Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!ucselx!bionet!hayes.ims.alaska.edu!acad3.alaska.edu!tftfm From: tftfm@acad3.alaska.edu (MCGRANE TOM F) Newsgroups: comp.windows.misc Subject: Re: MS Windows Toll-Free Support Number Message-ID: <29MAY91175116@acad3.alaska.edu> Date: 30 May 91 02:51:16 GMT References: <28MAY91185039@acad3.alaska.edu> <3513@travis.csd.harris.com> Sender: usenet@ims.alaska.edu (J Random USENET) Reply-To: tftfm@acad3.alaska.edu Followup-To: comp.windows.misc Distribution: usa Organization: University of Alaska - Fairbanks Lines: 24 News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.4-a3 Nntp-Posting-Host: acad3.alaska.edu In article <3513@travis.csd.harris.com>, dana@hardy.hdw.csd.harris.com (Dan Aksel) writes... I haven't tried calling Windows support in a couple of months, but of the four or five times I've tried, only once has it taken less than 45 minutes. Their other suport lines are usually fast. But I call with hard questions, after I've spent quite a bit of time with the manual and the software trying to figure it out. With these questions I hear what sounds like someone turning pages looking at a book--even though I'm told they DO have a computerized database. Only about half the time do I get a useful answer. Now and then I feel like I know more about the program than they do. But that doesn't really upset me--after all, I USE the programs every day, and support other users. They spend most of the day on the phone! Usually answering the simple questions. I DO object to waiting on hold when I'm paying for the call. WordPerfect feels the cost of toll free service is good business. Funny thing is, I DON'T mind being on hold when they're paying the call. But with WP's direct 800 numbers, I'm rarely on hold for more than a couple of minutes. Quality of WP support? It's gone downhill as the size of their service has increased. but I'd still give it a better rating than Microsoft's--at least for "mainstream" apps like Windows, Word, Works, Excel.