Holding the Customer's Hands, and Other Pains In The Butt...

The lack of posts doesn't indicate a sudden drop in Code ID-Ten-T's, noooo, far from it. Actually, it's more of the same, and since variety is the spice of life (something like Mrs. Dash is the spice of cookouts), it's easier to write about unique instances rather than retread the same old complaints.

Thus, we come to one of my latest pet peeves, "Holding The Customer's Hands".

If you've been in Tech Support, you know this well, and you dread it. In a way, I feel sorry for these customers. They remind me of the kids who want to go in the water and play, but are so terrified of it that as soon as they touch it, they initiate a death-lock bear hug around the neck. (Persistant parents usually are the ones with the purple faces...or collapsed on the beach.) Similarly, there are some customers who are so terrified of technology, that they refuse to face it alone, or even learn anything about it.

One customer, today, has called me 8 times, asking me every tiny question in the world. "Who's my ISP, you or Failtel?" Um, you're calling us, right? Then that would be us. "Do I click Agree or Disagree?" If you want to use the software, you better click 'agree'. "Do I have DSL or Broadband?" It's basically the same...one is a narrower category of the other. DSL is a kind of broadband, Broadband is a broad category including DSL and Cable Internet. "Do I have Windows XP, or Office 97?" Can I shoot myself first?

Look, I know customers have questions. It's the nature of the beast. As such, there will be the Neck-Chokers...the ones whose hands you have to hold step by step through the entire process of doing every mundane task they want to do. I just wish they'd make one call instead of fifty.