Samsung Customer "Support" [rant]

[Ponch]

Ok, this has to come out as the most appalling 1st line support answers I've ever seen.

So one of my relatives won a Samsung netbook at a lottery (good for him) and asked me to set it up for his email and Internet connection. I tooke the initiative to reinstall it from scratch. At the arrival, I was pretty happy with the result, just few details left. So I searched Samsung's manual and their site and sent them that question with all references to type and model (these are precise translations):

Hello,

I reinstalled the computer with a standard XP. I state the Function key to enable/disable Wifi is not working anymore. Is this function managed by one of your additional programs like it says for the key that displays Battery Load and your "Easy SpeedUp Manager" function or is this supposed to be managed by XP and the Wifi drivers" ? Thanks.

Answer:

Dear Mr xx,

Thank you for your email regarding your question. Before beginning a reparation procedure, you should reset your PC by holding the F4 key when turning it on. Then follow the instructions while the machine starts.

If the problem persists, please contact our call center at 02/.....

We hope those informations were usefull. If you have other questions, do not hesitate to contact our call center at n° 02/...

Regards,

Baskim Nevzat Zumbultas

Contact Center

Samsung Electronics Benelux

So I was a bit deceived but not discouraged (they might be better at diagnosing TVs ?) and went on with my own tests to find the solution to my problem.

In an effort to feel good with myself, I then decided to share my findings with Samsung. Bad move.

Hello,

I understand there is no support for MS XP standard beyond your recovery/pre-installation, but if you indicate in your electronic manual (ver 1.3) that the Function key F8 (Easy SpeedUp Manager) will not work without your program "Magic Keyboard Manager", you might as well indicate that the F9 key (enable/disable WiFi) won't work without installing "Easy Display Manager".

Please do not reply by "thanks for your question but first reinstall your computer through the recovery procedure", this is quite discouraging.

... I should have known better;

Dear Mr xx,

Thank you for your email regarding your question.

You can download Easy Display Manager and Magic Keyboard drivers from our site www.samsung.be.

If the problem persists, you will have to start a repair procedure.

We hope those informations were usefull. If you have other questions, do not hesitate to contact our call center at n°....

Do not forget to give your client number so we can serve you faster and in an even more effective way.

Regards,

Arragragui Bilal

Contact Center

Samsung Electronics Benelux

There is a posibility to rate the answer. I didn't bother for the 1st one, I clicked 1 for both after the 2nd and got this reward;

"Thank you for choosing score!

Your feedback will ensure that we continue

to provide outstanding customer satisfaction!"

Yea that's it, continue.

Sorry people, that sort of thing had to be shared. I saw yesterday that Samsung passed HP as biggest electronic seller. Good for them. Cutting costs.

Edited January 30, 2010 by Ponch

[jaclaz]

Dear Mr. Ponch,

thanks for your detailed post on MSFN.ORG board further explaining your issue.

Now, at the light of the previous correspondence, you may want to press F4 while booting and follow the instructions that will appear on your screen.

If you are missing any of the applications that originally came with your PC, you may want to download them from our site www.samsung.be.

You must understand that here at Samsung Assistance we were taught these two directives (and these two only):

1. Start a reparation procedure
   
   Before beginning a reparation procedure, you should reset your PC by holding the F4 key when turning it on. Then follow the instructions while the machine starts.

   
   

2. Download software
   
   You can download the software that originally came with your PC, like Easy Display Manager and Magic Keyboard drivers from our site www.samsung.be.

   
   

It's several months that we used advanced combinatory mathematic techniques to generate 13,657 different replies to Customer's questions using the words contained in the two directives above.

The above is just to show that we are not - as you might seem to think - retarded, we are actually very intelligent and friendly, but we simply do not have the faintest idea of what you have done to your PC or, should it matter, not even know how a PC works.

We took a course where they taught EVERYTHING that is needed to assist Customers.

We learned a lot in that course (the above two directives) and since we passed the final exam replying BOTH questions in it with what can be compared to an A+ grade, we feel confident to have all the knowledge Samsung thinks needed to assist their Customers, including you.

So, please download the drivers and applications you might be missing from our site www.samsung.be, then restart your computer holding the F4 key pressed and follow instructions on screen.

You may well contact our call center at the number already given you in previous communications, if you do so, you will find a friendly assistant that will ask you to give your client number, then he will ask you to please download the drivers and applications you might be missing from our site www.samsung.be, then restart your computer holding the F4 key pressed and follow instructions on screen.

Regards,

Afedrtonm Rotamsnidan

Technical Board Response Center

Samsung Electronics Benelux

jaclaz

P.S.: you may also want to try restarting your computer holding the F4 key pressed and follow instructions on screen....

Edited January 30, 2010 by jaclaz