Sony Tech Support

[nextyoyoma]

I know we've probably all noticed this already, but sony's tech support is HORRIBLE. The week after I got my NX70V, I wanted to find out how to watch the movies I'd made on my computer. I got a stupid automated response like three times from the email support, so I called, and spent like 30 minutes on the phone with a general tech support guy who, though he really did try to help, could do nothing but read tutorials...eventually, he transfered me to a clie "expert", who again read me the crap out of the tutorials, and finally gave me an answer after another 45 minutes of waiting. It seems that sony doesn't know anything about its own products! Now I'm trying to see about buying a new audio remote for my clie, and I have discovered their "Customer Care" support, in which a real person actually reads your response....here, let me show you my question and what was, in my opinion, an IDIOTIC response:

Question :

Hi, is it possible to purchase another wired audio remote for the Clie
PEG-NX70V? If so, what is the price?

Answer:

Thank you for contacting us with your inquiry regarding the PCGNX70V CLIE Handheld.

Glad to know you own a Sony PCGNX70V CLIE Handheld. The wired audio remote for your Handheld is not available for download at SonyStyle. I suggest you please get in touch with your nearest dealer.

You can locate dealers in your area using the dealer locator at the following site:

http://www.sel.sony.com/SEL/consumer/ss5/locator.shtml

Alternatively, you can also call the following number: 1-800-352-7669 to locate dealer near you.

Please feel free to contact the SonyStyle team for further assistance.

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Idiotic, huh? Have the rest of you had these support problems with sony? Maybe we should all get a petition going to make sony train their tech support people instead of just teaching them to look up something in a handbook, especially if they can't look it up as fast as I can. Anyway, I want to hear everyone's input on this....

(I was originally going to post this on the NX board, but I figured it really affects everyone, so I decided to post it here.

Thanks guys!

[aaronchow]

I wouldn't be surprised. I know it happens to every corporate since the cost of hiring a BS Degree computer scientist to answer phone calls is huge, and most often you need many of them to answer calls in the Sony environment (imagine how many products they carry).

So, most of the time, they only hire one or two BS person and then hire the average person for the rest of the crew. And when you first call them, the lowest level will only answer general questions based on the manual, and if they can't answer you, they will transfer your call to the upper level, and etc., until you reach the highest one (who should solve your problem).

Next time if you have some questions regarding Sony CLIE, I would suggest you to call the following:

Clie Source Technical Support
www.cliesource.com
(111)no-$$-to-buy-phone-yet

And there have the most advanced Clie expert you will find of earth! :D