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Apple teaches photo editing with over-the-phone classes
Many device makers give you the tools to capture and edit great photos, but they seldom teach you how to make the most of those tools. Apple thinks it can -- and unlike in the past, you don't need to show up in person to develop your skills. The company has launched an over-the-phone training program that teaches you how to edit with Photos (both iOS and macOS) in a 30-minute one-on-one session with a specialist. It'll both show how to use simple adjustments like Auto Enhance as well as deeper edits like color balance and exposure. If you have Live Photos or Portrait mode pictures from your mobile devices, you'll learn how to edit those as well.
T-Mobile tackles lousy customer service with 'Team of Experts'
It's no secret that a lot of carrier tech support is lousy. It's not just that you have to wade through menus -- it's that you're often pushed between support agents who only have the foggiest idea of your service history and are encouraged to get you off the phone quickly. T-Mobile thinks it can do better. It's launching a "Team of Experts" initiative that's meant to get you in touch with people who can actually deal with your problems instead of passing the buck.
Samsung’s new care center is meant to improve customer service
Today, Samsung announced that it is opening a Connected Customer Care Center in Greenville, South Carolina. This facility is aimed at improving and streamlining customer service across Samsung's entire range of products. The tech-focused center specifically emphasizes the connection between the varied devices, gadgets and appliances Samsung makes.
Uber tests 24/7 support hotline with its most frequent customers
While Uber tries to mend its company culture and make things easier on drivers, it's also building out support for its most loyal customers. The company is started two different pilot programs this week for a portion of its heaviest users: One is a call hotline available 24/7, while the other offers 'specially trained experts' for the in-app support feature, Uber confirmed.
Newegg to offer customer support via Facebook Messenger
Ever since Facebook Messenger started allowing businesses to chat with their customers (and vice versa), it's been used as a means of customer support. A number of different companies have already started doing so -- Hyatt, Sprint, Zulily and Everlane among others. Now online e-commerce site Newegg is in on it too. The retailer said in a statement today that you can simply strike up a conversation with a representative via its Facebook Page. You can also just search for "Newegg" within Messenger.
Apple opens a Twitter account to answer your tech problems
Sometimes it's infuriatingly difficult to get a Genius Bar appointment at your local Apple store. So if your Mac is on the fritz and you've got an important meeting to attend, what are your options? Ask a friend, or dive into some forums? How about asking for help on Twitter? If that last one appeals to you, good news -- Apple has set up an account today to facilitate just this sort of Q&A. Why it's taken so long to create is anyone's guess, but it's here now, so feel free to bombard @AppleSupport the next time everything randomly disappears from your iCloud account.
Apple rumored to overhaul its Genius Bar, add 'Concierge' service
Apple is reportedly readying substantial changes to how it runs its Genius Bar support service in-stors, according to 9to5Mac. While the current walk-in system requires the customer to explain the issue then be given an appointment soon after, the new 'Concierge' service (as it'll apparently be called) will tap into special algorithms to offer support for customers, giving wait time based on priority. As 9to5Mac puts it, a broken iPhone screen would receive higher priority than a small issue with iCloud when the phone itself still works fine. Employees will input the customers' issues, and the system will do the rest.
Carrier IQ gives its remote smartphone diagnosing tool a global release
Carrier IQ has let customer service reps diagnose smartphones from afar with its IQ Care software for a while, but now the solution has been given a worldwide release. By wielding IQ Care (and asking a phone owner's permission, we're assured), technicians can see device-specific stats such as a battery's drain rate, percentage of app failures, frequency of dropped calls and more. The outfit hopes that its software will make support calls shorter and ensure that fewer fully-functioning devices aren't misdiagnosed and returned needlessly. As of now, however, there isn't any word on which networks or hardware manufacturers will join the metric-hungry flock.
Apple buying land for expansion in Austin, Texas
In May of this year, Apple worked with local and state officials in Texas to secure an economic development package with the promise of expanding its presence in the city of Austin. Now the company is following up on its promise, buying up land in Austin to begin the expansion. The Austin Business Journal reported that Apple purchased three tracts of land adjacent to the current campus at 12545 Riata Vista Circle. While the acreage and purchase price are unknown, Apple plans to build facilities on the site for sales, customer support, and accounting employees. Almost 3,700 new jobs are expected to be created by 2025. It's expected that Apple will soon begin construction on a 800,000-square-foot office complex to house the new employees at a cost of about US$226 million.
