magicJack and MagicJack Plus Support, Reviews, FAQs and Hacks

lostvoyager · MagicJack Newbie Joined: 23 Aug 2010 Posts: 5

I know, I know, MJ customer support sucks, but after this past weekend it has reached an all time low. Not only was I disconnected 4 times, not only was I given the wrong information 3 times, not only was I assured that what they had done was the "fix" and I had "nothing to worry about", which of course was dead wrong, but I also had to deal with individuals whose command of the English language was minimal at best. I had to keep reapeating myself, and actually had to correct potential erros that they suggested, such as how and where to copy and paste files. It was as if they were novices at computer use and were learning as they went along. And all this was from the top 10% that I was transferred to. The first people I chatted with insisted that they could "fix" the problem, but when faced with it, quickly abandoned the effort and placed me in terminal "hold" limbo. What a shoddy way to treat a customer who has been with MJ since the very beginning. Mad

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crackerjack · Dan Should Pay Me Joined: 16 Nov 2007 Posts: 726

lostvoyager · MagicJack Newbie Joined: 23 Aug 2010 Posts: 5

It has always been a challenge to deal with tech support, but in the beginning you had a phone number to call certain daytime hours Monday to Friday.
And later when they introduced the non-English speaking phony named Pakistani or Indian support personnel, at least they stayed with you to "assist" you.
What I experienced this time was complete disconnections from tech support chat four times in one day, and each time I had to reinvent the wheel so to speak by rehashing all that had been accomplished before every time I restarted a chat session.
And I was given suggestions to resolve the problem that would have put my OS in serious jeopardy. If not for the fact that I know a bit about computers, I would be rebuilding my system from scratch right now after doing the things they suggested.
I long for the early days when there was a phone number to call and a live English speaking support person who was of great help and support. And for your information, back in those days, I did get an email from Dan Borislow, and a free year of service to compensate me for my inconcvenience when my MJ was proven to be defective after two months. Seems he cared about his customers back then.

crackerjack · Dan Should Pay Me Joined: 16 Nov 2007 Posts: 726

Xkahn · Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 4:31 am Post subject:

As I found out, they are actually using bots. AI chat programs (pretty clever ones) but not prefect. For example go here -> 2nd post.

More to the point the live person "experts" might not be expert of anything at all. Magic Jack support is farmed at liveperson.com anyone can go there set a price per minute to be "an expert" of anything... even psychic readings.

A website called pandorabots.com is selling a very pricey hosting service that allows you to create robot programs that will respond to questions and even lie. It is based on A.L.I.C.E., which is AI stuff.

Ways to find out you are talking to a bot very quickly;

If the response or typing is too quick (can they really type a paragraph in two seconds).
If they repeat the same questions again and again. Humans retain memory chatbots don't.
Ask about their location and how's the weather? Most chatbots cannot exceed parameters. Some are programmed with lies. Such as "Dallas and Sunny" but if the person is in Dallas and it is raining you know the bot or person is lying to you.
The bots at MJ seem to pass the torch to another (or just rename themselves) with "I am transferring you to one of our top 10% agents as rated by our customers.". They do this when you start to notice they are not human.
If you reply to a yes or no question with odd phrases like "How was your game last Sunday?" a bot is usually programmed to think you didn't understand the question so they just rephrase it. If you asked that of a human you would get WTF?
Last but not least, zero error typing. No tpyos like teh or short cuts like how r u 2day?

Another chat example;

Diggs · Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 7:44 am Post subject:

I didn't think it was AI bots used in chat. The chat support I thought is based out of the Philippines(?). They handle 5 sessions at once and get paid $1.75/hour. All their major responses are on binds (which is why they are so quick) and they stick strictly to the script. May sound like bots, but I don't think so.

conniemadagain · Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 9:39 am Post subject:

And too think that MJCS could not sink lower than a snails ass ...

Laughing

lostvoyager · MagicJack Newbie Joined: 23 Aug 2010 Posts: 5

Interseting idea about the BOTs so I tried to access chat as an English language challenged individual, and I got the sense that I was dealing with a real person.

