For those who like tech support Horror stories

[Azhrarn]

http://forum.ev1servers.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=46425
(Or more directly here)

[Comstar]

Ha ha. Well, not IMHO.

Tech support horror stories are about clueless USERS, not the other way around. This was just bad service it looks like.

I had 2 people today who did not know they needed a modem to get the internet. One of them did not know they needed a computer.

This was my first out of training day in my new helpdesk job. Forutnaly, both users knew they were clueless and accepted my help. I dreasd the call that WILL come where someone demands they don't know what the're talking about, and does not know it.

[Azhrarn]

Tech support horror stories are about clueless USERS, not the other way around.

Well that's what makes it more fun to read. :)  For you, not for me.  My friend will probably end up paying for a restore (so he can then show them how it STILL doesn't work).

[geldonyetich]

Speaking as a ex-Help Desk wage slave myself, I have to say that in general people who complain about tech support are either running into the exception to the norm or are in themselves clueless.

This particular issue is somewhat over my head, but I've dealt with supporting co-located servers before and have an inkling of what they're talking about.   Looks like the routing suddenly went kaput and the colo techs couldn't figure it out why.    It happens to the best of us, really, sometimes these crazy computers pull tricks that even highly trained professionals can't make heads or tails of.

My advice to Comstar on his new Help Desk job: Stress is your lead enemy to hold that position.   Once you start blowing your stack at customers, you are no longer a good face for your company.   Either plot to get promoted to a different position/another job before burnout sets in (the average is about 1 1/2 years) or build up some really powerful stress reduction techniques.   Here's a good article on that.   Funny thing to note is my previous place of work took steps *against* each suggestion on page 3 in the yellow.

[Comstar]

Thanks for the link. The place isn't bad, and so far has allowed me to take the time to HELP the client, and not have to take 5 calls a minute.

Also, I've had 4 years exp as helpdesk, and after 2 weeks I'm already doing better than the majority of the people already there :). Promotion prospects are good :)

[daveNYC]

If they won't promote you within the deparment, switch departments.  Help desk is as big a dead end job as QA.

[TripleDES]

Why are they working as tech support for a colo anyway, if the only thing they answer is "We can reboot your server, if you want", even though you told them 500 times that one of their border routers to the colo is down. Way to go.

[HaemishM]

Biggest problem with help desk or tech support is that most companies just do not respect the "profession" at all. Most companies view as the absolute least important part of their business. And while it may not be the most important part, IMO, it ranks at the very least in the middle of a list of priorities all businesses should have. Businesses that don't care about their support staff don't really care about their customers either.

That corporate disrespect translates into individual disrespect on the part of managers who have to deal with support. Which just adds to what is already a very stressful job as it is.

[Anonymous]

If they won't promote you within the deparment, switch departments.  Help desk is as big a dead end job as QA.

/weeps

But I like testing.  It's just no good as a career.  Dammit.

[daveNYC]

If they won't promote you within the deparment, switch departments.  Help desk is as big a dead end job as QA.

/weeps

But I like testing.  It's just no good as a career.  Dammit.

You aren't as burned out as I am.  Give it time.

[Rof]

But I like testing.  It's just no good as a career.  Dammit.

I seem to remember someone (Copper, maybe?)  saying testing and Q/A is a good route into a game industry job... unless you happen to be actually good at it, in which case you'll never get promoted, because good testers are so hard to find.

[Fargull]

If you are interested in San Antonio, give Rackspace a look over.  They are probably one of the few companies I know of that truly take care of their support and customer service employees.