Comments on: A Rant http://techliberation.com/2007/08/21/a-rant/ Keeping politicians' hands off the Net & everything else related to technology Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:44:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Amanda http://techliberation.com/2007/08/21/a-rant/comment-page-1/#comment-48991 Amanda Tue, 28 Aug 2007 17:49:18 +0000 http://techliberation.com/2007/08/21/a-rant/#comment-48991 <p>My impression is that internet-based customer service does cut down on labor costs because it allows companies to use much stupider people as CS reps. I came to this conclusion while ago when I was spending a lot of time trying to get things done over web-based chats. I spent most of my waiting time trying to decide whether there was a bot or a person on the other end. Many answers were non-responsive to the questions I'd asked and seemed to be based on key words; on the other hand, presumably bots would be programmed to use correct spelling and fewer grammar errors in their canned responses. I finally decided that what it was, was an intellectually-challenged person equipped with a big book of flowheets.<br><br>On the phone, a person has to at least be able to think quickly enough to respond to questions (customers get too frustrated if they're put on hold after every exchange); on the web that's not the case. They also don't need to be good with people at all, since they can just look up "Irate Customer" in their book and type in "You seem distress. I am trying to solve you problem. Please give me a three minutes." rather than actually responding to your concern.<br><br>So that's my theory. They could just be annoying you on purpose, though.</p> My impression is that internet-based customer service does cut down on labor costs because it allows companies to use much stupider people as CS reps. I came to this conclusion while ago when I was spending a lot of time trying to get things done over web-based chats. I spent most of my waiting time trying to decide whether there was a bot or a person on the other end. Many answers were non-responsive to the questions I’d asked and seemed to be based on key words; on the other hand, presumably bots would be programmed to use correct spelling and fewer grammar errors in their canned responses. I finally decided that what it was, was an intellectually-challenged person equipped with a big book of flowheets.

On the phone, a person has to at least be able to think quickly enough to respond to questions (customers get too frustrated if they’re put on hold after every exchange); on the web that’s not the case. They also don’t need to be good with people at all, since they can just look up “Irate Customer” in their book and type in “You seem distress. I am trying to solve you problem. Please give me a three minutes.” rather than actually responding to your concern.

So that’s my theory. They could just be annoying you on purpose, though.

]]> By: Amanda http://techliberation.com/2007/08/21/a-rant/comment-page-1/#comment-39169 Amanda Tue, 28 Aug 2007 16:49:18 +0000 http://techliberation.com/2007/08/21/a-rant/#comment-39169 <p>My impression is that internet-based customer service does cut down on labor costs because it allows companies to use much stupider people as CS reps. I came to this conclusion while ago when I was spending a lot of time trying to get things done over web-based chats. I spent most of my waiting time trying to decide whether there was a bot or a person on the other end. Many answers were non-responsive to the questions I'd asked and seemed to be based on key words; on the other hand, presumably bots would be programmed to use correct spelling and fewer grammar errors in their canned responses. I finally decided that what it was, was an intellectually-challenged person equipped with a big book of flowheets.</p> <p>On the phone, a person has to at least be able to think quickly enough to respond to questions (customers get too frustrated if they're put on hold after every exchange); on the web that's not the case. They also don't need to be good with people at all, since they can just look up "Irate Customer" in their book and type in "You seem distress. I am trying to solve you problem. Please give me a three minutes." rather than actually responding to your concern.</p> <p>So that's my theory. They could just be annoying you on purpose, though.</p> My impression is that internet-based customer service does cut down on labor costs because it allows companies to use much stupider people as CS reps. I came to this conclusion while ago when I was spending a lot of time trying to get things done over web-based chats. I spent most of my waiting time trying to decide whether there was a bot or a person on the other end. Many answers were non-responsive to the questions I’d asked and seemed to be based on key words; on the other hand, presumably bots would be programmed to use correct spelling and fewer grammar errors in their canned responses. I finally decided that what it was, was an intellectually-challenged person equipped with a big book of flowheets.

On the phone, a person has to at least be able to think quickly enough to respond to questions (customers get too frustrated if they’re put on hold after every exchange); on the web that’s not the case. They also don’t need to be good with people at all, since they can just look up “Irate Customer” in their book and type in “You seem distress. I am trying to solve you problem. Please give me a three minutes.” rather than actually responding to your concern.

So that’s my theory. They could just be annoying you on purpose, though.

]]> By: Erik http://techliberation.com/2007/08/21/a-rant/comment-page-1/#comment-48990 Erik Thu, 23 Aug 2007 15:19:42 +0000 http://techliberation.com/2007/08/21/a-rant/#comment-48990 <p>Luis got to that one before me. Is it any wonder so many broadband providers get no love?</p> Luis got to that one before me. Is it any wonder so many broadband providers get no love?

]]> By: Erik http://techliberation.com/2007/08/21/a-rant/comment-page-1/#comment-39168 Erik Thu, 23 Aug 2007 14:19:42 +0000 http://techliberation.com/2007/08/21/a-rant/#comment-39168 <p>Luis got to that one before me. Is it any wonder so many broadband providers get no love?</p> Luis got to that one before me. Is it any wonder so many broadband providers get no love?

]]> By: eric http://techliberation.com/2007/08/21/a-rant/comment-page-1/#comment-48989 eric Wed, 22 Aug 2007 17:18:05 +0000 http://techliberation.com/2007/08/21/a-rant/#comment-48989 <p>Because locally we have a duopoly, which amounts to virtually no competition, I opted for a "lifetime price guarantee" of $32/mo. for 1.5Mbps DSL from Qwest. It isn't a great deal, but avoids end-of-term hassles. If we ever actually do get real competition, maybe I can lock in at a lower price.</p> Because locally we have a duopoly, which amounts to virtually no competition, I opted for a “lifetime price guarantee” of $32/mo. for 1.5Mbps DSL from Qwest. It isn’t a great deal, but avoids end-of-term hassles. If we ever actually do get real competition, maybe I can lock in at a lower price.

]]> By: eric http://techliberation.com/2007/08/21/a-rant/comment-page-1/#comment-39167 eric Wed, 22 Aug 2007 16:18:05 +0000 http://techliberation.com/2007/08/21/a-rant/#comment-39167 <p>Because locally we have a duopoly, which amounts to virtually no competition, I opted for a "lifetime price guarantee" of $32/mo. for 1.5Mbps DSL from Qwest. It isn't a great deal, but avoids end-of-term hassles. If we ever actually do get real competition, maybe I can lock in at a lower price.</p> Because locally we have a duopoly, which amounts to virtually no competition, I opted for a “lifetime price guarantee” of $32/mo. for 1.5Mbps DSL from Qwest. It isn’t a great deal, but avoids end-of-term hassles. If we ever actually do get real competition, maybe I can lock in at a lower price.

]]> By: Luis http://techliberation.com/2007/08/21/a-rant/comment-page-1/#comment-48988 Luis Wed, 22 Aug 2007 03:04:34 +0000 http://techliberation.com/2007/08/21/a-rant/#comment-48988 <p>Surely you can just move to one of the many other competitive broadband providers in your area, Tim? :)</p> Surely you can just move to one of the many other competitive broadband providers in your area, Tim? :)

]]> By: Luis http://techliberation.com/2007/08/21/a-rant/comment-page-1/#comment-39166 Luis Wed, 22 Aug 2007 02:04:34 +0000 http://techliberation.com/2007/08/21/a-rant/#comment-39166 <p>Surely you can just move to one of the many other competitive broadband providers in your area, Tim? :)</p> Surely you can just move to one of the many other competitive broadband providers in your area, Tim? :)

]]>