Is this all an elaborate mystery shop, or are you actually serious? (Long)

[Aggravated Associate]

Apologies if this thread exists already... Well, I guess, in a way, it basically represents every thread, but what can you do? This is all about customers who need help being walked through something so incredibly simple that it seems unlikely to be real. The following story got me so frustrated that at one point, I actually thought to myself, "...Are they testing me? Is this a rouse to see how clearly frustrated I become?"

I should probably preface this with the fact that, despite my numerous complaints, I'm a very pleasant person and like to help whenever I can. I work at a large retail corporation which basically sells knick-knacks, bedding, kitchen gadgets, etc. We also (quite conveniently) provide wedding registries which can be accessed in-store or online. The following is a phone call I received about a week ago that literally had me saying, "....What?!" for the next twenty or so minutes after hanging up.

: Thank you for calling [store], this is Aggravated. How may I help you?
: I'm trying to look at your registry for Jane Johnson.
: All right, ma'am, were you looking for one item in particular I can help you with, or did you want to come in to the store? I'd be happy to print it off for y--
: (cutting off) NO! I'm trying to LOOK at it! On the internet! I can't figure it out. I don't understand why this is different. I've looked at it online LOTS of times before, but this time your website just isn't working.
: I'd be happy to try and help solve the problem for you. What seems to be the trouble? Are you currently at our website? [store].com? There should be a tab right on the front page that says, "Registry." You just click on that button, and you should be able to search...
: I am, and there isn't.
: ...Are you sure? It's right on the homepage of [store].com. Near the top, there should be a tab that says, "Registry."
: There isn't. It says, (proceeds to read me EVERY word of text on the page she's looking at, which sounds nothing like our site). It has all this financial information and job opportunities and stock information.
: Ma'am, I'm not sure what it is that you're looking at, but that's not our main page. That sort of information, to my knowledge, isn't accessible on our main website. It seems that you may have clicked around and somehow found a corporate page? What does your address bar say?
: It says [store]. I'm at [store].com. Let me read it to you again. (Reads text on the page again)

-I was literally on the phone with this woman for over ten minutes having the above few lines repeated over and over again, so I'll snip out a chunk of it here.-

: Ma'am, why don't we just start over? If you could just type in [store].com in your address bar at the top of the browser...
: I ALREADY DID! I don't understand WHY this isn't working. I've done this several times before! WHY ISN'T THERE A WAY TO LOOK AT THE REGISTRY?
: I understand that this is frustrating, and I'm sorry I'm not able to help you more, but as I can't see what you're seeing, it's difficult for me to understand where you are. If you could just tell me one last time what is on your screen right now... if you could give me an idea of any pictures you see, or anything that might help me identify...
: Well, it lists these ten things, and it says "Listing 1-4,600 results"...

Ma'am. You're not at our website. You're looking at a search engine. Most likely Google. You've typed in [store] or some variation of it into a search toolbar. You need to type [s-t-o-r-e].c-o-m into your ADDRESS bar, which is located near the very, very top of the window that you're looking at.
: Ohh. So I need to type in [store].COM?
: Yes, ma'am. Into your address bar.
: So I type it into Google?
: NO, ma'am. Into your ADDRESS bar. You need to get away from Google entirely. That's where you're having the trouble. Just type [store].com into your ADDRESS bar, at the top of the page.
: Oh, okay! I'll try that, then! (Hangs up).

I apologize for the length, but I just have to say.... fkgljfdklgfd.

Has this happened to anyone else? Having to walk someone through something so ridiculous, you have to wonder if it's a trap to see how well you handle the situation? Or are people really this...uninformed? I mean, I understand that some people aren't as comfortable with computers as others, but come on. It's almost 2008. This just makes me sad.

[Shabo]

Has this happened to anyone else?

As any techie here will agree, all the freaking time.

Having to walk someone through something so ridiculous, you have to wonder if it's a trap

"It's a trap!" *ducks and runs*

to see how well you handle the situation? Or are people really this...uninformed?

They really are just that uninformed. And yes, it is incredibly sad. It doesn't matter how old or young they are either. They really just have no clue.

