I just had one of the most exasperating experiences, I had to call Micro-Star International long distance because they don’t offer an 800 number, and after going through their automated menu for three minutes, I finally get transferred to their technical support department, where I’m subjected to a rousing rendition of “a one horse open sleigh played on a flute while I’m kept on hold. At this point I’m beginning to think that MSI is in cahoots with the phone company because all the time I’m spending on hold, and to make sure that I don’t give up too easily a recorded voice comes on every thirty seconds to assure me that my phone call is important and to please hold for the next available...back to a rousing rendition of "A one horse open sleigh" played on a flute, and the cycle continues for another three minutes at which point they figure that I should have hung up out of frustration three minutes ago, and do so for me.
I go through this two more times, and on the third try I actually get hold of a tech who promptly puts me on hold for three minutes, you should begin to see a pattern forming here, I'm wondering at this point if these guys are into numerology. Eventually the tech comes back to the phone and asks how he can be of service in his best Indian/Philippine accent, and immediately I realize that I'm not talking with a tech, but I proceed and ask my question regarding the compatibility of different makes of RAM...all I hear in the back ground are crickets...and then he starts into his spiel describing what my motherboard would like to have installed for RAM...now there is only the sound of crickets from my end of the phone...I now realize that all of my patience has been for not, and ask if there is any other way to obtain information for compatible models of RAM for this motherboard, and he starts into the spiel a second time...and I finally realize that I have been defeated and proceed to join him in his Montrose.
After recovering from my induced meditation, I began to question whether it would have been easier to have just gone through the email process and wait a couple of weeks for a response, so I go back to their web site and pursue this new endeavor. As I start to fill out all of the "required" fields of information, I once again realize they have beaten me, and that this to is going to be a waste of emotional resources. There are questions such as "what is the serial number of your Northbridge chipset", "which inspection stamp is on the board, which can be found on the bottom side of the board". I should have started waving my white flag as soon as they kept repeating that my email address wasn't valid, and saved myself from a second session of meditation and chanting my Montrose.
As I wipe the drool from my face and try to rearrange the vapid expression on my face, I can't help but wonder...Am I on candid camera?