Xbox Series X support really let me down — here’s why
Xbox Series 10 support really let me down — here'south why
Lately, it seems like I have nothing merely praise for the Xbox Serial 10 and Xbox Series Due south. I love the console; I love the games; I love Xbox Game Laissez passer. I've claimed that the Xbox Series Ten is better than the PS5, and that yous should seriously consider buying a $100 accessory just to brand your Xbox feel even more seamless.
That's why I was absolutely shocked when Microsoft nearly obliterated all of my positive feelings over a $25 battery pack.
- Xbox Series X restock update: Where to buy
- Play the best Xbox Series Ten games
For all of the Xbox's strong suits, in that location's one area where it admittedly falls flat for me, and that's in tech support. Trying to get an Xbox accessory repaired is a frustrating, labyrinthine mess, putting as much distance equally humanly possible between you and the service you need. It took me two service requests, iii online pleas and four phone calls for a routine part replacement — and in the end, even that wasn't plenty to actually get what I needed.
In short, it's a good matter that Xbox gear is more often than not built to last. Because if your gear breaks, you lot'll only get it fixed with a lot of perseverance and grit, not to mention a trivial bit of luck.
Expressionless batteries
Starting time off: I'm not to a higher place eating crow. When it comes to Xbox Play and Charge kits, the naysayers were right, and I was wrong.
The Xbox support site gives you hours for a call middle, only no way to actually accomplish it.
A few months back, I advocated buying Microsoft's official Xbox Play and Accuse Kit, even though the charging cable itself was a step back from the Xbox One model. Commenters were quick to betoken out that while disposable AA batteries were pretty wasteful, rechargeable AA batteries were more versatile than Microsoft's proprietary packs, too every bit cheaper to supervene upon.
I stuck to my guns, notwithstanding, and continued using my Play and Accuse battery, until 1 twenty-four hour period in March when I noticed it wasn't belongings a charge anymore. I swapped cables, controllers and power sources until it became articulate that the battery was defective, and would require a replacement.
The process seemed straightforward enough. I went online and filled out a service request. Since my product was nether warranty, all I had to exercise was wait 24 hours for a aircraft characterization, send in the defective battery, and expect for Microsoft to send a new one. Microsoft estimated that the whole process would take 8-ten business days.
Xx-4 hours went by, and I still didn't have a shipping label. I decided I'd phone call Microsoft — only I couldn't find a client service number anywhere. The Xbox back up site gives you hours for a call center, but no way to actually reach information technology. Eventually, I realized that you could cajole the site'southward virtual agent into setting up a phone telephone call, although information technology will try to direct you to automatic resources instead every single time.
I spoke to a rep who said he wasn't certain why the label didn't ship, but he could get it resent hands enough. I'd have to await some other 24 hours. I agreed, and left it at that.
Tech support woes
A week went by before I realized that I hadn't actually received a label yet. I contacted customer support again, and this is when things started going southward.
This time around, the rep asked for my controller serial number. I asked why he would need this, since the trouble was with the battery pack. He explained that all accompaniment repairs route through the controller (which is not accurate — they route through the console'due south series number), and that the battery pack's serial number was totally ancillary.
The Microsoft rep connected my phone call to a closed store in the UK, which disconnected me automatically.
I gave him what he asked for, and he said that Microsoft would be very pleased to send me a new controller. I thanked him for that, but explained that information technology wouldn't solve my trouble. He asked why not. I explained, for the 2nd time, that the trouble was a defective bombardment pack, which is a totally separate part from the controller. He said he'd have to ask some other support team for additional data — at which point he hung upwards on me.
I've made enough of tech support calls in my life, but this was a first. And even so, my experience wasn't unique. I spoke to Kimberly Gedeon, a senior writer at our sister site Laptop Mag. She evaluated Microsoft's tech support for Laptop's yearly Tech Back up Showdown, and the exact aforementioned affair happened to her.
