Feedback on FamilySearch Support - Please strengthen support

LegacyUser

GJensen said: In the context of resolving a specific question, I made two suggestions. I was instructed to post them here instead. This first suggestion relates to making Support more helpful:

This comment relates to most of the interactions my wife and I have had in the past five years with FamilySearch Support. It does not relate solely to my last question.

The best way to summarize our reaction to your support is to say, "They clearly didn't read our whole question." We often get partial answers, and sometimes get wordy non-answers. Occasionally we'll get a good, complete answer.

We appreciate the fact that good-hearted missionaries provide a lot of this service. And we appreciate their service. But sometimes the answers come across as pointing us to pre-prepared statements, rather than understanding our question or issue.

I don't want to come across harshly, because we're all volunteers in the Lord's work. But if more complete and thorough answers could be generally provided, it would help the work move faster.

Thanks!

LegacyUser

A van Helsdingen said: I certainly agree. But the current service levels provided is probably the best available with the resources that FS has.

LegacyUser

Paul said: I haven't contacted Support (either by phone or messaging) for several years. What you have experienced is very common, as FamilySearch does not have the resources to provide comprehensive answers to (many) users' queries.

Please continue to use this forum for anything other than the most basic queries as, collectively, the people who come here are far more experienced in dealing with the less straightforward questions you might have. This means it is highly likely you will get a direct answer to your problem - rather than a "copy and paste" one!

LegacyUser

Jordi Kloosterboer said: I get this all the time too. Often when I ask questions and get the answers I find myself confused at why they are talking about a different topic I didn't ask about.

LegacyUser

Brett said: GJensen

You are not alone.

As you can see, many of us have ... 'been there and done that'.

I am not from the United States; but, when we were visiting there, a couple of years ago, I had a meeting with the 'Support' Manager for "North American" in SLC, who listened; and, hoped they could try to "Change" the "Culture"; but, sadly nothing has "Changed".

The problem/issue is that the "Lower" Levels of 'Support' (eg. Level One), who receive/take the 'Support' Cases, may be 'the person next-door', with little, if any, experience and training (or, they think that they know all - and, us for beyond the "Mainland", know nothing).

In the past, I have had 'Support' Cases drag on for ages (in some cases, 'Years'); before, the "Lower" Level of 'Support' FINALLY had had enough interaction with me; and, that they finally took my ORIGINAL advice/suggestion and 'bumped' the 'Support' Case to the next 'Level' (Line Manager/Supervisor).

And, the next 'Level' (Line Manager/Supervisor), goes ... no problem, 'Yes', you are correct, we can address/fix that (as you suggested in the first place); and, the 'Support' Case is finally 'done and dusted'.

Some of the the "Lower" Levels of 'Support' (eg. Level One) DO NOT truly, "Read"; "Digest"; and/or, "Understand", the problem/issue.

Some of the the "Lower" Levels of 'Support' (eg. Level One) seem reluctant to FORWARD a 'Support' Case to the next 'Level' (Line Manager/Supervisor) if they DO NOT "Understand" the problem/issue (or, have even been ASKED to DO SO in the 'Support' Case).

The "Lower" Levels of 'Support' (eg. Level One) have "Stock Standard" Replies that they, either, have been directed to use; or, can use, if they DO NOT "Understand" the problem/issue (or, think they understand the problem/issue).

Unfortunately, I do no see the "Culture" changing.

Many of us now, raise/address problems/issues HERE in this "FamilySearch" ("GetSatisfaction") 'Feedback' Forum, rather than through 'Support' Cases.

Over the years, we have had more success with getting problems/issues dealt with here in this "FamilySearch" ("GetSatisfaction") 'Feedback' Forum, rather than through 'Support' Cases - sad; but, true.

Like you, I am NOT trying to, dismiss; upset; or, put-down, the WONDERFUL work that those "Volunteers" at the "Lower" Level of 'Support' (eg. Level One) do for us, far from it; but, truly, many need to, "Read"; "Digest"; and/or, "Understand", the problem/issue; and, if they CANNOT truly, "Digest"; and/or, "Understand", the problem/issue; especially, from a User/Patron (who seems to have much more experience than they do; or, who seems to know what they are talking about); then, they need to FORWARD the 'Support' Case to the next 'Level' (Line Manager/Supervisor) - "Stock Standard" Replies, that are NOT even remotely related to the problem/issue 'at hand', are NOT appreciated.

We just need to be patient, keep gently 'pushing'; and, eventually, the problem/issue goes 'up the line' to the next 'Level' (Line Manager/Supervisor); and, the 'Support' Case gets fixed/addressed - hopefully.

