I normally don’t blog about work for any number of reasons.  I’m going to break that tradition today.

So far today (it’s 0946 as I write this and I started work at 0800) I’ve already worked with quite a few customers.  The trouble is, they weren’t our customers.

OK, so for example one has us for phones and another provider for internet.  They had a problem with their internet and dialed 611 because that’s what it says in the phone book.  I can understand this.  What I don’t understand is what happened after I explained that 611 gets you to the provider for that phone line.

THE PERSON ON THE OTHER END OF THAT PHONE CALL TRIED TO ARGUE WITH ME, SAYING I HAD TO FIX THIS OR GET THEM TO SOMEONE WHO COULD.

The last person I just talked to (as of 1050 hours)  identified himself as the company’s technician and said they couldn’t send email.  OK, no problem, I’ll do what I can to help out.  He explained the error and I advised him that the trouble was on his side.  I also told him to use Google to search the error number which would tell him how to fix the problem.

AND HE CONTINUED TO ARGUE WITH ME.  THIS EXACT CONVERSATION REPEATED ITSELF FIVE TIMES.

Now, don’t get me wrong.  I know I’m tech support for a reason and I don’t expect the people who call for help to know much if anything – that’s not their job.  That’s my job.  I only ask that they do two simple things:

1. Know who they pay for their service
2. At least try what I suggest before arguing and telling me I’m wrong

That, in my ever so humble opinion isn’t too much to ask.