Helpdesk work sucks! How do *you* deal with the idiots?

[Armitage]

So the first time you log in to my site, you get a screen asking you to change your password from the temporary one emailed to you, to one of your own choosing. The email that goes out with the temporary password states: "You will be required to change your password on the first succesful login."

So today I get an email along the lines of "I am trying to log into your site, but all I get is a screen asking me to change my password.". So far, he's attempted this 6 times :roll:

WHY DON'T YOU TRY CHANGING YOUR PASSWORD AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS???

must .... resist .... insulting .... the ... users ... grrr

 

[imported_Phil]

Haha :laugh:

We have a guy at work (actually, he's a sodding Director :roll: ) who cannot type his password correctly, three times in a row, multiple times a week. This results in his account being locked out usually once or twice a week.

His password? password. :|

 

[dquan97]

Originally posted by: Phil
Haha :laugh:

We have a guy at work (actually, he's a sodding Director :roll: ) who cannot type his password correctly, three times in a row, multiple times a week. This results in his account being locked out usually once or twice a week.

His password? password. :|

thats pretty sad...

 

[Armitage]

I want to start the reply:

<Red Forman>Dear Dumbass ...</Red Forman>

 

[CraigRT]

freaking brutal.
i get basically the same ass crap all the time.

 

[jjoyner]

I work at an ISP...we apparently send customers "modems" in the mail (Software CDs for dialup)...

We also make customer's printers stop working with our magical 3mails 0f d00m....RAWR!!!

 

[FoBoT]

different job title/description that doesn't require dealing with (L)users

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
different job title/description that doesn't require dealing with (L)users

Yea, I already have that - I've never done customer service before, and likely never will again. We took on this project because we can do it well, and it may open other doors down the road, but I'm beginning to think it isn't worth it

 

[Chadder007]

Originally posted by: Phil
Haha :laugh:

We have a guy at work (actually, he's a sodding Director :roll: ) who cannot type his password correctly, three times in a row, multiple times a week. This results in his account being locked out usually once or twice a week.

His password? password. :|

BUWHAHAAHHAAH :laugh:

 

[Jzero]

I just keep telling myself that if it weren't for an endless supply of morons, I'd be unemployed.

 

[skrilla]

It gets frustrating.

The users around here are all sales reps who don't have time for anything not to work. Before they try to solve something, they yell at me and ask, "why isn't this working?"

last week someone yelled to me, "what's with this computer, why isn't it working?"
I went out there and just had to turn the damn thing on.

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: skrilla507
The users around here are all sales reps.

What is it about being in sales that makes you an instant computer moron?

 

[wondersteve]

Originally posted by: Jzero
I just keep telling myself that if it weren't for an endless supply of morons, I'd be unemployed.

Exactly ...

 

[RagingBITCH]

Originally posted by: skrilla507
It gets frustrating.

The users around here are all sales reps who don't have time for anything not to work. Before they try to solve something, they yell at me and ask, "why isn't this working?"

last week someone yelled to me, "what's with this computer, why isn't it working?"
I went out there and just had to turn the damn thing on.

The ex asked me one day what the (|) button is on the front of most electronics and computers. I looked at her with a blank stare and said "that's the power button". She said "oh". We sat in silence for about 10 minutes before I started laughing my ass off.

 

[Pepsei]

What's worse is when I'm was a 2nd level network tech., I have to deal with inept 1st level helpdesk guys who thinks that their poop doesn't stink.

Now that I'm 3rd, I treat the 2nd and 1st the same.

 

[Rogue]

Simply put, the average human being is a complete and utter idiot when it comes to even the easiest tasks. I've gotten far in life by simply saying, "I don't know..." when I can't do something or figure something out. I find that people who can't say that are the true morons of the world. Fortunately I'm also wise enough to learn from my mistakes and think before acting, but most people are not. It can be frustrating to share this oxygen with most of these people.

 

[Phoenix86]

Originally posted by: Armitage
So the first time you log in to my site, you get a screen asking you to change your password from the temporary one emailed to you, to one of your own choosing. The email that goes out with the temporary password states: "You will be required to change your password on the first succesful login."

So today I get an email along the lines of "I am trying to log into your site, but all I get is a screen asking me to change my password.". So far, he's attempted this 6 times :roll:

WHY DON'T YOU TRY CHANGING YOUR PASSWORD AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS???

must .... resist .... insulting .... the ... users ... grrr

Your fatal mistake was trying to inform a user of critical information via e-mail. As simple as that sounds, it never works.

