Study: Men don't read manual before calling technical support

News Type: Event — Seeded on Mon Nov 9, 2009 1:27 PM EST

Article Source: digitaljournal.com

odd-news, women, men, gender, instructions, rtfm

A study of 75,000 calls to a technical support company shows that most men, surprisingly enough, do not read the instructions before calling for support...

...Sixty-four percent of men who called had not opened the manual before placing the call. That's compared to 24 percent of women.

Published to:

Josh of Arc's Column, All of Newsvine
Groups: Centervine, Cultural Understanding, Free Thinkers, GeekVine, Gut Check America, Odd News, Open Minded, rationalists, Silly and Stupid
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6.7

1.4

{"commentId":10576122,"authorDomain":"josh-of-arc"}

Josh of Arc

::grumbles:: Well if the damn thing worked like it should have in the first place...

{"commentId":10576122,"threadId":"720251","contentId":"3480669","authorDomain":"josh-of-arc"}

7 votes

#1 - Mon Nov 9, 2009 1:28 PM EST

{"commentId":10579733,"authorDomain":"jaker023"}

jaker023

I wish my wife came with a manual... still trying to find the off switch... j/k

{"commentId":10579733,"threadId":"720251","contentId":"3480669","authorDomain":"jaker023"}

2 votes

#1.1 - Mon Nov 9, 2009 4:02 PM EST

{"commentId":10580065,"authorDomain":"your-what-hurts"}

Your What Hurts

I wish my wife came with a manual... still trying to find the off switch...

...as long as you know where the "On" switch is..... :)

{"commentId":10580065,"threadId":"720251","contentId":"3480669","authorDomain":"your-what-hurts"}

8 votes

#1.2 - Mon Nov 9, 2009 4:15 PM EST

{"commentId":10586721,"authorDomain":"beaumrtn"}

beaumrtn-619640

And this is something new? lol :-p

{"commentId":10586721,"threadId":"720251","contentId":"3480669","authorDomain":"beaumrtn"}

2 votes

#1.3 - Mon Nov 9, 2009 10:18 PM EST

{"commentId":10576748,"authorDomain":"UNCLEMIKE"}

UNCLEMIKE

What's a manual?

{"commentId":10576748,"threadId":"720251","contentId":"3480669","authorDomain":"UNCLEMIKE"}

6 votes

#2 - Mon Nov 9, 2009 1:57 PM EST

{"commentId":10576900,"authorDomain":"king-of-messico"}

Louie Lou

What's a manual?

It's a name given to a "Hispanic" male who lives south of the border.

{"commentId":10576900,"threadId":"720251","contentId":"3480669","authorDomain":"king-of-messico"}

2 votes

#2.1 - Mon Nov 9, 2009 2:03 PM EST

{"commentId":10577500,"authorDomain":"s-heraclituss"}

s.heraclitus

They only asked the ones that called Tech Support. Those to do read usually don't need to call tech support.

{"commentId":10577500,"threadId":"720251","contentId":"3480669","authorDomain":"s-heraclituss"}

4 votes

#2.2 - Mon Nov 9, 2009 2:27 PM EST

{"commentId":10579027,"authorDomain":"SS-cA"}

SS-CA

This study falls in line with the male tendency to believe in some sort of invincibility.

What kind of a man calls technical support? That's like a man asking for directions! Unless its for a RMA, you better put the phone down!

They only asked the ones that called Tech Support. Those to do read usually don't need to call tech support.

Ha, thanks for pointing out that little note. Seriously, some critical thinking may need to be involved in these studies...

{"commentId":10579027,"threadId":"720251","contentId":"3480669","authorDomain":"SS-cA"}

4 votes

#2.3 - Mon Nov 9, 2009 3:33 PM EST

{"commentId":10576872,"authorDomain":"king-of-messico"}

Louie Lou

You mean all those papers and booklets are there for a reason?!

