Years ago you dialled 100 free on a BT landline and were put through, via a quick menu, to an English operator. 100 became 150, and first the menu became a maze, then a synthesized voice from a computer dealt with most queries. People complained that they weren’t getting the “human touch” any longer; so BT in their meanness employed Indians to do the dirty work as it was cheaper.

Personally I’d rather talk to a computer that can understand me and has all information instantly available, than a bunch of foreigners who can’t speak decent English and don’t have the necessary resources available.

It seems that support hotlines are really anything but hot! It’s one of my personal rules for life that i never, really never ever call such a number. You could give me 10 bucks or hold me out of the window – i wouldn’t call them.

Why? Because it’s a waste of time and it’s always the same with every company. In my experience smaller companies do much better than the big boys, because they often run normal support forums where members of the staff answer personally…

The sweethearts in call centers are just following a catalog of questions and answers. I guess it’s just the same than the FAQs you can find on the website. If they can’t find your specific problem – or simply don’t understand you – what else can they do than just cut off…

So, and i hope it comforts you a bit, me and nearly everyone of my friends can tell similar stories. Different problems with several companies but always the same result: Nothing.

I hope you can resolve your problem anyway (on your own) and your mood is a little bit better now