Helpdesk (wakeup!!!)

[Lucas Buck]

Hi my soon to be former iburst users.
What to you guys think the approriate length of time should be between delivering your e-mail query and ibursts helpdesk responding to that e-mail query.
If I was dealing with a telcom, vodacom, mnt etc I would expect any telephonic queries to be answered promptly.
When dealing with an isp and seeing that the technology is at their fingertips shouldn't e-mail queries be handled promptly and efficiently.
Even an mail saying that they received your mail and are working on the problem should do, instead of the lack of response from them.
Are there no standards when dealing with customers at wbs?

 

[TheRoDent]

Yes, there is a standard when dealing with customers at WBS.

It's called, mushroom treatment.

"Keep them in the dark and throw … [fertilizer] … over them"

 

[Simple Twist Of Fate]

I got this morning in my mail from WBS a noread??????
now what on earth is a no read? a no-read receipt?

so my reply was as follows :
Good day,
What is a "not read" ?
If I email the help desk its beacause i feel that i have a ligitimate
problem, please do the courtesy of giving me an appropriate reply.

Regards

ps: we all serve each other man
or do you not ever go to a butchery? a baker ? stand in a banks qeue?
a no read or no reply is the same as ignoring someone.
just like if i TYPED LIKE THIS IT MEANS I AM SHOUTING

cMON GUYS be nice!!!!!
The last time i spoke to thabo he said hed phone me back,
I am still waiting.......................................



----- Original Message -----
From: "Helpdesk" <helpdesk@wbsmobile.co.za>
To: "'8888'" <88888@wirelessza.co.za>
Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2005 12:51 PM
Subject: Not read: web browsing

 

[slimothy]

its not that nobody can handle the email, i'm sure they could but I think management wants all responses to go through them or something, they don't give staff leeway because of previous miscommunications (or lack thereof)

even if you get a reply, which you don't but if you did it would be a pretty generic template email that says they will sort it out, nothing really substantial

 

[TheRoDent]

"Not read", typically means that your message was deleted without being read, when you requested a read receipt.

 

[LandyMan]

"Not read", typically means that your message was deleted without being read, when you requested a read receipt.

Not always (as discussed somewhere else). A "Not Read" or "Deleted without reading" might mean that they open the mail in a preview pane (if using Outlook), have a look at it, and decide **** the customer, and then delete it. So, it is more a case of reading and not responding than "not read"

 

[Simple Twist Of Fate]

so what the bottom line is, is that no-one gives a damn. and either customers are irritating or not necessary..............??
or maybe just certain customers?
maybe theirs a list up liek a hot credit card list at the petrol station..... they check the user naME against the list and if its on the list its zero the hero

 

[Simple Twist Of Fate]

i think the non-reply customer service issue needs to go to IT WEB !!!!!

i have patience but i am right at the end of it atm, it is absolutely pathetic

 

[Lucas Buck]

The first time I phoned today with my problem they gave me the e-mail address of some guy and said that I should contact him. I mailed him and after not getting a response I phoned them again and they put me in contact with a woman who told me that I should mail her with my problem. I sent those e-mails at around 10h00 and 11h00 I'm still waiting on a reply.
It could be that the accounts department is so inundated with new customers opening up accounts that they can't handle one customer who is having problems when trying to terminate his iburst account...

 

[rebel]

Guys, just accept the fact that WBS doesn't give a damn about it's customers. This morning I couldn't connect so I assumed that there was a problem but I didn't bother calling them cause I know they don't care.

We'll all have to wait till we get some decent broadband from someone else. Maybe the SNO???

 

[Tjh]

Yes, there is a standard when dealing with customers at WBS.

It's called, mushroom treatment.

"Keep them in the dark and throw … [fertilizer] … over them"

Actually, you'd be suprised how hard it is to grow mushrooms... well, certain types of mushrooms

First you gotta incubate your containers in a pressure boiler. then you gotta make your spore syringe. Then you got mix the spore syringe in with vermiculite and other things.

I could go on...

 

[Simple Twist Of Fate]

its just

ITS also true that sublife-forms grow in the dark.
Darkness is absence of light.
Light means truth
so, the expression being kept in the dark has roots.

WBS believe the opposite- "no news is good news"

Unfortunately darkness breeds mistrust,speculation and foreboding.

I WAS (past tense) a very happy Iburster, but like a lot of other people I have changed my mind.

People say "dont sweat the small stuff" but helpdesk fiasco's are the smalll stuffs that akin to the small flame to a petrol bowser.

I never fail to compliment good service, an example of which is such:

A few years ago i was doing some contractual work at a large Company in Richards Bay.
The switchboard lady was very helpful, and one of my first rules in business on anything that is related to sales is to get the switchboard operaters name.

I get to know them and make them my friends....
anyway...

On several occasions i needed to get hold of a Client who was somewhere in the factory, and this lady always made it her job by memorizing where people were, by the last extension that they dialed from.

She always went out of her way to locate someone for me, and this place was huge and noisy and spread out over a very large area.
Her telephone manners were immaculate, she answered clearly, by the book
she understood that a company,s first point of contact is in reception or on the reception phone.
If on a rare occasion she could not get hold of someone, she waited till they were available, phoned me back and connected me to the person i needed.

NOW THATS WOOT!!!!

So one day I asked her who her boss was and I sent him a very concise complimentary email praising her.

She was overjoyed and a few months later was promoted, a good one too!!!
Now dont get me wrong I am sure other people within her organisation noticed her, but it must have helped.

Now if WBS could hire the right people perhaps they would get some praise.

