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- johnhummel, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7This was my peeve when I used to do tech support.
Me: Hi, this is John.
User: My computer is locked up!
Me: OK, let's try something. When you move the mouse, do you see the arrow move?
User: No - it's stuck.
Me: OK, it sounds like your computer is "hard locked" - that means that everything is just frozen. The only way to fix that is to turn off your computer and turn it back on again.
User: OK.
Me: So just turn the power off - press the off switch - and let's wait about 10 seconds.
User: OK. Got it.
Me: That's long enough. Turn it back on and tell me what you see.
User: I see the same screen as before - everything's still frozen!
Me: (Sigh.) OK, let's try this again. This time, I want you to turn off the COMPUTER, not the MONITOR.
At least once a day I'd have a call like that. But the worst one....
Me: Hi, this is John. Can I help you.
User: I can't log in!
Me: OK - let me see if your account is locked out. Hm - doesn't look like it. Let's reset your password.
User: It still doesn't work.
Me: I'm going to head down to your desk. (60 seconds later.) Hi, let's see what's up. Hm - I can't seem to enter my user name. Maybe your keyboard is bad -
User: What?
Me: What's this spot of water here on the keyboard? (Turn keyboard over and watch as water gushes onto the desk. Look at the user.)
User: Oh, I didn't think the water spilled that much!
Me: Uh - you could have mentioned you spilled water all over your keyboard first. That - um - might have helped.
User: Really?
Me: I have to shoot you now. - bourdon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5#1 Users who insist on giving you their diagnosis (Unless #4)
- puggy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Well this is somehow related to support although not job related. Most of us here are probably the "computer person" around the house, and relatives and friends go to you when they have tech-related problems. In my case, I'm a programmer and everyone knows that I work with computers. The problem now is people think knowledge of computers is just one huge blob--everything about computers lumped into one. That's why I get asked a lot how to burn dvds using program X, what's the settings for router Y, how to install iTunes, and etc. And when you can't satisfy them, they always say "Oh I thought you know these things". It's really frustrating because you really want to help them, but some days you just pretend you don't know because it's too much already.
- 3Den, on 10/12/2007, -1/+41) It is always good to listen to a user's diagnosis of the problem, as long as it's not too long... sometimes they DO know the problem. You do not know everything.
2) People skills. Deal with it. Happens to everyone, not just computer techs.
3) Sometimes they lie, more often they simply don't realize what they've done. That's why you hav e a job. Deal with it. IF they installed crap they shoudln't, the organization should have procedures in place to deal with it, either by disclipline, or restricting their access, or both.
4) Just as in #1 you don't want to hear the user's diagnosis, they don't want to hear yours.
5) Okay, yeah, that's just plain wrong. Totally wrong. It's up there with "Where's those new computers that were approved two months ago?" "Oh, the CFO still has it sitting on his desk cause he didn't understand what they were needed for, even though it was already approved in the budget."
6) Never seen this to be a huge problem... how is this a tech problem? If people want to share jokes, let them. Setting up a mail server to ban a bunch of common attachment types that are always used in jokes and rarely used in business does the job. As for creating folders... start setting permissions so they can't.
7) Get some poeple skills. every professional is often asked about their profession during their off time, and given that computers are the hot new thing, you get asked more. You should view this as a good thing, not a bad thing.
8) Yeah.. education about tools and technical work should be separate things.
9) That's totally rude behavior, I would leave after an appropriate amount of time, of course based on the seniority of the staff member in question. This also depends, though, on your job description. Waiting for them might be part of your job. Ideally, your management will back you if you walk out and someone complains.
10) IT is both an administrative support department, as well as possibly the product itself, and covers a wide range of roles. It's also a new type of department. As IT invades all aspects of the business, it really needs to be treated differnetly than other departments. - mighty_mouth, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3From the article: " quick survey of his computer revealed that it no longer contained any files beginning with the letter n. The intern vehemently denied having deleted any files whatsoever but eventually confessed that he didn’t have anything to do so thought he’d delete all the files he didn’t recognize. Why he started with the letter n remains a mystery."