{"commentId":10576872,"threadId":"720251","contentId":"3480669","authorDomain":"king-of-messico"}

1 vote

#3 - Mon Nov 9, 2009 2:02 PM EST

{"commentId":10576915,"authorDomain":"gshaverpioneer"}

3rdtime

I saw a sticker that said "Real men read the manual." It was on the back of a Sears repair service van!

{"commentId":10576915,"threadId":"720251","contentId":"3480669","authorDomain":"gshaverpioneer"}

1 vote

#4 - Mon Nov 9, 2009 2:04 PM EST

{"commentId":10578409,"authorDomain":"lilacdragonfly"}

LilacDragonfly76

I saw a sticker that said "Real men read the manual."

If you ask my husband, he'll tell you it's a lie. lmao ;c)

{"commentId":10578409,"threadId":"720251","contentId":"3480669","authorDomain":"lilacdragonfly"}

#4.1 - Mon Nov 9, 2009 3:08 PM EST

{"commentId":10577327,"authorDomain":"kimmy123"}

kiml

There are two rules to this situation:

1- If at first you don't succeed, read the manual.

2- If that fails, follow it!

{"commentId":10577327,"threadId":"720251","contentId":"3480669","authorDomain":"kimmy123"}

2 votes

#5 - Mon Nov 9, 2009 2:20 PM EST

{"commentId":10577382,"authorDomain":"anais43"}

Samoore4

..or ask a woman.

{"commentId":10577382,"threadId":"720251","contentId":"3480669","authorDomain":"anais43"}

3 votes

#6 - Mon Nov 9, 2009 2:22 PM EST

{"commentId":10577515,"authorDomain":"gorillablog"}

800 lb. gorilla

if the manual is huge and it would take quite some time to locate the information needed, then i say, call technical support. this really does not say what is the right thing to do, for if it is quicker to call technical support, then why shouldn't one do so?

{"commentId":10577515,"threadId":"720251","contentId":"3480669","authorDomain":"gorillablog"}

#7 - Mon Nov 9, 2009 2:28 PM EST

{"commentId":10577738,"authorDomain":"Jamesdevore"}

James.Devore

RTFM- come on even the military can do it on everything why can't civilians??

{"commentId":10577738,"threadId":"720251","contentId":"3480669","authorDomain":"Jamesdevore"}

2 votes

#8 - Mon Nov 9, 2009 2:40 PM EST

{"commentId":10577989,"authorDomain":"your-what-hurts"}

Your What Hurts

I worked on a PC help desk support line when I was younger.

I seriously doubt this. It seems to me that the women are more likely to CLAIM they read the manual....guys just admit they didn't.

{"commentId":10577989,"threadId":"720251","contentId":"3480669","authorDomain":"your-what-hurts"}

7 votes

#9 - Mon Nov 9, 2009 2:51 PM EST

{"commentId":10580234,"authorDomain":"texasvanity"}

Julian in Dallas

I work a tech support line now, and I can attest that this is true. Men and women, Americans in general do not read instructions, period. Anything longer than the average cell phone text message takes more of an attention span and concentration than many American adults are able to muster at one time.

Our clients are male and female, and most of the answers to the questions they call and wait as much as a half hour to get in to ask us, are printed on their form instructions. None of them ever admit to seeing the answer when they claim to have read the instructions, even after we point it out to them.

{"commentId":10580234,"threadId":"720251","contentId":"3480669","authorDomain":"texasvanity"}

2 votes

#9.1 - Mon Nov 9, 2009 4:23 PM EST

{"commentId":10588626,"authorDomain":"beaumrtn"}

beaumrtn-619640

Thing is there are a lot of people out there that have probably read and don't remember and don't want to fool with it (especially if it a thick manual) so they want the easy way of calling and asking, or they don't totally understand the instructions.

I don't know how many things I ended up putting together for my brother in law when I was a kid, because he simply didn't want to read the instruction manuals. I even had to take a few things apart after hours of hearing him cuss an carry on, so I could get it together right.

I have known more men not to read them than women.

