Anatomy of a Support Call to Symantec

[eds2012]

I just thought I would share what happens when you contact Symantec Support since the last time took about 40 hours on the phone to get a replacement upgrade license key since they gave ours to an organization with a similar name (yes they admitted it, but that wasn't enough to get them to replace the key.)

So I called the 800 support number 17 minutes ago.  After entering the options to get to Enterprise support and entering the contract number I was connected to an agent who couldn't find the contract number.  They asked for a previous support incident number and they couldn't pull that up.  Then they said they had to reboot thier computer and would call me back within five to ten minutes - I gave them my number and didn't believe they would call back based on previous support calls.  I am now calling back.

If I were rating Symantec Support I would give them a 1 on a 1 to 5 scale.  What would you give them?

[CraigV]

never had to deal with their licensing department as we use resellers (we are 1 ourselves, but dealers organise everything for us )...with regards to their support, I've had 2 incidents where they never met my expectations. 1 was when I couldn't understand the guy at all and asked to speak to someone who could speak English (I don't think he was too impressed, but I couldn't have cared less as it was as if he was speaking his native language!).

The other I asked to get put through to the next tier as I told the guy he had no clue of the incident I was busy with.

Other than that, I've had good service from them, although many others haven't.

[eds2012]

Now I have been on the phone with the current agent for ten minutes answering questions and in the course of answering questions, the agent argued with me about the agent name.  The agent that seems to be having a problem is the BE2012 Agent for Applications and Databases (after live update, it no longer can find the SQL Server or DAG) -- he is insisting that this is the Agent for SQL Server. 

So after eleven minutes of answering questions I am being transferred to the queue and was told that the hold time will be fifteen minutes.  Lets see...  Oh no time Warp -- John Waite is singing "Missing You"

I still rate them a 1 out of five, what about you?

[CraigV]

That's actually a great 80s song by the by!

THat said, just ask the techie if they'd like the BE 2010 SCL which states Agent for SQL Servers and the BE 2012 SCL which states Agent for Applications and Databases. Some of the guys clearly don't know the difference.

Then ask to speak to someone who CAN help you!

[eds2012]

Only a five minute wait, but I am now reanswering the questions about my email address and phone number.  Oh she now is telling me that she is not a technician and due to some technical difficulties she is unable to transfer me to a technician.  So she explains that a manager will call me back in five to ten minutes. I normally haven't been called back when Symantec agents tell me that I will be called back.  I asked why a manager is calling me back instread of a technician and she explains that this is the procedure that they have to follow.  I asked if I could be transferred to the manager and she says that this is not the way the procedure works.  I am now waiting for a call.

I still rate them a 1 out of five, what about you?

[eds2012]

I got a call back in five minutes.  It wasn't a manager, but a technician who it digging right into helping me.

[eds2012]

It's looking like a license issue related to my earlier case.  The tech I am working with is talking to licensing.  I hope he can resolve this, because the problems I had last time were related to processes in the licensing department -- not the resolve of the technicians.

[eds2012 · Accepted solution]

Turns out the serial numbers that licensing provided to me in mid-July were incorrect and the SQL backups no longer worked.  The tech I worked with quickly found the problem and I dug though emails for serial numbers. I found one that ended up in junkmail from upgradecenter@symatec.com from a couple weeks ago that had some new serial numbers for the agent.

I am still feeling rather burned from my experience with the licensing group a couple months ago. 

While I was not happy with the process to get me to a technician, I was very happy with the support the technician provided.