No, I will not fix your computer.
2004-03-01 19:55:55.692395+00 by
Dan Lyke
2 comments
I've seen a bunch of references to this Salon article about working in a tech support call center. Summary: People are tossed in to a pit with phones, no training, and judged based on how many calls per hour they field, not whether or not the customer's problems are solved.
What has been bothering me about this is: Next time someone asks you to fix their computer, whether it's attaching a scanner or un-fuxx0ring Windows, realize that this is the end result of some sleazy company pushing the economic load of supporting their crappy products off onto you, rather than taking it out of their own bottom line. And, enabler that you are, you're standing still for it.
[ related topics:
Microsoft Work, productivity and environment Salon magazine Economics
]
comments in ascending chronological order (reverse):
#Comment Mom: "Should I get one of those Pentiums I see advertised on TV all the time?" made: 2004-03-01 20:44:02.355144+00 by:
Jerry Kindall
Mom: "Should I get one of those Pentiums I see advertised on TV all the time?"
Me: "Do you want me to help you with it if you have a problem?"
Mom: "Well, yes."
Me: "Then get a Mac."
Mom: "Oh. Okay."
Total number of technical support calls fielded by me regarding my mom's computer over the past five years: two or three.
#Comment Re: made: 2004-03-01 21:52:39.488331+00 by:
Dan Lyke
Just got back from lunch and a person from our New York office has had their laptop's Windows XP install go tits-up ("Corrupt System32\NTOSKRNL.EXE"). And I gave away my Knoppix CD on the ferry this morning, so it'll be tomorrow before I can have tools other than the gawdawful Windows recovery console to screw with it. Unfortunately, someone (who shall remain nameless, no, it wasn't me) thought it was a good idea to upgrade this system from XP Home (who thought that was a good idea I don't know) to XP Pro, so I doubt the warranty will cover it.
Sigh.