Most "IT" e-mail is never read/understood by a user.

 

[Steve]

Originally posted by: Phil
Haha :laugh:

We have a guy at work (actually, he's a sodding Director :roll: ) who cannot type his password correctly, three times in a row, multiple times a week. This results in his account being locked out usually once or twice a week.

His password? password. :|

You should make his password Viewsonic, or whatever brand name his monitor is. It's right there in front of him.

 

[Queasy]

Better to deal with idiots than a-holes... unless of course they are idiotic a-holes. You might as well throw yourself out the window at that point.

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: Phoenix86

Originally posted by: Armitage
So the first time you log in to my site, you get a screen asking you to change your password from the temporary one emailed to you, to one of your own choosing. The email that goes out with the temporary password states: "You will be required to change your password on the first succesful login."

So today I get an email along the lines of "I am trying to log into your site, but all I get is a screen asking me to change my password.". So far, he's attempted this 6 times :roll:

WHY DON'T YOU TRY CHANGING YOUR PASSWORD AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS???

must .... resist .... insulting .... the ... users ... grrr

Your fatal mistake was trying to inform a user of critical information via e-mail. As simple as that sounds, it never works.

Most "IT" e-mail is never read/understood by a user.

But he *got* that part. He succesfully transferred the username & password from the email message and logged in. Just couldn't fathom changing his password.

What really bothers me is, how do people survive?? When I consider how complicated everyday life can be compared to a task like this, it's amazing. How is it that we don't find these people wandering with their retinas burned out from staring at the sun, or drowning in a rainstorm because they looked up with their mouth open and forgot to look down again? It boggles the mind.

 

[shimsham]

oh grow the fvck up. im sure there are things that these "idiots" can do that you wouldnt have a clue about. if it bothers you so much, get another job.

youre only hurting yourself by acting like theyre stupid. even if you dont come out and say it, they can pick up on it. maybe try treating them like people capable of learning, and you wont have such a hard time with them.

 

[Joemonkey]

Originally posted by: wondersteve

Originally posted by: Jzero
I just keep telling myself that if it weren't for an endless supply of morons, I'd be unemployed.

Exactly ...

Yep! but you must qualify this with what shimsham said as well.

I'm IT for a law firm, and one of the lawyers has her own wireless Logitech mouse. The batteries died one day, and she replaced them, but after 20 minutes of messing with it could not get it to work. She called me, I went to her desk and turned the mouse over and pushed the CONNECT button and it started working fine.

She told me "wow you must think I'm an idiot" and I told her "Only if you think I'm an idiot because I don't know how to take a deposition. You keep doing lawyer stuff and I'll keep doing tech stuff"

 

[sao123]

Time to consult the BOFH system manual: tip #5280 How to eliminate stupid lusers...

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: shimsham
oh grow the fvck up. im sure there are things that these "idiots" can do that you wouldnt have a clue about. if it bothers you so much, get another job.

youre only hurting yourself by acting like theyre stupid. even if you dont come out and say it, they can pick up on it. maybe try treating them like people capable of learning, and you wont have such a hard time with them.

Grow the fvck up yourself. This is ATOT, people come here to vent - I'm venting.

This guy can't follow simple instructions in his native language - it's not some specialized rocket science (that comes later). At least in this instance, he's an idiot and I'll have a bit of fun taunting him anonymously in a forum he's likely never heard of let alone visited. And a few other ATOTers will come in and share their stories and we'll all have a good laugh. Of course my replies to the users are nothing but courteous & professional.

 

[Bootprint]

Originally posted by: shimsham
oh grow the fvck up. im sure there are things that these "idiots" can do that you wouldnt have a clue about. if it bothers you so much, get another job.

youre only hurting yourself by acting like theyre stupid. even if you dont come out and say it, they can pick up on it. maybe try treating them like people capable of learning, and you wont have such a hard time with them.

But there are users that never seem to do any minor toubleshooting for themselves.

I had a user call up to say her computer seemed to turn off. So I went down and visited her, she told me that it seemed to go off when she turned to answer her phone.

Neither the computer or monitor turned on. First checked that it's plugged in, and found out that it's connected with a power bar. This power bar is behind a foot rest, with the off/on switch towards the foot rest. Well she had swung in her seat and pushed with the foot rest which hit the power switch, but I needed to go down and figure this out for her.


It just seems that as soon as they have a computer problem and some times nothing related to the computers, they call the help desk.

The help desk number seems to have become the 911/411.