“May we help you?” should be “Can we help you?”
And the answer, apparently, is “no, we can’t.”
Regular readers know that I’ve been trying to change the URL and format of my blog to this new site, but migration of the content of the old blog to the new has been taking months and months and months. Definitely longer than I’d originally thought and planned. My search for help with the process led to the need to find a web developer willing to take the job, which turned out to be extraordinarily difficult. Not the job, but the search.
I finally found one, but he’s busy and I’ve had to wait till he has an opening for me, which should occur some time in July. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, here’s one of the fun experiences I had during the long search. I think it shows something about the state of communication these days from “customer service” types.
There was a highly-recommended online group that’s been offering services for WP sites ever since WP has existed. It has lots of good ratings, and so I optimistically put in a request for help with the blog transfer task.
Almost immediately I got the following acknowledgement from them, which appeared to be a form letter [emphasis mine]:
“We wanted to acknowledge you [sic] WordPress project request and let you know it was received. We will now go about sharing this with some skilled WordPress developers so they can quote the work needed and we can get your project started…Please hang tight for a contact with someone to complete this request. If you do not hear anything in the next 24 hours, reply to this email so we can escalate your request.”
I waited about 36 hours and there was no response from anyone, so I wrote them the following: “I haven’t yet received any responses except your previous note. So I’d appreciate it if you can escalate the request. Thanks.”
And I got this back from them: “If you have not received a reply, no one is interested in the work.”
So, what on earth did that last sentence in their previous note (the one I bolded here) mean?
Curious, I sent a note to them as follows: “I was responding to this sentence in your previous email: ‘If you do not hear anything in the next 24 hours, reply to this email so we can escalate your request.”‘ I’m not sure exactly what that means and how it squares with what you just wrote. Please clarify. Thanks.”
I didn’t expect anything productive at that point, but I was intrigued by their mixed messages. I got this back from them: “No one is interested in the work. I am sorry bit [sic] we cannot force people to quote it.”
Wow, pretty harsh! So I wrote:
“That’s fine; I just didn’t understand why that sentence was in there about escalating the request if no one replies. Of course I understand you don’t force people to give a quote.”
And then I finally got this from them: “That just means to follow up. Sorry for any confusion.”
Doesn’t make much sense even with that “explanation,” does it? And if they regularly send out such a confusing message, why not change it?
I know; that would be too LOGICAL and CLEAR. And all the typos make me wonder whether they might be the same people who program the spambots.
I suspect you might have been trying to work with an IT group living in the largest English speaking country in the world, India. My son has an IT business and he uses a lot of those very smart people for some of his projects and sometimes communication requires some windage allowance.
OldTexan:
One might think so, but I don’t think it’s the case. The founder and head of the country is definitely an American and not of Indian or Asian extraction (there are photos and a bio). And although a couple of the developers have foreign names and looks, most of them (there’s a whole roster with photos at the website) are American, have American names, and do not appear to be of Indian or Asian extraction.
Of course, it might be a false front. But as I said, highly rated and recommended, even by my host. So I tend to think it’s on the up and up.
Not questioning the up and up part, I have worked with some of the folks from India and found them to be smart, honorable people with a keen sense of humor. I am just guessing there are some independent contractors overseas that have a lot of work and the American contact was letting an agent over there try to sub-contract it out. By the way I check you new site from time to time in my bookmarks and I wish you the best on your move.
Well, it is thoughtful of them to advertise their limitations. Or maybe it is old fashioned to expect someone who is apparently a go-between to be conversant with English.
Old Texan, my daughter who is a labor and delivery nurse in a community with an Intel plant, was telling me just today that about a third of her patients are from that large English speaking nation. Many will not use the call button, apparently because they fear that they will not be understood on the intercom. So, she might be working at the Nurse’s station and look up to see a patient standing there who says, “the baby is crying”; and has no clue as to how to cope with a crying baby. (Apparently Mother-in-Law is traditionally the Nanny-in-chief in that culture. Unknown how Mother-in-Law ever learns the necessities.) She reports, however, that they are invariably polite and appreciative for their care. On the other hand, a high percentage of the Drs at the University Medical Center that my wife and I use are one or two generations removed from the same culture. Go figure.
There probably isn’t enough money it for them working to revamp and move a blog. What most of these web developing businesses want is to sell you a package that includes very profitable things for them like online marketing, design, and enhanced web security.
Until his death nine years ago, my business partner always took care of our informational website since he was a natural geek – taught himself HTML like a pro and was able to write code. He even built websites gratis for non-profits. Alas, after he was gone and I had to find someone to update it when Microsoft stopped supporting XP, I went through a somewhat similar situation. I never did find anyone who would take on the job, at what I was willing to pay. Retirement finally saved the day.
Neo, maybe you can take a page from the politician’s playbook by holding out the promise of lots of good things for them in the future?
That reads like those people are products of the modern school system. A high school diploma used to indicate you were proficient in English, but no more. Today it’s just a worthless piece of paper that indicates you spent 12 years in school. The college diploma is going in the same direction.
“We CAN help you. We just don’t WANT to help you.”
“Oh, you were serious? You really wanted us to do that?”
“But it’s HAAARRRRDDDD!!!!!”
Yeah, I’d be glad they turned you down. Blessing in disguise.
I’m just going to address the elephant in the room for a second.
Oh sure, we can help you…
…oh wait, this is a blog that has written in defense of Donald Trump? No, no thanks, no one is interested…
Neo, C/S in general seems to have gone from Appalling to Non-Existent. Believe me, I feel that the pain I feel from this is quite similar to the pain, not to mention fury (I suppose), that you are feeling.
(Cf. WJC, “I feel your pain.” Why, you empathetic bustard! –Heh, couldn’t resist.)
Robot C/S replies online are in the same category as Robotic Telephone communications (the phone menus, I mean). They often offer no alternatives applicable to your problem or question; and half the time you can’t understand what the little lady or even man in the machine is saying.
The whole system stinks.
Rant over, it may well be that your eml is going to some robotic nonexistent “associate” somewhere; it matters not where. I don’t know if English-speaking East Indians are any worse at using our language than are many born-and-bred Americans. What Ray said.
The question is, what nincompoops design these “automated” systems in the first place. For instance one outfit I patronize now has a C/S system where the first step you’re supposed to take is to download some diagnostic routine — never mind that your problem is with their incorrect advertising.
End of second rant.
Truly, I’m sorry you’re having all this trouble. :>(