My dad used to do something like that. Whenever he thought the computer was feeling sluggish, he would open Windows Explorer and start deleting everything he didnt recognize. Finally, one day he killed Windows. After that, he quit doing it. - cheekybastard, on 10/12/2007, -0/+23den - you talk like a manager.
kwilliam71 - the assumption that all users are idiots is wrong, only 90% are idiots.
1.If they can't describe their problem in 20 seconds or less I turn on selective hearing and start nodding until they shut up. Users don't know squat, if they did I wouldn't have a job.
2.Vultures, tell them to go get some coffee because "its going to be a while".
3.End users lie, out of habit, because they don't want to admit they screwed up and they don't want to accept the blame. Politics.
4.Tier 1 support (for home/small business products) is a pain because they deal with your end users all day too, so everyone gets treated the same. For enterprise level products its not a big issue. Tier 2 techs know what their doing usually.
5.Politics. Doing and end run around purchasing is not always good, but making friends with the director can't hurt.
6.Joke emails, virus laden time wasters, are a problem. They don't get deleted from the in box and then they don't get deleted from the sent folder, add recipients and repeat until mail store is bloated.
7.People skills are for sales whores who like talking about themselves all day. Got a problem with your home PC? Google it.
8.More politics. Total cost of software should include training, management sometimes doesn't take that into consideration.
9.Tell them you'll be back tomorrow, always works.
10.The core issue for internal IT departments is that they are cost centers never profit centers. Good IT managers can show how they impact productivity and profits. Many companies don't realize the value of their IT department until they lay them all off and have one tech left ( the cheapest one ). Of course all the O'Reilly books in the world can't help this poor soul with firewalls, routers, SQL and email servers that he's supposed to support. Now the PHBs have to pay contractors double to do the same job. heh.
Pet peeves are stuff you complain about but can't change, which is why you complain in the first place. Work is work, and its your job to deal with ***** unless your the boss, but instead of taking one on the chin all the time,it feels good to vent. - toastgodsupreme, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I'm at work right now. Part of the Hell Desk at my university.
I've gotten to the point where I'm very short with users that call. I interupt them, I ignore them, etc.
The reason is this:
I'm not here to be their buddy. I'm here to do my job. If they get in the way of me doing my job, I will do everything in my power (short of something that gets me fired) to make them do what I say. I'm not nice about anything anymore. I'm very short and to the point. But that's how tech support should be. All business, get right down to the problem, fix it, and leave. - tizz66, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I'm not in tech support, but I can relate to some of those.
What irritates me is I use a Mac. I just don't know much about Windows. But that won't stop everyone in my extended family asking me how to do this, or why isn't that working. Then when I tell them I don't use Windows, they look surprised that I don't know the answer to this computing question. Seriously, they look at me as though I'm an idiot.
They also expect you to know how to perform every conceivable task you might want to do on a computer. I'm a programmer/designer. I don't have an interest in nor a desire to do video editing. But they'll still ask me. How do you say 'No, I won't edit together your wedding video because I don't know how' to someone in your family? So I sit down and spend my time learning. And then when anyone else needs a video, you're the first person they come to since they know you can do it!
Yes, I use a computer, but leave me alone! Seriously, the IT support industry would be worth billions more if us suckers didn't solve everyones IT problems for free. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"Besides, whats wrong with answering simple techie questions during your lunch time?"
It's your fricking lunch time! That's your time off!
I don't exist to serve others, especially when their questions have nothing to do with work.
"Hey, after work could you come to my house and fix my computer?"
"Okay, my rate is $75 an hour."
"What? We both work at the same company! You should do it for free!" - Urusai, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2You people make me sick. When my computer box stops working, you just whine and whine and roll your eyes just because I'm the only guy smart enough to figure out how to use the integral coffee cup holder. If I call a plumber, I don't need a lecture on why I shouldn't be flushing a chopped up mattress down the toilet. If I call the electrician, I don't need a bunch of scientifical mumbo jumbo about circuit loading or breaker paneling. Fix my problem, take your blood money, and get the heck out of my life, loser. Some of us have better things to do, like make real money, or date real women.
