Well folks this item is coming to you from the kitchen table. Right, the kitchen table. Set up my laptop and am now preparing these comments.
"Why the kitchen and why the laptop?" you might well ask. Well it is because of the cookies.
Ok, before your mind wanders off and starts to envision me in an apron and flour over my face and hands, we are not talking about that kind of cookie. In fact, I truly wish that was all there was to worry about. Those I can handle. Sure, the odd batch gets a little darker than it should but that just adds a flavour challenge to the cookie eater.
The cookies referred to are those which appear to allow access to various sites on the internet. Up until two days ago, they were in fine shape and access to this blog via my desktop computer was no problem. Now it seems they may be like those ones left in the oven too long. They are still cookies but do not have the same effect on the cookie user.
That is to say, each time I try to log in the message tells me that my cookies and java are blocked. With this message is a request to change settings according to some nice screen shots that Blogger provides. Unfortuntely when one clicks on Tools in the toolbar and onto the Security tab and then Custom, the screen does not look like the one Blogger is using.
Many attempts have been made to; reload java (although I am off coffee right now, pardon the pun); to change settings in security to even below medium. All to no avail. Thus we are here now sitting in a kitchen typing out the note on a laptop. For some reason the laptop does not seem to have a problem with cookies. Maybe it's the kitchen. Nah, that would be crazy right?
Several notes have been sent to "Support" over the past few days just begging for support. However, they must be having their cookies and milk break because nobody has responded yet.
All in all, quite a learning experience and something we all might do well to keep in mind. Regardless of what we do, the computer will experience its own agenda from time to time. Then it will, like an animal be unable to tell you in a language humans understand, where the problem is.
Until later, take care and I think I will just have a cup of tea and perhaps a cookie or two.
Showing posts with label support. Show all posts
Showing posts with label support. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Technical Frustration
Have you ever experienced that unknown technical problem with anything? It could have been your digital television set up that just did not seem to work as it should. It might have been that you could not get voice mail set up as it should. Perhaps it is email you are not getting.
If you are one of those serious bloggers who has a great technical background you might want to stop reading right about here.
Over the past couple of weeks all of the three technical difficulties have been experienced by me. Take the digital television set up. Based on the commercials it seems really easy right? All you have to do is plug it in. Right. There is no question that is all that is needed to be done and the system should set itself up (if you follow the instructions in the booklet provided). However, our experience is that if the remote does not point directly at the box and the television at the same time, only one of them will go off. Then every time you press the power button you turn one off and one on. This means resetting the system again. Total frustration.
How about voice mail and call forwarding. For some telephones, such as the one we have in our dining room, all you have to do is dial *98 and you get voice mail. However, on other telephones, such as the one in my office upstairs, *98 connects you to the traffic reporter for CHFI radio. If you have a digital phone it is one number to call, if you have an analog phone a separate number is required. Again, remembering the right combination or not can lead to frustration.
Now to the email item. You set up your email to be forwarded from your web mail to your Outlook. All works just fine until one fine day someone asks why you did not respond to their email. What email? you say. Then you go searching through your web mail (remember you set up the auto-forward so you would not have to do that). Sure enough it is right there, just did not get sent to you.
You must have changed something, right? Wrong. All the settings are just as they should be. So, like any good consumer you contact your web host. In the middle of your on-line support chat you get a note, "server disconnected". Which server? Your web host? Your ISP? Your computer itself? Who knows, the message does not clarify but only adds to confusion and confusion leads to frustration.
So you try again. This time the rep tells you that is was an unexpected cancellation at their end. However, if you have every technical spec for the missing emails they can look into it for you. Of course, not being a techie all you know is who sent the note and when. To your surprise, an email to their support tells you that their server was down for maintenance and items got dropped. Sure would have been nice to know. However, the assumption by those working on the server is that you will know that through some inspired vision or technical knowledge.
Talk about adding to your frustration, you contact the support centre for your event promotion only to find out it is on the west coast and they will not be in until about 3 hours after you start your day. An email to them gets a stock response that your inquiry has been received and a response will be sent within 24, 48 or 72 hours (depending on which one you use). Not much use if you want to know how to do something now.
The bottom line to this rambling is that not everyone has the same level of knowledge about something that you might take for granted. The individual may simply be a client/user that expects things to work as promised. It is understood that often something can "go bump in the night". People accept that. Just let us know in layman's language and the world will go a lot smoother for everyone concerned.
If you are one of those serious bloggers who has a great technical background you might want to stop reading right about here.
Over the past couple of weeks all of the three technical difficulties have been experienced by me. Take the digital television set up. Based on the commercials it seems really easy right? All you have to do is plug it in. Right. There is no question that is all that is needed to be done and the system should set itself up (if you follow the instructions in the booklet provided). However, our experience is that if the remote does not point directly at the box and the television at the same time, only one of them will go off. Then every time you press the power button you turn one off and one on. This means resetting the system again. Total frustration.
