Slashdot Mirror
Customers Treated as Culprits in Support Calls?
ApolloX asks: "I've worked in the software industry for a number of years and I understand how volatile large computer and database systems can be. Most of the time, I'm only called in when something breaks. I know first hand that issues such as a lack of concurrency control, or just a bad database optimization, can lead to corrupted or even lost data. What I don't know is, why most customer support representatives, in the event there is a data error, will treat the customer as if they are liars or are trying to scam them. I can recall many similar support calls to other companies over the years in which the phrase 'our computer system is never wrong' was repeatedly used as justification for an issue the representative knew little about. Since when did computers become so infallible such that the customer is always wrong? Why does it take multiple escalations of support calls before anyone starts believing that maybe the computer made a mistake?"
"On a recent call to a company, let's call it Givo, my account number was accidentally wiped from the system. Throughout the process, I spoke with half a dozen representatives who claimed I had never had their service before and at each step I was 'guilty until proven innocent'. What's worse was that at some moments, even when presented with evidence of my case history in their system, representatives would disregard it because the system told them my account did not exist and had never existed."
HAL: It can only be attributable to human error.
"Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb."
"Ah, but there is a difference", will be the first response if I don't type this quickly enough.
In the case of the PS3, SONY is actually deprived of their product to sell. In the case of copyrighted material, the copyright holder still has the material, they can still make a copy of their own for scratch, and sell that.
I.e. one is stealing (by fraud), the other is mere copyright infringement.. and not unethical.
Why, those darn music companies making meeeeeeellions coming after you for copying a single song are the ones who are unethical!
*chuckle*