Tech support responses are often over-exaggerated

June 18, 2009 / Filed under: Support, Communication, Humor

Sometimes I'll get responses from tech support that are clearly over-exaggerated anecdotes of long-winded procedures or events that took place to fix my problem.

Here is a recent tech support response from Dreamhost, my web host, in regards to one of my sites being inaccessible:

Hello! I apologize for the trouble you were having! From the looks of it, it looks like the host machine was having some issues much earlier this morning which required our admin team to drive out to the server location to ensure everything gets rebooted properly and comes up without issue. They are currently keeping an eye out for any other issues but other than that, things look to be working without issue as I was able to load the sites in question without any trouble. Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you!

Emphasis on: "drive out to the server location...", and "They are currently keeping an eye out for any other issues ..."

Wow, you did all that just for me!? (blushes)

I am picturing them on top of some large mountain or hill they had to climb - all the way up to the "server location," carrying heavy backpacks filled with tools. They did this in 100 degree heat as well. Then, once at the peak, they fixed things, and are now standing around for the rest of the day/night to ensure things remain "fixed." This means one man must stay on the watch, while the others take turns sleeping.

And they did all of this for my single tech support issue. I imagine they also probably had my support issue printed out with them, so they know exactly what the problem is.

I feel like such a bubbly and fortunate customer now, hee. I just want to throw money at them. "Here, take it - you are more worthy of it than I!"

In reality

In reality, the guy that responded to me probably just had to flip a switch somewhere, which was inadvertently turned off. The switch is probably just a regular light-switch with tape over the top that has written in permanent marker: "DO NOT TURN OFF."

Oops.

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