One of the challenges with using a proprietary email account from a service provider is that if you change providers, the account becomes deactivated.
And if you used that account to sign up for your Facebook account, you are in a huge circle jerk. Facebook will disable your account, and will only deal with you from the old email account. So, you can't log in to Facebook to change the associated email account. You can't correspond with them from the old email account, since it's dead, and they won't deal with you from a different email account.
This is the situation my step-daughter was in this morning.
So I tried contacting Quest, where she'd had the account thru her grandma's service. First, I ended up on the phone with "Rose". She is your typical call center person. Obviously Indian. Reading from a script.
Useless.
But I tried getting past her to maybe a supervisor or someone. All I need is this account to be recreated for a few days. Nothing.
So I then found a "live chat" button on the Quest website. Remember people, I work in IT. I am often the 3rd level support for user issues. I have a great deal of empathy for the people on the other side of my tech calls.
But that doesn't mean I won't try every single trick in the book to get them to do want.
Below is a slightly edited (spelling, names, etc.) of the live chat I had with Quest.
Tech Dave > All technical support chats may be recorded and used for training purposes.Thank you for contacting the Qwest Technical Support Center in Boise, ID. My name is Dave. Will you please verify the billing name and the primary phone number on this account?Scope > I do not have a quest account. The old phone # associated with it was 555-555-5555.
Tech Dave > Hi, Scope, and thank you.Tech Dave > You do not have Qwest DSL service at this time?Scope > Here is the circle I am in (and I've already spent 40 minutes with "Rose" in "Team India"). My wife had a Qwest account. She married me and we moved to Illinois. The email account my stepdaughter was using on Facebook was "GDWAG@Q.COM". That account died. Facebook won't let us change the email account unless the email account is active.
Scope > I would consider being a Qwest customer in the future if this issue could be resolved.
Tech Dave > Scope, I would like to have you back, for sure! A q.com email address cannot be created unless you are a Qwest customer. The q.com domain is proprietary to Qwest customers only.Scope > Dave, I want to have faith and BELIEVE in you. I understand that. And I wouldn't care if the account expired in 30-60-90 days. If you can't get us "GDWAG@Q.COM" know that you've made a 14 year old girl cry because she's been banished from Facebook.
Tech Dave > I tremble at the thought of losing Facebook connections! Seriously, though, Scope, we have no way to activate that old email address. I am very sorry.Scope > To be specific, I don't need the account reactivated. I do not need old email. I do not need old contacts. All I need is that "GDWAG@Q.COM" be active so that Facebook can send it the email procedures for changing her email account.
Scope > Feel empowered today Dave. Feel empowered!
Tech Dave > haha! I love your positive attitude, Scope.Scope > (I work 3rd level IT phone support. I'm trying every trick here, dude.
Tech Dave > However.... I cannot activate that account. I am sorry.Scope > And that is why I want to throttle people who use these proprietary accounts. HOTMAIL never expires. I know it's not your fault. I hope this doesn't make you feel utterly defeated and low down all day long, like a shadow upon your soul. :-)
Tech Dave > haha!Tech Dave > I'll get over it, Scope. I hope you can, too!Tech Dave > I appreciate your humor, though, thanks. That will help me through the day1Tech Dave > !Scope > But now I have to tell the step-daughter. (Oh, and you are also blog fodder for the day.)
Scope > Hey, I'm on the other side of this way too often not to have a sense of humor about it.
Tech Dave > I am sorry.Tech Dave > You are wise.Tech Dave > Good luck with the Facebook.Scope > Signing out.
I think the line about "a shadow upon your soul" is a nice melodramatic touch. I stole that from Hamlet via "Renascence Man", I think.
5 comments:
Did you know that many of the call centers overseas are using a new tool that was developed to make them sound local? When you give them your contact info now, they get a screen of local news, weather and sports to try and chat you up with. So the obviously Indian "Rose" sometimes now asks me in her heavy accent "So Chris, how about those Broncos?"
It makes me want to take a life...
I'll never understand why a company would outsource support calls to another country. Okay, sure, it's cheaper, but it's twice as frustrating for the customer when you add a language barrier to the original problem.
I know someone who actually chucked her prepaid Tracfone cell phone with like 800 minutes on it because Team India wasn't helping her with the issue her phone was having. She just threw it away rather than deal with an unhelpful help center. Of course, her next prepaid phone provider wasn't any better, unfortunately.
And, no, it wasn't me. :-P
Maybe if you'd said "My daughter's facebook just burst into flames" 'cause that works when you try to get through to someone at Acer. :-)
I waited 55 minutes after calling 1-800-tsunami, trying to get my toSHITba fixed...and got some lady in the Philippines who didn't speak at an 8th grade English level.
As for American call centers...we have one in my town of 5000, they take contracts in from companies to handle calls...I was GOING to apply there, but I sat in the parking lot watching every dirt-bag from town traipse in there in dirty clothes, some drunk, some stoned, some who I had seen in chains when I went to court for my traffic ticket....and I realized the place is a glorified jail, and ain't nobody who calls there getting ANY sort of assistance.
Ugh. I think I would try harder from the Facebook end of things. Or, you could just set up a new FB account and start over....
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