Why do help desk often have no clue?

Question

I had a big problem with my laptop being slow, audio choppy, slow programs to loads times taking 10 to 20 min. I called HP T-1 support for help and they took over 10 hours on four different phone calls to never resolve my Computer problems

After doing web searches, reading forums I found my problem. which I added for others but my question is how in the heck do these people get hired and are total idiots, So much time lost.



I found the problem:

"PIO MODE", http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programmed_input/output, which causes so many problems that most tier 1, 2 help desk has no clue exist.



MS-explains the details and how to resolve the issue. http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/storage/ide-dma.mspx



Many times we end users find and fix many problems that help desk has no clue!

Answer 1

Some of my friends and family are working at help desk right now for a company (they are in a big giant room like telemarketers).

When my mom did it you needed to have experience or to have taken courses / received degrees in College. When my mom would work labs during the summer I would try to go with her every day,.. doesn't matter which age I was at it was always helpful to have more people and I had gained alot of knowledge from experience (plus I was already on computers alot).

Most major companies like Yahoo use to have a couple forms of online support. I use to "Volunteer" for these. Currently remember seems to be getting rid of them and makeing the e-mail stuff so unhelpful your driven to make a Phone Call.

Now this is where my friends and family are,... they are the support on the phone. My one friend is mentally retarded,.. the other people have been into computers for a max of 4 years, the specific area they are supposed to be helpping with the most only my handicap(able) friend had any experience before being hired and only as a customer with no problem that never had to work on it. The trainning it read a couple books and in a week you'll be on the phones,.. mostly useing these lines. The employees keep quitting or being fired,.. things are set up a little in the reverse of Telemarketing,.. They want you to spend the least ammount of time as posible... this usually is bonus points if you turn things into phone tag or tossing them through the spider web,.. or I will make it more clear by saying make them call or be redirected to another part of the company and then that one another and another and so on. Because employees with a brain try to actually solve the problem they get into trouble and quite or are fired. And people that TRY to help also get into trouble or fired for takeing too long and not haveing enough calls per day. They also like to close early (earlier then the closeing time) and they tell everyone to get off the phones and out of the building,.. everyone's hours for the day stop there and then,.. this way most people do not get 8 hours.

So whenever you call these places at this point your talking to someone that likely has been there less then two weeks and likely will be gone in less then two weeks. They may know little about computers and be thumbing through things. They may be told to do certain things, use certain tones of voice and lines. While they do whatever they can to flatter, reassure, sound intelligent, and delay things,.. they are thumbing through books and working on whatever companies bonus point system while posibly haveing absolutely no hands on experience with the product infront of you.

Hopefully you'll look online in the future :/

Answer 2

Usually, they are just call-center staff - paid to answer the phones.

They will have a script for the top 20 - 50 questions that users will ask and if that doesn't work, they can pass you on to someone who might have a better clue.

These technicians who handle your query after the phone answerer cannot, are busy and there are far less of them (they cost more money).

Answer 3

The answer to your question lies in your answer to this question: "How much were you paying them?"....If you were calling a "free" helpdesk, then you got excatly what you paid for...nothing!

Don't blame the folks who answered the phone, they were working from a script. Blame their bosses, or blame yourself for owning & operating a piece of equipment you don't really understand!

Answer 4

The answer my friend, it blowing in the wind. No seriously, the true geeks can be found here, ask your question here for a timely response, although sometimes snotty, they know their ****.