CS in electonic- gone forever

[monkey44]

Customer service in companies truly has disappeared ...

Just bought Adobe PSE because the older version will not load on my new LT. IT gives an invalid ID number window.

Call Adobe, on hold forever ... robot says, I can call you back. Give number. Hour later robot calls back ... says CS is here, then disconnects. Four times -- I gave up. Got an email, sent the issue and the ID # and an explanation. This has been going on in one form or another for about two months (Christmas gifts, two)

Tech finally calls back after a week or so ... first question, What is the ID#, and what is happening. I wrote it out very clearly with my email. CS says, we don't get that, we were told to call you. And is very obviously, English as a second, maybe third, language. He and I repeat each statement at least three times, with other voices screaming in the background and phones ringing.

Then, each time I say a sentence, she says "gotta put you on hold, is gone a minute, comes back, asks another Q, goes a way another minute, comes back. After about ten of these quick quiz - I ask for a new ID # ... well, we have to remote access your computer to troubleshoot why it's not taking the ID#

WHAT?? NO way some random person is getting into my LT ... from who knows where ... and without even the proper communication skills.

So, she's trying to get me now, a new code - she says she'll call back in a hour - but will probably be someone new in a week, and we can start all over.

This all started with the "vendor" after the first go-around with Adobe, I called the vendor, vendor says, we just sell it, we don't have anything to do after that ...

Which means, we don't have anything to do with it EXCEPT take my money. Vendors notoriously deflect any responsibility once you pay.

It truly has become a sad products world when the purpose of CS is to wear out the customer until he gives up in frustration. I've probably been on-hold twenty hours in the last two months attempting to 'fix' several products I bought - with "0" results ...

Monkey's climbing back into his tree, and opening a coconut.

[monkey44]

She said Friday at 11:00, she call me back at 11:30, but I thought she meant that same day ... apparently, it will be Friday, some other random week.

[Tennessee_Nomad]

monkey44 wrote:
Customer service in companies truly has disappeared ...

Just bought Adobe PSE because the older version will not load on my new LT. IT gives an invalid ID number window.

Call Adobe, on hold forever ... robot says, I can call you back. Give number. Hour later robot calls back ... says CS is here, then disconnects. Four times -- I gave up. Got an email, sent the issue and the ID # and an explanation. This has been going on in one form or another for about two months (Christmas gifts, two)

Tech finally calls back after a week or so ... first question, What is the ID#, and what is happening. I wrote it out very clearly with my email. CS says, we don't get that, we were told to call you. And is very obviously, English as a second, maybe third, language. He and I repeat each statement at least three times, with other voices screaming in the background and phones ringing.

Then, each time I say a sentence, she says "gotta put you on hold, is gone a minute, comes back, asks another Q, goes a way another minute, comes back. After about ten of these quick quiz - I ask for a new ID # ... well, we have to remote access your computer to troubleshoot why it's not taking the ID#

WHAT?? NO way some random person is getting into my LT ... from who knows where ... and without even the proper communication skills.

So, she's trying to get me now, a new code - she says she'll call back in a hour - but will probably be someone new in a week, and we can start all over.

This all started with the "vendor" after the first go-around with Adobe, I called the vendor, vendor says, we just sell it, we don't have anything to do after that ...

Which means, we don't have anything to do with it EXCEPT take my money. Vendors notoriously deflect any responsibility once you pay.

It truly has become a sad products world when the purpose of CS is to wear out the customer until he gives up in frustration. I've probably been on-hold twenty hours in the last two months attempting to 'fix' several products I bought - with "0" results ...

Monkey's climbing back into his tree, and opening a coconut.

And companies wonder why file sharing is such a problem for them. Not that I condone any such activity...

[monkey44]

OK -- Will try that, because it's certainly not getting me anywhere with CS.

[drsteve]

You do this: search Google using a phrase like "photoshop essentials 12 ID number is invalid". You won't find a valid number, but you will find a long list of forum posts on that topic, and possibly find the answer to why yours doesn't work, because you can bet that no matter what the problem is, you are not the only one to have it. Search for exactly what you want. Use the exact error message. Be specific.

I find the answers to virtually every computer hardware or software issue this way. I honestly don't remember the last time I called CS for any of this stuff. It's often, as you have found, a waste of time playing phone tag with poorly trained workers who know little more than what they read on the script in front of them.

[monkey44]

Google is your friend.

OK -- here's one exact example: Bought PSE-12 (Adobe/photo = $60) and when I installed it and registered the ID number, it popped a window "This ID number is invalid" ... So, where do I get a valid ID number on Google.

Been screwing around with on-hold, no call back, call back and no valid number, asking the same questions over again -- then, OH, I'll get it and call you back. And no call back, and another on-hold. You keep thinking this time, this one will fix it - but it's a continuous failure ... and you finally give up. Yeah, I can call the CC company and refund ... that's NOT the issue. I want the program I bought to function - and it won't.

And CS simply never does anything but run in circles. So, what is the option? We'd LIKE the program, we want to use it ... so, what do we do, stop buying programs, stop using our computers. It's not that simple.

And there is no way to hold these companies accountable for selling a "number of bad copies" of the product ... and the fix they offer, ignore dissatisfied customers and they will go away and leave us with our profits.

The generations arriving now - they have grown up in a throw-away society, and it's "Just normal, dad" ... toss it and buy another one ... "That's the advice."

[drsteve]

Why does anyone call customer service for this kind of stuff? It's easier and faster to simply Google your error message or problem--rest assured that plenty of people have had whatever problem you've encountered, and the solution is usually just a click or two away.

Google is your friend.

[1775]

You can buy the best and get the same poor customer service from the manufacturer. These companies see their products as disposable. Buy it, use it, and when it does not work any longer - which could be just a very short time - throw it away and buy another one. No difference if it costs $10 or $500. There is no customer service and no customer support. And this is not just when it comes to electronics.

[monkey44]

Sometimes a smaller company will grow a greater market share over time as the CS for companies like Adobe sends people away.

I'd buy a different product for more money, if I knew they answer the phone and solve the problems. we need the product, not the excuse. If I paid myself my hourly rate for the 'hold time', we'd take a vacation and go camping somewhere -

[SCR]

That's about the way it is these days. The seller is in a big hurry to get to the next sale to bother after you pay your money. After all once they have your money you stop being a customer and immediately turn in to overhead.

As long as the next sale is there in line behind you nothing will change.

[TheBearAK]

I had this issue with Adobe Acrobat Pro. Damn, I can't remember exactly what I did, but it had something to do with going to their website and registering the software manually. I think it gives you an activation code or new ID.

You're right though, customer service in computer stuff has gone down. You get the ignorant person that has a checklist book in front of them, and they put you on hold a whole bunch by that person while they go and ask a real tech.

[monkey44]

I know -- that's not the point - the point is, once they sell it and get your money, no one cares anymore about if it works. No more pride in business relationships.

Gotta tell ya, I bought $6000 worth of equipment this time - in December - and this PSE-12 was only $40 of that order ... but, because they won't deal with it, after two months, and keep doing nothing, I just placed another order for a bit less with a direct competitor - and wrote the sales supervisor a note and told him that directly. So he lost a sale of $4800 for a lousy $20 bucks ... and all future sales from us.

This company lost me forever for this reason - probably $20 bucks on their books. All they had to do was send me another copy - instead, tell me - keep calling Adobe, keep calling Adobe - and nothing changes ... The serial number is invalid -- all they had to do it give me another serial number, or send me another CD ...

[darsben]

dispute charge for item on CC and send it back