Patrick m Coyne

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Engage Active Listening

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microsoft_chat

I guess Microsoft made it easy for me to pick on them today but it is not an uncommon problem in business (and personal) communications; Foregoing Active Listening.

Admittedly, there have been times that I was guilty of not thoroughly absorbing the issue before racing to a proposed solution. Maybe most of us are guilty of not truly listening enough. With the plethora of communication medium (email, text, video conference, chat, phone,… or in-person [God forbid]) our basic communication needs remain the same; listen to each other and respond to what we understand from listening actively.

This morning, I was attempting to use the online services of Office 365 from my laptop and I was initially pleased to have someone on the Microsoft website to quickly offer assistance. Since I was short on time, I gladly accepted the chat request. The chat transcript below displays the assistance I was given:

(While it took over 27 minutes to experience, it’s merely a 15 second read:)

Microsoft Website Chat
Duration (actual chatting time)  00:27:05
Operator  Mario
Chat Transcript
Mario: Hello, how may I assist you today?

Patrick: Hi Mario
Mario: Hello Patrick!
Patrick: I have 365 account but I don’t have it installed on my laptop. Can I work online to use excel or do I need to install it on my hard drive
Mario: I will be happy to assist you on the information of our Office 365 services, with some of our plans we offer the option to use both versions, to make sure that you have this included, let me verify your plan, ,may I have the email address that is linked to your services?
Patrick: I already added my email when I started the chat
Patrick: p~~~~~~~~@~~~~~~.com
Mario: Thank you.
Mario: Thank you for your time Patrick, I see that you have the Office Home and Business 2013 which is a one time purchase for the Office suite, with this package you have the option to install in only 1 PC and the online versions are not included.
Mario: Have you considered the option to use one of our Business plans, in which you can have multiple installations with one license?
Patrick: I do have 365. Maybe the email associated is my admin’s- cf~~~@~~~~~~~~.com ?
Mario: Let me review that for you.
Mario: Thank you for your time Patrick, making further research I found that we had a plan active , however that was a Home subscription which is now expired.
Mario: If you allow me Patrick, I suggest that you contact our Billing team, since they have the information of the purchase of your services they will be able to find your current plan.
Mario: Our  Billing and Commerce Team can be reached at 877-913-2707, they are available Monday – Friday from 6 AM/6 PM PST.
Mario: Patrick please tell me, is there anything else I can assist you with today?

Patrick: Well, I may not know the email address you have on file, but I do pay for 365. My original question is still not addressed. Can I use a 365 business account to use the programs or do I need to install them on my computer. My hard drive is rather full. I really don’t see why I am wasting time for you to verify I am telling you the truth. Obviously, if it’s possible, I would need to login or get through Microsoft’s security measures.
Mario: I understand your concern Patrick , however to make sure that we provide you the best information in regards of the use of the online services, we need to confirm if your plan has this feature included, in this case if with the Office 365 services that you have you have access to the installed version of the Office suite, you are most likely able to use the online version as well, however to make sure , I suggest that you contact our Billing team.
Patrick: It’s not a billing question, it’s a technical question about whether I need to use space on my hard drive.
Mario: Patrick, in this case with the information provided we do not have any Office 365 services active, if you have a plan that you currently use , our Billing team can assist you verifying which specific plan do you have and if this include the online version as well, since they have the information of the purchase of your services.
Patrick: I realize you cannot verify my plan. I am not asking you to verify my plan. How about asking this way: If anyone has the online version of 365, do they need to install the programs on their hard drive?
Mario: As online services they can be used with no need to be installed on your devices Patrick.
Patrick: Thank you for finally responding to my question.

I sense that Mario, like most people, was really trying to help. But without actively listening before clicking into action, our best solutions may never be presented.