Lady, don't even TRY to argue with me, at one point I would have told you what your support boundaries were...

[Viper GTS]

My GOD! I don't think I have EVER been this pissed at work.

Customer calls up, says he hasn't had connectivity from the outside. DSL router is feeding directly to one server, & from there goes to the rest of his network. While I was checking the basics, I see almost 900 successful connections. As I'm watching, I see two more. Which means one of two things are happening:

1) The router is training but never reaching the authentication server.
2) The router is training but failing authentication, & PPP restart is enabled.

Neither one of which are issues I can deal with, as I'm strictly LAN support. So, I grab one of our Tier 1 techs & explain the situation to her. This is very clearly within her realm, there's absolutely no question as to whether or not she can support this.

Tier 1: Is the customer on a network?
Me: It doesn't matter, just go in through the management port & ignore the ethernet side of things.
Tier 1: Sir, if it's on a network I can't provide support for it.
Me: Yes, you can. If you're really that concerned about the network simply unplug the ethernet cable, & go strictly through the ethernet cable. This is completely separate from the network.
Tier 1: If it's on a network I can't support it.
Me: No, you can support it. I was on your mentor line for quite some time, I would have been the one you called to ask what your support boundaries were. I did your job for 9 months, I know very well what your support boundaries are.
Tier 1: Well, they change from time to time. If it's on a network I CANNOT SUPPORT IT. Could you please give me your name & ID number? (The change thing is BS, our managers and theirs are constantly in communication, I know full well what their support boundaries are. It's a common misconception with them that they can't even troubleshoot WAN connectivity if the router comes within 20 feet of a hub, router, server, computer, game console, PDA, or digital wristwatch.)
Me: Sure, I'm Gregg. ID #...
Tier 1: OK, I can talk to the customer but if it's on a network...
Me: <CLICK> (obscenities)

Goddamn she pissed me off, I'm still somewhat shaky. Stupid, ignorant, asinine techs that don't know jack about what they're supposed to support.

:|:|:|:|

The next tech was much better, I was sure to thank her for doing her job. So if you see Amy, tell her thank you for me. And whoever that first tech was can kiss my ass.

Viper GTS

 

[Windogg]

Ugh... L1 Techs strike again. Go grab a drink of water and email her the &quot;you're number one&quot; pic.

A oursource techie (IE paper MCSE) had to ask me what a DNS server was and how does it relate to our network. :|

 

[Valhalla1]

you need a less stressful job.


I'm just waiting for marijuana to be legalized so I can work as a &quot;quality assurance&quot; taste tester

 

[Viper GTS]

Normally my job's not so stressful, but occasionally people manage to push all the right buttons. She was one of those people.

As for e-mailing her my picture, I wish I could. Unfortunately:

1) I don't remember her name or ID number.
2) I'd probably get fired.

Viper GTS

 

[UnixFreak]

That is total crap. I used to be t1 (you remember) and I would have just went straight to the router and worried about that, because that was MY JOB, for god's sake. And, in that position, you can support a network to a point, depending on how comfortable you are with it, I did it all the time. If you have no WAN connectivity, its pretty f*cking obvious the network side has nothing to do with that. Ridicoulous.


They should have paid attention in class on the 5 step troubleshooting. It works.

 

[Josh]

:|:|:|:|:|:|:|

 

[Viper Frag]

What's a hub?

hehehe j/k

Yea Tier 1 techs suck. :|

 

[Russ]

<< It's a common misconception with them that they can't even troubleshoot WAN connectivity if the router comes within 20 feet of a hub, router, server >>



Viper,

As much stress as this has caused you, I have to say that, as an end user, I do find it a bit comforting to know that I'm not the only one they give this crap to.

On those rare occasions that I find myself calling them, I no longer even mention my network or anything beyond just one single Win98 system.

Russ, NCNE

 

[Adul]

whats a wan?

 

[Viper GTS]

Russ...

That's pretty much what you have to do. Tell them it's one computer, tell them it's connected directly, etc, etc, etc. The problem is that as soon as I identify myself as being from LAN support they put up this &quot;support boundary&quot; wall. I honestly think it's a problem with the way they are trained, since it seems so prevalent. Whenever I send customers to them I instruct them very carefully on what to say &amp; what not to say.

Sad, but that's what we have to do to accomplish anything.



Viper GTS