customer support
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Tesla is hiring people to handle complaints people tweet at Elon Musk
The CEO may no longer be the company's customer service department on Twitter.
Amazon won't have to offer a phone helpline in the European Union
Don't go looking for a customer support phone number for Amazon in Europe -- you probably won't find one. The Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled that Amazon isn't obligated to provide a phone helpline to customers in the region, rejecting Germain claims that the company's site violated national consumer protection laws by failing to clearly display a support phone number. An online shopping platform like Amazon is "not obliged in all cases" to make a phone number available, according to the judges.
EE lets queue-jumpers pay 50p for faster customer service
If it didn't already feel like mobile operators were squeezing you for every penny, EE's new customer service charge could certainly help drive that notion home. BBC News reports that the carrier has introduced a new option on its support lines, allowing you to pay 50 pence to jump to the front. Think of it as the opposite of net neutrality, but for support centres.
Connection problems for both North American and European players
Blizzard Customer Service is in the process of dealing with connection issues facing players on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. For the North American players, login errors have been plaguing both the Account Management website, and several games--World of Warcraft, Diablo III, and Hearthstone. (NA) We continue to look into the login issues for the website (Account Management, forums, etc) & in game. WoW - Error 113 D3/HS - Error 73 - BlizzardCS (@BlizzardCS) April 1, 2014 For players in Europe, Blizzard noted yesterday on their EU support blog that the high latency and connection issues are, in fact, the result of a series of DDoS attacks that have been levied at Blizzard servers for the past few days. Blizzard is monitoring the situation and asks that players follow their European customer service Twitter account for updates and further information.
Reaching Blizzard support if you can't log in
Earlier this year, Blizzard launched a new Support Callback feature that allowed players with account issues to simply fill out a form and wait for a callback from support. This was a fantastic move in terms of getting rid of the need to spend hours on hold -- but it did have some players concerned and wondering how, exactly, one was supposed to contact support if one was locked out of their account and could not access the appropriate Battle.net page. Customer Support representative Araxom has written up a response to just that particular situation over on Reddit. If you cannot access your account, or log into Battle.net, there is a support page that will still allow you to live chat with customer service, set up a callback, or even submit a ticket, all without having to log in. Although callbacks and live chat may not be available every hour of every day, you can still submit a ticket with this method and get a response in a reasonable amount of time. And remember -- if you're worried about account security, picking up an Authenticator is always an excellent idea.
What to do when you run into technical problems in WoW
Most of the time the World of Warcraft game client runs just fine. We like it that way, because it means all we have to do is click the game icon to dive into Azeroth where we can go about questing, raiding, crafting, PvPing, or whatever else we'd like to do. However, sometimes things just aren't working right -- maybe you can't connect or the game is too laggy for you to do anything. In situations like this, it's usually nothing but frustration until you manage to sort things out and the game starts working right again. Fortunately for our sanity, Blizzard has a great customer support team to help when you're having trouble. Whatever your game problem, they can definitely help you solve it. And if you're just not sure where to start, we'll point you in the direction of the right resources to find the answers you need.
The Art of Wushu: Hacking and account security
When people say they get hacked in online games, I always assume it's the user's fault. The one time I was ever hacked, I could trace it directly back to a situation where I knew my username/password was compromised and I used the same set anyway. Ever since then, I've used more secure logins and passwords, and I've never had an issue. Age of Wushu has come under fire recently for a large string of hacks, and I jumped to the same conclusion. These hacks always seem like a big deal to the people who get hacked, and Age of Wushu is the kind of game where people are incentivized to steal other peoples' stuff. It's natural that people would hack forums or other less secure places and use that information to get whatever accounts they could find. But I've started hearing rumors that people are getting hacked in spite of randomized passwords. One player told me of a friend who deliberately posted a valuable commodity in world chat, traded it to an alt, and logged in the original character later to find that the first character had lost all of her money. Is there something going on?
Blizzard Support Callback: Don't call us, we'll call you
Anyone who's had to wait on hold for customer support from Blizzard or anyone else knows, waiting on hold is one of the least fun ways to spend your time. You already have some kind of problem, and now instead of solving it you're sitting with the phone glued to your ear, listening to bad music and mentally counting the hours of your life lost to waiting on hold. (Everyone does that, right?) Fortunately for all of us, Blizzard has announced that instead of waiting on hold, you can now fill out a form online detailing the problem you're having and they'll give you a call. This means no more phone menus or explaining your problem to a support agent -- they'll have your account info and problem info at hand when they call, so you can dive right into troubleshooting your problem. The feature is available now between the hours of 1PM and 9PM EST (or 10AM and 6PM PST) -- off-hours, you'll just have to make a support ticket, like always, and wait it out. But in case your problem turns out to be an easy fix, the site will also suggest some support documents to help you out. To use the new system, just head to Battle.net's support page and select Get Help to see your contact options.
