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Customers who are relatively young and claim to use computers every day have no excuse to not understand at least the basic functions, like how to change a web address, what version of Windows they use (and no, double-paned is NOT the answer I'm wanting), or if they go to our or any website or get their emails through a program like Outlook Express. Simple things. I am, however, a lot more understanding with elderly customers who simply obtained computers for the purposes of talking to their children who seem to have an aversion to visits and phone calls. The technology is alien to them and can be a lot to take in. But again, if you're willing to learn and look around, you'll always find a teacher.
My customer was an elderly gentleman living somewhere in the "bread-basket" portion of the south, where the bulk of our customers call in from. The company I work for is huge and covers around 17 states or so, and is constantly expanding and buying out other service providers. The last biggest one we had bought out was C-- Communications, and several customers were frustrated at the changes in the conversion. But that conversion took place several months before my customer called in, so surely he's had ample time to cope... Right?
Me: theSannie, the brave little techie
OM: Old Man
Me: Good afternoon and thank you for calling S--------k Communications, my name is theSannie and I can help you!
OM: Well sweetheart, maybe you can, maybe you can't. I can't get online.
Me: I can help you with that. Let me just take a look at a few things and we'll get this all figured out.
I pull up his modem and take a look; the device is online with a good IP address, great speeds and solid signals. It says it's been online consistantly for the last 57 days and some odd hours.
Me: Well, sir, according to this, your modem is currently connected and online. When was the last time you were able to connect.
OM: Not since S--------k took over C-- six months ago.
Me: //_o
In his notes, the last time he called was when the conversion took place. He's current on his bill and hasn't called since. I wonder as to why it's taken him six months to call in about it, but who knows with some people.
Me: Okay sir, let's get crackin'. Go ahead and click on Internet Explorer. What message comes up when the page loads?
OM: It's asking me for a user-name and password to sign in, and I keep tryin', but it just won't go through. Do you know what logon information I need?
Well, our company provides cable internet which doesn't need a user name or password to connect to the internet with, so it sounds like he used to have dial-up, which isn't very odd as we tend to service many of the smaller-market towns in these states. But I'm pretty good at what I do, so I should be able to fix this.
Me: Well sir, our services are cable internet and we don't use a username or password; you should just be able to click on your web browser and be set to go, so let's check your settings.
And we go through it. His internet options are set to "Never Dial a Connection," his computer is showing the good ip address, I can ping him, he can ping out, he's only using the ethernet cord as opposed to ethernet and usb simultaneously, his version of Windows is up to date... There's nothing wrong as far as I can tell. After renewing his local area connection, adjusting his TCP/IP settings, releasing his IP address, rebooting his computer and power cycling his modem and coax cable, we start up the computer again only to see the same request for username and password. It's been well over thirty minutes and I'm nearly at my wit's end. The old man, thankfully, is calm, if not a little bored. Finally, I ask him to fully describe the message to me.
Rather than being a little box, it's the whole browser window and it's a dark cranberry color with the sign-on stuff in the middle. No links, no other buttons, Then a thought comes to me, as though the powers that be felt a twinge of compassion and pity for me.
Me: Sir, look up toward the top of your browser. Do you see a long white bar with a tiny blue E in it?
OM: Yes, I do.
Me: And do you see the letters 'HTTP' in there also?
OM: You bet, plain as day.
Me: Good, good. Read the letters that come after it to me, would you please?
OM: H T T P colon slash slash, dubya dubya dubya dot wemail dot c-- dot com. Nothin's changed, hon! That's the same dat-gum message I been gettin' for the past six months!
Me: ..........Sir? That's a webmail address. You're online. (Much like how the Wizard pointed out that each of them had what they were looking for within themselves and that Dorothy had always been able to go home, this old man had, in fact, been online all along.)
OM: Huh? No I'm not.
Me: Yes, you are. That sentence you read to me is an address for email. When you were with C--, did you have an email address with them?
OM: Yeah, so?
Me: So, this is the address to log into their email. But you don't HAVE email or services with them anymore, so your login information no longer WORKS there. You probably have this set as your home page so it comes up whenever you start up the internet.
OM: Well why didn't you change it when you took over my services?
He's starting to sound a little cross at this point, so I needed to work quickly to soothe his old and ruffled feathers. Over the next several minutes I teach him how to highlight the web address and delete it, a feat that proves to be very challenging as it takes several attempts. Once deleted, I direct him to our company's website for customers, Google, his city's local news website, as well as set that as his new homepage. I had solved his problem - he was now able to surf the internet and knew that he was, in fact, online. Problem solved, until...
Me: And that's that, sir! You're online and the more you play with it the more familiar you'll get with how to use everything. Is there anything else I can assist you with today?
