Shaw Down?

[Boblobla]

My internet is working but my email access is gone. Anyone know what is going on?

http://www.shaw.ca/ redirects to https://community.shaw.ca/welcome

[Minnie]

Yeah, they finally posted something on FB:

Shaw: We are having login issues with some of our sites, including Webmail. We're investigating the possible cause.

Updates will be posted at https://twitter.com/Shawhelp and https://community.shaw.ca/thread/7454

[Mccree]

@Shawhelp: Some customers may be currently experiencing log-in issues with Shaw webmail or online account. We're investigating the possible cause.

[Roast Beef]

Lol, people use provider webmail? That's cute. And misguided.

[OzSome]

that answer why i keep getting this stupid error about enter the right username and password.

[Boblobla]

Originally Posted by Roast Beef

Lol, people use provider webmail? That's cute. And misguided.

My phone is set up to get my Shaw emails and it wasn't working so I checked the webmail... Keep fighting the good fight.

[Jacks]

Had the same issue earlier, working now.

[FanIn80]

For those keeping score... being asked if "Shaw is down," only to discover that the person just can't log into their webmail, is one of my least-favourite types of interactions. Speaking on behalf of my profession, of course.

[Top Shelf]

www.shaw.ca was down for a period of time last night as well

[4X4]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

For those keeping score... being asked if "Shaw is down," only to discover that the person just can't log into their webmail, is one of my least-favourite types of interactions. Speaking on behalf of my profession, of course.

Since score is being kept, I guarantee there are plenty of professionals that don't like interacting with you, but somehow they manage to tolerate you.

[Mccree]

Is anyone still having problem with Shaw mail and their iPhone? It get a message saying my setting are wrong.

Edit:

I changed a setting and then changed it back at it works.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Since score is being kept, I guarantee there are plenty of professionals that don't like interacting with you, but somehow they manage to tolerate you.

Actually, I'm much higher up the food chain than someone who would normally be answering these types of issues, but since we're speaking about computers and thus, the perception of reality can be a bit fuzzy, let me describe this in terms more people can understand (translations in parenthesis)...

HOLY CRAP MY OFFICE BUILDING HAS BEEN DESTROYED
(Is email down?)

Wtf? I'm in the office next door to you...
(You just sent me an email asking if email is down)

Well, whatever you people call it. All I know is I can't open my desk drawer!
(Well, whatever you people call it. All I know is I can't find my "Important" folder!)

Oh, we'll why didn't you say you can't open your desk? Let me see what I can do.
(Oh, we'll why didn't you say you can't find a folder? Let me see what I can do.)


My point is that, if you already know what the problem is, why not start by saying what the problem is? I don't expect people to understand how their computer works, but I do expect them to be able to explain what their actual problem is. If your issue is that you can't find a folder, then ask for help finding a folder. If you can't log into your webmail, don't ask people if the Internet is down - as them why you can't log into your email.

I don't bring my car to a mechanic and ask him if my engine is on fire, when all I really want to know is why my front passenger-side wheel keeps squeaking.

Because I'm high enough up the food chain, I'm able to understand that my department (among others) represents cost, and the other departments represent profit. It's in my best interest to make sure that you have the necessary tools to do your job effectively, because you generate the profits that pay for departments like mine to exist. The faster I'm able to help you and get you back to generating a profit, the better off everyone in the company is. Things like "is the Internet down" do nothing to serve that purpose. I've been in my field for a very long time, and I can say with 100% certainty that everyone always knows what the problem is. The key is getting them to stop trying to guess what the problem is (is the power out?) and just getting them to say what the problem is (my printer isn't working).

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

...

My point is that, if you already know what the problem is, why not start by saying what the problem is? I don't expect people to understand how their computer works, but I do expect them to be able to explain what their actual problem is. If your issue is that you can't find a folder, then ask for help finding a folder. If you can't log into your webmail, don't ask people if the Internet is down - as them why you can't log into your email.

...

The job of an technical support person who is in touch with users is to take what the user says and translate that into an understanding of what is actually happening. Users are stupid, we all know this, and the ones that actually are not stupid normally know just enough to confuse the issue when explaining it to you.

Expecting them to be able to accurately describe the problem is asking them to do over half the job of the support person.

edit: forgot the actual reason I came to this thread - I think shaw email is back up, as I just received an email from a coworker's personal email address that she sent a couple hours ago.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Rathji

Expecting them to be able to accurately describe the problem...

That's not even close to what I said. In fact, it's the exact opposite.

Again, my point: I know they don't know what's going on. But if they're trying to log into webmail, and can't, then why not say, "I can't log into webmail" instead of, "is the Internet down?"

Suddenly, everyone's job becomes that much easier.

When you go to a doctor, do you ask him to check if your head has exploded, or do you just tell him that you're really tired in the morning even though you're getting lots of sleep at night?

[MrMastodonFarm]

FanIn80, do you ever get the feeling the world is a tuxedo and you're a brown pair of shoes?

[Rathji]

Ahh, those are the people I was referring to who are just smart enough to confuse you.

[PsYcNeT]

I dunno guys, I would never work in tech support. The average person is halfway ######ed when it comes to computers/technology, and at least 25% are surly, angry people.

[FanIn80]

Here's a real-life example. A few years ago, I was on vacation (didn't go anywhere, just took a week off) and received an email from someone at an office I was looking after. This email was sent on behalf of someone else, because "their email wasn't working." This someone else happened to be a pretty central figure in the company, so it was something I needed to look into.

I spent an hour trying to figure out why their email wasn't working while everyone else's was. They had left for a lunch meeting and expected it to be worked on in their absence, so I'm going through Active Directory properties, Exchange mail box properties, group permissions, policies, you name it.

Finally, I had no other option but to drive all the way in to their office in the middle of my vacation to see what was wrong, only to discover within three seconds of being there, that their keyboard batteries were dead.

Now, imagine this scenario instead...

Hey, Person X just asked me to email you to say they can't type anything. They're pressing the keyboard, but nothing's happening.

Oh, can you check if there's a green light on the keyboard?

I don't see one...

Ok no worries. Just tell him to change the batteries.

There is an entire universe of difference between, "I press keys on my keyboard, but nothing happens." and, "My email isn't working."

[Rathji]

I think the issue might be your troubleshooting technique.

I mean, you need to expect that they are giving you incomplete information. If they didn't do that ever, you wouldn't likely have a job, because if they could properly define the problem, they could likely solve it with some half brain dead monkey who had once read a MS certification book.