-- A. Jerkov - paulexander, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I have two more:
1. Being the jack of all trades in the office. Just because it plugs into the wall, suddenly it's up to me to fix it. Sorry, but I don't handle coffee makers and copiers, or install whiteboards.
2. Being expected to handle user requests AND finish projects on time. Don't you know by now that Murphy's law dictates that when the deadline looms, that some executive's laptop will invariably fail, forcing you to drop everything and go fix it. But oh, never mind BECAUSE WE ALWAYS STAY LATE AND/OR WORK THROUGH LUNCH - freshfox, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2you only have 10?
- JFalt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1BOFH strikes again!!!
- madi-allen, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1From the opposite end of the debate, I HATE TALKING TO SOMEONE IN INDIA FOR MY TECH SUPPORT. If your business has a problem with their SBC/AT&T/WTF business DSL, you will get someone like "Brian" in India to help you. What a joke. SBC is going to drag the AT&T name throught mud just like Ameritech.
- lbeaty1981, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I always dread it when I meet somebody outside of work, and the conversation inevitable turns to "so what do you do for a living? Oh, you're a computer tech? Can you tell my why my internet doesn't work?". I have no problem with helping a friend with the occasional computer problem, but that's because I know they're my friend for reasons other than my ability to fix their computer. If you're a complete stranger, don't expect me to work for free.
- rhizome, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1ah, youngsters. you're all so cute.
the original and still the best:
http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~moose/sysadmin/pricelist.html - mIIwaukee, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Eerily similar to comments most mechanics make when people bring in their cars.
- mark1372, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The reason all you IT folks have great jobs is because of the mind-numbing stupidity of others, so don't bite too hardly the hand that feeds. ;-)
That being said, I feel like to get any job that requires use of a computer, employees should be entirely comfortable with one. If not, don't expect to be hired or go take some training on your own. It's too often because of the accessible support structure that people feel they don't need to learn more.
I hate being called by coworkers to help (I'm not an IT guy) and when I ask if they read the manual or looked it up on Google, they say they didn't because it's boring to read manuals or that they did't want to search for it. So *I* have to be inconvenienced instead so it's more convenient to them, which then leads to those inevitable crisis times when I have to rush in to help because they have an emergency and don't know what to do. Sigh. - Stopher, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1#9 Was my big annoyance. I used to be in tech support and some very rude people would try and make you wait while they read or typed an email. Retarded. It's an email. It's not going anywhere. You have a live person in front of you.
My soloution to that kind of behavior was that if someone was on the phone or "finishing something" I would just politely tell them I'll come back when they're not busy. Users can be trained. You'd be surprised at how quickly they will get off the phone or close that email. If they really need something they can make the time or face the end of the queue. - efisher, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Or someone who tries to fix it themselves and denies it and won't tell you what they did.
- ccanni1028, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1An extension to the article can be found at the following link.
http://sevix.net/viewtopic.php?t=97 - RedZeppelin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Great list. I'd also add:
11. Users who think they know what they're doing attempting to fix their own computers before reporting the problem, then coming to the IT department after they've made the problem worse. - leonbev, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Personally, I think that #8 is right on. If you successfully fix the bosses home computer just ONCE on your own time, they'll probably start pestering you every time something else goes wrong with it. That's right... Every virus, every spyware infection, and EVERY weird Windows error message that pops up on the bosses home PC just became YOUR problem.
Worse yet, if you KEEP fixing their computer for free, they'll probably start refering their friends and relatives to you as well. You'll quickly end up running a time consuming home computer repair side business in a matter of weeks, and you probably won't get paid for any of it.
I'm not saying that it's a bad idea to give the boss some tips to help them fix it on their own. Just DON'T FIX IT FOR THEM. Of course, if the boss keeps nagging about it... well... "accidently" deleting a few important files while fixing the problem will probably prevent them from asking again :) - aliensporebomb, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1My friend Dave who was a little ADHD would call me from his job at
a place that dealt largely with television feeds and indicate that "I
was just cleaning up the hard drive a little and the machine won't
boot anymore".
"Cleaning up the drive a little" consisted of going into the system
folder and deleting all of those pesky files because he had no idea
what they were all about.
