We recently sent TriXie to Austin, Texas to get the inside story on what goes on at the Xbox® Support Call Center. Here’s her report.
Austin-Bound Can I just say that the Dallas/Fort Worth airport blows? I was traveling with Doug and Doug, two wicked-cool Xbox guys that spend their lives making sure that Xbox customers get the best dang support possible. There we were at our gate at DFW, me sitting on the floor grubbing on a Happy Meal, both Dougs checking e-mail on their laptops, when our flight to Austin was delayed. And then delayed again. After the third delay the Dougs and I decided to rent a car (a big-ass Buick Century) and drive to Austin. Anyway, long story short, we drove 196 miles south on I-35, went through Waco, and wound up in Austin just slightly behind schedule. It was all good, except for one Doug ate all my Cheetos on the road trip, and the other snoozed—mouth open—in the back seat!
Cut to the Chase I know you’re probably dying to hear all about our Austin adventures—the barbeque we had at Iron Works, the lethal margaritas at The Iron Cactus, the live music, the haunted hotel … but I’ll spare you. Let’s get to the good stuff: The Xbox Support Call Center.
When you call 1 (800) 4MY-XBOX, you’re connected to the good people at this call center. They take calls from all over the U.S. and Canada, and they’ve got the late shift taking calls from our pals in Australia and New Zealand.
The Calls I spent a couple days sitting with call center agents and listening in on some of your phone calls. I eavesdropped on calls from Killthewhales, StillSleazyP, bloodthirsty256, SlimSeany, Tical46, AndyMoFoMac, Gilby, and GILink(good luck in Korea, big guy). Some called about trial subscription cards, some about routers, and some had new high-speed Internet providers and needed help getting hooked up. It was really cool to hear how much people dig the Xbox and how Xbox Live® has become such an important part of their lives.
The Agents Throughout the two days I spent there, I was constantly amazed by the agents’ thorough knowledge of the Xbox, the Xbox Live service, and the games. Better yet, they never once lost their cool even though they had to deal with a sprinkling of jerks and morons. Not you, of course … it was, um, other kids. I was super impressed with the agents, so I decided to dig a little deeper with four of ‘em.
Phil (Gamertag: Countach LP500S) Phil is probably the most hardcore gamer I met in Austin—he still has his old Atari 2600, and between him and his roommates they have six Xbox consoles in the house! He doesn’t take phone calls at the support center, but you can find him in the Xbox.com forums posting as Xbox Support 4. He hangs out in the Technical Questions area doing what he can to answer questions, offer advice, and generally be a knight in shining armor to a person who needs a little help. He’s originally from Fort Worth, but has lived in Austin since 1997 when he enrolled at the University of Texas (hook ‘em, Horns!).
TriXie: What’s your gamertag all about?
Phil: It’s my dream car. The Lamborghini Countach LP500S.
TriXie: Who’s hotter: Cameron Diaz, Angelina Jolie, or Halle Berry?
Phil: Nicole Kidman gets my attention more than them.
TriXie: Who’s your favorite superhero?
Phil: I’d have to say my dad. He went to Vietnam right after high school and got a Silver Star and a Purple Heart. He saved the lives of two of his friends. He’s got a lot of great stories.
TriXie: Wow, now I feel like a shallow bitch for saying Wonder Woman. You’ve had an Xbox Live account sincebefore launch … what Xbox Live game is rocking your world these days?
Phil: RalliSport Challenge 2. I’ve got two more events before I finish Super Rally.
Adrian (Gamertag: LORD KAIN23) Adrian’s been taking calls and helping people out with their XboxLive accounts, consoles, and peripherals since December of last year. He’s originally from Winters, Texas, but like Phil came to Austin to attend UT, where he studied computer science.
TriXie: Gamertag story?
Adrian: It’s from this game I used to play, Legacy of Kain. He was turned into a vampire and later on became the lord of the vampire realm.
TriXie: Who’s your favorite superhero?
Adrian: Spider-Man.
TriXie: What’s your Xbox Live game at the moment?
Adrian:Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® 3. I play with my buddies Lil Giant and Phantom69, who also work here at the call center.
TriXie: If you had to come back in the next life as an animal, what would you be?
Adrian: A crocodile. They’ve survived for millions of years and they’re at the top of the food chain.
TriXie: Who would be the worst celebrity roommate?
Adrian: Paris Hilton. She’s too rich and spoiled.
TriXie: Yeah, I’d rather live with a crocodile.
Stephanie (Gamertag: ONE HOT REDHEAD) Steph is a local girl, born and raised in Austin. She’s been at the Xbox Support Call Center since 2001, starting with taking phone calls and working her way up to training the new kids, running training sessions on new features, and giving refresher sessions for the veteran agents. I didn’t ask about her ‘tag because as you can see, she’s got beautiful long red hair.
TriXie: How long have you been on XboxLive and what have you been playing?
TriXie: Who would be the worst celebrity roommate?
Stephanie: Jennifer Lopez.
TriXie: No explanation needed. What’s the worst food you’ve ever eaten?
Stephanie: I hate sushi. I think it’s the seaweed, especially.
Wayne (Gamertag: Merovingion) Wayne is from Stone Mountain, Georgia. He was an Army Ranger stationed at Fort Hood and left the service in 1997. Besides answering calls at the Xbox Support Call Center, he’s going to school in IT and writing two screenplays; one’s a murder mystery and the other’s a sci-fi fantasy.
TriXie: How long have you been on XboxLive and what are you playing?
Wayne: I’ve been on since October 2003. I’ve got three accounts and counting. I’m playing Full Spectrum Warrior™ and Star Wars® Knights of the Old Republic®. I also play Rainbow Six 3 with DarkRaven, Lord Furious II, and xxPancakexx.
TriXie: Who’s your favorite superhero?
Wayne: Batman. He doesn’t have powers, he has gadgets.
TriXie: If you could switch places with anyone for one day, who would it be?
Wayne: The Dalai Lama.
TriXie: I don’t think he’d approve of Rainbow Six 3. If you could go on tour with any band in history, who would it be?
Wayne: Jimi Hendrix.
The Bottom Line Personally, I learned three things: don’t talk crap about the president in Texas, I have a weakness for a southern accent, and Texas guys will open doors and give up their bar stool for a chick! In talking with agents and listening in on calls I learned a few other important things you should know before you call Support:
If you haven’t registered your Xbox console, do so. You’ll need the serial number from the bottom of your Xbox. Coming soon, you’ll be able to register online, but for now call 1 (800) 4MY-XBOX and talk to a friendly Texan!
If you’re having trouble connecting to Xbox Live, try power cycling your modem. That means turn it off, wait a few minutes, and then turn it back on. (Flipping the switch quickly on and off won’t cut it.) Wanna know why this works? Read this, Mr. Wizard.
If you’re having issues with an Xbox-compatible router, try checking the info here. It’s really useful, and it’s what the call center agents refer to when you call, so why not cut out the middle man?
Check out the page for your ISP on Xbox.com. There’s a wealth of information on these pages, and many problems can be resolved quickly and easily by going there.
Thanks to all the great folks at the Xbox Support Call Center, and the great city of Austin!
