Tech Forum

I got a call this week that the internet at one of our buildings is down. The clerk was not very technical so I went out and took a look at things. Turns out there is a problem with the DSL link so I contacted CenturyLink (the old Qwest guys).

In the course of the conversation the tech let me know he is LDS and thanked me for being polite. He said when he first started in his position his boss mentioned that the LDS Church calls are always rude. He didn't believe her but within his first week the trend was borne out, more often than not, the calls from the LDS Church buildings are rude and impatient.

I know that often we get called in at the end of the day when the clerks and bishops just want to go home but remember who you are and be polite. Please remember whose name is on the account.

Wow, this story is a real eyeopener to me. I had no idea people we not always on their best behavior when interfacing with these types of customer service people. It would be sad for even one of them to get a wrong impression about the church just because of the attitudes of a few.

Thanks for sharing and I certainly hope this trend changes.

The Internet quit at our stake center today, so I helped all of the wards get set up with modems and called Century Link. The lady I talked with was very pleasant and knowledgeable, and helped me as much as she could. I had a good feeling about the call. The wait time to get someone on the line was a little excessive (probably about 20 minutes), but I activated the speaker phone and did work until someone came on the line.

I wonder if some of this might be the frustration over the separation of powers between STS and FMG. 2 years ago when all my accounts were setup, I paid the bills could readily identify myself as the contact (many times requiring the last amount billed), but with the switch, I can see frustration for a STS calling in and not having all the information necessary to get the issue addressed.

It doesn't excuse being rude, but I've had plenty of experiences with help desks, their usefulness varies, and they are rated based on average call volume and reduction in minutes per call. They are incented to get you off the phone with a quick answer. Try this and if it doesn't work call back responses.

JohnShaw wrote:It doesn't excuse being rude, but I've had plenty of experiences with help desks, their usefulness varies, and they are rated based on average call volume and reduction in minutes per call. They are incented to get you off the phone with a quick answer. Try this and if it doesn't work call back responses.

Not to mention getting stuck in a script that is aimed at no-nothing end users who can't tell a RJ-11 from a RJ-45.

RussellHltn wrote:Not to mention getting stuck in a script that is aimed at no-nothing end users who can't tell a RJ-11 from a RJ-45.

Right... Don't ask me what I've already done and ask me to unplug the DSL modem wait 30 seconds and plug it back in

Qwest / Century Link I for one am not a fan of the cost for quality. DSL in general seems to need more babysitting and bi-weekly or monthly power cycles. Then there is the total speed, response time (lag), and latency under load issues. I wish cable or fiber was available everywhere. This is just my opinion.

jonahhex wrote:Qwest / Century Link I for one am not a fan of the cost for quality. DSL in general seems to need more babysitting and bi-weekly or monthly power cycles. Then there is the total speed, response time (lag), and latency under load issues. I wish cable or fiber was available everywhere. This is just my opinion.

Feel free to discuss the technical merits on another thread. But this thread deals with support, and in particular how we as Church members should be kind in our interactions with those who support our technology.