Marek Wawrzyczny wrote:
Actually I never suggested the ISPs are anti-OS... In fact any half respecting ISP has systems in place to inform users of network failures. However, this issue goes deeper than just helping someone setup an account or email s/w.
You're right most ISP's have a procedure in place that advise customers 1. If the system will be down at some future time(via WWW page). 2. If the system is down without previous notice (via ANSWERING machine).
Some however do not have the discipline to implement these in a consistent and persistent way.
I am talking about unwillingness to admit that the problem might be at their end, when the problem is clearly at their end and attempts to blame it on the customer because they are not using Windows.
You're also right to say that some ISP are not willing to admit that the problem is
at their end for fear that users will use it against them. An extremely low number of
users, maybe ONE in about 20,000 every THREE (3) months from my experience
actually will use this to extract compensation. I emphasize this is extremely low
percentage. But the point is if one of the 20,000 is able to use the situation to extract
compensation then other customers who are not inclined immediately to
extracting compensation will try to and there could be continous compensation claims
hitting the ISP so much so that none will be viable including the big ISPs. The idea on
the part of the ISP here is to discourage nuisance compensation claims. If the customer has to go
through a procedure, maybe court procedure, he/she will be discouraged if it is not
a genuine claim.
If you have genuine grievances with your ISP or any Telecomm Service(incl.mobile phones)
provider, talk to TIO(http://www.tio.com.au) or submit a complaint online. Any responsible and the
NOT SO responsible ISP will immediately attend to your complaints because it will cost them money
everytime not withstanding the outcome. The cost for ISP escalates as the complaints are left
to draged on and on.
To be fair 99.99 percent of the customers just want their connection to work.
Furthermore, it would not hurt them to hire one Linux support staff for every 10, 20, 100 Windows support staff whatever the user ratio happens to be, would it? At least some Linux enthusiast could get some work if they wanted to...
Most ISP have this in place. For me as customer, I get to the right support person. And the way to do it is 'ESCALATION' procedure. And this is how I would do it in a little SCENARIO.
I get to talk to the FIRST Line Of Support (FLOS), and he/she ask me to do something on
my MS Windows Screen. Note, FLOS are provided with a script to go through with customers
and this is solely MS related. Seldom do they ask what OS you have.
I notice this after talking to support a few times.
I listen being careful not to intimidate. Many FLOS person are inexperienced and that's
why they are provided with 'support scripts' to read from. At the end of what is said, I'll still have
problems and I'd say I'd like to speak to someone who is more experienced.
If I'm not satisfied, I'll asked to speak to the Supervisor or Manager. If still not satisfied
I'll continue to escalate. Never say anything to intimidate is my slogan.
I get results in almost all of my calls.
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