Here is the text of the encounter:

Please wait for a site operator to respond.

You are now chatting with 'Gabriela'

Your Issue ID for this chat is LTK43601330514X

Gabriela: Hello, how may I help you?

Jose: hello how are you today?

Gabriela: I am fine.

Gabriela: Thank you for asking.

Jose: I may not be able to stay in chat long as there is a storm approaching so I will be brief; is your weather there OK?

Gabriela: Yes, it is sunny most of the year.

Jose: where are my numbers i called once that are not there before they were

Gabriela: May I have your 10-digit magicJack phone number?

Jose: 2125617681

Jose: I think

Jose: let me check that

Jose: I do not speak english too good i am sorry for that

Jose: is ok

Gabriela: Thank you for the information.

Gabriela: One moment please...

Gabriela: Thank you for patiently waiting.

Gabriela: The magicJack phone number - 2125617681 does not exist here in our database system.

Gabriela: Have you successfully registered and assigned a phone number on your magicJack?

Jose: it is in contact and all others are gone

Jose: i just called that one

Gabriela: Is your magicJack device currently plugged into your computer?

Jose: had large list in contacts and all gone excepte that number i give you

Jose: yes plug in now

Gabriela: Do you see the dial pad on your screen?

Jose: si

Gabriela: Can you see "Stock Symbol: CALL"?

Jose: non

Gabriela: Does it display "Ready to Call" on the dial pad?

Jose: in contact place

Gabriela: Can you see any other error or warning message on the dial pad or computer screen?

Jose: si

Jose: no erors

Gabriela: Please click the link to download and run the magicJack upgrade (applicable for both XP & Vista):

Gabriela: http://upgrades.magicjack.com/upgrade/upgrade.exe

Jose: si

Jose: what do i do

Jose: makes new screen

Jose: what is active x

Jose: it says i need it

Gabriela: Are you sure that you already registered your magicJack?

Jose: sorry?

Jose: i o not understand you well

Jose: i have magic jack

Jose: si

Jose: no numbers but the one you have i give you

Gabriela: Please follow the step(s) below:

Gabriela: Go to control panel and open Folder options. Click the View tab and make sure "Show Hidden Files and Folders" button is chosen. Close the Control Panel.

Jose: is that make numbers come back? they are not there yet

Gabriela: Do you see the dial pad on your screen?

Jose: si

Gabriela: Can you see "Stock Symbol: CALL"?

Jose: non

Jose: no numbers yet

Gabriela: Does it say "CLICK TO REGISTER" button located on the lower-left side of the dial pad?

Jose: no say that

Gabriela: Does it display "Ready to Call" on the dial pad?

Jose: only the number i give you is in contact

Jose: all others gone

Jose: nothing else say there

Gabriela: Can you see any error or warning message on the dial pad or computer screen?

Jose: non

Jose: erorrs are no there

Jose: sorry i do not understand you

Jose: i try to follow

Gabriela: Can you see your 10-digit phone number on the top-center portion of the dial pad?

Jose: no warning as also

Jose: in contact?

Gabriela: One moment please...

Gabriela: I am transferring you to one of our top 10% agents as rated by our customers. Please hold while I transfer you.

Please wait while I transfer the chat to the best suited site operator.

You are now chatting with 'Maya'

Your Issue ID for this chat is LTK43601330514X

Jose: rain come and wind

Jose: i have to go

Maya: Hello Jose. My name is Maya. To better assist you, let me put you on hold while I read your previous chat/s. Thank you.

Jose: will come with marta she speak better than me'

Maya: Alright, You may chat us back again and ask for me or any supervisors available to assist you. All chat sessions are saved and will be used for future references, so no need to explain all over again. We are here ready to assist you 24/7.

Jose: i go now

I submit this experiment for all to see. I get the sense that Gabriela had enough of me and was frustrated. I think if this is a BOT it is a very good one because I definitely threw some very hard curve balls at it and it seemed to respond like a human.