lack of support and REFUSAL of service

Well, once again, the ever so present "Silent L" has appeared to rant about "the total lack of support" or "rude-because-support-said-no".

I've been doing support for the last number of years (waaay to long) and people seem to get really really really really agitated the moment that a support person does not bend over to accept their "input" on how something MUST be done. I have had countless times had to say no to a customer over the phone.

For the most part, I've been quite capable of talking the person off of their furniture and back down to earth, where one's brain receives much more oxygen to help support higher thought. Once in a while thou, I would find the one individual that, no matter how much effort I could put into either find an alternative or workaround to a policy or limitation that we were faced with (myself and the customer), they would not accept my answer in any way. Infact, the word "no" seemed to cause some primal instinct to be enacted and cause said individual to abandon all thought or logic. They could only began the mantra of the "I want to talk to your supervisor."

Now, before ppl accuse me of coming to LL's defense, none of us were on the line with Trifen and Michael. Now having said this, from my own experience, Michael is generally a very agreeable person who is fairly pleasent and to the point. Every dealing I have had with Michael has been always dealt with in a very expediant maner and done so professionally. Unless aliens abducted him, and replaced him with a cranky clone, or he's just ultra-cranky from being attacked by the onset of radioactive flees, I can't see it being as bad as you claim Trifen.

Finally, as for the supervisor part, well, without going much higher, I think we could assume Robin would be probably make a fair person to talk to, unless you feel so self important that you want to speak to Phillip himself. Considering she has enlightened us to their capabilities and policies, well, it looks like you've gotten your response from "the supervisor". Furthermore, by Michael saying no to talking to his supervisor, there are two aspects to this. He knew exactly what the answer would be and he didn't want to waste, your time, his time and whomever his supervisor is.

It often annoys me to see individuals go on tangets because a support person said no. Even moreover, that person go to a public forum, and start an entire thread, dedicated to demeaning the specific individual. I've done support for way to long, and just the sight of a thread like this, bashing a helpline/liason is just horrible. Sure, you can lobby the company, but this to me is crazy.

I should just be quiet now, otherwise I'll just keep on ranting and ranting and ranting and ranting... Trust me, I could Just my own opinion on the whole thing

On a second thought, I am defending someone, Michael. Hmm, interesting. Remember Michael, us support people stick together

Oh, and for one specific other helpdesker (well, ex, the lucky *BEEP*), all I haveta to say is Stadola! "blah blah blah, I vant to speak to your manager!"

Lessons learned:

1.
Before buying large amounts of land, pay your bills and make sure you can put the expense on ONE card.

2.
Before blasting users who post thier experiences and tell them that they should've "READ THE FRIGGIN POST", you should probably read it yourself.


Have a nice day.

Wow, I don’t log into forums so i will be extremely delayed in responses, first of all thanks Billy for your help and lisse no it wont be back on the market, the facts is not as much the request to split the cost (not the only purchase this month) I have spent over 3k this month alone and I cant always throw it on one card. The part that infuriated me the most was when someone not in the department I needed to be speaking to (billing) tells me no I cant speak to someone to clarify a situation. The person I needed to speak to DOES exist his name is Daniel linden, so there was someone to talk to (might have been out of the office but still) also if anyone in any customer support tells you no and its about an issue they are sposta handle that’s stomach able, but when they tell you no they WILL NOT allow you to talk to the correct people that’s worthless. I am just asking for input on others experiences, personal attacks are pointless. if you don’t have anything constructive, I just skip over the flames.

Originally Posted by Robin Linden
The issue is not one of poor support, or Michael's unwillingness to help. The problem is that our system is set up for one credit card per account. We do this for a variety of reasons, but the reality is that currently we can't split a payment across two credit cards (although we could do it across two accounts, which would have meant in this case trying to then divide up the land so it could be claimed by two accounts).

It's our general policy to be as creative as we can in coming up with solutions to accommodate people's various billing issues. Sometimes we're more successful than others.


Robin in this case your wrong, the issue was one of poor support, Michael was not totally unwilling to help, more like unwilling to direct me to the proper help. And yes there is a terrible problem with having one credit card per account (which I have called and made arrangements before without problem) also i don’t think it would take much creativity to help me in this case,. Hiding behind policy designed to negate blame is pathetic.

