Users complain that in most cases Microsoft Support doesn’t help at all

Sep 2, 2014 06:45 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft remains the world’s biggest software maker, and with billions of customers all over the world, the support it offers to those having problems with its products is critical.

As you most likely know by now, Microsoft is offering several support options, and in the cases of customers experiencing trouble with computers that refuse to start, phone support is pretty much the only option.

In the last few months, however, we’re getting tons of messages from Microsoft customers disappointed with the phone support services offered by the Redmond-based firm, even though it’s pretty clear that once you dial that number, you expect someone to be there willing to help you.

In many cases that’s not happening, users complain, and the very best example comes from the latest fiasco involving botched updates that broke down Windows 7 computers.

In just a few words, some of the updates that Microsoft released as part of the Update Tuesday rollout caused BSODs on Windows 7, with all affected computers being unable to boot. Imagine that without booting, phone support was the only viable option, so some of those who experienced this behavior contacted Microsoft for help.

The answers they received were in most of the cases pointless, and users then took to the company’s Community forums to explain that they usually found more answers on third-party forums than they got from phone support. The frustration is skyrocketing when the company’s tech support is asking for premium services in order for customers to receive assistance, some say.

Here’s a message posted yesterday by one of those who hoped to repair the Windows 7 BSOD with help coming from Microsoft’s phone support engineers:

“They will not do anything unless I buy Premium Software Support. $99.00. After 57 minutes with a level 1 person I finally asked for a supervisor. He insisted I had reached the paid support division and they would not help unless I paid.”

“I insisted that the computer was working perfectly before Microsoft broke it and I will not pay them to fix what they broke! I'm afraid that, in order to be fully understood, I might have raised my voice a little. Just a little.”

“Finally the supervisor said: ‘We need to get your computer to boot, hang on for a minute,’ the phone clicked a couple of times and a recorded voice said ‘...Microsoft's phones are down, please try your call later.’”

Another affected customer claims that only after yelling at the phone support engineer he actually received some help with his Windows error.

“I got some help, after pleading, yelling and asking for a supervisor. They talk in circles and really do not ‘hear’ what you are saying,” he posted.

Of course, you can imagine that getting basically no help from a service that’s supposed to provide technical support to paying customers is really frustrating, especially when Microsoft’s new approach is to “be obsessed over customers.”

We’ve contacted the company for a word on this and will update the article when and if we get an answer.