Seriously, you people are starting to sound like a broken record. Why bother to post a comment like this when what seems like half the internet has already said it?
And it's a poorly thought-out thing to say in the first place. Why don't Tony Hawk players go out and actually skateboard? Why don't DDR players just go find a real dancefloor? Why don't Madden players grab a real football?
His son was being sarcastic when he made the comment. He was throwing the question back in his father's face, letting him know that it was a ridiculous thing to ask in the first place.
The question was actually suggested by a writer Wil was having dinner with. After Wil relayed the response to the table of writers, one of them said, "And let him know he has a future in Hollywood."
Wil was proud that his son was not only mature enough to know the difference between reality and fantasy, but that he was so secure in that maturity that he could joke about it.
Tech support agents have a great deal of abuse from both sides of the phone. I've done support for many products (ISPs, hardware, software, peripherals and many more) for over two years, and I think I've dealt with every kind of irate customer and demanding supervisor that this industry can provide. Unlike the situation above, I've had fairly good luck with the queues I've supported. I've never worked a queue in which more than 20 or so calls were waiting to be answered, and hold times have never been more than 10 minutes.
What it comes down to is this: tech agents don't always realize that it doesn't matter how much crap is going on at the workplace or how awful the product they're supporting is. The support agent is at the front line as the consumer's first point of contact when a problem occurs. It is an agent's job to provide quality service. Nobody else can do this for them.
A problem arises in the area of support boundaries. Supporting a product is fine. Teaching a customer how to use a product is not. There are classes, books, and many other resources to teach people how to use that little "toy" they just purchased. Technical support is in place to fix problems. Lack of knowledge is not a problem with the device or service, it's a problem with the person who bought it. Unfortunately, people are not very willing to admit to their own shortcomings.
So, ultimately, I do believe the problems lies with the customer. When appropriate, I usually politely tell them to RTFM. The trick is to do it politely...
Slashdot Mirror
Seriously, you people are starting to sound like a broken record. Why bother to post a comment like this when what seems like half the internet has already said it?
And it's a poorly thought-out thing to say in the first place. Why don't Tony Hawk players go out and actually skateboard? Why don't DDR players just go find a real dancefloor? Why don't Madden players grab a real football?
Because the video games are FUN, so SHUT UP.
His son was being sarcastic when he made the comment. He was throwing the question back in his father's face, letting him know that it was a ridiculous thing to ask in the first place.
The question was actually suggested by a writer Wil was having dinner with. After Wil relayed the response to the table of writers, one of them said, "And let him know he has a future in Hollywood."
Wil was proud that his son was not only mature enough to know the difference between reality and fantasy, but that he was so secure in that maturity that he could joke about it.
Tech support agents have a great deal of abuse from both sides of the phone. I've done support for many products (ISPs, hardware, software, peripherals and many more) for over two years, and I think I've dealt with every kind of irate customer and demanding supervisor that this industry can provide. Unlike the situation above, I've had fairly good luck with the queues I've supported. I've never worked a queue in which more than 20 or so calls were waiting to be answered, and hold times have never been more than 10 minutes.
What it comes down to is this: tech agents don't always realize that it doesn't matter how much crap is going on at the workplace or how awful the product they're supporting is. The support agent is at the front line as the consumer's first point of contact when a problem occurs. It is an agent's job to provide quality service. Nobody else can do this for them.
A problem arises in the area of support boundaries. Supporting a product is fine. Teaching a customer how to use a product is not. There are classes, books, and many other resources to teach people how to use that little "toy" they just purchased. Technical support is in place to fix problems. Lack of knowledge is not a problem with the device or service, it's a problem with the person who bought it. Unfortunately, people are not very willing to admit to their own shortcomings.
So, ultimately, I do believe the problems lies with the customer. When appropriate, I usually politely tell them to RTFM. The trick is to do it politely...