Computer Associates - Tech Support

[Techmonkey]

Having had to make numerous calls to CA support over the last few months and a lot over the last couple of days I have to say with a degree of certainty that it has been one of the WORST tech support experiences of my life (with the possible exception of Sony).

Their support (or lack of support site) site is a joke with no usable search function searching for terms such as "Agent Installation" "SQL Agent" bring back almost every result on their site apart from anything to do with installing agents or SQL.

Calling them is a nightmarish experience and I believe forcing prisoner's of war to go through the experience would be far more effective than Water Boarding.

Once you navigate through their phone menu (pretty simple) it apologies for your wait before it has even connected you, your then very lucky if after your guaranteed 10 minute wait (minimum it would seem) your not immediately cut off.

When your finally put through to someone, they have exceptional difficulties in grasping the basics of what you are trying to tell. Now enough respect to these call centre people, they can speak better English than I will ever speak their language, however from a customer care and customer service point of view, it adds a lot of stress to a situation which can be stressful enough anyway. "My name is McCabe 'Muck-Cabe' not M CAB EEEEE"

Now when you do get someone on the phone, you then have to give your site ID, which appears to be a mystical number only known to CA themselves. Why mystical, because it is not supplied on any of their documentation that you receive with your software or license. Mystical number is obtained by providing them with your life history from your conception through to present day.

Now they make you confirm all your company details, company name, address, company reg number, email, phone, fax, colour of carpet, etc etc.

We are now 25 minutes in to the call, but they have the details.

Now come the IT questions, what version of Windows am I using, what version of of Arcserve am I using. Now forgive me if I am wrong, but I would have thought the mystical site ID was some sort of reference about the software you sold? Considering the software is called "Arcserve V15 for SBS 2008 PRemium" I would have thought these questions are pointless.

30 mins in now

Now I am asked about the severity of the problem, is it a server down event ? No! The server is up but your software doesnt work!. Ojk in that case I will log your call and an engineer will call you back within 48 hours.

Hang on I am at a customers site now! Am I meant to randomly come back to site over the next 48 hours in the hope the engineer calls me then? or wait at my office for the call and then put him on hold for an hour while I drive to site?

36 hours later I get this in my in box!

Quote:This is regarding ticket no: 19623568, Issue: Problem with SQL Agent.
Tried to reach on the number 781700XXXXX phone rings and got disconnected.
Please let me know
when we can work on this issue.

Now we are back to the language barrier thing, now I am no mobile technology expert, but I do happen to know that all phone numbers in the UK if not the world begin with a 0 !!!! clearly the person on the phone missed the 0 at the beginning when taking down the number, use your brains.

Of course in true unhelpful help desk stylee, they have included their support number or a name of an engineer who is dealing with the issue, so now I have to go to the internet and find their number again and go through the whole ruddy drama again.

p.s. I haven't forgotten to rate this thread, they just dont even deserve 1 star