Have you been unceasingly polite during conversations that go nowhere, on-line help that leaves you sitting on the floor of a room full of disconnected wires, and a pervasive over-all sense that you are simply not being understood? I haven’t. And it seems that I’m not alone, although I hasten to add that my chronic verbal irritation has never descended into personal abuse. But this sort of thing is cumulative, and has serious health consequences. The call-centre industry in India currently employs 1.6 million people, mostly in their 20s, and they’re suffering–badly–from the stress of dealing with difficult and sometimes downright abusive customers. “Teenagers straight out of school and college, looking to make a fast buck, are collapsing in front of their computers,” says the Indian Health Minister. Staff have been shocked by the sheer ferocity of the verbal attacks they regularly receive. The government is launching a health strategy for the workers to help them cope

More at Dr. Dawg’s.
Friends bought their first computer about a month ago. Cutting edge machinery. They hadn’t not turned one on before.  Literally.
There were no problems teaching them putting it together, and I haven’t minded helping them learn to close a window, find the start menu, go online or try to learn to send an email and what a search engine is.

Trouble shooting conflicts has been wearying, narrowing down the problem, reading manuals and help sites for software issues isn’t fun. The good thing is this was this companies proprietary software with a bug in it. What was done today will help the company help others. And there will be others!
Today I spend the day at their place dealing with a sticky software conflict that shut down communication to their printer and froze up a key program. Having done what I could, I had to use the companies tech support. The issue was complicated enough that I went through a few people before I was put through to a level 2 tech.

It took quite awhile and the problem that will annoy the new computers owners ( a hidden file putting  pop up messages every few minutes will not be solved until I take some more time and use a tool I am comfortable with to get that blasted file out of the registry.

As frustrating as it is to wait in cue and still not get a problem solved, I can’t imagine yelling at someone trying to help. Help desk techs have a script to follow.
Most of the time that script solves very basic problems. At least this companies techs realized they needed a level 2 and I was surprised when he was promptly provided. 

I got his name, agent number and bosses email. I also wrote the company headquarters in the US.  Most of the Vista/software/printer stuff was resolved, (arrrggghh)  and I was treated with respect and patience, and when someone tries their best to do their job, a thank you to the higher ups doesn’t hurt.

I got a guy who was obviously seriously stressed and coming unglued when a Vista conflict came up on the same model bought by friends recently. 4 people I know have bought this model in the past month.  
While I didn’t yell at the guy who was blithering and holding on by a thread, I threatened to phone the company in Canada and speak to his boss. 
I decided not to. 
He  was in meltdown and there were moments he wasn’t making sense. He sounded seriously sleep deprived and he was talking so fast from stress I have to have him repeat himself several times.  
I asked him if he’d done a lot of calls that day and if he’d been yelled at.
He snorted, “you have no idea.”
He’s correct.  I don’t. I don’t think he’ll last long.
I managed to troubleshoot whatever was going on without his help  His stress levels coming through during such a busy purchase time makes sense.

At Christmas with thousands of new computers being unpacked in homes and offices, no company can keep up with the calls.  Techs are there to try to help, not be abused - as tempting as that may be. Going through an explanation several times is frustrating. It’s easier if it isn’t your computer, far less of an emotional involvement than if it was mine, and it’s an opportunity to see (particularly with this company) many tech support people really are doing their best.
Their script may not help you solve your problem, but calmness helps. Calling back later if you get hot under the collar helps. Clarity helps, often they will go the second mile and bump you up the tech pecking order. 
I’m surprised more support desk employees don’t lose it.
You couldn’t pay me a million dollars to do their job with the abuse that goes along with it.