The one where I still don't quite how to respond, even after all these years...

Me: Tech Support, my name is TSM, how can I help you?
Cust: My program isn't working
Me: Ok, can I get you to go to help..
Cust: I can't do that..
Me: Um, ok.. why can't you do that..
Cust: I'm not in front of the computer..
Me: .... um, can you go to the computer..
Cust: No...
Me: .....
Cust: Hello?? are you there??
Me: Yes..
Cust: Well, I need help..
Me: I need to know what the version of the program you are running is.. I need to know some other settings from within your program..
Cust: How do I find that out?
Me: From the program, that's why it would be great if you could be in front of the computer and have the program open.
Cust: Ok, I'll call back when I'm in front of the computer..

ARUGH!!! seriously... I have no idea how to respond to people like that and not get written up for abuse, so it's just easier for me not to respond..

You don't go to the mechanic without your car and ask them to fix it? WHY DO PEOPLE THINK THEY CAN CALL UP FOR SUPPORT WHEN THEY AREN'T IN FRONT OF THEIR COMPUTER!!??!!

At least at my old job we were able to tell people to sod off unless they were in front of their computer with it switched on.. heh.. I miss that..

Today is not a good day to be a stupid person and be ringing me..

And just for the record, I'm not a tech support snob, I just can't stand people who don't think for themselves or follow instructions, but that's a rant for another day.

The one where I don't mean to be all punctuation nazi but....

It's a COLON! not dot dot..

It kills me when people read out C dot dot backslash, when they mean c:\...

oh, and this " : "is a colon
and this " ; " is semi colon, not a dot comma!

And if it this was coming from younger people, I'd probably overlook it, but I spend a lot of time speaking to older people, who I'm sure must have been taught punctuation in school and such, or secretaries who use to use typewriters..

ARRUUUGHHH!!!

The one where I say I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE being recorded..

I now do tech support for a bank, I have to often confirm that we have received files (for large sums of money to be processed), I understand that people are paranoid, and that a report with a transaction number isn't enough for them and that they want a real human being to confirm it.

And often, they will record the phone conversation, which apart from the fact that they need to advise me that the call is being recorded and to ask my permission which they never do, comes with the unfortunate side effect of a a beeping in my ear every 5 seconds.

Most of the time, it's a quick call, and they are kind enough to turn the beep down, which it doesn't bother me too much.

And I understand why they need to do that, money makes people paranoid and crazy.

But when you call up and want tech support, and feel the need to record the conversation, for CRYING OUT LOUD, at least have the decency to turn it down, so firstly, I don't lose my train of thought everytime I get a loud BEEP in my ear, and secondly so I don't have to repeat myself because you can't hear me over the beep.

Grrl, some people are idiots.