Technical Helplines

BGcangodie · 12 Jul 2011

I was after your thoughts on how you have been spoken to when phoning various tech help lines...

More to the point. Do you prefer when the guy (or gal) on the end of the tech lines are down to earth, speak like we do and can communicate on your level, occasionally using mate or pal.

OR

Do you prefer it when they speak like they have a spoon up their a$$ calling you sir/madam, yes sir no sir three bags full sir.

I personnally prefer it when they are friendly and open speaking. Words like mate or pal don't bother me as i am an engineer and they are, not a private home owner that would be different.

So please let me have your thoughts on this and any good/bad experiences you may have had!

Cheers

nickso · 12 Jul 2011

Been done, you even posted on it.

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=278957

BGcangodie · 12 Jul 2011

Yes i am aware of that post but my question is more of how you prefer to be spoken to...

That thread was which company or tech lines do you rate or prefer

So what says you?

nickso · 12 Jul 2011

Ah, apologies.

Well I could care less how they speak to me as long as I get it fixed.

Agile · 12 Jul 2011

I like to be spoken to politely.

I also like to speak to someone who has clearly actually fixed boilers themselves!

BGcangodie · 12 Jul 2011

Haha nicko my thoughts exactly!

Agile, politeness and experience aside, would you take offence is a tech operator were to refer to you as "mate or pal" ??

Charnwood · 12 Jul 2011

Replies colleagues have received in the past.

"Don't call me 'mate.' People will think I like you!"

"Don't call me 'mate', I'm a director."

I never use the words mate, pal, bud/buddy, chief, squire, chum, sunshine, sir, madam, miss etc.
In fact, I will only address the person by name - if I know it.

BGcangodie · 12 Jul 2011

I generally go with the what ever the other person is addressing me as is acceptable to re address them with them same title.

As i am fully appreciative of "professional" service from these companies, Could i be right in assuming that mate would be classed in your eyes as unprofessional?

For me as long as the please and thank you's are there and the knowledge is there, there shouldn't be an issue with titles?

mylocalgasman · 12 Jul 2011

I think they should address everyone as sir or madam, I can only speak for myself, but have been in sutuations where you call someone mate or dear etc, wow ! you would think you had been abusive to them.
2nd part of my answer is that if manufacturers put the correct sort of information into there MI book we would'nt need to call technical line.

BGcangodie · 12 Jul 2011

I would tend to disagree with the 2nd part mylocalgasman, MI's can't possible list all info with regarding fault finding. Most manufacturer's new range of boilers have extremely good fault diagnosis built into the user interface's listing various fault codes indicating what is going off and also status lists for what the boiler is doing at present. This is all fantatsic in theory but what i have noticed is... The more high tech the boilers get with these PCB's and fault diagnosis the more things can "fool" the PCB, ie on a leading manufacturer's new boiler a fault coming up indicating a connection between the main PCB and diplay PCB, however the most common thing for this fault is more ignition problems, or poor combustion...Now this is the case for most of the faults there are many many possibilities of electrical interruptions. I agree with you on alot more complex fault diagnosis but you can never rule out the importance of the knowledge some of these guys have! They know the products in and out! At the end of the day they are invaluable

mickyg · 12 Jul 2011

mylocalgasman said:
if manufacturers put the correct sort of information into there MI book we would'nt need to call technical line.

absolutely ! Although at times it is nice when a particular problem is quite a common one, for them, and they give you confidence in your own diagnosis. BUT as you say, better info would stop alot of calls. Most of the time I call tech lines is when I've narrowed a fault down to maybe 2 components and need to know a voltage, or resistance etc.. to check them, but they are not in the manual. That then gets you into a situation with some tech line folk, WB in particular, who don't want to give out info until they've taken you through the whole fault finding process, again...Like they don't trust you to have done basic checks already .....

BGcangodie · 13 Jul 2011

You are missing a major point here though.... Putting voltages, resistances etc in a MI, what then stops the home owner (who most people will have or be capable of getting hold of a multimeter) trying to fix/diagnose their own boilers... Or after yourselves have diagnosed a PCB them checking to see if you are right? The MI's are left with the homeowner!! I think they supply enough FF, at the end of the day most manuals state at the top "Installation and Servicing"

You could argue that servicing covers fault finding etc etc etc (personally i don't think it does cover break downs)

And i'm also sure if you were to put all the voltages etc in then people would start to complain about how big and complex the MI's were!

What i think should be available is to GS eng a complex fault finding manual available again to only GS engineers from each manufacturer.

mylocalgasman · 13 Jul 2011

Most of the time I call tech lines is when I've narrowed a fault down to maybe 2 components and need to know a voltage, or resistance etc.. to check them, but they are not in the manual.

My point exactly, it cant be that difficult to include resistance / voltage of fan, gas valve, pump etc, sometimes even the electrical layout wont give you NC or NO position of components. Always used to find exact "Mode or sequence of operation" should be an absolute minimum, but manufacturers don't include it any longer. Its not a dark art or voodoo, they don't want you to know, because they now need the repair work following warranty expiration. Its the new "Holy Grail" for manufacturers, a cradle to grave product !. They don't want you as the installer to get between the customer and themselves, have you noticed how the MI has less and leaas information for installers, no part numbers is a prime example, every part available for that boiler should be listed.

That then gets you into a situation with some tech line folk, WB in particular, who don't want to give out info until they've taken you through the whole fault finding process, again...Like they don't trust you to have done basic checks already .....

Most Tech lines don't use ex-service engineers, think of the cost, engineer £30-40k a year, call centre staff £15-20k. If you do get an ex engineer "You have been Lucky", its read from a script sheet hence "We must not deviate from the order".

BGcangodie · 13 Jul 2011

And what would your thoughts be on my last post?

mickyg · 13 Jul 2011

BGcangodie said:
And what would your thoughts be on my last post?

I don't agree, most customers won't touch boilers. This idea that every customer will start tinkering with their boiler because they have too much info comes up all the time here, due to the nature of the site and the people that come here, but realistically those people who try and do things themselves are a tiny minority and always will be.

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