Following the principle of Jeff Jarvis (see this post here) I would like to write about my disappointing experience with the Green.ch (a Swiss ISP) phone support. Some short research has showed me also, that there are already existing complaints. Here a short excerpt (excuse me but the discussions are in German):
The story goes as follows:
On behalf of my customer I have opened a new Linux Hosting with Green.ch. This was already a pain, because I could not use the existing customer account (for other services from the provider). Instead I had to open a complete new one. The guy from sales needed about 15 minutes to get what I really wanted. But finally managed to answer all my questions.
So now the first trouble begins. My customer wanted to have an existing domain (bought on the market) for his new Internet presence. I had filled in the information correctly during the order and confirmed, that the customer is the legal owner of this domain.
The second mail I have got from Green.ch (the first was the confirmation of the order), had the content, that they somehow had different registration information and needed a confirmation of both parties (my customer and the former owner of the domain). Well the only point here is, that this has been done some (long) time ago and Green.ch has been informed. But for sure this has been on the existing user account. Since there is obviously no connection between the user accounts, this has not been detected by the staff.
However. They needed full 3 days to provide me the webspace I urgently needed for my work. They did not came to the idea to hand me out the order, with an IP, where I can access it.
So after three days, I received the initial user account data, with all the passwords and so on. Nice everything worked at the beginning. A little bit unusual for me, because I do not have so many right, but it worked...
Until I came to make a connection to the MySQL-Database. In the FAQ they have written, that you set your personal password for the MySQL-Db's during the CREATE of the first database. But there has been already one installed, which I do not want. Some crappy shit some admin has installed there and nobody needs (at least not for this project). So the password has been initialised already. And as the FAQ says, you cannot change the password afterwards.
Now the real bullshit was, that there has been no password for MySQL written in the account data, they have sent me. And I had not enough rights to recover the password, since it is a shared hosting.
To speed things up, I decided to call the phone support, which is, according to the page, free of charge (respectively without any additional costs than for a standard call) for the first 4 Minutes. After 239 Seconds, you pay CHF 2.- per Minute. As I had all account information in front of me, I thought this would not be a great deal for the supporter to reveal the MySQL-Password for me. I guessed this may take not more than 2 or 3 Minutes and thus would be a normal call.
I was mistaking: The guy on the phone was a complete idiot, or at least he behaved like one. I had to explain at least three times, who I am and what I wanted. Until he got this, 3'30'' was on the call time counter of my cell. Then he left me alone on the phone with the excuse that it would take just a moment.
3'45'' - He was back, saying he has found my account information and asked again if I really wanted the password for MySQL. I answered yes.
3'55'' - He told me that he has found the password, but was not sure if the first letter was an "O" (Letter) or a Zero. He told me that he had to open the Editor/Notepad.
4'05'' - After telling me the Path from the Windows "Start"-Button to his editor, he told me the password. And earned CHF 2.00
4'20'' - Well, after I had already paid 2 Bucks I enjoyed the remaining minute.
But hell, was I angry after this call. I have worked in a Call Center too and know that there are some tricks to keep the customer on the line. And this was obviously a trick to keep me on hold for 239 Seconds, until I had to pay. And this for a mistake the admin staff of Green.ch has made!
I can just tell you all out there: BEWARE OF GREEN.CH PHONE SUPPORT!.
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