Microsoft Reveals ''Where's the Any Key?'' Website
Where's the 'Any' key?
If you're reading Tom's Hardware you've probably had to do over-the-phone tech support for a family member or friend at least once before. If you're smart, you did it once and have been using caller ID to avoid helping people ever since. However, if you're just too kind to let your mum, dad, aunt, uncle or grandma suffer through their computer problems alone, you likely have a lot of great stories about the various different 'problems' they've encountered.
Microsoft knows how you feel; the company has launched a "Where's the 'Any' key?" website, which gives people like us the chance to vent and share our stories. Each week a winner is chosen (via voting from visitors to the site) and he or she receives a $100 gift card for the Microsoft store. Runners up receive a $30 gift card and Microsoft says the 'star prize' is a Sony Vaio X laptop. Each week the winning story is turned into a comic and displayed on the front page. If your story wins, you'll also receive a framed copy of the comic.
Have you got any good tech support stories? Submit them to Microsoft or add them in the comments below!
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Chicken feed, you MicroSoft can do better.
Back when I was doing internet support:
"Ok how long is the cable between the modem and the phone socket?"
"I dont know, a few years".
Cute
Back when I was doing internet support:"Ok how long is the cable between the modem and the phone socket?""I dont know, a few years".
My sister once called me to ask where the on button was because she couldn't find it.
I live in the US but is is good to see a contest for once that is not only availible in the US.
Microsoft teaming up with Sony???
After this one i actually just took the rest of the day off! -
Five years ago I was working for an electronics store as in store tech support. I received a call on a Monday morning from a frantic woman who just purchased a notebook from us about a month before. She was in a state of panic and after about 10 min of calming her down I was able to find out what she was so worried about. She asked me over the phone if the computer virus that her computer has will infect her other family members! After another 10 to 15 min I was able to understand what all the panic was about, when a screen came up the she was infected and not taking action could cause other infections she had locked herself in the room and would not allow her family in. This happened on a Sunday night at about 10 pm so she slept in the room and waited for out store to open because she assumed we were the only people that she could ask about the computer. After another half hour of assuring her that it would not hurt her family she let them in and returned the computer.
I miss the good old Simpsons episodes. ;_;
When you guys comment your story tale here, I hope you also submit it on the website, you may win.
@combat88: userfriendly.org is nothing like it. Also "Microjew" is uncalled for. Also, your caps is stuck.
First time on the phone with a customer who was able to bring up a web page I had asked them to go to a web site to test their internet connectivity. I said "Open up your internet explorer and type in www.tomshardware.com" Their response was "I don't see a web page!!! the internet is not working!!!" I asked them to spell the everything on the address bar and they would angrily spell "wwwdottomshardwaredotcom"
After this one i actually just took the rest of the day off! -Five years ago I was working for an electronics store as in store tech support. I received a call on a Monday morning from a frantic woman who just purchased a notebook from us about a month before. She was in a state of panic and after about 10 min of calming her down I was able to find out what she was so worried about. She asked me over the phone if the computer virus that her computer has will infect her other family members! After another 10 to 15 min I was able to understand what all the panic was about, when a screen came up the she was infected and not taking action could cause other infections she had locked herself in the room and would not allow her family in. This happened on a Sunday night at about 10 pm so she slept in the room and waited for out store to open because she assumed we were the only people that she could ask about the computer. After another half hour of assuring her that it would not hurt her family she let them in and returned the computer.
You need to post that on the site man....
This brings back old memories of when I worked in tech support. Everyday when I thought people couldn't get any dumber, I was always proven wrong.
I once had a customer call because his cup holder (CD-ROM drive) was broken. True story. I heard this story many times before, but I believed it was just a myth. I mean, people can't be that dumb, right? I almost wet my pants (while struggling to stay professionnal) when I got that call.
@combat88 : Wow, a website that shares similarities with another website? Impossible! Take your antisemitic comments elsewhere.
When I submitted my tale, I get "An error occurred. Please try again later."