"I was really upset virtually this," she told me over a video call. "The rep seemed like he wasn't certain how to answer my question. He said he would get back to me, and then hung up on me."
Her question was about the Microsoft Surface Pro X laptop, but the sequence of events was identical otherwise, right down to the rep giving her incorrect information.
A 2nd try
Frustrated by my lack of progress, I figured that the easiest way to solve the problem would be to merely cancel my service order and first all again. That way, at least, I wouldn't have to deal with any more phone conversations. Only 24 hours after starting my new service guild, I however didn't have a shipping label.
This fourth dimension, a new Microsoft rep informed me that he couldn't really aid with the issue, but a Microsoft Store could. I didn't sympathize how an employee at one of the few remaining Microsoft Stores could replace a product that I didn't buy from them, but I figured it was at least worth a effort. The rep connected my call — to a closed shop in the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland, which disconnected me automatically.
Every Xbox owner — not merely tech journalists — should expect responsive, intuitive tech support.
There was nada to do just keep calling. On my quaternary and terminal attempt to talk with Microsoft tech support, I finally got a rep who understood my trouble and was willing to tackle information technology himself. He stayed on the telephone with me for a long time, getting to the root of my issue and fifty-fifty opening upward a permanent case file, so I wouldn't take to explicate my state of affairs anew to each new rep. In the end, he asked me to upload a receipt for the battery pack — which, amazingly, I nevertheless had — to check the warranty information.
Then he informed me that the production was out of warranty, and his supervisors had denied his request to make an exception.
But the product was in warranty when I initially requested support, I protested.
He said he understood, and that he would escalate the claim to a dissimilar department. I stayed on the line as he transferred my telephone call — to a British line that was closed for the day, which asunder me afterwards an automated bulletin.
Microsoft'due south response
The but carte I had left to play was a completely unfair advantage: a press contact at Microsoft. I hadn't really wanted to go this route. After all, Microsoft has a dedicated tech support squad, and my contact is not part of it. Asking them for help felt like cheating, as well as a huge imposition. But I wasn't sure what else to exercise.
I explained my situation to my contact, who agreed to await into it for me. A day later, they had plant the trouble and explained what went wrong. Somehow, a billing and back up team was in charge of treatment my case rather than an Xbox hardware team. This explains why the reps were unclear on the controller/battery pack stardom. They were supposed to transfer my example to an Xbox team, simply didn't practise so properly, hence the two connections to unrelated UK lines.
In the meantime, Microsoft has passed my experience onto the back up squad to assist avoid similar situations in the futurity. Past the end of the day, I had three Microsoft e-mails in my inbox, assuring me that a new battery was already en route. Even the Xbox Support Twitter account, which hadn't replied to whatever of my tags, messaged me to come across whether I needed help.
In the end, I'grand pleased that Microsoft was able to get the result ironed out. I appreciate the visitor'southward want to set things correct, and am grateful to the reps who helped me out — even the billing and support reps who, in retrospect, were doing their best in an unfamiliar state of affairs.
Nevertheless, I also don't know whether this story would accept ended similarly for an everyday consumer. Going through the regular channels did not solve my trouble. Every Xbox possessor — non merely tech journalists — should expect responsive, intuitive tech support and easy replacements for lacking gear.
Microsoft has already produced an impressive game panel. Just as more than and more people notice out where to go Xbox Serial Ten restocks, the company's next challenge will be to provide stellar support for years to come.
- Check out the best Xbox Game Pass games
Marshall Honorof is a senior editor for Tom'due south Guide, overseeing the site's coverage of gaming hardware and software. He comes from a science writing background, having studied paleomammalogy, biological anthropology, and the history of science and engineering science. After hours, you lot can find him practicing taekwondo or doing deep dives on classic sci-fi.
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/news/xbox-series-x-tech-support
Posted by: coxhopith.blogspot.com
0 Response to "Xbox Series X support really let me down — here’s why"
Post a Comment