ServerPlus memorizes that stuff. Once they look up the account once,
it matches that number to the account going forward.
-----
Mike Hammett
Intelligent Computing Solutions <http://www.ics-il.com/>
<https://www.facebook.com/ICSIL>
<https://plus.google.com/+IntelligentComputingSolutionsDeKalb>
<https://www.linkedin.com/company/intelligent-computing-solutions>
<https://twitter.com/ICSIL>
Midwest Internet Exchange <http://www.midwest-ix.com/>
<https://www.facebook.com/mdwestix>
<https://www.linkedin.com/company/midwest-internet-exchange>
<https://twitter.com/mdwestix>
The Brothers WISP <http://www.thebrotherswisp.com/>
<https://www.facebook.com/thebrotherswisp>
<https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXSdfxQv7SpoRQYNyLwntZg>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Ken Hohhof" <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, December 4, 2016 2:21:20 PM
Subject: Re: [AFMUG] Customers texting cell phones "hey my internet
isn; t working"
All that sounds wonderful, when can you start development?
I think the frustrating part is most of these texts are along the
lines of “is the tower down” or “my Internet is down”, with no other
information than a cellphone number, which is probably not the contact
number in our database. If they would just include the account name,
I would get on the computer and do some tests before texting them
back. But usually I have to first text them back for more
information. Maybe a robot could check the customer database, tell me
the customer name, and if not found, text the customer back “Who is
this?”
At that point I usually prefer to call them, because it can take 50
back-and-forth texts just to get someone to check if the POE is
plugged in.
If they have a smartphone, they can go to our website. Maybe we need
troubleshooting instructions, maybe YouTube videos, on our website.
Text them a link to that?
From: Af [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Brian Webster
Sent: Sunday, December 4, 2016 1:30 PM
To:[email protected]
Subject: Re: [AFMUG] Customers texting cell phones "hey my internet
isn; t working"
You know all annoyances aside; there is an opportunity for a product
to be developed. Think about it:
Your customer is off line, they likely have a cell phone that they can
use to get in touch with you.
They call your tech support line, this requires you to either call
them back and devote 100% of your time at the moment to talk to them
one on one, or you answer the call directly immediately, no matter
what else you might have to do and you can’t do much of anything else.
If you can text back and forth you would not have to sit there on the
phone and wait while they do things like reboot and such.
On a dedicated phone call this only lets you service one customer at a
time.
If you had the equivalent of the on line chat support many companies
have, it could also function through the SMS system, it’s one way the
newer tech savvy customer can interact with you and they can also do
something else at the same time in between steps.
If you had a good SMS system it would start a ticket just like an on
line ticketing system would. Texting prompts back and forth for
customer name and account information if necessary. This part would be
automated and all keyed up to you prior to you getting the first live
text/email/ticket notification or on screen system messages.
This would not have to go to YOUR cell phone but rather it would go to
your ticketing system and get handled just like any other ticket and
tech support network.
It gives the client the convenience of getting support via SMS should
they chose.
You could easily have pre-canned help files sent as basic
troubleshooting steps they can perform first without needing direct
interaction. Reboot sequence or how to request their Wi-Fi password
information come to mind here. If done right it could prompt them to
text back a response at each step, much like a troubleshooting
decision tree diagram works. Once it’s gets beyond basic decision tree
stuff it could be transferred to the live tech. This transfer should
also be smart enough to show the tech on screen how far the automated
process went and what steps are already completed so they don’t have
to re-ask all those questions that annoy each of us when we call tech
support.
With Google Voice being a free way to do web to SMS interaction, it
seems like some good programmer could build inter some middleware to
do this or a standalone system. Cost for the SMS interface/gateway can
then be free. I am sure there are other methods to also keep the cost
free as well.
This clearly would not work for most customers but I can see it
becoming popular over time, getting in front of the idea now and
working out best practices would be good before the consumer demand
for it is real high.
Thank You,
Brian Webster
www.wirelessmapping.com
www.Broadband-Mapping.com
From: Af [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Mike Hammett
Sent: Friday, December 02, 2016 7:35 AM
To:[email protected]
Subject: Re: [AFMUG] Customers texting cell phones "hey my internet
isn; t working"
Some carriers support mobile CNAM, some don't. Mine's in there,
though.
