How bad is your helpdesk service?

[funkymatt]

I work for a pretty big corporation. Helpdesk isn't usually a problem since I usually include the necessary information and copy the employees involved when I open a ticket. However, today we needed a second phone installed in the lab, so the office assistant opened a ticket for me earlier. I just got a closed ticket notification and no phone was installed.

I spoke to the telecom guy to let him know we needed a second physical phone, but havent heard from him since this morning.

i know blog.anandtech.com is <<< that way but figured we could turn this into a helpdesk nightmare story thread

 

[Brovane]

Originally posted by: funkymatt
I work for a pretty big corporation. Helpdesk isn't usually a problem since I usually include the necessary information and copy the employees involved when I open a ticket. However, today we needed a second phone installed in the lab, so the office assistant opened a ticket for me earlier. I just got a closed ticket notification and no phone was installed.

I spoke to the telecom guy to let him know we needed a second physical phone, but havent heard from him since this morning.

i know blog.anandtech.com is <<< that way but figured we could turn this into a helpdesk nightmare story thread

I work in IT in a field office and get that treatment from corporate IT all the time. They close out a ticket I opened without even contacting me and they didn't resolve the issue.

What did they put in the resolution field for the ticket?

 

[CptCrunch]

I work on my IT's helpdesk (last day wooo!) and i can tell you, that doesn't surprise me. It really depends on who you get. 40% of our staff rocks like no other but the other 60% are useless bodies to fill the void. I can always tell you what gets results, esclataing to the supervisor. You dont even have to yell or say anything bad, but anything that gets pushed to them (at least here) is given to the 40% that do a great job

 

[KLin]

Originally posted by: CptCrunch
I work on my IT's helpdesk (last day wooo!) and i can tell you, that doesn't surprise me. It really depends on who you get. 40% of our staff rocks like no other but the other 60% are useless bodies to fill the void. I can always tell you what gets results, esclataing to the supervisor. You dont even have to yell or say anything bad, but anything that gets pushed to them (at least here) is given to the 40% that do a great job

Which sucks because the other 60% are getting away with doing nothing.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Outsourced and sucks arse.

 

[CptCrunch]

Originally posted by: KLin

Originally posted by: CptCrunch
I work on my IT's helpdesk (last day wooo!) and i can tell you, that doesn't surprise me. It really depends on who you get. 40% of our staff rocks like no other but the other 60% are useless bodies to fill the void. I can always tell you what gets results, esclataing to the supervisor. You dont even have to yell or say anything bad, but anything that gets pushed to them (at least here) is given to the 40% that do a great job

Which sucks because the other 60% are getting away with doing nothing.

exactly, and even though we complain to management nothing ever gets done. For this reason, amongst others, is why I am leaving our help desk and moving to another part of the institution.

 

[rh71]

other than not understanding what they're saying half the time, they are pretty technical.

 

[ryan256]

Our corporate IT help desk is staffed by a bunch of monkeys. I work in a field office, went on vacation for 2 weeks and come back to discover my outlook password has expired as well as the time period to change it. So I call the help desk and put in a ticket to have the password reset. Later in the day still nothing. So I call them again.

Me: "I'm calling about the ticket I submitted to get my outlook password reset."
Them: *after searching* "Oh.. that ticket has been closed. It says the issue was resolved."
Me: "Oh really... then what was my outlook password reset to??"
Them: "I'm not sure. It should be in the email they sent you."
Me: *face in palm*

 

[funkymatt]

Originally posted by: Brovane
What did they put in the resolution field for the ticket?

No resolution, it looks like status was just changed to closed. I emailed them back asking wtf, but no response yet.

 

[amdhunter]

My Helpdesk at work is fukken awesome.
BTW, I am the helpdesk.

 

[RaiderJ]

I do help desk support, and I've found that doing a really good job can backfire in that I get calls for *everything*. Which, I guess is my job, but it'd be nice if more people would at least make a genuine effort on their own to try and figure out their mouse needs new batteries....

 

[isekii]

Originally posted by: RaiderJ
I do help desk support, and I've found that doing a really good job can backfire in that I get calls for *everything*. Which, I guess is my job, but it'd be nice if more people would at least make a genuine effort on their own to try and figure out their mouse needs new batteries....

I hate assholes that call regarding a same UPS issue, when they're the one that kicked it out of the wall socket.

"Um, my computer powers off and my ups is making noises"

Did you check to see if it's plugged in the wall outlet ?

"Yea it's plugged in."

you go upstairs and it's unplugged.

 

[Spineshank]

I work help desk where i work. Most of the time people just send us random crap cause they dont know who to actually speak to. Toilet overflowing? Hell lets call the Help Desk to open a ticket. Morons.