I being a woman read the manual, if there is something I do not understand I look it up on the internet, it still amazes me what you can find online, call support would be a last resort. and I have never had to call tech support yet. And I did say yet. lol :-}

{"commentId":10588626,"threadId":"720251","contentId":"3480669","authorDomain":"beaumrtn"}

1 vote

#9.2 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 12:34 AM EST

{"commentId":10578062,"authorDomain":"stinkweepete"}

Stinkweed Pete

The person who gets paid to answer the technical support line probably didn't read the manual, so why should I?

{"commentId":10578062,"threadId":"720251","contentId":"3480669","authorDomain":"stinkweepete"}

5 votes

#10 - Mon Nov 9, 2009 2:54 PM EST

{"commentId":10591578,"authorDomain":"Buzzman1313"}

Buzzman1313

half the time you can barely understand the foriener at tech support anyways.

{"commentId":10591578,"threadId":"720251","contentId":"3480669","authorDomain":"Buzzman1313"}

4 votes

#10.1 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 9:17 AM EST

{"commentId":10578193,"authorDomain":"your-what-hurts"}

Your What Hurts

The person who gets paid to answer the technical support line probably didn't read the manual, so why should I?

You shouldn't. You paid for the support! Use it.

{"commentId":10578193,"threadId":"720251","contentId":"3480669","authorDomain":"your-what-hurts"}

2 votes

#11 - Mon Nov 9, 2009 3:00 PM EST

{"commentId":10578312,"authorDomain":"lilacdragonfly"}

LilacDragonfly76

Didn't we all already know this information anyway? Why did they waste the money to research something the rest of us look at and say..."Well Duh"

{"commentId":10578312,"threadId":"720251","contentId":"3480669","authorDomain":"lilacdragonfly"}

1 vote

#12 - Mon Nov 9, 2009 3:05 PM EST

{"commentId":10581896,"authorDomain":"drscottjoseph"}

Scott A Joseph, MD

What is the sound of a closed manual being read, grasshopper?

{"commentId":10581896,"threadId":"720251","contentId":"3480669","authorDomain":"drscottjoseph"}

1 vote

#13 - Mon Nov 9, 2009 5:35 PM EST

{"commentId":10583519,"authorDomain":"jewel-one"}

common sense-353470

I have never seen a man read a manual, ever.

{"commentId":10583519,"threadId":"720251","contentId":"3480669","authorDomain":"jewel-one"}

1 vote

#14 - Mon Nov 9, 2009 6:56 PM EST

{"commentId":10591613,"authorDomain":"Buzzman1313"}

Buzzman1313

manuals and maps-those are for women! After all,how hard could it be?

{"commentId":10591613,"threadId":"720251","contentId":"3480669","authorDomain":"Buzzman1313"}

2 votes

#15 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 9:19 AM EST

{"commentId":10609614,"authorDomain":"Eflanagan"}

Eflanagan

haha

{"commentId":10609614,"threadId":"720251","contentId":"3480669","authorDomain":"Eflanagan"}

#16 - Tue Nov 10, 2009 10:28 PM EST

{"commentId":10614927,"authorDomain":"Buzzman1313"}

Buzzman1313

I might not read the manual,but I at least look at the pictures.

{"commentId":10614927,"threadId":"720251","contentId":"3480669","authorDomain":"Buzzman1313"}

3 votes

#17 - Wed Nov 11, 2009 10:14 AM EST

{"commentId":10616416,"authorDomain":"beaumrtn"}

beaumrtn-619640

To funny Buzzman, lmao

{"commentId":10616416,"threadId":"720251","contentId":"3480669","authorDomain":"beaumrtn"}

2 votes

#17.1 - Wed Nov 11, 2009 11:34 AM EST

{"commentId":10616456,"authorDomain":"josh-of-arc"}

Josh of Arc

Unless it's an Ikea manual, which is all pictures... and still completely indecipherable 80% of the time.

{"commentId":10616456,"threadId":"720251","contentId":"3480669","authorDomain":"josh-of-arc"}

3 votes

#17.2 - Wed Nov 11, 2009 11:36 AM EST

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"720251","isPrivate":false}

JOSH OF ARC

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Study: Men don't read manual before calling technical support

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