Now that I am getting on the bad side of all the lindens I am sure my support will increase!

I had in the past arranged for duel payment without problem, so it IS possible and HAS been done before (not my Michael) so I figured such a small nit company like LL could handle taking my call and doing it again (Michael even told me they could if I called before billing) but I wasn’t allowed time to call (called the first day LL was open after the auction). I can handle no,.. and if that’s what I end up with so be it, but I was refused to talk to the correct person, I am sure if you tech people are called and they ask to speak to another department that you don’t take care of, you direct them there, or do you say no submit a letter in writing?

For the email stuff I am going to email my experience in the form of a complaint. I am not complaining about being told to email (which was bs on its own)

I just have terrible problems with any form of support other then from in game customers! I get more help from players then lindens, I just wish a player could help me now

So simply put their system CAN AND DOES handle my request, there IS a person I need to talk to, and all the time I have to post here to get my first non Michael, linden contact in a week!

If your response is a defense of LL don’t bother, they on the whole are doing a good job!
If your response is about your experience then I want to hear it! Just trying to find out if this is an individual issue or if it extends into the rest of the community, and if so it needs to be addressed if not, who cares about trifen!

Robin, i wasnt aware you were on the line with Trifen when this occured. When did you speak directly with Trifen about this issue? In this particular case your point only advances Trifen's views in my opinion beyond the issue of the credit cards, considering that the secondary card is already in your system, but that option wasn't even offered by Michael to him - if he even knew about it. I don't consider it a creative solution to say, "There is nothing we can do, and no you can't speak to anyone actually in control of the decision because that might actually lead us into action, or allow us to understand your request's point of view and you ours." Maybe thats my own ignorance about the plight of customer support, but I don't see it as as too much to ask.

If you want my experience with michael i'll sum it up in a word:

amazed.

He has never failed to do whatever he could to help out a problem. I have never not even in the slightest way had anything but the best service and support from him. And i don't have any reason to believe i ever well. On many occasions he has not been able to *do* specifically what i wished, but in those occasions he has been more than willing to explain *why* when i asked.

It honestly sounds to me like you heard no and then the ears shut down and the mouth started movin. You didn't hear him offer an explanation because you didn't want to hear anything other than they could do it. It is not impossible i would imagine that there is *SOME* way to do it.. but if michael has never done it before. and as robin has said the *POLICY* is that it is never done, not ever.. you can't exactly blame him for 'not trying'


i have a *REAL* problem with people like this.. people who think they deserve to have the rules broken in their favor. People who think they can just keep shouting and shouting until those nos turn into yesses.

I applaud michael for how he obviosuly tried to direct someone who is obviously a problem customer (demanding a rule/system be broken for *THEM*, the stereotypical support problem customer). And yet even you admit mantained his calm and resolve.

We have no idea how many of these grating calls michael, or any of the other lindens has to go through a day and let me tell you i don't envy them that mess. The fact that they can stay calm, composed, and try to help people inspite of it, speaks more about their true character than *anything* coming from a bad customer rant

Okay. When I am wrong. I admit it.. I didn't read the freaking post.

My bust. That's what happens somtimes. Anyone else want to take a shot... go for it. I deserve it.

Back to your regularly scheduled rant/bitch session/thread.

Tried to direct him how? What rule/system? I thought Trifen's whole original point was that Michael did not maintain a calm and resolved disposition but instead was unfairly vague and completely unhelpful to the point of inspiring significant rantings. lol.

hehe I am starting to have fun laughing at all these misguided people,. Michael and my conversation were on both sides "calm" it wasn’t a yelling match. I am saying I wasn’t allowed to talk to the person I needed,... that’s the problem. I was getting an answer from someone I felt wasn’t the person who should be telling me what someone else said while I was on hold,. (Just transfer me!) I needed support from someone besides him all together. Its simple

Wherever you read into the problem you need to calm down, I am asking for situations with him,. If you don’t have anything to add except misguided stupid remarks don’t post! if its something positive feel free! I want to know but lets get off my reason for having a negative view and get to everyone else’s view thanks


dont read too much into it buddy

When I was a soldier in Artillery we called this maneuver 'redirecting fire or adjust fire'

The one thing that bothers me about this entire thing is how does one exactly stonewall you from not getting transferred?