-----
Mike Hammett
Intelligent Computing Solutions <http://www.ics-il.com/>
<https://www.facebook.com/ICSIL>
<https://plus.google.com/+IntelligentComputingSolutionsDeKalb>
<https://www.linkedin.com/company/intelligent-computing-solutions>
<https://twitter.com/ICSIL>
Midwest Internet Exchange <http://www.midwest-ix.com/>
<https://www.facebook.com/mdwestix>
<https://www.linkedin.com/company/midwest-internet-exchange>
<https://twitter.com/mdwestix>
The Brothers WISP <http://www.thebrotherswisp.com/>
<https://www.facebook.com/thebrotherswisp>
<https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXSdfxQv7SpoRQYNyLwntZg>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Ken Hohhof" <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Thursday, December 1, 2016 9:25:40 PM
Subject: Re: [AFMUG] Customers texting cell phones "hey my internet
isn; t working"
Awhile back I added SMS-to-email capability to our main number and
discovered people have probably been texting it forever. You don’t
need a cellphone to receive texts. The nice thing is the service we
use has the reply-to address on the email set to properly to text the
person back.
What I find annoying is they never include their name, somehow they
think their cellphone number is all we need. So 123-456-7890 wants to
know “Is the tower down?”
I’d rather they use the contact form on our mobile website. It’s not
a “responsive” site, it’s a separate mdot site so the contact form is
easy to use on a phone.
One of the other great mysteries of life is why calls from cellphones
don’t have CNAM. 95% of the calls we get are from “Wireless Caller”.
There are apps for everything, but they can’t do this one simple
thing, show me the name of the mobile caller, without having them in
my address book.
From: Af [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Brandon Yuchasz
Sent: Thursday, December 1, 2016 8:40 PM
To:[email protected]
Subject: Re: [AFMUG] Customers texting cell phones "hey my internet
isn; t working"
I expected more Sarcasm. But thanks for the reply anyway. We are small
still by most standards and I still go on every install so generally
customers feel they know me a little. That relationship is of course a
good thing. Some texts of course I don’t mind like “ hey the
internet has been dropping off today but comes back” it’s the shitty
attitudes that they would never give me in a phone call that generally
piss me off..
From: Af [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of That One Guy
/sarcasm
Sent: Thursday, December 01, 2016 8:31 PM
To:[email protected]
Subject: Re: [AFMUG] Customers texting cell phones "hey my internet
isn; t working"
We call into the office and call the customers from there DID or
something to avoid it. But it happens.
When a customer has my cell, ive given it to them on occasion for
troubleshooting and most of my contract service have my work and
personal.
As long as they dont abuse it, I handle their business (facebook is
becoming popular for customers to contact me, which is odd because my
face book is private and highly offensive)
Once they abuse it, they get a couple "call the office"s then they get
ignored.
Like right now there is a voicemail from a contract services customer
i haven't even listened to from two days ago.
I do prefer all communications voice or digital go through work
channels, or phones are recorded and all the digital stuff is logged
on company owned assets. Better in the long term for liability.
On Thu, Dec 1, 2016 at 8:25 PM, Jim Bouse [Brazos WiFi]
<[email protected]> wrote:
I respond with “The support number is: 979-985-5912
<tel:%28979%29%20985-5912>”
Short and sweet (maybe not sweet). Often, I am on call in the
evenings so I end up answering the support call but It is customer
training. I don’t want people calling/texting my personal cellphone
and then getting pissed off that I don’t respond in a timely manner
(vacation or whatnot) when I have paid support staff at the office.
Additionally, if they call my cellphone, I tell them the same thing.
The sales and support number is: X. I will be happy to help you
there.
We record 100% of the business calls due to some he-said/she-said
incidents. I don’t talk business on the personal cellphone unless the
call is routed through the PBX.
Jim Bouse
Owner
Mobile IT Pro - Brazos WiFi
979-985-5912 <tel:%28979%29%20985-5912>
[email protected]
From: Af [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Brandon Yuchasz
Sent: Thursday, December 01, 2016 8:19 PM
To:[email protected]
Subject: [AFMUG] Customers texting cell phones "hey my internet isn; t
working"
Wondering if anyone else has dealt with this and if so what they used
as a solution.
I am getting more and more texts from customers as time goes on. They
get my cell phone number at some point when I call them or from a
friend or who knows but they hold onto it.
Instead of emailing the tech support or calling in they send me a text
to my cell phone. “hey my internet isn’t working” . I don’t know who
the hell they are of course since its just some random number with no
context. So Then I am faced with ignoring the text or replying. “ I’m
sorry but I don’t know who this is from can you please give me
additional information. “
Text back and forth over the next 15 minutes reveal they have the
wireless turned off on their computer or the router took a shit or
they are off line. Regardless it’s annoying, I have considered asking
them not to text my cell phone and instead call or email but half the
time they are still going to get me. That’s not ideal. Please don’t
text my cell phone instead use our online contact option or call us
at…. 5 minutes later I get a call that forwards to my cell phone not
ideal. although that is changing and hopefully in the next 6 months I
won’t be doing any tech support calls anymore.
How do you guys deal with this from a company standpoint.
Just so everyone realizes it… this is at least 65% rant so sarcasm and
honest real feedback are both welcome.
--
If you only see yourself as part of the team but you don't see your
team as part of yourself you have already failed as part of the team.
