PUREHOST LAST STRAW

Mr. Engel. (Customer Service Manager of all companies run by Endurance Intl, in this case Purehostage)

A looooong email. [PLS keep in mind, I sound like a little bitch in this]

Tom (who I got off the phone with about an hour ago) is unbelievably [badly] trained. I asked him to do a UN/PW reset on my account - specifically not mentioning a Fix Permissions, he told me where to go to Change my password. I told him no, I didn't need it changed, I needed the Username Password Reset done - it only takes an hour, I tell him, and I tell him this because every other Level1 tech tells me this EVERY SINGLE TIME THEY DO IT. I told him so as well - he said that there is nothing he can do with a "so many tickets" open and that he did not have the tools to do a Password reset.

(How can this be, when I have had to have this done 5 times in 72 hours. The latest of 72 hours.)

Then after telling him what I have experienced with other Level 1 techs being able to reset, he told me to have a nice day. (apparently he did not appreciate my relay approach to what many other L1 techs have told me).

At this point, having had relatively crappy operational service since Wednesday morning passed, it sounded like he was confused, offended, and full of crap. I then started a bit of a rant.

I told him stop lying, stop the crap. He just told me to have a nice day (I kind of expected that almost at the same time the word "lying" cam out my mouth. I then asked him to transfer me to anyone else on the floor who might have the tools to do the reset (in fact I may have asked him that before calling him "out" on this issue f training). He said he was the only one there and that there was only One Level2 tech on site and that the Level2 techs are the only techs allowed to do password resets. I told him that for over 100,000 customers of shared hosting, 2 people to handle customer support (at 12:30am CST) was ludicrous.


I was harsh, to be sure. I will not gloss over that point. As the clcradio.org website has been plagued with nothing but server issues since March of this year. There has been constant permissions and roles.ini file issues that have needed constant redoing. I maybe get about a full week of uninterrupted service via using Frontpage access . Once I get the access, publishing to the site and editing live on the site has RARELY been a problem. The BIGGEST issue BY FAR has always been one of merely accessing using my regular unchanged Username and password. When I report this problem OTHER Level1 techs try it for themselves, see the same issue on their end, and then ask me to verify some account detail for security purposes - I always choose verification "before doing a UN/PW reset or a Fix Permissions on an account", and No one has EVER failed to ask me for verification. Until today, with Tom.

I called back. He answered. (I am now here thinking that perhaps indeed, although implausible, that he may be the only L1 tech there!). I heard someone talking in the background this second time. I asked him about it. Tom said it was the cable technician (or words to that effect). He then proceeded to respond to me as if I was asking him questions. An example follows:

Me: I just wanted to apologize for (being harsh earlier call). But, I have had many other Level 1 techs do a UN/PW reset and a Fix Permissions run for me - already twice today, as well.

TOM: That will be fine, sir.

silence

TOM: Yes, sir. Whatever you say.

silence (I hadn't said anything yet)

TOM: Well, if that is all you need, I can't do anything with this open ticket. And with so many tickets open I can't start another one...You have a nice day, OK?

silence

ME: Do you know that you are responding to me now as if I've said something to you? Do you know you are doing that?

TOM: Well, you're telling me how to do my job....

ME: (Interrupting) ..No, I was telling you how other Level1 techs have handled this problem before...

TOM: Well let me see if I can get permission for a Password reset with the Level2 here - only they can do a Password reset...

On Hold (no music-on-hold since Sunday, BTW) only 2 minutes goes by

TOM: Sorry about putting you on hold, I just started a Fix Permissions and that can take about 60 minutes (I had actually previously told him that is what other Level1 techs have told me recently!) and then I will be doing a Password Reset once that is finished. (I have been told by ALL OTHER L1 TECHS that Password Rest is done FIRST, THEN a Fix permissions - the reason? Because a PW reset only takes about a minute, thus allowing a customer to get to their site access quicker : in most cases.)

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This last bit kind of pisses me off.

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ME: Do you need any other information from ME before you continue with this?...(I am curious why he has started a procedure that has previously EVERY TIME called for a customer verification)

TOM: No, that is all I need. I am just waiting for the Fix Permissions to finish...Oh, jeez (here, he is probably frustrated with it taking so long) This is going to take...it will take about 60 minutes, stay out of the account for an hour, and then call back if you have any problems. OK, sir?

ME: In the past, the others were running the Password Reset first because...( I wanted to say, because a UN?PW reset takes a LOT less time to do titan a Fix Permissions)

TOM: Sir, can I help you any further?

ME: Well, Yes, I just thought you should know that the other...

TOM: Sir, you have a nice day, OK?

a bit more silence (I can tell he hasn't hung up yet...I wait about 5 to 7 seconds - I am watching the clock...)

ME: What is wrong with this fucker? (I Then hang up)

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He probably heard me say that as I was assuming he hadn't hung up yet, but I hadn't intended for him to hear that last profanity.

I truly can't figure out why (he said he has been there 3 months, which is a lie as I know I have talked with him on third shift at great length about this and that and webdesign nd things like that; Tom , this Tom, had been in your employ for at least a full year) his computer desktop wouldn't have the necessary tools one minute, then upon him "getting permission" less than 2 minutes later he is "doing his job" running a Fix Permissions, but as history shows not in quite the same way everyone else has run a Fix Permissions or Password reset - so far.

My last point: Tom did NOT ask me to verify my account details where in all other similar support calls to Purehost cases, every Level1 tech does ask me to verify either of these.]

As I am sometimes a "hard case" late at night, as most people calling late probably are anyway, putting new (3 months seems new to me for customer service reps on phones) Level1 techs on 3rd shift for customer support is a supremely bad idea.

Did you see that? Did you see what I did just then? I think I just may have told you how to do your job...or maybe I was just trying to give an example that might point to a better customer service solution for the future of Purehost, or Endurance Intl, or CrystalTech or whomever might care.

I care. I have had only ONE other Level1 tech give even (is it possible) more apparent incompetence to me. He was on 3rd shift for about a year I would say, and that one got to he point where if I heard his nasal tones answering, I knew - at least up until about a month ago - that someone else would be answering the cue on my subsequent call, and I would actually get results then.

You need to know this - the customer might always be "right" but I do not believe that should mean that the customer is always justified. I say this because, I try really hard to get to the point when on the phone, WHEN I hear from who I am talking with SOME understanding of what I am saying. Unless whom I am speaking with acknowledges what I say, I will keep talking until they do acknowledge, generally for technical matters such as a Shared Hosted website, be reading back to me what I have said by either paraphrasing or just recitation. How else would I know that something of a technical nature has been properly communicated?

For instance: If I day to a Level1 tech I am having issue with creating Subwebs (don't get us started in that mess, right now), and the Level1 tech asks me why I need subdomains. Need I go on?

Nope. Hopefully, you now understand what I occasionally go through when talking to Level1 techs - a very small few, that may perhaps need to know what they are supposed telling Purehost customers.

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And now, an hour has passed (I ran a spell check on this email).

I will now check to see if Tom's method of running the Fix Permissions FIRST worked. And if not, hopefully he will finish what he said he would do, as in a Password Reset AFTER the Fix Permissions was finished. I have a feeling that if he heard me say, "fucker", over the phone, then he may have not wanted to feel like finishing the work he had received Level2 permission to do. I hope that is not the case, because if it is, re-training might not be the only option for Tom, but I am not in your shoes, and Tom may have been having a Bad day, as I know I have talked with Tom at least 3 other times before today (as mentioned earlier, near to a year), and in very congenial terms. I am not kidding - he may remember, he may not.

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I warned you, it was a loooong email ahead.