Monday, February 1, 2016

Keeping Up With Technology

 Winter sunrise at the farm

Did you give up on me? I left here about as quickly as the movie crew last week and headed south (or it that west?) to baby sit again. The toddler stage isn't easy under the best of circumstances, but when a little one is sick, it's harder. I was there for several days to let Mommy get some much needed sleep. It wasn't enough, I know, but I hope it helped.

When I got back home this weekend, I had a stack of boxes waiting on me. New DVR receivers for our house. (Didn't have a DVR for a long time, but then I realized how nice it is to never miss an episode of Downton Abby!) All sent to us as a "loyalty" gift. It's nice to have the latest models, but it also meant that I had to hook everything up. The days of "plug it in and turn it on" are long gone. There was lots of programming and codes and verifying. I understood none of it, but I AM good at following instructions.

Bless the young man who was on the phone with me for over an hour. I had the first part hooked up when I called to activate it. We got through that process and I asked if I needed to call back with the other two receivers. He said, "Why don't you hook them up now and I'll stay on the phone with you." I asked him wouldn't that take forever. And he told me, "Well, if I'm not on the phone with you, I'll be on the phone with someone else." 

He even hung on when I accidentally hit the mute button. I was holding the phone on my shoulder while I was connecting cords and did not know I had muted the phone. I thought HE had left. When I finally realized what I had done, he was still there. He told me that they are supposed to disconnect a call after three minutes of no response, "But I told you I would stay on the phone until you got everything done and I figured something had happened and you'd be back." Best customer service I've had in ages.

After all that? Tonight I just want to read a book. No screen. No remote. No cords. No batteries. I just want to turn pages in a book.

 



6 comments:

  1. Now that was excellent customer service . . . and a young man who kept his word. That's wonderful. It was rfreshing to come here and read about this fellow. You're a good mom and gram to help out as you do! I'm sure it is much appreciated.

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    1. I typically dread calling those 800 numbers for help and having to go through the automated system trying to explain my issue. After two of those questions I got to a real person, who then transferred me over to the tech help department. It was so much better than I was expecting. Now, I hope I don't have to do all of that again for a long time.

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  2. I am so impressed with your ability to navigate those written instructions the Chinese put together on the electronics! Think it is great they now can record DVD's instead of the big tapes.

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    1. I know what you're talking about--those instructions obviously written by a non-English speaker. But these were clear, thank goodness. And the phone help was awesome!

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  3. I always dread setting up anything technical, especially if I need phone help. I often can't understand the person on the other end. Part of it is their use of English and part of it is my hearing. I'm glad you had a good experience.

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    1. This young man was from Oklahoma. And a Carolina Panthers fan. Can you tell we had lots of time to talk while I was waiting on things to load?

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Hi, y'all! I love that you've taken time to tell me something here. Makes me feel like we're neighbors.