Just a non-life threatening nonsense rant

[elusivek]

Why do ALL tech supports assume customers are stupid?

I have a Withings Activité watch, though I left it lying around for the last 6 months. Now the leather wristband is all moldy (which I've removed and washed out and put out under the sun to dry for bit, then will put it in the shade; it's leather after all). The batteries needed to be changed, so I did, and I had to calibrate the hands. And that's when I found out something wasn't right - the hour hand was stuck and couldn't move.

Hi, I have a Withings Activité which I bought just over a year ago (May 2015). After I replaced the battery, when I tried to calibrate the watch hands, I found out the hour hand is stuck. The minute hand and the motion hand works when calibrating. It's just the hour hand. You can see it is trying to move as I slide the dial during calibration, but it is just stuck.
Is there anything else I can try?
Thanks

And so I wait for a reply...

Hello,

We are sorry to hear of the issue that you are experiencing with your Activité Pop. To check if the hands are becoming stuck or coming in contact with one another, please go to the watch calibration screen in the Health Mate app (Menu->My Devices->Select the watch->'Set the time' and then select 'Start.' Make sure that the watch is right next to your mobile device when doing this to ensure a reliable Bluetooth connection. From here:

Turn the dial so that the minute hand passes the '12' marker twice in the clockwise direction and then twice in the counter clockwise direction. If the hand is able to move all the way around twice, set the minute hand at '12' and then select 'Next'

Turn the dial so that the hour hand passes the '12' marker twice in the clockwise direction and then twice in the counter clockwise direction. If the hand is able to move all the way around twice, set the hour hand at '12' and then select 'Next'
You can now perform the same test with the Activity hand.

Turn the dial so that the Activity hand goes as far left and then as far right as it can. Repeat this twice and then set the hand to '0.' You can now complete the calibration process.

Let us know if the hands become stuck during this test. If one of the hands does become stuck, let us know which hand it is.

Best regards,


They send me an email to try a series of steps (which I've done already) and ask me what the problem is or where the problem lies (which I've told them as well). They even got the product I was writing them about wrong. WTF.

It's the same thing with my workplace's IT department. I call Helpdesk explaining for some funny reason my computer can login to the company domain, can access the internet, can access the network printer, but can't access the network sharedrive and the printer/copier can't scan & write to a folder in my computer (which was working just the day before).

I've tried the usual steps - reboot PC, disconnect all lines and connect again, try logging into another computer, try to scan to another computer, etc... and I've listed every one of those steps I've done.

Techie comes, and says, "You know, we're not really supposed to use the internet at work," and I look at the jobsheet and see the job request - "user cannot go to internet" (don't mind the funny English)

WTF?

Comments

[deadlevel.livejournal.com]

Why do ALL tech supports assume customers are stupid?

because most probably are. haha.

i bet they have a bunch of canned responses they are supposed to give when anyone mentions a certain topic.

so annoying to deal with. hope you manage to get your device working!

[notte0.livejournal.com]

that's why I think they haven't actually read the content of my email, and that's really frustrating.

Now they ask me for some identifying information (product mac ID and whatnot), which, on their "contact us" form, I've already input that information already. So, I don't know. What do I know, i'm just a customer.

fingers crossed it's something that can be fixed. I'm not looking for a free replacement. I don't mind sending it in and paying for repairs. Just... make it work.... haha I sound desperate LOL

[deadlevel.livejournal.com]

my experience with mac support was pretty bad. this guy had no answers to any of my questions and kept telling me to make a 'genus bar' appointment... 'genius bar' is what he meant, apparently. but still. wtf is that? then he was like 'hope you have a wonderful day'. yeah cool, that's not the kind of support i needed though.

[quirkycricket.livejournal.com]

I think techies are that way because it's rare to find someone who know what they're doing.

[notte0.livejournal.com]

I'm sure the ones at my workplace are as you have said. There was only one good guy that I've met, but then he couldn't take the pressure of some work-politics matter and soon he left. Ah, big big pity.

[kayaiem.livejournal.com]

as someone whose job is to troubleshoot and debug, I understand that it can be very frustrating to be treated like a stupid by tech support or otherwise, but the preliminary thing to do is always to tell them how to do the simple things.

Because as tech support, they don't want to start in on the tough stuff and skip the easy peasy stuff, only because finding out later that it was a simple issue is a mega waste of time.

I hope you get to sort it out :)

[notte0.livejournal.com]

I understand too they have to make sure to be able to categorise it... but I still kind of get the feeling that they weren't listening well (if on the phone) or reading well (when by email) because their first troubleshoot solution, is exactly what I have already explained them that I've tried.

Anyway, they've replied and asked for further information on the purchase itself. Maybe they they'll say it was never supposed to be sold here so they can't help. I'll see what happens.