WBS PLEASE READ THIS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[SupaMonkey]

The funny thing about the WBS helpdesk is that e-Mail support is pointless when it comes to them. I can recall one time they replied to my e-Mail (didnt actually help, but replied) and that was when i first started with them.
Sometimes I get read receipts, sometimes I dont, sometimes you get the lovely ones that said 'not read'.
Moral of the story: Don't bother with WBS e-Mail support

[+-copy/paste from another thread]
I have phoned them on numerous occassions and the have never been able to help me (save once, which was a newbie question since I was unfamiliar with iBurst "workarounds" instead of solutions.)

In any case, off the top of my head, I can recall about 5 times when I spent about +20minutes on hold only to get told: "Sorry, I can't help you, someone will get back to you". They take down my details, and never get back to me (even if I follow up, they give me the same story that someone would get back to me).
Moral of the Story: If you have a basic "FAQ" then the telephone helpdesk will probably be able to help you- as I am sure most of them just check up on their FAQ system or the like. Other than that? Chances are your screwed ;/

Luckily my connection actually works and I don't have to phone them often and only do when something is REALLY ticking me off (eg: SMTP crap, but had to find my own workaround for that cos once again "someone would get back to me" and they never did).

 

[Simple Twist Of Fate]

I think the correct term is "window dressing"

A flash thingy website with all the gizmo gadgets to impress the shy_t out of prospective corporates.

But email support- no reply
forum : - to be continued...........will be available shortly
er logon details? - well did wbs ever take the trouble to advise new comers how to access their account and change the default: (Ian somebody) to there own details?
They didint tell me !!--- it seems they need the info to be able to contact there huge customer base, but they dont use it.
Like the April 23-24 fiasco disconnection uproar, most guys didnt get warning, coz nobody told customers to please register onthe website.

erm News : last recent news February 27.........................4 months no news?

That is window dressing.........its like The Difference between Cubic Zirconia and Diamonds!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Simple Twist Of Fate]

The Saga Continues- MR MTSHALI EMAILS ME

Hi, Mr Mtshali

Thankyou for your quick response.

A few days ago I had a connectivity problem in that i could not access web pages from 22h00 until the following morning, AT AROUND 08HH0
There was no notification on the Iburst website with regard to a outtage of such length.
I emailed your helpdesk and all i get back is a blank email with a "noread" message, which means that the email was dismissed as being un-important to your company.

I tried again 3-4 times and got the same response.

I also had a look on the myadsl web page and to my amazement I find many people very unhappy with the service from the helpdesk particulaly in respect to emails.

I felt that you should be made aware of this fact.
That certain basic customer care protocols that are the norm in any business are apparently being flagrantly disregarded.

I trust that you will make the necessary implementations to ensure that IBURST customers are treated with respect.

Thanking you

*.*.*


----- Original Message -----
From: Thami Mtshali
To: '$$$$$'
Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2005 8:15 PM
Subject: RE: noread receipts

Richard are you having any problems or can I help with any issue

________________________________________
From: %%%%%% [mailto:%%%%@#####.co.za]
Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2005 4:28 PM
To: Helpdesk
Cc: thami.mtshali@wbsmobile.co.za; sasan.parvin@wbsmobile.co.za
Subject: noread receipts

Dear Sirs,

After trying several times to get a response from your helpdesk, with some queries and getting blank email
replies with "no-read" receipts, I no longer wish to be contacted by your helpdesk by email.

thankyou
*>*>*


HMMMMM he didint read the question though.................


flames

 

[seburn]

It probably wasn't a general outage rather a all ppl not in close range outage. I get them almost 24/7 somedays I get an hour use others more some none.

I was just wondering whether WBS expects me to pay for this while waiting for the tech support to get back to me. But I am a tolerant person and have patience not matched by many.

If this is not retified by the end of next week I will demand a full refund of all the moneys paid (in proportion to the recorded service usage time). A refund for the UTD and arial. I will also post my extensive Log file to this site for everyone to see

 

[Jongi]

I phoned the helpdesk on Monday. When I mentioned I had sent an e-mail, the guy laughed. He sounded pretty low on morale as well. He wwouldn't disclose why he laughed though

 

[Simple Twist Of Fate]

I phoned the helpdesk on Monday. When I mentioned I had sent an e-mail, the guy laughed. He sounded pretty low on morale as well. He wwouldn't disclose why he laughed though

He LAUGHED ?

you mean like "dude you have no idea"
or"email ? wazzat?
or" u krazy sending emails here?"
or" are you mad?"

or "shame"
Was it a snigger or a loud Guffaw? I hope you recorded it ?

 

[Alter]

Can we do like a customer take over off the WBS, get rid off the get rich quick ppl and start over with some actual management
Only in my wildest dreams...

 

[LoneGunman]

only time I got a response via email was when I sent my 'cancellation of Iburst' mail in - a certain person sent mail back asking in effect 'what can we do to keep you as a customer'. I could have torn them a new one, instead - given that my adsl was running beautifully - I just said 'thanks but I've made other arrangements - and should your service improve and your prices come down to a competitive level, I'll consider using your technology again, but for now, sorry.'

I havent had an 'angry' internet moment since I left IBurst - if you can afford it, or can arrange it, and are having a lousy stress-filled IBurst experience - the best thing you guys can do for your blood pressure and general happiness, is move from IBurst.

The alternatives may cost a little more, but the peace of mind gained, where you just have good internet service 24/7, no having to deal with an incompetent helpdesk (actually, there's very little need at all, to speak to a helpdesk in the first place), no workarounds needed - just the net you're paying for - is an amazingly relaxing experience.
I realise now that most of my IBurst experience was an ongoing experiment in masochism.

Iburst is clearly very happy behaving as it is behaving. Nothing anyone can say, write or complain about - will make the company change. As long as you keep paying them each month, they'll continue in the same way, like Sentech before them.