By Donna Hale Chandler
It doesn’t matter if it is your doctor’s office or a company to ask for information. Keep your fingers crossed that you aren’t stuck in a never-ending loop when you try to navigate, “Please listen carefully as our menu options have changed.”
I thought yesterday would be a pretty typical day for me. I was wrong! First, my laptop was frozen with a message to call Microsoft for instructions as to how to become active again. The message included an 800 number for me to call for help. I have gone through a few nonsense messages and strange behaviors from my computer and thankfully, knew enough not to call the phone number given.
I opened my handy dandy book of phone numbers and found a phone number for Microsoft Tech Support. Thinking I would be back in business in a couple of minutes, I called the number and of course, was met with a menu with a variety of choices. Tech Support was number 4. Ah ha, ‘I’m cookin’ with gas’, as my mother used to say. A voice came on the phone and I quickly explained my situation.
“It’s good you didn’t click on that screen or call that phone number. This is a scam that has recently been going around. I’m sorry I can’t help you but I will connect you to someone who can. Please hold.”
This is where my ‘cookin’ with gas’ mentality turns to severe dread because I knew what was coming next. Yes, I was disconnected. Rather than call the same number, I grabbed my phone and googled the ‘Microsoft Tech Help’ phone number. This produced a list of various numbers for various services. Looking down through the list, I found Tech Support and quickly called. A recording answered that instructed me to go to Microsoft.com/tech support. Remember my computer was frozen so I grabbed my phone, opened up Google, typed in the web address, and was taken to a screen that offered different suggestions for different problems. None of the choices applied to me, but I spotted a chat box. Wonderful!
I typed in ‘My Computer is Frozen’ as my question. A ‘bot’ replied. (I’m sure computer-savvy people have had occasions to deal with the bot.) I was asked a series of questions. The reply was, “I’m sorry I can’t help you with that, please call 888———.”
This is a new number for me so I called. Recording answers with a menu for various situations, then, “For Tech Help please go to Microsoft.com/Tech Support”. I’d already been there so I decided to call one of the other numbers that was listed in my Google search. I tried 3 more numbers and each one had the same recording to go to the web page. Yes, the home of the bot that couldn’t help me.
A light bulb appeared above my head suggesting that I switch tactics and call a local store that offers tech services. It so happens, we have a service contract with them so I was confident in their ability to clear up this situation. Why didn’t I think of this first? Probably because I automatically followed the instructions on the screen that said ‘Call Microsoft’. I already have this number in my phone, didn’t even need to search for it. I was feeling pretty positive that I was close to a solution. When the phone was answered, a recording told me the hours they were open and for me to call back during business hours. Again, my positive attitude tanked as I looked at the time. It was 9:00 am and the store didn’t open until 10:00. Dang, a delay.
Determined not to allow myself to get discouraged, I watched the clock and at 10:02, I called the number again. Guess what? A real person answered! Shocking, I know. He asked several questions. Then I heard the dreaded, “I am going to transfer you, please hold.” (sigh) I was doomed. Surprise, surprise, within a couple of minutes another human being came on the phone. Naturally, I was asked the same questions again. It took some time, but I followed the instructions given to me, and finally, about 20 minutes later, I was up and running.
Whew, I felt like I’d already put in a day’s work.
However, once again, all on the same day, I was wrong.
Later in the day, when I turned on the TV, it also was frozen.
That is a story for another day. I’ll just say that we still don’t have a working television. And I’m exhausted.
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