Microsoft launches AnswerDesk online, brings tech support to your basement apartment
Love getting others to fix your computer, but hate the nuisance of putting on pants and leaving your house? Great news! Microsoft has launched an online version of its in-store AnswerDesk tech support, letting customers get the help they need from the comfort of their own busted computer. You can go online to get live chat-based help from a selection of techs 24/7. The service lets you shop for assistants, based on experience for troubleshooting help. The first taste is free -- if you need additional support with things like remote virus removal or system training, however, it'll cost you. The service requires a Windows Live ID and can be found at the source link below.
Netflix beefing up service center in preparation for global launch
It's no secret that Netflix has grand plans to expand its global footprint that now feeds media to some 20 million North American subscribers. Hell, the company was boasting of the "significant dollars" allocated to its 2011 international expansion plans just four months ago. While nothing's official yet, we've unearthed a few tantalizing openings posted to the Netflix job site over the last few days that could point to an imminent launch. Notably, Netflix's customer service call center in Hillsboro Oregon is gearing up to expand its scope of operations beyond North America. Two new job postings for a Training Supervisor and Quality Assurance Analyst both mention the need to prepare for "rapid" international expansion and "will support a specific country / region outside of North America." The Training Supervisor is being hired specifically to educate customer service reps in preparation for that future international growth. Neflix is looking for fluency in English in addition to Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazilian and European), and Spanish (Latin American and European), leaving things pretty wide open with regard to the countries targeted for initial launch. We do know that Netflix had plans to launch in the UK way back in 2004 -- plans that were ultimately scrapped in order to focus on its core US business (and later Canada). But if not the UK then we should at least expect to see Netflix target the European continent first if a statement attributed to CEO Reed Hastings from way back in January of 2010 still rings true: "the big market for Hollywood content (after the U.S.) is Europe...Third is Asia. Fourth is the rest of the world." Can't let Amazon have the market to itself now can we Reed? [Thanks, Chico]
Momentus XT hybrid drive causing headaches, Seagate working to fix
All's not well in hybrid solid state storage land, as owners of Seagate's Momentus XT are facing serious issues with their drives -- despite glowing initial reviews, a number of long-term users claim that the drives chirp, crash, stutter, and freeze with alarming regularity, particularly when installed in a Mac. Seagate forumgoers speculate these are symptoms of the XT's magnetic platters spinning down inappropriately, due to an overzealous power management scheme. That's the bad news -- and it sounds pretty bad -- but the good news is this: Seagate's owning up to the issues, and is actively involved in getting them fixed. So far, a pair of new firmware updates have addressed some symptoms, a third is on the way, and a Seagate engineer known only as STX_NB is proactively chatting with affected customers about possible fixes. That's what we call technical support -- take notes, tech companies.
Apple trademarks 'Express Lane' and 'VoicePass'
Apple has filed two new trademarks right before the holidays this week. VoicePass is the first one -- it's filed in the category of "construction and repair services," so it likely has to do with supporting broken devices. MacNN says that the VoicePass service is used when calling in to customer support -- certain customers in the US and Canada can have a support number recognized automatically by the phone systerm, avoiding having to identify themselves every time they call. So this likely isn't a new service or implementation -- Apple is likely just filing to cover a little-known service it already runs. Same deal with Express Lane, another trademark filed by Apple this week. Express Lane is Apple's streamlined product repair system, and the company has filed for a trademark on the name involving "web based support and diagnostic services by using resources and tools for computer software and computer hardware provided on-line and over telecommunications networks." Again -- this is a service that Apple already runs, but the company is laying claim to the names in these areas, just in case.
Google: Chrome OS laptops won't dual boot with Windows, live customer support for Cr-48 owners
We know there's a lot to digest after Google's Chrome OS event today, but following the shindig we caught a few minutes with Google VP of Product Management Sundar Pichai. While he wouldn't answer our questions about upcoming Chrome OS laptops -- you know, the ones coming from partners such as Acer and Samsung in mid-2011 -- he did tell us that those Atom-powered laptops won't dual boot Windows. In fact, he told us that "certified" Chrome OS laptops won't support dual boot environments at all. Of course, the Cr-48 has a root feature so it will likely be able to run Windows (assuming there's enough flash storage), but it's clear that major manufacturers won't be shipping laptops with Google and Microsoft operating systems living side by side. With that said, we asked Sundar about one of the major concerns we've had about Chrome OS: customer support. (Some history here -- we've heard from a few laptop manufacturers that Google's lack of customer service for the computer OS is a major issue and a legitimate reservation). Sundar said that it's a valid concern, but that the OS is incredibly simple and that Google doesn't expect to have many confused or troubled customers when it's ready for primetime. Nevertheless, Google will provide live support for those that receive a Cr-48 and help with any and all issues. No word on if that aid will continue past this limited pilot program, but we're sure there will be more much more to come on all of this next year.