Resolve to improve your account security in 2014
Blizzard's European Customer Support team has invited players to make a New Year's resolution that we at WoW Insider can definitely support. It's easier than giving up chocolate, and probably more useful than that gym subscription you were planning on getting. Thinking about New Year's resolutions? Improve your account and computer security! http://t.co/8mO7przV68 #SafeGaming - Blizzard CS EU (@BlizzardCSEU_EN) December 28, 2013 Following the link in the tweet above will take you to their page on account security that is just packed with helpful tips to secure your battle.net account, and your computer. Some of the most common causes of account theft relate to lax security on the side of the user, and following these tips can really help you avoid that. There's also legitimate links to all the major sources of free anti-virus software, and the article is packed with other tips to avoid things like phishing sites, spyware, and malicious processes. In the absence of physical items on the battle.net store, there's also advice on retailers that can sell you authenticators.
Tips for getting customer support live chat working smoothly
No one likes having to interrupt their game time to contact customer support, but doing an online chat with is at least slightly less painful than waiting on hold to talk on the phone. However, browser snafus can ruin the chat experience which makes your wait even longer. Fortunately, CS rep Araxom has some tips on avoiding chat trouble, which is commonly caused by pop-up blockers. So before you try to start a live chat, here's what you should do: Turn off any pop-up blocking addons you might have. If you're using Google Chrome, it usually blocks pop-ups by default. You can use another browser or check out Google's instructions for allowing pop-ups. Now you're ready to chat! Just head over to the North American or European Support Portal, answer a few questions about the problem you're having, and then select Live Chat. Good luck!
Blizzard's tips for dealing with a locked account
Having your account locked isn't an uncommon problem -- and it doesn't necessarily mean your account has been compromised. Because Blizzard is trying to stop hackers in their tracks, doing anything that makes it look like you aren't the one playing the game -- like logging in from an unusual location -- can trigger a lock. So what's a gamer to do when hit with a locked account? Fortunately for all of us, Blizzard CS representative Araxom has explained how to avoid locked account woes -- without even getting in touch with customer support. An easy fix? Change your password from your new computer or new location. This requires you to authenticate with Blizzard -- and answer your secret question -- so the servers are sure that you're actually you. Another helpful tidbit: have an authenticator (or authenticator app) attached to your account and SMS protect enabled. These helpful security features not only make it harder for your account to get stolen -- they can make it clear to Blizzard that your account is in your hands, even if you're logging on from a new computer. For more details and tips, check out Araxom's thread on Reddit. And if your account actually has been hacked, it's going to take a few more steps, but we'll walk you through it.
Behind the scenes as a [REDACTED] Game Master
Once upon a time, I worked as a game master for a very popular MMORPG. My duties were relatively simple: help players out of sticky situations and enforce the rules of the game when it came to cheating, harassment, and general player behavior. A game master's role is to protect the player from any and all potential game dangers, up to and including the player himself. In my work as a GM, I saw many amazing things. I saw guild members contact support staff because they were worried about another player's real-life wellbeing. I saw incredibly complex scams across multiple players and accounts that, while infuriating and exceptionally against the rules, were astonishing in their genius. And of course, I saw lots and lots of cybering.
The top five things you need to know about patch 5.3
Patch 5.3 has arrived, and there are a truly staggering number of changes to the game, many of them with significant effects to gameplay. You can check out Blizzard's complete patch notes on their blog, but for the sake of brevity, WoW Insider has compiled a list of the top five changes that are most likely to be of the biggest interest to the average player. If you haven't been paying much attention, this is the stuff you probably really want to know! 1. The experience required to go from level 85 to 90 has been reduced by 33% Mists of Pandaria has been called very alt-unfriendly, and while this particular change won't entirely fix that, it does help. Along with the changes to reputation factions -- the Shado Pan and August Celestials dailies are no longer hidden behind the gate of "Revered" with the Golden Lotus -- this will make it easier to get your army of alts up to speed to hop into max-level content.
