Aggressive service at PC World

Jakg

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

Surely someone asking for help and advice on a certain matter shows that they don't wish to remain ignorant.

Yes, and no.

If asking for help is "I've got a problem, I've tried x, y and z. I think it's abc, but I'm not sure, would you mind going through the problem with me?" then of course not.

If someone goes like this...
"It's broken, fix it"
"Ok, I'll take a look, what's wrong?"
"It doesn't work"
"Ok, but I need you to tell me what's not working before I can fix it"
"Internet doesn't work"
<some time later>
"It came up with a message or something"
"What did the message say?"
"Cant remember. Just fix it"
Then yes.

It seems like some people have a problem and ask someone else for help. As soon as the other person appears to know even slightly more they switch off all rational thought and stop doing anything else but follow explicit instructions (such as "click with the mouse"). Does my head in. I refuse to help people that will not help themselves.

Dreamnine

I bought a Chromebook at Christmas and the chap in PC World offered to set it up for me

'But it's a Chromebook', I said, 'I just switch it on and type in my Google password.'

He offered me an extended warranty, too, but wasn't too pushy and PC World was the only place that had stock or I would have bought elsewhere.

bod1467

I did a reserve & collect on a laptop early last month. When I went to collect the sales assistant started with the Norton spiel ... I cut her short and said "I only want the laptop please. I don't need AV, I don't want extended warranty, I don't want any accessories - just the laptop". Her pet lip was dragging on the floor as she went to get it.

RobertoMoir

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

Surely someone asking for help and advice on a certain matter shows that they don't wish to remain ignorant.

There's a big difference between asking for help and demanding that someone fixes something for you.

aqua111 wrote: »

Why are you IT EXPERTS so scathing when you impart your knowledge to those of us who are not!
We are all experts in our particular field and ready to help with qeestions that to us are very simple due to the knowledge we have.

It doesn't bother me that people don't know things that I know, any more than it bothers me that other people know about things I do not know.

I've got no problem with people who have run into an issue because something isn't working right and need help to fix it. I've got no problem either with people who don't need and want to use a computer and show no interest in learning.

What does bother me is when people wallow happily in their ignorance; I don't think its "funny" or "cute" or "just how Fred is" when someone who is being paid a lot of money to do a job which includes being able to use a computer (I don't mean understanding the inner workings of a computer, I mean being able to use one as a word processor or whatever) has no clue how to do those tasks and no interest in trying to learn.

When someone of that kind smugly informs me that "I'm computer illiterate LOL!" then as far as I'm concerned this is like trying to get a job as an office clerk 20 years ago without being able to read or write.

vyle

but I do wish Pc's and phones etc., would arrive, as they used to, with a printed booklet of basic instructions.

The instructions live under the f1 key, like they have for the past 18 years. The truth is that computers and other devices are so fluid in their software now, with updates and almost limitless capabilities that printed instructions are useless. There is no fixed function. With windows 8, where would you begin? Would you begin by explaining what a keyboard and mouse does? What about other input methods, such as trackpad, stylus and tablet, touch interface, or those eye-readers that paraplegics use?

You would then have to explain what a microsoft account is, what an email address is, how to set one or both up (with individual instructions for every provider, as well as microsoft exchange server configuration if needed). You'd have a chapter on networking, on user account creation and maintenance, how to drag, how to swipe, how to click, what internet explorer is, how it works, why it's rubbish... not to mention chapters on browser plugins, antivirus, basic web common sense.... I mean, how low do you pitch this? And seeing as nobody seems to be bothered to read the simple instructions on the screen, I doubt they'd read it in a book. (I can confirm this, as I also provide support for TVs and recorders and they do come with instruction manuals that are used as nothing more than a prop for when a customer rants about how the instructions of "press record" are too complicated.)

The conventions computers use have been set in stone for more than ten years. If anybody still doesn't understand they should really enrol in an ECDL course at their local community centre and learn.

Hermione_Granger wrote: »

Maybe not scathing, but referring to people who ask for advice as incompetent isn't exactly being polite is it?
Why not just call them unknowledgeable instead?

one tends to become a little agitated when people begin by asking for help, then begin to become abusive because they don't know things that they really should, and don't believe you when you explain why you need them.

A common thing I've encountered is:

them: I want my emails on my new computer.

me: OK, what's your email address.

them: my computer.

me: yes, you access emails with your computer, but what is your email address? I need it so that I can sync your new machine with your email account.

them: I don't know.... it's my computer.

me: do you use outlook?

them: no, microsoft.

me: Microsoft outlook?

them: no, windows... windows word.

me: Windows is the operating system. No doubt you use windows, but within it you run programs. One such program is "word" but that is a word processor. I am asking you which email client you use.... be it outlook, or some other software that retrieves your emails.

them: I don't know! You're the computer expert, why don't you know?

me: because your email address is unique to yourself. You set it up. Your choice of how you access your emails is also your decision.

