I don't think Macs are sucky, but this woman I dealt with was sucky.
The hotel I work at has wireless access. We give each guest a computer generated user name and password to log in with (keeps people out of the parking lot and sucking up the bandwidth).
Along with the user name and password, guests are given a small pamphlet, containing log in instructions, common troubleshooting tips, and a disclaimer. The disclaimer reads the hotel is responsible for the internet access only, we do not provide tech support on site, and we give them our ISP's 24 hour tech support number. Despite the disclaimer, I have a pretty advanced knowledge of computers, and if someone asks for help, I will try and help them.
So, this woman immediately calls down, out network isn't working, she can't connect. I tell her that the network is fine, I have my laptop with me, and it was logged right in, but I will run it up to where her room is to check and see if the access point she is trying to log into is working. I do, and all is fine. I call her back, and tell her this, ask her if she got the pamphlet (she did) and suggested she call tech support. She said she did and all they told her was the network was fine. So, despite being at the desk alone, I told her to bring it down and I would look at it.
She comes barreling down, and jumps in front of someone I was waiting on and starts in that her computer probably won't work because it is a Mac and we discriminate against Mac users (???). I asked her to wait while I finished with this other customer. He leaves, and I begin my search as to what her computers problem is, gently telling her that my computer knowledge is Windows based, and I would do what I could, since I was not overly familiar with Macs. All the while screaming that she's going to call corporate and complain, she wants money off of her room, we lied about free internet access, etc.
I actually stopped her mid-rant with a curt "Wait a minute..." I pointed to the wireless icon on her computer, she was connected this whole time. I told her that, she accuses me of lying, saying I did something to make her look stupid. Um...OK. When I don't see a browser icon, I ask her what she uses for a browser, and she tells me I don't know anything (I've never used Safari, didn't know what the icon looked like) She brings it up, the browser remains blank. "SEE? SEE? I F***ING TOLD YOU, YOUR NETWORK DOESN'T WORK!!"
OK, she has now swore at me, screamed at me and held up my line for 10 minutes. I am getting pretty pissed and should have slammed her computer shut and kicked her out, but I was almost done. The log in page is browser based, and should come up automatically, but if it doesn't, explicit instructions in the pamphlet state that, if it doesn't redirect to manually type in the URL of the log in page. I do this, type in the username and password, and VOILA! I showed her what I did, but since she was logged in, she would remain so for the remainder of her stay. She was all set. So, this was over, right?
Wrong. Corporate is being called, we don't have a Mac compatible network, I was a rude "a**hole" and she was going to make sure I got in trouble for it. I figured since she thinks I am so bad, I am going to give her a reason to think it. Showed her the pamphlet, asked her if she read it at all, she said, "no, why should I?" and I was in so much trouble. I now snap. Told her the only rude person here was her, for holding up customers, for treating me like sh*t for trying to help her when policy clearly states her computer was HER PROBLEM, not ours. I wasn't going to listen to her anymore, people were waiting to be helped, and if she was that unhappy, I would GLADLY get her a room at another hotel, but, as of now, we were done. I also told her to call corporate, because by the time she got through, I would have opened a complaint file against her. See, it works both ways.
I could kick myself for letting her get to me, but she would have gone all day. UgH!
The hotel I work at has wireless access. We give each guest a computer generated user name and password to log in with (keeps people out of the parking lot and sucking up the bandwidth).
Along with the user name and password, guests are given a small pamphlet, containing log in instructions, common troubleshooting tips, and a disclaimer. The disclaimer reads the hotel is responsible for the internet access only, we do not provide tech support on site, and we give them our ISP's 24 hour tech support number. Despite the disclaimer, I have a pretty advanced knowledge of computers, and if someone asks for help, I will try and help them.
So, this woman immediately calls down, out network isn't working, she can't connect. I tell her that the network is fine, I have my laptop with me, and it was logged right in, but I will run it up to where her room is to check and see if the access point she is trying to log into is working. I do, and all is fine. I call her back, and tell her this, ask her if she got the pamphlet (she did) and suggested she call tech support. She said she did and all they told her was the network was fine. So, despite being at the desk alone, I told her to bring it down and I would look at it.
She comes barreling down, and jumps in front of someone I was waiting on and starts in that her computer probably won't work because it is a Mac and we discriminate against Mac users (???). I asked her to wait while I finished with this other customer. He leaves, and I begin my search as to what her computers problem is, gently telling her that my computer knowledge is Windows based, and I would do what I could, since I was not overly familiar with Macs. All the while screaming that she's going to call corporate and complain, she wants money off of her room, we lied about free internet access, etc.
I actually stopped her mid-rant with a curt "Wait a minute..." I pointed to the wireless icon on her computer, she was connected this whole time. I told her that, she accuses me of lying, saying I did something to make her look stupid. Um...OK. When I don't see a browser icon, I ask her what she uses for a browser, and she tells me I don't know anything (I've never used Safari, didn't know what the icon looked like) She brings it up, the browser remains blank. "SEE? SEE? I F***ING TOLD YOU, YOUR NETWORK DOESN'T WORK!!"
OK, she has now swore at me, screamed at me and held up my line for 10 minutes. I am getting pretty pissed and should have slammed her computer shut and kicked her out, but I was almost done. The log in page is browser based, and should come up automatically, but if it doesn't, explicit instructions in the pamphlet state that, if it doesn't redirect to manually type in the URL of the log in page. I do this, type in the username and password, and VOILA! I showed her what I did, but since she was logged in, she would remain so for the remainder of her stay. She was all set. So, this was over, right?
Wrong. Corporate is being called, we don't have a Mac compatible network, I was a rude "a**hole" and she was going to make sure I got in trouble for it. I figured since she thinks I am so bad, I am going to give her a reason to think it. Showed her the pamphlet, asked her if she read it at all, she said, "no, why should I?" and I was in so much trouble. I now snap. Told her the only rude person here was her, for holding up customers, for treating me like sh*t for trying to help her when policy clearly states her computer was HER PROBLEM, not ours. I wasn't going to listen to her anymore, people were waiting to be helped, and if she was that unhappy, I would GLADLY get her a room at another hotel, but, as of now, we were done. I also told her to call corporate, because by the time she got through, I would have opened a complaint file against her. See, it works both ways.
I could kick myself for letting her get to me, but she would have gone all day. UgH!
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