Blizzard introduces live Web Chat support
Blizzard Customer Support has rolled out a new feature to better assist customers with issues. The new live Web Chat feature allows players to chat directly with a Customer Service Representative, bypassing the long wait times sometimes associated with phone calls. But don't think that this is a replacement for the ticket and phone system altogether. The live Web Chat is only available for issues that can be resolved in that format -- specific issues may require a ticket or a phone call to address. Using the new system is easy enough; simply visit the Contact Blizzard Support page, select the game you need assistance with, and then choose from a variety of dropdown menus to pick the selections that best address your particular issue. You'll see three buttons at the bottom of the screen, one for submitting a ticket, one for contacting by phone, and one for live Web Chat. Please note that web chat and phone support availability still varies based on hours of operation, as well as the type of issue you need addressed. Honestly, I'm wondering why this type of support system wasn't put into place years ago. With the Web Chat feature, players can bypass sitting on the phone and listening to hold music, and just chat with a representative to get their issues addressed. And with the new filtering system for issues, it makes it a lot easier to figure out what I should be doing if I have a problem. Hey, don't get me wrong, I do love Blizzard, but if I don't have to sit in a phone queue, I'm generally all the happier for it. You can read more about the new live Web Chat feature on the official site.
The Game Archaeologist: How to return to older games
Let's face it: It's just not that easy to either try out or return to an older MMO. It defies logic because you would think that these games would explicitly crave people to come play them, but it's almost like there's a chest-high wall topped with itchy fiberglass shreds warning people away. It's not impossible to surmount, of course, just inconvenient and a little daunting. And so we log back into World of Warcraft or (thrashes around for a random title) Champions Online instead. However, this column doesn't care about them fancy games with their exclamation marks and free-to-plays, no sirree. We're all about the love for classic MMOs, and it would behoove us to consider supporting that which we love. It's that time of year when I feel the call to return to one of my first MMO loves, Anarchy Online. After tangling with the account page, looking for a subscription variant that apparently no longer exists, and mentally adjusting to the extremely dated graphics, I started to wonder if it was even worth it. But a little perseverance paid off, and I wanted to share a few lessons learned about overcoming obstacles when it comes to diving back into the past.
Guild Wars 2 and the war on bots
A big victory has been won in ArenaNet's ongoing war on Guild Wars 2 bots. Big steps have been taken since the game's launch: As of now, only about 20 bots an hour are reported, compared to over 2,000 an hour just a couple of months ago. ArenaNet has been working on automating the process of identifying and terminating bot accounts, as security coordinator Mike Lewis explains in a new blog post. There's now a pretty high likelihood of stepping into Lion's Arch without getting immediately spammed by five gold sellers. Possibly more importantly, ArenaNet has started offering support for folks whose accounts have been compromised. Account restoration recently got added to the Guild Wars 2 support page, which is something that's been much in demand.
Live chat Customer Support Q&A this Thursday
Ever had a burning question about the customer service side of World of Warcraft, or other Blizzard games? This Thursday, you'll have your chance to ask. Blizzard is hosting its first-ever CoveritLive chat featuring customer support representatives from all of Blizzard's games. The chat will be focused primarily on World of Warcraft, but the panelists can field some questions regarding Diablo III and StarCraft II support as well. Keep in mind, this is not a development Q&A -- so keep your questions about whether or not Atiesh will return to the game's loot tables along with Alleria and Turalyon for another time. However, if you have any questions regarding the policies and the customer service side of Blizzard, this is an excellent time to get those questions cleared up. The Q&A will be this Thursday, December 13, from 5-6pm PST. Unlike previous Q&A chat sessions, this one will be taking place directly on Blizzard's website. And if you need an email reminder, you can sign up for one directly through the official blog post.
ArenaNet's Regina Buenaobra on Guild Wars 2, Reddit, and community
ArenaNet has, understandably, been receiving a whole lot of publicity in the days following the launch of Guild Wars 2, due in large part to notable events such as the "ask why you're banned" thread on the r/GW2 subreddit. Not everyone, however, is thrilled with the idea that ArenaNet is conducting so much of its customer support and community interaction on Reddit and social media sites such as Facebook rather than on official forums or a well-established community site. If you're someone who has been wondering exactly why ArenaNet focuses so much effort on Reddit and social media, then we're here to shed some light on the issue. We reached out to Guild Wars 2's North American Community Team Lead, Regina Buenaobra, to get the official point-of-view. If you'd like to know about ArenaNet's community and customer support teams (and the differences between the two), click on past the cut for the Q&A.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2's launch week in review
It's been quite the week in the world of Guild Wars 2. Launch, issues, near-daily server updates, fixes, and launch parties have likely kept the entire team high on adrenaline and low on sleep. If you're one of the folks in attendance at one of ArenaNet's launch parties, you likely saw a lot of very tired but very happy people. If you're not hounding the Guild Wars 2 Twitter account or subreddit, it's easy to miss a lot of communication, and even if you do, it's a lot to sort through. So what's been going on? A great deal.
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.
