More support fun
I like to think that I'm pretty good at helping people with computer questions, and I also take pride in doing it in a non-condescending manner, even for simple questions. I know I have asked plenty of stupid computer questions in my life, and have been on the dumbass end more than once - not a good feeling - so I am always careful to keep from putting the people I help in that position.
That said, I sometimes find it very difficult to keep my professional, non-condescending attitude when an otherwise-smart user becomes utterly helpless.
For instance, I just got a call from a user who was having trouble with his mouse. This is a fairly common issue, and one that I have direct experience handling - my own mouse was having the same problems recently. Here's how it played out:
ME: "Did you recently get a new mouse pad, one with a crazy pattern or photo on it?"
USER: "Yes... how did you know?"
ME: "I had the same problem with my mouse, and switching to a solid color mouse pad fixed it."
USER: "Oh. So what do I do?"
ME: "I would recommend getting a solid color mouse pad."
USER: "Oh. Where do I get that?"
ME: "I would recommend ordering one from the Request Center." (An aside - the Request Center is where everything you'd ever want in your life at Machinery, Inc. is ordered. It's a surprisingly through and well-laid out website, linked directly from the main intranet page - he'd have to intentionally avoid this site to not know where it is.)
USER: "Where is the Request Center?"
ME: "It's in the big Service Center link on the main InsideMI webpage."
USER: "Where is the InsideMI webpage?" (At this point, I'm seething - if he has ever opened any web browser on his computer, he would have been transported to this page automatically - the page is set as home on everyone's computers by default)
ME: "Aych tee tee pee, slash slash inside emm eye dot machinery inc dot com"
-Long pause-
USER: "Ok, where do I go from there?"
ME: "Do you see the big button marked Service Center on the top of the page?"
USER: "Yes...."
ME: "Click on it."
USER: "Ok..."
-Pause-
USER: "Now where do I go?"
ME: "Do you see the large boldface button marked Request Center?"
USER: "Yes..."
ME: "Click on it."
USER: "Ok..."
-Another pause-
USER: "Now where do I go?"
ME: "Do you see the large subheading link marked Computer Hardware and Accessories?"
USER: "Yes..."
ME: "Click on it."
At this point, I'll save you from the intense tedium of me leading him the rest of the yellow brick road to the page where he can request a mouse pad. Suffice it to say, a 2nd grader could follow the links on this website and get to exactly what they need in 30 seconds - it's easier than Amazon.com.
Out of curiosity, I looked this user up in the company directory - HE'S A COPY EDITOR. Scary.
I'm amazed when I get calls from people who are otherwise pretty smart, but become absolutely helpless when it comes to things like this. He just shifted into Hold My Hand mode, and suddenly couldn't figure anything out for himself.
That said, I sometimes find it very difficult to keep my professional, non-condescending attitude when an otherwise-smart user becomes utterly helpless.
For instance, I just got a call from a user who was having trouble with his mouse. This is a fairly common issue, and one that I have direct experience handling - my own mouse was having the same problems recently. Here's how it played out:
ME: "Did you recently get a new mouse pad, one with a crazy pattern or photo on it?"
USER: "Yes... how did you know?"
ME: "I had the same problem with my mouse, and switching to a solid color mouse pad fixed it."
USER: "Oh. So what do I do?"
ME: "I would recommend getting a solid color mouse pad."
USER: "Oh. Where do I get that?"
ME: "I would recommend ordering one from the Request Center." (An aside - the Request Center is where everything you'd ever want in your life at Machinery, Inc. is ordered. It's a surprisingly through and well-laid out website, linked directly from the main intranet page - he'd have to intentionally avoid this site to not know where it is.)
USER: "Where is the Request Center?"
ME: "It's in the big Service Center link on the main InsideMI webpage."
USER: "Where is the InsideMI webpage?" (At this point, I'm seething - if he has ever opened any web browser on his computer, he would have been transported to this page automatically - the page is set as home on everyone's computers by default)
ME: "Aych tee tee pee, slash slash inside emm eye dot machinery inc dot com"
-Long pause-
USER: "Ok, where do I go from there?"
ME: "Do you see the big button marked Service Center on the top of the page?"
USER: "Yes...."
ME: "Click on it."
USER: "Ok..."
-Pause-
USER: "Now where do I go?"
ME: "Do you see the large boldface button marked Request Center?"
USER: "Yes..."
ME: "Click on it."
USER: "Ok..."
-Another pause-
USER: "Now where do I go?"
ME: "Do you see the large subheading link marked Computer Hardware and Accessories?"
USER: "Yes..."
ME: "Click on it."
At this point, I'll save you from the intense tedium of me leading him the rest of the yellow brick road to the page where he can request a mouse pad. Suffice it to say, a 2nd grader could follow the links on this website and get to exactly what they need in 30 seconds - it's easier than Amazon.com.
Out of curiosity, I looked this user up in the company directory - HE'S A COPY EDITOR. Scary.
I'm amazed when I get calls from people who are otherwise pretty smart, but become absolutely helpless when it comes to things like this. He just shifted into Hold My Hand mode, and suddenly couldn't figure anything out for himself.
posted by steve at 7:50 AM
2 Comments:
Nice photos from Wed. More pls!
Re support - hey, this is the career you chose or aspired to. You've picked a path and followed it - and the path you picked is computer support. Enjoy the roller coaster ride. Some support days rock, other days provide you with blogging material. :)
Funny! This reminds me of a guy I deal with in my work (from another firm) who can read emails but cannot respond to emails because he doesn't know how to type or send them. And he always claims there is something wrong with my attachments and makes me resend them to him by fax. You would love working with him, I'm sure!
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