How about voice mail and call forwarding. For some telephones, such as the one we have in our dining room, all you have to do is dial *98 and you get voice mail. However, on other telephones, such as the one in my office upstairs, *98 connects you to the traffic reporter for CHFI radio. If you have a digital phone it is one number to call, if you have an analog phone a separate number is required. Again, remembering the right combination or not can lead to frustration.
Now to the email item. You set up your email to be forwarded from your web mail to your Outlook. All works just fine until one fine day someone asks why you did not respond to their email. What email? you say. Then you go searching through your web mail (remember you set up the auto-forward so you would not have to do that). Sure enough it is right there, just did not get sent to you.
You must have changed something, right? Wrong. All the settings are just as they should be. So, like any good consumer you contact your web host. In the middle of your on-line support chat you get a note, "server disconnected". Which server? Your web host? Your ISP? Your computer itself? Who knows, the message does not clarify but only adds to confusion and confusion leads to frustration.
So you try again. This time the rep tells you that is was an unexpected cancellation at their end. However, if you have every technical spec for the missing emails they can look into it for you. Of course, not being a techie all you know is who sent the note and when. To your surprise, an email to their support tells you that their server was down for maintenance and items got dropped. Sure would have been nice to know. However, the assumption by those working on the server is that you will know that through some inspired vision or technical knowledge.
Talk about adding to your frustration, you contact the support centre for your event promotion only to find out it is on the west coast and they will not be in until about 3 hours after you start your day. An email to them gets a stock response that your inquiry has been received and a response will be sent within 24, 48 or 72 hours (depending on which one you use). Not much use if you want to know how to do something now.
The bottom line to this rambling is that not everyone has the same level of knowledge about something that you might take for granted. The individual may simply be a client/user that expects things to work as promised. It is understood that often something can "go bump in the night". People accept that. Just let us know in layman's language and the world will go a lot smoother for everyone concerned.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Customer Service or Customer Response
Recently downloaded two different applications to my Blackberry. This was the first time I had downloaded anything as up to now the standard applications always seemed to be enough. However, my son was showing me some of his applications and they looked great.
After downloading it was clear that the two applications did not do what was wanted and would end up costing quite a bit. This in spite of the fact that they were free downloads.
One download for GPS mentions, after you download mind you, that unlimited airtime is required of significant costs could be incurred. The other application for audio email was one that spoke your emails to you not one you could voice record emails. Thus it was of little use to me.
Contacted the support / service area of both organizations and asked for instructions on closing out my account and removing from the Blackberry.
In one case the response was a rather lengthy email extolling the virtues of the software. It went on and on for two pages about what the program could do and why it should be kept. At no time did they mention anything about how to cancel the account or delete from the Blackberry.
The second firm sent a very nice email advising they would cancel the account and gave me a specific link to very clear instructions on how to remove the application. Turns out all Blackberry applications can be deleted that same way. This was new to me so a great help.
The difference was that the first firm practiced "customer response". They did not answer the request made nor provide valuable information to make their client satisfied. That email was clearly a sales pitch in hopes you would get so bogged down in the rhetoric you would keep the application on your Blackberry.
The second firm responded with a precise answer to my request. In fact, sent them a email telling them how much their service response was appreciated. You see they were practicing "Customer Service".
Each of us in business could do well to learn from this experience and make sure that when we are contacted by a client that we are providing service not just a response.
After downloading it was clear that the two applications did not do what was wanted and would end up costing quite a bit. This in spite of the fact that they were free downloads.
One download for GPS mentions, after you download mind you, that unlimited airtime is required of significant costs could be incurred. The other application for audio email was one that spoke your emails to you not one you could voice record emails. Thus it was of little use to me.
Contacted the support / service area of both organizations and asked for instructions on closing out my account and removing from the Blackberry.
In one case the response was a rather lengthy email extolling the virtues of the software. It went on and on for two pages about what the program could do and why it should be kept. At no time did they mention anything about how to cancel the account or delete from the Blackberry.
The second firm sent a very nice email advising they would cancel the account and gave me a specific link to very clear instructions on how to remove the application. Turns out all Blackberry applications can be deleted that same way. This was new to me so a great help.
The difference was that the first firm practiced "customer response". They did not answer the request made nor provide valuable information to make their client satisfied. That email was clearly a sales pitch in hopes you would get so bogged down in the rhetoric you would keep the application on your Blackberry.
The second firm responded with a precise answer to my request. In fact, sent them a email telling them how much their service response was appreciated. You see they were practicing "Customer Service".
Each of us in business could do well to learn from this experience and make sure that when we are contacted by a client that we are providing service not just a response.
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