I have come to the conclusion through dealing with Microsoft Support that they care more about people using their forms than they do about helping people.
I'd like to share the story of my recent experience with Microsoft support. I went online to log into an email account. I must have typed a wrong key twice. On the third try, I got into my email account. I did what I had to and logged out of my email. Same evening I make an online purchase and try to go back into that email for the confirmation of my purchase and I'm now locked out of my email even though I was just in it an hour or two ago. I try to recover my email using their procedures but the code is being sent to an email I no longer have (ironically enough I had a similar problem with this email and couldn't get the help I needed from support so I just stopped using that email).
So I try that and it doesn't work. So I try password recovery and have problems with their online form. So I contact Microsoft support to ask for help. I beg them not to refer me back to their forms because I'm having trouble. I beg them to contact me. I explain everything I said above, as well as giving them my most recent password, I let them know that there will be the email of my purchase and on what date. They have my name and an email they can contact me at. Please tell me who would know this info and be contacting them because they want to break into an email account.in fairness unlikely right? But giving them the benefit of the doubt they do have a contact email they can reach me at to ask other questions before unlocking the email account. Bear in mind I have had this email account for over a decade. I created it back to before they had all these new password recovery procedures. I remember nothing of what is in my account info. My fault I know. Should have updated it when these new recovery procedures came about. It's something you never think to do and here I am and I need help. I explain all of this to them and guess what they do? Refer me to their forms. I admit I was frustrated an maybe a little rude with what I was typing, but I even refer to that and say I'm sorry I'm just frustrated. I think I knew ahead of time they would just send me back to their forms when I needed help from a person.
So I respond to their message board answer to my request for help saying I'm having trouble with the forms, please contact me to help. I again explain things (much briefer) and again mention the email that would be in there (so they could validate) and on what date as well as my most recent password and ask to be contacted. I didn't have a lot of faith that anyone would read this because the status looked to be closed so I sent in a second request as well. I copied in my response to the message board and again explained I need someone to help me. I basically begged for someone to contact me. I even mentioned that if they couldn't contact me to help me, I was going to every social media site I could to tell the world how much Microsoft doesn't care about helping us. They only care about us using their forms. Getting us the help we need doesn't matter to them. I told them what I would do. They don't seem to worry about what anyone thinks of them, because guess how they responded?
They responded to my message board post that another service request had responded and to check my email. Cool. So I check my email, click the link and go to the new message board answer. Guess what they tell me? Use the forms.
So true to my word, I want the world to know that Microsoft doesn't care about anyone as an individual. They say they care, but they don't. They only care about us following their procedures and using their forms. Whether we actually get the help we need is irrelevant to them, only that we use their forms. I understand they must get a high volume of requests for help and that is why these procedures are in place. But if a person tries that route and has a problem, shouldn't they try to help that person instead of just referring them back to what they're having trouble with.
Imagine having an appointment to get your car looked at. On the way to the mechanics you get a flat tire about a block away. You don't know how to change the flat, so you walk to the mechanics and tell them what happened. They tell you, you have to change your flat and drive your car in before they can look at it. You say I don't know how. They say they can't look at your car for your service until you bring it in. You say I have a flat and don't know how to change it can you help me. They say you have to change your flat and bring your car in before they can look at it. Awful right? Would you go back to that mechanic? Or would you fins a mechanic who would also help you change your tire?
So I guess I've lost another email now because I'm stuck. I'm having trouble with the forms so I can't unlock my account. And when I contact Microsoft Support for help they refer me back to the forms. The funniest part in all of this is they have never once even asked me what trouble I am having with the forms, to see if they could help me that way. They have a contact email for me and could ask me all the same questions that the form does through email and we could proceed that way if necessary. Same thing just requiring some attention and effort from an actual person. It seems to me they have wasted more time responding to all my inquiries and telling me to use their forms, than if they had just contacted me in the first place. Likely could have had this fixed by now.
It's a sad comment on humanity that corporations get to a certain point that they have no interest in getting you the help you need if it requires contacting you and interacting with you. They only want to post answers to your questions and refer you to their online forms so you can help yourself.
Microsoft says they care. Which they do... About their forms.
Thank you for reading. I know this was long and likely boring, but I said this is what I would do if they weren't willing to help, so I had to follow through. Thanks for your time.
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