My company develops an online education product for which we provide email and phone support. A large amount of our users are first-year college students, many of which have little or no computer experience. Our product requires that you use IE or Netscape and is not compatible with AOL's browser. This often causes some problems with our users as many of them subscribe to AOL. This phone call had me laughing for a good half hour and most of the other support staff in tears.
Tech Support: "Good evening, how can I help you?"
Customer: "Uhh, yeah, I'm tryin t use this here program t take a course online, and it ain't workin"
Tech Support: "All right, what kind of computer do you have? I want to make sure it's ok to run our software."
Customer: "Uhh, well, it's my dad's computer, and I don't know what it is. It jus says COMPAQ on the front."
Tech Support: "Ok, and you can connect to the Internet, right?"
Customer: "Yup, that's not the problem though. I can't take muh course."
Tech Support: "All right, what browser and version do you use?"
Customer: "Whut's a browser?"
Tech Support: "It's the program you use to see things on the Internet. Do you use Internet Explorer or Netscape?"
Customer: "Uh, I dunno."
(agitated)
"I don't know much bout this computer stuff. The school just said I hafta do sum muh courses on it."
Tech Support: "Ok, well, when you connect to the Internet and see information, is there a fancy N in a box on the upper right hand corner of the screen, or is it a blue e with a stripe across it?"
Customer: "Uh, I don't see none of that."
Tech Support: "Ok sir, do you know if you use America Online to get on the Internet?"
Customer: "Uh, no, ah use AOL."
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