I finally said "If you do it again, I'll charge you cash money" since I
was basically doing him a favor.
I never heard from him again, heh. - ModernTenshi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1My pet peeves:
1) Users who come to you for help, but think they know more than you do. I love it when I tell a user what is or may be the problem with their machine, and they proceed to tell me I'm wrong. Eventually I just tell them, "well if you're so smart, and you're telling me that my solutions are wrong, why the hell did you come to me in the first place?" Usually shuts them up and makes them listen to me.
2) Users who don't understand the meaning of, "I'm sorry, but there's nothing we/I can do about your problem." Variations include, "we don't support that," or, "you don't have what we need to help you." I had this guy who couldn't use his USB drive on the older machines, so I told him to use the newer ones upstairs. He said all the ones upstairs are in use, then asks what I can do to get his USB drive to read. I tell him to use the machines upstairs. Guy took 3 minutes of my time to get it. Yes, you're right, they're all in use, so guess what? YOU WAIT!
3) Users who want me to do EVERYTHING for them. Seriously. They want me to attatch their documents to their emails, format their text, and everything else in between. I tell them how to do it, but they still want me to, "show them." A variation of this is I tell them how to do it, and they insist that I stay with them until they do it, but I still end up walking them through it step-by-step. - diggnate, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1you literally just hit the nail on the head with this article. I have experienced every single one of these multiple times, and you just never get used to it.
The most frustrating people in the world to work for are the ones who know just enough to talk "intelligently" with them on a basic computer level, and may even predate you in the company. They know just enough about the system and technology to question every single decision you make, then you have to proceed to talk way over their head until they realize they have no business questioning a technological decision.
ridiculous. - sotjian, on 10/12/2007, -0/+111. The user who has just enough technicle experience to be dangerous. Constantly playing around with his/ her system and making me fix it when he/ she screws it up but never admitiing they did anything wrong. This user is usually high enough on the ladder to be excempt from having a managed system, I.T. Directors/ Managers. Ug.
- Denver80203, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Users who tell you how their life will be altered forever unless this is fixed.
"i can't do my job and this means I have to stay late and my child will miss tuba practice which means he'll never get into Yale blaaaa blaaaa blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"
I don't give a crap.. just tell me the problem with the computer, k?
For this reason I had voice mail turned off on my phone. If the user is forced to write me, they tend to drone on a little less. - mike.nealey, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Yup, been there done that with most of these.
dugg+++++ - schmuckman999, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Regarding #9 If they make you wait, you just leave right away. That's what I do, I just say screw it, I usually have another million things to do.
- jerrygofixit, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0wasn't this dugg already, or something that linked to it??
- ftoro, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0My top peeve at tech support is:
1) When instead of even trying to solve your problem, they reset, ghost or equivalent making you loose tons of work. - mianos, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0The perfect IT support job would be one without users.
There is a minor issue with that. No users would probably mean no income.
No income no job.
Sure these people can be a POA but it's your job to support them.
Also, don't always assume you know more than them.
You don't like that, get another job. I hear there are jobs flipping burgers now the web is picking back up. - Cerberus047, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0i think the annoying thing is people expect you to know all the stuff and when you do you get no credit but when something goes wrong your ass is on a platter!!
- Inphormatika, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0My biggest pet peeve: people who don't understand that just because someone creates a page like this to blow off some steam, it doesn't mean they're elitist bastards. Of course tech support has a tough job. Everyone who goes into it knows that already. Making lists like that are a way to release some stress. That's why their so popular. I'm a geek myself, but I work in the health care field. You want to know what I do to blow off steam? I go here: http://www.tard-blog.com/
It doesn't mean that I'm cruel or don't care about the people I work with. It's just a way to calm down a bit after having people scream at you for hours and try to kill you. Chill out a bit. - Mundo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Reminds me of http://illwillpress.com/tech.html
- genduke, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Oh, and I love when this happens
User: "I got an error"
Me: "....."
User: "........."