CD-ROM drive != cup holder. Nuff said.
(No, I've never known anyone to actually do this, but I'm sure some of the stories are true).
My uncle was firmly convinced however, that the McAfee software which came pre-installed on his PC was a virus he got from browsing the internet because it kept popping up warning messages at him, and he wanted me to remove it. It took at least 30 minutes to explain that, no, that software is protecting you from viruses.
CD-ROM drive != cup holder. Nuff said.(No, I've never known anyone to actually do this, but I'm sure some of the stories are true).My uncle was firmly convinced however, that the McAfee software which came pre-installed on his PC was a virus he got from browsing the internet because it kept popping up warning messages at him, and he wanted me to remove it. It took at least 30 minutes to explain that, no, that software is protecting you from viruses.
I would side with him that McAfee was a virus myself
So.... Microsoft creates a "Stupid User Stories" site. And this is supposed to be "news"?
I guess it could provide a little amusement, tho...
I did 2 and a half years as remote tech support... do you have any idea how many tales I would have?
How many my coworkers could bring up to?
There is one thing that comes from my workplace... every "funny story" you hear about tech support is always half true... the other half we're covering it so that there's still room for hope for humanity
I did but I am in the US so no hope in winning but I hope it will help other in the same situation.
I met a guy with MCSE and was raising a family who couldn't even figure out what port on the back of a modem goes to the wall socket in a house. Who hires these incompetant people?
CD-ROM drive != cup holder.
It's a true story... I even hear someone running in her house "Open the windows" (talking about IE) and I waiting on the phone...
At this point, you don't know if you need to smile or just cry...
End user is creating a DVD slide show. Hard copy photos have been submitted to her for scanning but now some have been emailed in. She asks me what the best settings for printing are that will work best when she goes to scan them. I just looked at her like a dog with its head tilted to one side...
This was during my first IT job.
Me: Thank you for calling. How can I help you?
Caller: I bought a new computer from you, and Im having a problem.
Me: How long ago was the purchase?
Her: I think I bought it, oh, a little over 2 years ago?
Me: Ok... What's the problem?
Her: My cup holder stopped working. I think it's broken.
Me: Your cup holder? I'm sorry, but Im a little confused, your computer has a cup holder?
Her: Yes. On the front of the computer. You know, you push the button and it shoots the cup holder out at you.
Me: *facepalm* Im sorry, thats not a cup holder. It's a CD Rom.
Her: But now I cant get it to come out to set my cups on it.
Me: Thats because its very likely broken. Primarily because its not designed to hold cups of any sort.
Her: How much is a new one?
Me: But if I replace it, I cant promise that it wont break again if you use it as a cup holder.
Her: So it can be replaced? Well I need a new one either way. How much is a new one?
Me: *facepalm* $30 plus $15 for installation...
I've since learned that this happens to help desk guys quite frequently. Lol.
And yes, I did submit it already.
So no plagerism!
funny comics
I was trying to help my mom over the phone one day because she was trying to type something up. She was getting very aggrivated. Long story short I asked her what "was in the open window" and she yelled back "THERE ARE NO WINDOWS, I'M IN THE BASEMENT". Then she hung up on me. After I was finished laughing I made the hour drive to appologise and help her out.
Here's an advice: Go through all the postings on the website. Just don't eat or drink before that
Oh man, if I had a penny for every time I had one of these I would have more cash than Bill Gates
Oh man, if I had a penny for every time I had one of these I would have more cash than Bill Gates
I bet you would have a couple of bucks.
The best one I have is when working retail for an office supply company I had a customer call in looking for a new Ink for her printer. Simple enough, or so I thought. When I picked up the line to assist the customer her exact words were "I have Windows 98, what black ink cartridge do I need?"
At the time my store carried over a hundred different ink cartridges, toners, ink tanks, print heads and refill kits. From several different manufactures, both OEM as well as 'store brand' equivalents to most as well. In short I have a 7 foot tall wall 48 feet long with every square inch filled of JUST ink.