter to Bill Gates. But when I do get a response, they say they've been swamped with service requests. Well, I can accept that--lots of people likely got new computers for Christmas, and they are probably having problems getting them set up. Someone told me not all the bugs are out of the Windows Vista yet; maybe that's why.
But I would say go with HP; despite the problems I have with mine , of course Compaq is the bargain basement arm of HP, get an HP or Brother printer. Brother's good, too. Or you could check out www.epinions.com and check the ratings from actual users without having to pay for the priviledge like you would with Consumer Reports. I have no kick against CR, but sometimes I've found their ratings are not quite accurate, or the best-rated items aren't available in my area. Go figure.

[hobie16]

But I would say go with HP; despite the problems I have with mine , of course Compaq is the bargain basement arm of HP, get an HP or Brother printer. Brother's good, too. Or you could check out www.epinions.com and check the ratings from actual users without having to pay for the priviledge like you would with Consumer Reports. I have no kick against CR, but sometimes I've found their ratings are not quite accurate, or the best-rated items aren't available in my area. Go figure.
Cough*Macintosh*cough*Vista sucks*cough.

[Planner]

I 2nd that
Get a Mac and you will never fear the blue screen of death again. The newer duel processor Macs can run many of the PC based programs

I'm biased our house is pretty much all Apple as the other half was a engineer for them for many years

[Shorty82]

I got home from work and was adding water to my radiator (I have a leak I plan on fixing in a few days) when I saw the complex manager across the parking lot. She called out that she had something for me and not to go anywhere. It was a small package from Lexmark. The cartridge is here and in a bit I'll test it out, hopefully it'll work perfectly.

[Shorty82]

Still not perfect but is a little better. Sometime later I'll try the troubleshooting techniques I did when I originally talked to tech support to see if it helps.

[BRWombat]

Heard a stupid tech support caller trick and thought this might be the thread for it.

A guy in my chorus works tech support, the poor guy. One caller recently was reciting some serial number and used this phrase:

"That's 'Y' as in 'Wyoming'"!!! :D: