One tech columnist's pet peeves
By MIKE BERMAN
Scripps Howard News Service
April 25, 2002

Have you bought a new audio CD lately? Not that I'm prone to complain, but the music industry has definitely lost any ally with its latest trip down paranoia lane.

Let me preface my remarks by saying that I enjoy listening to music no matter where I am - in my car, at my desk, etc. So it's particularly annoying that the folks who brought us everything from Bach to the Beatles have chosen to knife us in the back with new copyright protection that prevents us from taking their music with us wherever we go.

Apparently, all the hubbub surrounding the illegal distribution of music via the Internet has resulted in subtle subterfuge on the part of the record companies. Now, when you purchase a new CD, you may discover that it won't play in your car, boat or computer. In addition, tons of these CDs have been returned by angry music lovers because they also won't work in home stereo systems.

Now, I'm all for licensing and everyone getting their fair share of the loot, but this time they've gone a bit too far. Do I have to retreat to the ancient world of cassette tape to be able to enjoy my favorite tunes?

While we're on the subject of consumer abuse, my e-mail box is bursting with messages from folks who have been confused and abused by technical-support personnel. In many cases, it seems the callers with problems know more about the subject than the dolts on the other end of the phone who are supposed to be helping them.

With apologies to Dennis Miller, I don't mean to go off on a rant, but there's a limit to the tolerance of the average human, which is stretched to the nth degree by the inability of software and hardware manufacturers to give them the information they need so they can enjoy their computing experience.

Long wait times, the abundance of undecipherable technobabble and promises of return phone calls that never happen are only a few of the complaints I receive every day from frustrated computer newbies who just want to enjoy their new purchases.

Some companies have made a conscious effort to improve their support for new users - most notably eMachines, Gateway and Microsoft. But others are intent on making the quest for help more elusive than the Holy Grail.

So, what do I suggest?

- Dump the 900 numbers. Often, new computer users become mired in charges because they're tied up on a 900 line (paying premium bucks for every minute) trying to understand what the support person on the other end is trying to tell them.

- Give new users a few free calls to tech support so they can get up and running. This used to be the case with most hardware and software companies, but seems to have gone out of fashion, along with knowledgeable salespeople and courteous cashiers.

- Throw out the list of obvious questions you have to ask everyone no matter how many times they call. Nothing's more annoying than being asked "Is your computer plugged in and turned on?" during the second or third call for support.

- Hire folks who really know your product, instead of some support service that has not only never heard of your company before but has also never used your product.

There. I feel a lot better now!

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