[thelist] This ISP has got the idea!!

Erika Meyer meyer at up.edu
Wed Oct 18 15:18:07 CDT 2000


>yet they can barely find the power button on their machine, let 
>alone understand that the modem uses the phone line to connect to 
>the Internet,

how do you learn, but by doing?

>or how a browser works.

how DOES a browser work?

>   Many of them expected us to give them tech support for their whole 
>computer, or TEACH them how to use the Internet once they signed up.

Many ISPs provide these services (particularly the latter) via free 
classes it's a "value added" service.

>  Then imagine me explaining to him that you connect to the net and 
>start browsing or using email and he says "Ok how do I do all that 
>stuff?".

you didn't expect this?

>WE should be holding his hand all the way and guide him throughout 
>the entire Internet..  yep.. that's what we should do.

it's called "customer service."

At this point I should say I've never worked in tech support and I do 
hear it's the job from hell.  But if you can't remember the last time 
a computer made YOU feel stupid, maybe you've been doing this so 
long, or do it so well, that you are unable to be sympathetic to 
beginners.

The fact is that the Internet is important, it is not an exclusive 
club, and if an ISP wants new customers, it will have to figure out 
what to do about new users.

>I've heard customers say things that would make you cry, and I've 
>had to listen to countless customers bitch at me because THEY didn't 
>do their research, and they expected everything to just work 
>perfectly the first time without any involvement or research by them.

I've had my ISP insist that I couldn't get mail because I didn't have 
my preferences set correctly, when in fact the problem was on their 
end.  I've had my site go down and the guys are at their other job 
and can't be reached by phone.

>hordes of people that are rushing to the Internet like lemmings to a cliff..

You think people should be given some kind of intelligence test 
before they're allowed to dial in?

>  It's all about pandering to your target market.

I don't know about the word "pandering," but otherwise, I agree.

Erika




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