OM: Well, no, I guess not, and thank you for showing me these places to go. I'll be sure to use 'em. But one more question.
Me: Sure, what's that?
OM: I can go to these websites at any time, but how do I know if I'm online?
Me: ....*head-desk*
~the end~
My customer was an elderly gentleman living somewhere in the "bread-basket" portion of the south, where the bulk of our customers call in from. The company I work for is huge and covers around 17 states or so, and is constantly expanding and buying out other service providers. The last biggest one we had bought out was C-- Communications, and several customers were frustrated at the changes in the conversion. But that conversion took place several months before my customer called in, so surely he's had ample time to cope... Right?
Me: theSannie, the brave little techie
OM: Old Man
Me: Good afternoon and thank you for calling S--------k Communications, my name is theSannie and I can help you!
OM: Well sweetheart, maybe you can, maybe you can't. I can't get online.
Me: I can help you with that. Let me just take a look at a few things and we'll get this all figured out.
I pull up his modem and take a look; the device is online with a good IP address, great speeds and solid signals. It says it's been online consistantly for the last 57 days and some odd hours.
Me: Well, sir, according to this, your modem is currently connected and online. When was the last time you were able to connect.
OM: Not since S--------k took over C-- six months ago.
Me: //_o
In his notes, the last time he called was when the conversion took place. He's current on his bill and hasn't called since. I wonder as to why it's taken him six months to call in about it, but who knows with some people.
Me: Okay sir, let's get crackin'. Go ahead and click on Internet Explorer. What message comes up when the page loads?
OM: It's asking me for a user-name and password to sign in, and I keep tryin', but it just won't go through. Do you know what logon information I need?
Well, our company provides cable internet which doesn't need a user name or password to connect to the internet with, so it sounds like he used to have dial-up, which isn't very odd as we tend to service many of the smaller-market towns in these states. But I'm pretty good at what I do, so I should be able to fix this.
Me: Well sir, our services are cable internet and we don't use a username or password; you should just be able to click on your web browser and be set to go, so let's check your settings.
And we go through it. His internet options are set to "Never Dial a Connection," his computer is showing the good ip address, I can ping him, he can ping out, he's only using the ethernet cord as opposed to ethernet and usb simultaneously, his version of Windows is up to date... There's nothing wrong as far as I can tell. After renewing his local area connection, adjusting his TCP/IP settings, releasing his IP address, rebooting his computer and power cycling his modem and coax cable, we start up the computer again only to see the same request for username and password. It's been well over thirty minutes and I'm nearly at my wit's end. The old man, thankfully, is calm, if not a little bored. Finally, I ask him to fully describe the message to me.
Rather than being a little box, it's the whole browser window and it's a dark cranberry color with the sign-on stuff in the middle. No links, no other buttons, Then a thought comes to me, as though the powers that be felt a twinge of compassion and pity for me.
Me: Sir, look up toward the top of your browser. Do you see a long white bar with a tiny blue E in it?
OM: Yes, I do.
Me: And do you see the letters 'HTTP' in there also?
OM: You bet, plain as day.
Me: Good, good. Read the letters that come after it to me, would you please?
OM: H T T P colon slash slash, dubya dubya dubya dot wemail dot c-- dot com. Nothin's changed, hon! That's the same dat-gum message I been gettin' for the past six months!
Me: ..........Sir? That's a webmail address. You're online. (Much like how the Wizard pointed out that each of them had what they were looking for within themselves and that Dorothy had always been able to go home, this old man had, in fact, been online all along.)
OM: Huh? No I'm not.
Me: Yes, you are. That sentence you read to me is an address for email. When you were with C--, did you have an email address with them?
OM: Yeah, so?
Me: So, this is the address to log into their email. But you don't HAVE email or services with them anymore, so your login information no longer WORKS there. You probably have this set as your home page so it comes up whenever you start up the internet.
OM: Well why didn't you change it when you took over my services?
He's starting to sound a little cross at this point, so I needed to work quickly to soothe his old and ruffled feathers. Over the next several minutes I teach him how to highlight the web address and delete it, a feat that proves to be very challenging as it takes several attempts. Once deleted, I direct him to our company's website for customers, Google, his city's local news website, as well as set that as his new homepage. I had solved his problem - he was now able to surf the internet and knew that he was, in fact, online. Problem solved, until...
Me: And that's that, sir! You're online and the more you play with it the more familiar you'll get with how to use everything. Is there anything else I can assist you with today?
OM: Well, no, I guess not, and thank you for showing me these places to go. I'll be sure to use 'em. But one more question.
Me: Sure, what's that?
OM: I can go to these websites at any time, but how do I know if I'm online?
Me: ....*head-desk*
~the end~
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