Me: "OKAY WHATS THE ERROR!?" - DarkZen, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Haha, this was good for a laugh, i work for a IT department for an University and it is true that IT has al kinds of wierd little sub groups... Though i "get" to do the support for all the classroom equiptment over the entire university... But one thing i will note Though we spend HOURS a day in the AG building we barely ever have to even Look at the Engineering Building =) Its great to have geeks in all fields..
Either way, i had a professor who was so intent on making our lives hell he would actually BREAK stuff that HE THOUGHT didnt work. We would show him how to use it, we would even replace/fix it if there was something worng...Untill he started litterally BREAKING the equiptment...the other day he punched a overhead projector untill the top part snapped off... If he calls again im not helping him *Im sry but we have more important matters to attend to at this moment, please call later.* - Olle, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Maybe tech support people and power users should agree on a secret pass phrase?
So when a power user calls tech support he can say "blue banana with a bandana" and the tech support person will immediately transfer him to second tier support.
That would be sweet. - halophoenix, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0It's funny cause it's true...and all the computer helpless coming to say "hey i take offense" make the whole thing even funnier. Relax folks. Customer Service sucks for everyone involved.
- bluehouse, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0The perfect network is one without users
- dclowd9901, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0You are not alone, friend. Let our thoughts go out to these brave souls and frontline soldiers of the war against the machine.
- FlyboyP, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Every techie has a list like this - even if you don't write it out, if you've got any experience at all you've faced this crap and learned how to deal with it. That's the thing - fixing problems is not your only job, it is also DEALING WITH THE PEOPLE. It's a skill, it's what you get paid for. SO yea laugh at this list and any other peeves but figure out what you'll do when it happens next time, because it definitely will, as long as there are users of technology.
My personal fav is "whileurheritis".. when a user says "Oh and while you're here, could you look at..." (whatever other problem they haven't reported but will take a while to fix). - longman2g, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0People don't realize that the way you do something on one windows program i.e. print your document is the same way as another windows document, just the button might be in a different place. Computers are easy, once you learn how to use one program, all programs work about the same way.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1The problem most people have with Indian tech support is that they're just not worth a *****. They have no resolution skills but are adept at reading down a checklist. My wife and I both have had to deal with them repeating the same sentences over and over because there's *zero* comprehension on their part.
When I first got my Sidekick2, my provider failed to include the data plan which I had signed up for. So I call support, wait 20 minutes to have my call bounced to India. Who do I get in India after all that time? Shameel, who works for the frickin' Blackberry data group. So that's one strike. He forwards me to the Sidekick data group, which takes another 10 minutes on hold, and this time I get Vishnu. After breaking it down into the simplest, one word phrases so he can understand what the problem is, a little light goes on above his head and he activates my data plan. All of this could have saved the company money on phone calls and support personnel had they handed me off to LaTrisha Johnson in BFE Kentucky, who is actually fluent in English and knows the difference between a Blackberry and a Sidekick, and that they need different support for each.
I guess overall, being a techie myself, my biggest pet peeve is really, really bad, dumb support people. Those of you who are techs are insulted when you have to deal with bad techs, you know where I'm coming from. Actually I think that was #4 from the article. - ahhell, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Users asking for free advice about their ***** up home computers. Nothing pisses me off more than that.
- Dufresne, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0i don't see what is so bad about a lot of these
- NetJoe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0#4 After 30+ minutes of trying to explain a simple problem to manufacturer's tech support, The obviously new tech puts you on hold for 2-3 minutes every time you say: I cannot understand you due to call quality and accent, please escalate this call to anyone else anywhere. And the companies that waste your time on support calls.
- mrjeffery, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0#11. Being forced to use filth encrusted mouse/keyboard of warty fingered user when RDP isnt possible.
- deadbaby, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0My #1 tech support pet peeve:
Users who don't call the right company for tech support. For instance, I work at an ISP and I get calls on a daily basis from Norton Internet Security users. I get calls from people trying to install wireless networks at home. I get people asking for help hooking up their speakers. It's mind boggling to me. One day a man drove a coworker almos to tears screaming at her because his computer wouldn't turn on anymore. These type of people ruin tech support for everyone. I take a huge amount of joy in telling them to piss off and call Norton/Linksys/Jesus or whoever else is stuck helping them with an unrelated problem. -
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