 

[Tsaico]

I try my best to be as accessible and patient with all of my users. I also make sure that all of my staff do the same. I try to make sure that all of my users know the IT staff is here to support busniess functions. So keeping them working is our priority, it keeps the company healthy and therefore my department and my job. True, some are better at it than others, but I think as a whole we are doing better then most IT help desks out there. A couple of people have told us how much better we are than the last team. (I came in a year ago and let most of the old team go) or how much better we are then their team from old jobs or companies.

But then again, sometimes I feel like I am a monkey leading a team of monkeys, so who knows?

 

[Tweak155]

Originally posted by: CptCrunch
I work on my IT's helpdesk (last day wooo!) and i can tell you, that doesn't surprise me. It really depends on who you get. 40% of our staff rocks like no other but the other 60% are useless bodies to fill the void. I can always tell you what gets results, esclataing to the supervisor. You dont even have to yell or say anything bad, but anything that gets pushed to them (at least here) is given to the 40% that do a great job

QFF(riggin)T

You talk to a supervisor it gets handled asap no doubt.

That or if its actually an urgent issue.

I'd say 75% of calls can be dealt with whenever and have no real urgency. But if you wanna make it urgent, up the ladder you go.

 

[LilPima]

I specifically requested to one of my favorite helpdesk people to answer when I call since they are more compentant than most (and actually solve my problems and help). Usually though I refuse to call since all they want to do is remote onto your screen, close all your programs, and restart. I could have done that.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: LilPima
Usually though I refuse to call since all they want to do is remote onto your screen, close all your programs, and restart. I could have done that.

But did you?

 

[narzy]

Our IT helpdesk (Todd and Dave) are awesome. they pull magic out of their hats on a daily basis. Just wanted to give those guys a shout out...

 

[Red Squirrel]

I work at a help desk and we do our best but one of our biggest problem is people who hardly put any info or people who plain wont read, or refuse to follow the right process.

ex: someone sends in a ticket that is not supose to be to us, we close it with proper info, they get email, do not open then call us saying it wont work.

Or you get people that send a ticket like this:

"hi it's me. print not printing? fix asap please"

No joke, people actually write like that. Sometimes I wonder if we have 3 year olds as customers. We do internal IT as well as external managed services, as well as internet and phones/611. The 611 stuff is not as bad since they don't send tickets, they only phone it in (ironicly).

We're business help desk, then there's the residential help desk for internet. OMG they are horrid lol. We've gotten tickets escalated to us as they could not figure out a problem. This one tech got a lady to put like 16 phone filters on the same line (chained) stating it will filter it "better". LOL The poor lady lol. Turned out it was another issue which we had resoved. Bad modem or something, can't remember.

 

[enis083]

Don't confuse the helpdesk with the other IT personnel out there. If the helpdesk can't resolve the issue, it gets escalated to a another department. They are the ones that close your ticket without resolving it. Generally if the helpdesk closes your ticket, its because they resolved it or you need to call somebody else.

 

[LilPima]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: LilPima
Usually though I refuse to call since all they want to do is remote onto your screen, close all your programs, and restart. I could have done that.

But did you?

No, most of our problems are slowness, patch, or compatability related. Why should I lose my documents so you can try and fix my problem without doing any work?

 

[RadiclDreamer]

Originally posted by: LilPima

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: LilPima
Usually though I refuse to call since all they want to do is remote onto your screen, close all your programs, and restart. I could have done that.

But did you?

No, most of our problems are slowness, patch, or compatability related. Why should I lose my documents so you can try and fix my problem without doing any work?

Well this brings up 3 points

1: Save your stuff before you call
2: I can't be led to believe ANY helpdesk would repeatedly close without saving your programs.
3: Rebooting fixes at least 90% of users issues

And you arent going to win over many friends on a TECH FORUM by bad mouthing our profession and calling us lazy

 

[LilPima]

I'm not--I just request my favorites when I call who work with me.

You can't save your work if you're frozen.

I'm sure all of you are dedicated enough helpdesk guys that you would be the ones I requested when I call. OP's question was how bad is your helpdesk service, and I answered. I'm sure none of you work at my company

 

[RadiclDreamer]

Originally posted by: LilPima
I'm not--I just request my favorites when I call who work with me.

You can't save your work if you're frozen.

I'm sure all of you are dedicated enough helpdesk guys that you would be the ones I requested when I call. OP's question was how bad is your helpdesk service, and I answered. I'm sure none of you work at my company

If you are frozen they shoudlnt be able to connect in and reboot you, much less close the apps out.

 

[StageLeft]

Overall it's pretty good at mine.