08.11.06
If you call in for support…
As some of you already know, I’m a network engineer for a small isp in my area, and because we are a small company I end up taking directly to end users several times a day calling in for support. I like to think that when we talk, we both want the same thing. I want to solve your problem in the most efficient and quickest way possible and get you on with your day and off of our support lines. I don’t really imagine you enjoy spending time with us on the phone. I mean I’m polite and courteous to you, and for the most part I genuinely want to help you solve your problem, but I know you have better things to do than stay on the phone with your ISP. So I have just a few simple requests, and really this should make everyone’s day so much the better.
Please when we’re talking and you don’t know the answer to the questions I’m asking don’t start telling me about how dumb, computer stupid, and computer illiterate or how much of a computer neophyte you are. It’s just awkward, and there’s no satisfactory way I can respond. I cannot agree with you, even if I should and it always ends with several seconds of dead air before we can move on. Please don’t tell me about how tech savvy your friend, neighbor, grandson or sisters first cousin is. It isn’t relevant or helpful and you probably haven’t gained technical savvy vicariously by knowing them. If you are one rare ones who has taken the time to learn from these techs savvy people, then I applaud you. The knowledge you’ve gleaned will only make our interaction smoother.
On the same note, please don’t waste my time telling me I’m wrong because your tech savvy friend never mentioned what I’m telling you. I didn’t call you asking how your day was going; you called me because you needed support for the products or services you are obtaining from us. I don’t toot my horn telling you how grand I am, but I’d like to think that since I run this network and you called me needing help that I’m qualified to answer your question. If you truly think I’m wrong based on something your tech savvy friend has told you, feel free to ask about it and explain why you think I’m giving you misinformation. Chances are I’m correct but going about it in an intelligent manner will go miles towards not ticking me off and coincidentally your hold time will magically dwindle as well. When I’m asking you questions please don’t interrupt me to volunteer something you think could be helpful. It may very well be helpful, but I give you the courtesy of finishing your sentences and would appreciate the same in return. Remember, paying for our service isn’t a license to forget your manners.
Also don’t feel bad if you don’t know the answer to my questions. I promise you I know how to ask leading questions, but please don’t hold back information and give me the shortest answer possible. It extends the call and tends to frustrate both of us. If you cannot get online say so, but if the problem is you are unable to get your email don’t call up and just say “I can’t get on!!!”. Lastly some of you really need to get out more and step away from the computer. In a perfect world nothing would ever go down, and system maintenance would never have to be done but this isn’t a perfect world that we live in. When I post a notice our on our network status page that the primary mail server will be offline at 12am for about 3 hours of emergency maintenance and you call us at 2:08am cursing because you cannot get your email chances are you need to lighten up a bit and back away from the keyboard. I don’t imagine anyone on the support staff enjoys coming in late at night to do work on servers, so I think you can manage a break in your Japanese hentai porn pen pal emails for one night
