| Front Page Story | |
| Author: Just me | |
| Email: craug@worldnet.att.net |
|
| After a couple of years, I decided that
maybe I should put my two cents in. I have never owned a Compaq and, knowing what I know
now, never will. I am a former TSR with Compaq's outsource Sykes (Site 38) and even
reached the level of Team Technical Lead and I also did new-hire and new-product training
so I feel that the information I have may be worth a little something, although it has
been a couple of years since I was associated with them and Compaq has since assumed a new
business model (we'll see if this is more than simple lip service). First a little background regarding Site 38. When operations began in July of 1996 Sykes had hired 175 people to man the phones. The knowledge base among these people (myself included) was quite extensive and second to none. However, the training we recieved was by Sykes trainers and Compaq only trained for two days and consisted only of training in their database and how to use it. Not to mention that the Compaq personnel were condescending and not helpful at all. Luckily, as I said, most of us already had a foundation of computer knowledge and felt we could "wing it" once the phones started ringing. It really didn't take long to realize that the Presario line was garbage and from that point the apathy set in. I had always been of the opinion that anywhere you go, 25% of your staff are going to be complete morons just like 25% of the EU base are going to be complete morons. However, with the complete lack of caring that Compaq showed, not only to its consumers but to its outsources as well, we ALL looked stupid 75% of the time. Of course problems aren't going to get solved when the technicians are forced to hang up the phone after 10 minutes! At one point, the max time allowed was seven minutes! After moving up to Lead, I was even informed that I had to monitor my team and begin calling the technicians after they were on past 12 minutes to harrass them to complete the call. Yes...I was to call them while they were TALKING TO THE EU!!! I was once written up for not doing this. Once I started my position as a trainer, I became even more disgusted. After teaching the new-hires the basics of WIN95, DOS, and TRADITIONAL PC archetecture, we would get into the theoretical Compaq training. this included (as outlined by Compaq corporate) telling our new-hires that if they cannot solve an issue inside of eight minutes, "have the EU run the Quick Restore and call us back when it completes if the issue still exists". There ws once one person who had come out of one of my classes not two weeks prior to this incident,who resolved an issue over the phone resulting in a very grateful EU, going so far as to fax in kudos, who was written up because the call took an unacceptble 22 minutes to complete. This disciplinary action had been directed by Compaq themselves because they had monitored the call from Houston. Forget that they had a satisfied customer (who would probably be a repeat customer because of this issue), they couldn't get over the fact that the cal! l took too damn long! I realize that this is getting quite lengthy so I will wrap up. Just keep in mind that when tech support is inferior, it is more than likely that they are not always privvy to what they need to be privvy to. Compaq is an uncaring corporation both to customers and to employees (including those poor unsuspecting outsources who are just trying to make a little money to get them through college). this attitude is what is causing them to fall further and further from the grace they once owned. I now work for one of Compaq's competitors and I couldn't be happier because I am allowed to do my job and encouraged to do it well. The Peter Principle does not exist here and this is one of the reasons that my current employer is steadily becoming the #1 computer in the market. Sign me.. SLEEPING WELL IN NORTH SIOUX |
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