Best of the ISP-Lists

When Customers Want in to the Network Operations Center

Members of the ISP-Tech list disagree on how to deal with a customer who wants access to an ISP's workstation, "just to download a few .dll files."

[October 27, 2000]

On the ISP-Tech list in October, GTF observed,

"A client of ours with Windows ME says his Internet doesn't work. It complains about a problem with rnanp.dll and he wants to come into our office and copy that file from our Windows ME workstation. I told him that we would rather refrain from this type of activity, but after he threatened to take his business elsewhere, I told him if he absolutely must, to come get it. Does anybody think that's an odd request? If you get these types of requests, what do you tell the client?"

A couple of respondents suggested providing some support to the poor fellow:

[BL offered] "Chances are that it won't work — but I'd have no problem helping him out. If he wanted to 'borrow' an ME CD, it would be a different story. It sounds more like a clueless customer than that he's up to anything naughty."

[DH agreed] "We try to turn this into a positive. We tend to view Internet service like milk-anyone can deliver it; it's the customer service behind it that makes a difference. We fix these little problems, and see it as a means of both building customer loyalty and setting ourselves apart from the national ISPs." But an outspoken majority disagreed:

[PF warned] "Legally, you just broke the license for ME. If this guy doesn't have an ME disk, then hands off. You were suckered. Learn to draw a line between providing support and being a lackey for your customers."

[JC explained] "We would not do this for the guy. It is not up to us to do something of that nature for him. If he feels he needs to go elsewhere, then I'd remind him he's going to have a mighty hard time getting AOL to even speak with him about a problem like that."

[SK explained] "Allowing customers to come in for software, etc. is a big no-no. I don't allow it here for a number of reasons; the illegality doesn't even have to come into play. First of all, if they need help with one file on an MS system, chances are they need a bunch of them. Also, once they use 'your' system files, and for some reason their system craps out, guess what? 'It worked before I put your software in it!'"

[JL added] "I'd know exactly what to tell him. I'd give him the phone numbers of several of our competitors and suggest he sign up with one of them. We don't provide illegal copies of software to anyone. I'd be glad to try to explain to him how to find and copy it from his original software distribution media, but if he doesn't have that, sorry."

—End