MobileRead Forums - View Single Post

hermes · 06-13-2011, 01:24 AM

So far all I can speak about is Sony.

Human not robot: 4/5 - As typical in 2011, an actual warm blooded mammal does not answer the phone for 1-2 steps.

Fast answers: 4/5 - Very good - brief on hold before human on line, knew answers immediately. It wasn't as if they were looking them up on a script

Definitive answers: 5/5. Knew all answers

Correct answers: ? - I don't know really. I haven't tested them yet.

Communicative: 3/5 - Can't fault either of the two I spoke with on telephone manner (warm , polite etc). However one of the Hispanic CS persons had such a heavy accent and spoke so fast I had to ask her several times for her to repeat herself. Now, if it was a call center in North india instead of Southern California or Mexico and they had a Hindustani accent I would have had no problem but this Canuck more familiar with dental and palatal consonants of Sanskrit/Hindi etc, the tripthongs from hell of Khmer and 'what was that tone?' of Thai, plus some French, it was like 'What the heck are you saying?' Understanding Spanish is just not in my habit.

Privacy: 4/5. Was asked for my telephone number while still talking with a robot. Unable to circumvent by typing in '0' or by doing nothing. So I gave up and punched in a random 10 digit number, US/Cdn telephone # style (what about if person calling has a Cambodian number? Do they mean what is one's permanent # or number being used for call, etc? Not clear.) I explained to the CS person that I had just invented something fictitious. Seemed to be a non-issue (then why do they ask for one?) I explained what I had done as I didn't want to carry around a random number for the end of my days if I would be dealing with Sony, especially since I didn't write it down.

The staff seemed stunned that I didn't have a telephone. Since when is having a telephone a prerequisite of doing business? For me electronic devices should be as anonymous as buying a loaf of bread or bearer bonds (do those exist anymore - the bread I mean?). I should instead be totally honest 'I do not give out my telephone number to strangers'. But lying saves time.

I see that Kobo apparently has no telephone customer service - only email and a website. This is fine for my travelling, but while In Canada I like to be able to pick up a phone. Ideally, be able to pick up a a phone in Singapore, Tokyo, Germany etc also. With Skype the actual phone number is a less of (but still) an issue.

06-13-2011, 01:24 AM	#1
hermes non-techy Posts: 110 Karma: 50586 Join Date: May 2011 Location: wherever I can afford to get laid and eat vegetarian Device: Sony pocket edition and Kobo touch both died - looking at Kindles	Customer Service factor So far all I can speak about is Sony. Human not robot: 4/5 - As typical in 2011, an actual warm blooded mammal does not answer the phone for 1-2 steps. Fast answers: 4/5 - Very good - brief on hold before human on line, knew answers immediately. It wasn't as if they were looking them up on a script Definitive answers: 5/5. Knew all answers Correct answers: ? - I don't know really. I haven't tested them yet. Communicative: 3/5 - Can't fault either of the two I spoke with on telephone manner (warm , polite etc). However one of the Hispanic CS persons had such a heavy accent and spoke so fast I had to ask her several times for her to repeat herself. Now, if it was a call center in North india instead of Southern California or Mexico and they had a Hindustani accent I would have had no problem but this Canuck more familiar with dental and palatal consonants of Sanskrit/Hindi etc, the tripthongs from hell of Khmer and 'what was that tone?' of Thai, plus some French, it was like 'What the heck are you saying?' Understanding Spanish is just not in my habit. Privacy: 4/5. Was asked for my telephone number while still talking with a robot. Unable to circumvent by typing in '0' or by doing nothing. So I gave up and punched in a random 10 digit number, US/Cdn telephone # style (what about if person calling has a Cambodian number? Do they mean what is one's permanent # or number being used for call, etc? Not clear.) I explained to the CS person that I had just invented something fictitious. Seemed to be a non-issue (then why do they ask for one?) I explained what I had done as I didn't want to carry around a random number for the end of my days if I would be dealing with Sony, especially since I didn't write it down. The staff seemed stunned that I didn't have a telephone. Since when is having a telephone a prerequisite of doing business? For me electronic devices should be as anonymous as buying a loaf of bread or bearer bonds (do those exist anymore - the bread I mean?). I should instead be totally honest 'I do not give out my telephone number to strangers'. But lying saves time. I see that Kobo apparently has no telephone customer service - only email and a website. This is fine for my travelling, but while In Canada I like to be able to pick up a phone. Ideally, be able to pick up a a phone in Singapore, Tokyo, Germany etc also. With Skype the actual phone number is a less of (but still) an issue.