ADSL9.06.2016

Crazy requests from ADSL subscribers

Angry caller

Internet service provider helpdesk agents have a challenging job, having to deal with angry clients every day.

While this anger is sometimes justified because of network downtime or billing problems, customers also put forward unreasonable requests.

MyBroadband asked some of South Africa’s prominent Internet service providers for the craziest requests and stories they have had to deal with.

Here are some of the strangest cases which ISP helpdesk agents encountered.


One client, quite nonchalantly during a support call, described to a helpdesk consultant how she had killed an intruder in her house.

“We don’t know why she mentioned it, but our consultant was extremely disturbed after the call.”

Murder


One client was furious at his ISP because his ADSL went down, and he could not receive emails.

The only problem was that the ISP was only his hosting provider, while he received his ADSL service from Telkom directly.

Confused


One ADSL subscriber refused to let a Telkom technician into her house unless he removed his shoes. However, technicians are forbidden to do so for safety reasons.

No shoes


One mobile client dropped their MiFi router in the sink while shaving, and tried to claim a replacement under warranty because he said it “should have been waterproof”.

MiFi router


A less-informed ADSL subscriber asked his ISP how he could connect his keyboard and printer to his cloud server.

Cloud


One angry client who purchased an uncapped ADSL account demanded to speak to management, because he did not receive his mobile phone.

It took some time to explain the difference between ADSL, mobile data, and phones to the client.

Angry man with cellphone


One ADSL customer called her ISP, saying she had no electricity and wanted her ISP to call the City of Cape Town, because her Internet was down and she could not Google the number.

University of Cape Town UCT


A broadband subscriber called her ISP, informing them she had just downloaded the “Internet” and wanted to know how to use it.

Africa Internet plugged


One helpdesk agent was asked by a struggling subscriber how to get the circle around the letter “a” (@) when typing an email address.

Whaling email attack


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