Press #$#@$@ if you've had it with Customer Service

I was hoping all my postings would be positive...unfortunately my first one is about how Customer Service seems to be deteriorating. They ask you to punch in your order number, yet they ask for it again once they are on the phone. Don't you ever wonder if the all the buttons you've been punching in really shows up on their screen or is it just to make you think you are getting ahead of the queue?

I've had two incidents with two big companies, Dell and Symantec the past few days.

First my experience with Symantec, maker of Norton AntiVirus. I purchased to renew our AntiVirus software with Symantec. For renewals, they do not send you a CD but a link for download. I made the purchase Feb 9th and received an email that it would take 3-5 business days for a confirmation email with instructions on how to download. It's Feb 19th and still no email. Before calling, I checked our order status online which shows the order has been processed and our card has been charged so it shouldn't have been an issue about payment. My first attempt was their chat support. I was number 8 on queue, not bad. After 38 minutes of waiting, I gave my order number and was told they can't help me and I have to call the 800 number. Okay. I called the number and waited another 32 minutes only to be told that we had the Business Edition and I should call their Enterprise Division (based in the US). I called the Enterprise Division who tells me that the product is a "Norton" product and I should call back the 800 number I called in the first place. When I told her that they directed me to her, she said "don't tell them you have the business edition!". I asked to speak to a supervisor and she said there was none. I gave up and called back the other number who after another 40 minutes of waiting tells me to call the Enterprise Division. I told him I am not hanging up again and FINALLY raised my voice. He then asks me, "how is the weather there?"

This guy is obviously reading a script from their Call Center 101 Handbook on How to Break the Ice. He continues on, "I know how frustrating this must be for you" (he sounded so convincing). I calmly asked him to please connect me to a supervisor who can maybe give me an answer..I got 10 rings...its still ringing... and I should have known they probably have a line called the Blackhole (that never picks up) for handling customers who are not in the mood for a weather update.

There should be a call center making surveys of Call Centers. I wonder if Call Centers gets paid for the number of calls or per issue resolved? Maybe its per number of calls, thats why they ask us to call another number? Who knows? Its probably the same person answering with just a different name (and please, we all know your name is not Jack or Ashley!). They spend a lot of money in training them to have an American accent but fail to train them on providing solutions. They are too careful to make mistakes that it seems they want to play it safe so they give you vague answers, or worse connect you to another department, which is probably just one desk away from him. What we need is someone who can give us answers on our first call.

If you're wondering what happened to my order... I finally got through thru Symantec, back again to their Enterprise Divison in the US on February 22, after 3 days of calling back and forth. There was a glitch in their system so all orders have been delayed. That's it? Why couldn't anyone tell me this in the first place? She does not understand why everyone I spoke with never told me that (or why an email was not sent to all customers who were affected by this glitch). I thanked her for being the only one who gave me an answer (even if I'm still without a product), then, I was ready to break the ice and asked her, "how's the weather there?"

(To be continued...Dell Customer Service)...