"Hello, could I be transferred to billing please?"

"no."

"Why not?"

"Because it's a Tuesday".


...

Failing that, you could hang up, call back 15 minutes later, and right away ask to be transferred to billing. Simple.

FURTHERMORE, why the heck would a support person stonewall anyone anyways? I work in retail, and part of my job is fielding calls from unhappy customers that can't get their equipment to work right. It's usually my first instinct to dump the problem onto someone else, not hold them on the line for no particular reason at all. And that's how, I bet, most support folks would do too.

Maybe Michael was just lonely that day.

This whole thing is weird.

LF

Yup! Many of us call it "SEP", its sometimes used as a verb, sometimes an adjictive. Here'sa few examples of "SEP" being used in a converstation:

Support Guy A: "So this guy called up, said the pop machine wasn't working and it ate his change..."
Support Guy B: "So did you tell him you were a helpdesk for computer problems only?"
Support Guy A: "Hell no! I SEPed that sucker over to the cafeterea! Hope they were the right people!"

Or

Support Guy A: "Yeah, that last call is definately a SEP. I SEPed them right away."
Support Guy B: "Jeez man, you're the master of SEPing..."

Now, whats SEP stand for? "Someone Else's Problem". Another phrase we often call it is "Hot Potato", "Passing the Buck", et cetra. Do I need to go on? Its soo much easier to SEP something than it is to say no. The only time I ever say no is when there is truely nothing anyone can do for their poor soul.

Hmm, yesterday I called LL, what did Michael do when I called? He SEPed me baby (Oh, and it was the right person I ended up with anyways )

Quite yer bitchen and go the fuck away. They don't split credit card payments....many places don't and won't split credit card payments. Did you think to ask before you bid? No, of course you didn't because its all about you and what you want. You FELT that michael wasn't the person that you should be speaking with....thats fucking rich. What did you expect Phillip to come running to your aid because you were misguided in thinking they would change policy for you? You sir win the Asshat of the week award.

Just be happy you even got contact from a live person. Everywhere else, you'd be directed to India.

GO TALEN!!!!

Will you go out with me

Anyone ever notice how eager (D)exlax FairPlay always is to jump on the Lindens and bad mouth SL. Here is an idea. Get the hell out. I can't understand why folks who don't like it here insist on hanging around. So, just go away. I don't want you in MY SL. Beat it. Scram. Vamanos. LEAVE!

Sorry if I sound harsh, but I am potty training, and it is SOOOOO stressfull. Sniff.

Heh, why did you mutilate my name like that? Im sorry my opinions differ from yours :`(

Just because i have very specific complaints about the customer support of linden labs doesnt mean i don't absolutely applaud them for what they have accomplished. I absolutely love SL and do think it currently is the best massively multiplayer game out there. That doesn't make everyone connected to it and everything they do perfect. Do you feel better having vented your obviously significant frustrations on me?

Trifen,

Thanks for responding and being civil about it.


Um, doesn't your parenthetic addition contradict your second sentence?

Did you miss my comment, Trifen? You said you were directed to email. You didn't email. Now you're emailing to complain. Lindens are very responsive to email but instead of going that route you choose to complain rather than try what Michael suggested.

I am very skeptical of what you're saying for one reason, Trifen -

- You posted on a public forum.

This isn't a joke, Trifen. This isn't like whining about land barons or griefers in the game. You're accusing an employee of "appalling" actions to the entire customer base. It's demeaning, innappropriate, and outright mean. What is your intent? To get Michael suspended or fired? If you say the phone call was civil then you just seem to be reacting very poorly to being told no.

If you go to McDonalds and ask for a Whopper, the clerk should hopefully be kind and offer a Big Mac or Quarter Pounder. If you still demand the Whopper, the clerk may apologize, say they don't sell whoppers. If you demand the manager, and it's a busy day, you know what? You ain't getting the manager. The clerk may STILL be kind to you and give you a way to reach the manager when he is less busy.

You, Trifen, are this customer. But instead of reaching the manager as suggested, you are blaming the clerk. Have you ever worked retail or customer support?

Yes, I feel better. At least till the next potty session. *shudder*.