*they eventually find out their email address*

me: And what is your password?

them: We don't have a password, the emails come from my computer.

me: you will have set a password originally, or used one to access your emails. As you've saved your password, you may not have had to input it often, but there will be a password. I will need that to complete the setup.

them: THERE IS NO PASSWORD! ARE YOU CALLING ME A LIAR?? *rage and accusations. repeat for every step of the setup, usually involving implications that I know nothing about computers and am trying to con them because THEY don't know anything*

Hell, I once had a lady demand a free setup because she had got somebody to set up her computer before, and he lived in oxford. he had all her details. because I could not magically obtain her details from the ether, and because he wasn't answering his phone, apparently I was wasting her time, and she tried to invoice my company her hourly consultation rate at double time because it was a sunday.

People always use the excuse "they're not technically minded," but that is a load of hogswash. If you can read, you can follow the simple instructions. Back in the days of DOS, I could understand it because you had to know special commands that weren't in plain english. Programming requires a special way of thinking. But everything else is so ridiculously user friendly now, that actually sitting down and reading what the screen says works wonders.

qetu1357

vyle wrote: »

The instructions live under the f1 key, like they have for the past 18 years. The truth is that computers and other devices are so fluid in their software now, with updates and almost limitless capabilities that printed instructions are useless. There is no fixed function. With windows 8, where would you begin? Would you begin by explaining what a keyboard and mouse does? What about other input methods, such as trackpad, stylus and tablet, touch interface, or those eye-readers that paraplegics use?

You would then have to explain what a microsoft account is, what an email address is, how to set one or both up (with individual instructions for every provider, as well as microsoft exchange server configuration if needed). You'd have a chapter on networking, on user account creation and maintenance, how to drag, how to swipe, how to click, what internet explorer is, how it works, why it's rubbish... not to mention chapters on browser plugins, antivirus, basic web common sense.... I mean, how low do you pitch this? And seeing as nobody seems to be bothered to read the simple instructions on the screen, I doubt they'd read it in a book. (I can confirm this, as I also provide support for TVs and recorders and they do come with instruction manuals that are used as nothing more than a prop for when a customer rants about how the instructions of "press record" are too complicated.)

The conventions computers use have been set in stone for more than ten years. If anybody still doesn't understand they should really enrol in an ECDL course at their local community centre and learn.



one tends to become a little agitated when people begin by asking for help, then begin to become abusive because they don't know things that they really should, and don't believe you when you explain why you need them.

A common thing I've encountered is:

them: I want my emails on my new computer.

me: OK, what's your email address.

them: my computer.

me: yes, you access emails with your computer, but what is your email address? I need it so that I can sync your new machine with your email account.

them: I don't know.... it's my computer.

me: do you use outlook?

them: no, microsoft.

me: Microsoft outlook?

them: no, windows... windows word.

me: Windows is the operating system. No doubt you use windows, but within it you run programs. One such program is "word" but that is a word processor. I am asking you which email client you use.... be it outlook, or some other software that retrieves your emails.

them: I don't know! You're the computer expert, why don't you know?

me: because your email address is unique to yourself. You set it up. Your choice of how you access your emails is also your decision.

*they eventually find out their email address*

me: And what is your password?

them: We don't have a password, the emails come from my computer.

me: you will have set a password originally, or used one to access your emails. As you've saved your password, you may not have had to input it often, but there will be a password. I will need that to complete the setup.

them: THERE IS NO PASSWORD! ARE YOU CALLING ME A LIAR?? *rage and accusations. repeat for every step of the setup, usually involving implications that I know nothing about computers and am trying to con them because THEY don't know anything*

Hell, I once had a lady demand a free setup because she had got somebody to set up her computer before, and he lived in oxford. he had all her details. because I could not magically obtain her details from the ether, and because he wasn't answering his phone, apparently I was wasting her time, and she tried to invoice my company her hourly consultation rate at double time because it was a sunday.

People always use the excuse "they're not technically minded," but that is a load of hogswash. If you can read, you can follow the simple instructions. Back in the days of DOS, I could understand it because you had to know special commands that weren't in plain english. Programming requires a special way of thinking. But everything else is so ridiculously user friendly now, that actually sitting down and reading what the screen says works wonders.

So funny.

It's amazing how often ignorance manifests itself as anger.

Esqui

I think they mainly ask because stuff like this happens:
Boxing Day: No, I don't need any of that.
2nd January: I've got a virus, why won't you remove it for free?


OK, maybe it's more a figures thing for the sales team. But as for me on customer service, I make more money for my target out of people who don't take out service agreements or get internet security, or back up their stuff. Not that I'm saying OP is going to regret saying no, but the less computer-literate do sometimes.

transient

Doesnt sound aggressive to me, you should get out more

philatio

I think people are clouding the issue here. It's nothing to do with them helping techinically ignorant people and everything to do with them getting a commission for selling over-priced add-ons.

Mallotum_X

philatio wrote: »

I think people are clouding the issue here. It's nothing to do with them helping techinically ignorant people and everything to do with them getting a commission for selling over-priced add-ons.

Yep, and telling you as many lies as possible to sell you stuff.

We were getting a laptop at Christmas - wish we had gone to John Lewis instead but there you go. Told it came with no software and would I like office. "No thanks we have a multi user Office 2010", told that didnt work on windows 8... "ah so why does it work perfectly fine on my other windows 8 laptop" lol

Reminded me why its worth the trip to somewhere else next time we need anything.