Brett

Always the optimistic pessimist

.

LegacyUser

Tom Huber said: Support has various tools to use in their attempt to respond to a user concern or issue. As such, they are at the mercy of the software they are using.

Having worked at several levels of support over the years, I can tell you that the support software is far from perfect. It attempts to parse the query (which when you are talking or chatting with support, is typed by the listener) and understand what the issue is, if often falls flat on its face. These are often "learning systems" and as such, they can easily be misled by the way the support teams respond to an issue.

Computers may seem to be intelligent, but true artificial intelligence is still a matter of science fiction. The support staff is, at best, poorly suited to help the user, because they lack the experience and, in many cases, a intuitive gift to understand what the user is attempting to say. Communication between humans is far from perfect, including in this forum.

Therefore, as Paul suggests, pose the issue/concern in this forum, with one topic per discussion. That way, we users with varying levels of experience, can respond accordingly and...

either...

Confirm a problem that you are experiencing and suggest a workaround, but also request that FS engineers look into the matter....

or

Determine what the actual issue is, whether the system is working as it was designed, or if that part of FamilySearch still needs work. Or, something else entirely.

LegacyUser

joe martel said: This feedback forum is useful to me, to see what the community is running into. However, there is no expectation that a post here will be addressed, or responded to by support. That is what support does today and the upcoming communities is trying to do. I would suggest posting to communities: https://community.familysearch.org/s/

LegacyUser

GJensen said: Thanks, everyone, for your thoughtful (and speedy) replies. I've not considered using this forum for my "support" questions, but I will in the future. Thanks again.
GJensen

LegacyUser

gasmodels said: The thrust of this thread is in regard to FamilySearch support and their response to patron issues. As I view things the primary function of support is to answer questions about how the system operates to take notifications of non-operation of the system. As has been described the first level of support attempts to find Help articles that answer questions about system operation and provide them as answers to questions. As we are all aware the FamilySearch site is very complex and there are potentially an unlimited number of questions with a finite number of prepared answers so consequently sometimes an attempt is made to "find the answer" that most closely fits the question. There are many situations where those responses can be unsatisfactory. Usually the issue is that the support person did not really understand the question. Unfortunately with multiple languages, and a wide variety of experience on the part of both the submitter and the support person answering it is not surprising that sometimes the response appears to be inadequate to the submitter.

Also frequently the submitter wants to change the way the system works and is really making a suggestion rather than asking a question. The current system of support does not handle these issues in a reasonable way. If you want to make a suggestion do it through this website rather that contacting support, they are not prepared to respond to your suggestion even if you ask them to escalate the issue.

With regard to policy, any responses will be minimally stated and will not provide the rationale behind the policy. This is frequently very difficult for users to understand as they as questions like --- Why cannot I do ......? Support can only provide answers on how the system operates and what can be done. Again users feel like they are not being answered but it is because of the context of the question being asked.

My suggestion to all who contact support is to carefully word your request so that it is very specific and provide an example for the support person to examine. Do not ask multiple questions in the same case and you are more likely to receive a response to your question.

Support is what it is. It has not changed very much over the last 10 years. The support personnel change but the complexity of the system and the philosophy of response has not. Answers to questions about how the system works are relatively straightforward and answered quickly. Suggestions and reasons as to why it works they way it does are not going to be answered except for generic responses. And yes mistakes are made by support personnel you just need to go back again and carefully word your request.

LegacyUser

Adrian Bruce said: Personally, I'd say that people's experiences are fairly typical of any first level support unit. Who knows, FS, by reason of using a certain amount of non-professional staff, might come off worse in a comparison - or, by reason of dedication, they might come off better!

One way and another, first level support essentially take your query and attempt to match it against a scripted response. Please understand that while your own query may be immaculately composed, the scripts need to cover absolutely every level of experience in the user. I do remember when I was sitting across from a first level support unit, the guy taking the query was having to go right back to basics - he had to tell him that the mouse was that thing on his desk with the wire coming out the back! After he put the phone down, we all, having listened in, gave him a cheer!

So it may not be at all surprising if your immaculately crafted query doesn't match the script. On one of my genealogy pay-sites, I have an expectation that my first version of the query will be sent back with a fairly irrelevant scripted response. I expect it, so it doesn't matter. I can then take that, explain politely how that isn't quite what I was driving at because what I really was talking about was.... And usually I seem to get through the 2nd time.

The crucial aspect is that the first level support are able to pick it up on the 2nd go - it may be worth watching that aspect.