Is he really? Or did he point out a specific instance where he felt customer service was badly lacking and choose to share it with the community regardless of potential recourse by people like you so as to recieve feedback on the person that not only unsatisfactorily served him but who also refused to allow him to speak to any type of supervisor/manager. In fact, michael requested it of him in writing and I think the forums are a wise location to vent that frustration.

P.S. GL Devlin =P

Only if you'll fill in my partner box

You have a box? I thought you were a guy.

I'm not a 14 year old girl but I play one on the internet

talen,
what part of anything you said was helpful? I fail to see anything, thanks for your post you further support the idea of morons who need to read before they post.

Originally Posted by Talen Morgan
Quite yer bitchen and go the fuck away. They don't split credit card payments....many places don't and won't split credit card payments. Did you think to ask before you bid? No, of course you didn't because its all about you and what you want. You FELT that michael wasn't the person that you should be speaking with....thats fucking rich. What did you expect Phillip to come running to your aid because you were misguided in thinking they would change policy for you? You sir win the Asshat of the week award.

first of all I will "bitch" A.K.A seek others views on such a matter, as much as I want. that statement was just stupid. next if you had read the post before you would realize that they DO AND HAVE split payment for me in the past and I was told they would do it again. so to answer the next part, did i ask- yes. how you decide what happened and how any of the event happened is beyond me. yes I did FEEL that he wasn’t the person i needed to speak with, the second he put me on hold to talk to billing (he is support not billing) so I KNOW and felt I needed to speak to another (this is all pre-mentioned I am just recovering it to catch up the thick headed). hehe and I haven’t ever met Phillip linden but if that’s who I needed thats who I should have gotten. haha you rule with your ass hat award I think you won that hands down! I will also add you to the Darwin awards for moron of the minute (I try not to name call its so childish but this guys gota have something loose so why not laugh at him!) and what policy did you decide I was trying to get changed for me? o that’s right none.


hey hiro,
you were a little better in your method of attack but first let me start with, this is my experience, I would prefer to have the reason I started this post answered rather then people making up some weird story and posting crap that is irrelevant. but your analogy is perfect for a case of the customer being irrational, and the answer is reasonable. but let me give you one that better represents this situation. you go to McDonalds and ask for a quarter pounder w/ cheese. the clerk says we already have a burger made w/o cheese and the cook told me to give you this burger, you will take it and like it. wouldn’t you think hey I should get what i ordered unless they just don’t have cheese, which they do,. (then you think) lets talk to someone that might be able to help, maybe even someone in the department telling clerk,.. ok clerk can I talk to the cook or manager? the clerk saying NO, I told you what they said that’s good enough. if you want cheese write us an email requesting your cheese, and and/or manager/cook, but the cook said no and I wont let you talk to him. don’t forget that we already charged you for the burger. so if you request the cheese it wouldn’t be able to be eaten with that meal it would be postponed and thus worthless in the end, unless you had a cheese craving.

then you post your experience on the McDonalds forum, all these people come out of the wood working to flame you for asking about what has been done in the past or present, and if anyone else is missing any cheese.

now I am hungry and hopefully satisfied your need for analogies
In this situation what would you do hiro?

but once again I would like to see others experiences, and not explain my own for the 8th time.

please post your experiences with linden labs support,. Esp. anything to do with Michael rather is positive or negative. that’s what this post is about

I did read your post before I even comprehended it...by the way I wasn't trying to be helpful.



It's not policy and because someone worked with you in the past gives you no right to be pissed at another Linden going by policy.




Policy is that everyone has a credit card attached to their account and that is the usual means of payment. Robin even stated that it is NOT something they are equiped to do and not something they do ...some one was obviously nice before ( the Lindens will work with people and Robin even said they sometimes come up with creative solutions) but its not policy to do this.

If you would have come in here plainly stating that you contacted LL to see if you could use a payment option you have used before and you thought you got inadequate service then no one would think you an asshat.

Instead you came in here denigrating an LL employee that was doing his job and then you ask other people to do the same by posting their experiences with said employee so you can submit it as a complaint. That my friend is utter bullshit. If you have a problem then make a complaint don't try to drag everyone else into your hissy fit. Which all leads back to the preceding point. THIS IS NOT LL POLICY TO SPLIT CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS as Robin pointed out they are not set up to do.