Blizzard announces automated account recovery form for hacked accounts
World of Warcraft accounts have been under siege for years, with hackers and gold-selling outlets stealing passwords, items and more to fill their coffers, selling that gold to unwitting buyers. Blizzard has fought back incessantly over the years to stem the tide of gold farming and account hacking, and as you can imagine, the scale at which this happens is very tasking on its customer support department. Blizzard has just announced a new, speedier way to get help and answered about your hacked account, stolen items, authenticator issues and more! Now, under the new system, you will not have to email or call Blizzard to get these matters into its queue -- simply use the Account Recovery Form.
Google starts live phone support for Nexus One owners
Google readily admits that its Nexus One customer support at launch was lacking. However, the Goog says that it's committed to improving the experience as it blazes a path into the world of consumer handset sales. Today, more than a month since the launch of the Nexus One, Google is offering owners access to a real live person via 888-48NEXUS (63987). The new support line is operational from 07:00am to 10:00pm PST and augments Google's support forums, FAQs and email support. Unfortunately, Google's live support line seems limited to status and shipping issues -- for live tech support you'll still have to call either HTC customer care number or T-Mobile depending upon the issue. And of course, the whole thing changes if you're an international user. As convoluted as it all sounds, an unamed Google spokesperson still claims that "live phone support from Google, combined with an optimized on-line support experience, enables a superior Nexus One customer experience." Sure it does: the average consumer just loves looking through on-line forums and FAQs to solve issues before picking up the phone to complain. [Thanks, Phil L.]
Sharp's AQUOS Advantage support program launches in Canada
Sharp just recently announced that its AQUOS Advantage Program would be expanded to cover 32- and 37-inch sets here in the States, and apparently it felt quite rotten about leaving our dear friends to the north out in the cold. Sadly, the Canadian launch of the platinum-level customer support experience -- which includes "priority repair services, extended weekday and weekend telephone support hours and a dedicated toll-free support line staffed by highly-trained AQUOS Advantage Advisors" -- only applies to HDTVs 42-inches and up, so those looking to get a set for their bedroom will likely be sorely disappointed in the lack of coverage. C'mon Sharp, whatever happened to fair and equal treatment?
Panasonic extends Concierge service to plasma and LCD HDTV owners
Owners of Panasonic LCD HDTVs can finally enjoy the same luxuries afforded to the plasma owners, ending a two-year phase of panel discrimination. The outfit's "exclusive" service has been rechristened VIERA Concierge and is now available to both LCD and PDP owners. Per usual, callers will be connected with subject matter experts to answer any questions they have, and there's also an HDTV loaner program which "makes HDTV loaners available at no charge to customers who have a plasma or LCD undergoing repair." It's about time LCD users got some respect around here, yeah?
Texas Instruments extends projector-based DLP chip warranty to 5 years
In a bid to assure you, the prospective customer, that Texas Instruments' DLP chip is "bullet-proof" (its word, not ours), said outfit is stretching the warranty on any single-chip DLP module to five full years. Of note, this announcement covers chips within education, business, and home theater projectors only, and each manufacturer will be responsible for "providing details regarding their warranty programs, taking into consideration this new five year extension." Curiously enough, we can't decipher whether units that have already been purchased will be covered under the extension or if only new units purchased post-July 1, 2008 will be affected. If we owned one such device, we'd sure be on the phone with our manufacturer with this press release (in the read link) in hand.
DirecTV opens sixth call center in Huntington, West Virginia
Hot on the heels of DISH Network's call center expansion comes word that DirecTV is doing similar by opening up a 114,567-square foot facility in Huntington, WV designed to improve customer service. The center becomes the satcaster's sixth in the US, and some 550 company customer service representatives and supervisory staff will be employed here. Maybe it's expecting a rush of new calls about a bundle of new HD channels we aren't at all expecting? Ah, a man can dream, can't he?