[Gawdzillers]

[El Barto]

There should be a test you need to pass before you can go on the internet.

[rvdammit]

There should be a test you need to pass before you can go on the internet.

I think it's been down rated "Does user fry keyboard with drool?"

[chainedbarista]

elaborate shop? no; elaborate stupid? yes.

[Sliceanddice]

lol
I assume you all where watching
...Maybe...
Did you see us fight?
..No
TRAP!!!!!

[Stockholm Syndrome]

Has this happened to anyone else?

I had several calls just like when I was still on the phones. I'd be trying to guide people to a certain spot on our site and would finally realize after a loooong and painful call that they were at a search engine, typing in the company name, over and over and over. Usually when they realized what they'd done, they'd get pissed at ME and this was somehow all my fault.

[gunsage]

Uh...heheheheh. Yes, it happens all the time. Actually, regarding simply getting a customer to type in an address in the address bar, I've had customers...

- Type in a google search bar or some derivative.
- Had their pages hijacked via malware and neglected to tell me for the greater portion of the call about all the embarassing porn popups.
- Type in "dot" instead of a dot. Example: wwwdotgoogledotcom.
- Type in their run menu.
- Type in the command prompt.
- Type when there's nowhere for input (i.e. while they were on the desktop, with nothing selected).

Yes, it happens. However, the strangest occurrence was a customer that didn't have an address bar. That's right...the address bar was GONE. Granted, it's an easy fix, but when you spend 10 minutes on a call going "No, ma'am, the address bar. No, NOT the google search...ma'am, I understand but somewhere there should be...yes, I'm quite positive ma'am..." it kinda gets to you.

[Stockholm Syndrome]

I was just remembering that I had a realllly frustrated/pissed off SC get so flustered with the difficult process of finding our website. He then claimed that he wanted our company to "go f*** themselves" and that he was typing "COMPANY, go f*** yourselves" into the "little box on the screen", and what did I think of that?? I was being monitored that day so fortunately I was able to reach the mute button before I busted out laughing.

[Bliss]

Gunsage don't tell me you've not had users typing email addresses in explore? I can't believe it.

[smileyeagle1021]

lol
I assume you all where watching
...Maybe...
Did you see us fight?
..No
TRAP!!!!!

i'm going to go but I that movie

ok, back on topic, I've gotten calls from people trying to claim that the website says something completely different than it really does... and it's just like, are we both looking at the same website

[gunsage]

Gunsage don't tell me you've not had users typing email addresses in explore? I can't believe it.

Me, personally? No. But I can't deny the possibility that it has happened. Customers will do the most bizarre things. This isn't exactly about a sucky customer, but I had an English/speech teacher in college that gave the following story...

You have to be careful about the warning labels on things. Not just careful in terms of properly outlining things, but also with the verbiage being used. For example, there was a contraseptive company that had recently opened in Kentucky and offered a free trial for a small group of people in the area. On the label, it stated that you were to take the pill orally at least an hour before having conception.

The problem? Almost every last one of the girls in the trial group became pregnant. How? Was it a faulty product? No, they didn't quite catch on to what "orally" meant. Thus, a lot of products will now substitute "orally" with "by the mouth."



True story (AKA wrong hole!).

[Hemily]

i'm going to go but I that movie

the series is better


there's rumours of a sequel to teh movie though.

[Ill_Used_Heroine]

I get this ALL the time ... from my mom.

No, mom ... type whatever.com into the address bar. What do you see?

I see a list of different things, 1-15928.

*sigh* No, mom ... type whatever.com into the address bar.

Oh, ok.

What do you see?

It's not working! I see the same thing again!

No. Your ADDRESS BAR.

I AM TYPING IT THERE!

*sigh* No, that's your google search window bar. At the TOP of the screen, you know, where there's an empty window and the word GO to the right of it (she's still on Win 98 :P).

Oh. So, I type in whatever.com there?

*grrrrrrrrrrrr* Yes.

Oh wow! There's the site I wanted! You're SO smart!

haha That's right, mom ... I'm a genius!

Can't wait till I go there this April, buy her a laptop, and spend a month trying to teach her XP (if I can still get it). That should be a blast.