[ale] Inexpensive broadband recommendations

[rhiannen]

Pete Hardie wrote:
<<snip>> 
> When I hear the similar line "Nothing has changed" while fielding a support call
> from customers, I ask "Are you sure absolutely nothing has changed?  No new
> software or hardware?".  I don't discount the entire problem.
> 
> >
> > If you can't give anything better than "it worked fine before" don't hold the
> > poor sod on the other end over too much heat for not believing you.  OTOH, if
> > you can provide a tracert that shows the packets getting past the gateway before
> > wandering off into the wild blue yonder, then a tech ignoring you deserves to be
> > handled by his supervisor.
> 
> The tech's job is to determine the point of failure.  Then, if that point is not
>   part of the network, the tech can rest easy.  But making a blanket assumption
> that all non-obvious failures are due to customer action is an unacceptable
> behavior from a customer support department.

Agreed.  But please note I said "if you can't give anything better than "it
worked fine before"".  A calm, rational assurance that nothing has been added is
not the same as just repeating "it worked fine."  

Good tech support also entails good people reading skills.  If the person on the
other end can calmly state that no software, no hardware, no pretty new cable
has been installed, they will probably be given a higher priority.  If the
customer is belligerent and just keeps asserting "nothing changed" but
can't/won't give any other information, it will most likely be a long call
because now the tech Must verify step by step that it actually is Not on the
customer end and, unless someone else from their area calls in with a similar
problem, it will most likely get a lower priority simply because of the ratio of
customer produced problems to service problems. Fair?  Probably not, but with
the sheer volume of calls handled, it's common. 

---- 
rhia
Excuse me, please.  What universe is this?
_______________________________________________
Ale mailing list
Ale at ale.org
http://www.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale