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Yesterday was one of those days where EVERYTHING was going wrong. It was a fun day.
VoIP
Our customer service team will usually start to come in around 9am (this is why I'm in at 7 so I can take care of remote issues - no one in the office to pull me away and the remote computers are rarely being used at that time). 9:05 my screen lights up with IMs faster than the South Park episode where Cartman was looking for an older friend (semi-old school South Park). None of them can make calls (though our VoIP).
I tell them all to hold on while I check it out. I test mine - yep, it's down. I start to check out outage log to see if it's been reported. It hasn't been so I start to send IMs to some people to see if it widespread or just locally.
Meanwhile every 2-3 seconds I get an IM "any updates?". Um, no. After a few minutes of this I open up a conference IM session with the customer service leads and the office's admin so I can communicate with them for any updates and I tell the rest to check with their lead (for the customer service team) or the admin (for the sales team) for updates. Which prompts dozens of "OK" responses - two even said "OK" and then "Is there an update?" Um, no. You all have cell phones, you can use them or just communicate though email. The powers that be are looking into it and I'm their guinea pig for testing.
This issue wasn't resolved before I left so remember that I'm working with these people on this issue the rest of the day.
The printer saga.
10:15 a few IMs come in from a remote office I support. Both start like most IM's do, "Hey Draggar?". I respond "The VoIP system may be down up there if that's what you're IM'ing me about".
Nope. The printers aren't working. I try to remote into them but I can't but I can ping them. In the server one shows as ready and the other shows as offline. I have the office turn off, unplug for a minute, unplug the RJ-45 and then reconnect the RJ-45, plug it back in, and then turn it on. Didn't help. I asked them to check for error messages on the printer displays, nothing. Since it is both printers I know chances are it is not the printer. Of course one person asks "does this mean we finally get a new printer?" nope and there is no such thing as a "new printer" in my company. If you need a replacement chances are the depot will send you an old one from a location that closed - and I'm willing to bet that the people who left weren't too happy at us for closing their building. If you have one and it does the job be glad, even if it is slow and/or loud.
I shoot an IM to our printer people and they start to work on it, I tell them that the VoIP system is down here, possibly in that office, and I'm not sure it's related. It wasn't.
They got this issue taken care of around 1:30 - I'm playing telephone line with the office employees the entire time. Luckily these people were able to confirm that the VoIP system wasn't working there, either. That's good news to me because it means it is out of my hands.
Ready or not, here I come!
12:15 roll around and I've been crossing my legs to get to the bathroom - every time I think I have a minute something else pops up. Two of the customer service reps have asked me if I can figure out why their PCs haven't been receiving updates and both are having issues getting Office 2010 - both are easy fixes (the hardest part is getting the laptops in my office from them). One had an interesting IM conversation.
[12:15PM] CS Rep: Hi Draggar, I'm taking my lunch at 12:30, can you work on my laptop them?
[12"15PM] Me: Sure, just turn it off and bring it to my office.
[12:16PM] CS Rep: OK. 14 minutes now.
[12:16PM] Me: NP, I'll be here.
[12:18PM] CS Rep: 12 minutes.
[12:20PM] CS Rep: 10 minutes.
[12:22PM] CS Rep: 8 minutes.
[12:23PM] CS Rep: 7 minutes.
[12:25PM] CS Rep: 5 minutes.
[12:26PM] CS Rep: 4 minutes.
[12:27PM] CS Rep: 3 minutes.
[12:28PM] CS Rep: 2 minutes.
[12:29PM] CS Rep: 1 minutes.
[12:30PM] CS Rep: OK! Here I come!!!!!!!
I had some weird visions of playing some sort of odd-hide and seek game with this rep (she's cute and very nice).
I get it and set it up to get the updates and Office 2010. Mind you, I'm still crossing my legs. I see the light that I might be able to run to the bathroom when...
[12:35] CS Rep2: Can I bring my laptop over?
[12:35] Me: Sure, are you bringing it right over now or do I have 5 minutes?
[12:48] CS Rep2: I'm bringing it over right now.
Luckily after my response I waited a few minutes and then went to the bathroom.
I don't think we support that.
After a short break from the chaos, while the previous two laptops are updating and installing, another rep sends me an IM.
My mousepad is broken - do I log a ticket for that?
Mousepad? Do you mean the mouse or maybe the touchpad on the laptop?
No, my mousepad. The gel started to leak out of where you put your wrist.
You need to have your supervisor order another one, like they would order supplies.
Do I log a ticket for that?
No. Your supervisor orders one, like supplies (organization, pens, etc.) It is not a piece of IT equipment so IT doesn't support it.
Do they log a ticket for that?
No. They ORDER it though procurement.
Couldn't go out without a bang?
As the chaotic day ensued, things did start to slow down. The two customer service reps got their laptops back around 2:00. I sit back and continue to deal with the usual stuff and thinking the day is starting to wind down.
3:00 CS Rep sends me an IM - Office 2007 is still on her PC. I verified that 2010 was on there so I head over (no time to do a reinstall at this point). I see her pulling up Outlook and I tell her that's 2010 and she says that she still has icons for 2007.
Somehow many shortcuts got placed in her start menu to the Office 2007 applications, which didn't get deleted or changed when she was upgraded to Office 2010. Luckily, it is a quick fix (just delete the shortcuts).
Get back to my office and both reps send me an IM - their computer is pulling these updates. So I head back out - they weren't updates. It was Office 2010 "optimizing" their OST (local cached copy of what is on the server) and numerous PSTs (personal folders) - it was going to take a while but they could still use it.
Luckily the day did wind down and I was able to leave on time although a bit stressed and tired.
Went home, played on the PC for a while then we watched "Doomsday" - that's an interesting move (like The Warriors meets Escape from New York meets Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome).
VoIP
Our customer service team will usually start to come in around 9am (this is why I'm in at 7 so I can take care of remote issues - no one in the office to pull me away and the remote computers are rarely being used at that time). 9:05 my screen lights up with IMs faster than the South Park episode where Cartman was looking for an older friend (semi-old school South Park). None of them can make calls (though our VoIP).
I tell them all to hold on while I check it out. I test mine - yep, it's down. I start to check out outage log to see if it's been reported. It hasn't been so I start to send IMs to some people to see if it widespread or just locally.
Meanwhile every 2-3 seconds I get an IM "any updates?". Um, no. After a few minutes of this I open up a conference IM session with the customer service leads and the office's admin so I can communicate with them for any updates and I tell the rest to check with their lead (for the customer service team) or the admin (for the sales team) for updates. Which prompts dozens of "OK" responses - two even said "OK" and then "Is there an update?" Um, no. You all have cell phones, you can use them or just communicate though email. The powers that be are looking into it and I'm their guinea pig for testing.
This issue wasn't resolved before I left so remember that I'm working with these people on this issue the rest of the day.
The printer saga.
10:15 a few IMs come in from a remote office I support. Both start like most IM's do, "Hey Draggar?". I respond "The VoIP system may be down up there if that's what you're IM'ing me about".
Nope. The printers aren't working. I try to remote into them but I can't but I can ping them. In the server one shows as ready and the other shows as offline. I have the office turn off, unplug for a minute, unplug the RJ-45 and then reconnect the RJ-45, plug it back in, and then turn it on. Didn't help. I asked them to check for error messages on the printer displays, nothing. Since it is both printers I know chances are it is not the printer. Of course one person asks "does this mean we finally get a new printer?" nope and there is no such thing as a "new printer" in my company. If you need a replacement chances are the depot will send you an old one from a location that closed - and I'm willing to bet that the people who left weren't too happy at us for closing their building. If you have one and it does the job be glad, even if it is slow and/or loud.
I shoot an IM to our printer people and they start to work on it, I tell them that the VoIP system is down here, possibly in that office, and I'm not sure it's related. It wasn't.
They got this issue taken care of around 1:30 - I'm playing telephone line with the office employees the entire time. Luckily these people were able to confirm that the VoIP system wasn't working there, either. That's good news to me because it means it is out of my hands.
Ready or not, here I come!
12:15 roll around and I've been crossing my legs to get to the bathroom - every time I think I have a minute something else pops up. Two of the customer service reps have asked me if I can figure out why their PCs haven't been receiving updates and both are having issues getting Office 2010 - both are easy fixes (the hardest part is getting the laptops in my office from them). One had an interesting IM conversation.
[12:15PM] CS Rep: Hi Draggar, I'm taking my lunch at 12:30, can you work on my laptop them?
[12"15PM] Me: Sure, just turn it off and bring it to my office.
[12:16PM] CS Rep: OK. 14 minutes now.
[12:16PM] Me: NP, I'll be here.
[12:18PM] CS Rep: 12 minutes.
[12:20PM] CS Rep: 10 minutes.
[12:22PM] CS Rep: 8 minutes.
[12:23PM] CS Rep: 7 minutes.
[12:25PM] CS Rep: 5 minutes.
[12:26PM] CS Rep: 4 minutes.
[12:27PM] CS Rep: 3 minutes.
[12:28PM] CS Rep: 2 minutes.
[12:29PM] CS Rep: 1 minutes.
[12:30PM] CS Rep: OK! Here I come!!!!!!!
I had some weird visions of playing some sort of odd-hide and seek game with this rep (she's cute and very nice).
I get it and set it up to get the updates and Office 2010. Mind you, I'm still crossing my legs. I see the light that I might be able to run to the bathroom when...
[12:35] CS Rep2: Can I bring my laptop over?
[12:35] Me: Sure, are you bringing it right over now or do I have 5 minutes?
[12:48] CS Rep2: I'm bringing it over right now.
Luckily after my response I waited a few minutes and then went to the bathroom.
I don't think we support that.
After a short break from the chaos, while the previous two laptops are updating and installing, another rep sends me an IM.
My mousepad is broken - do I log a ticket for that?
Mousepad? Do you mean the mouse or maybe the touchpad on the laptop?
No, my mousepad. The gel started to leak out of where you put your wrist.
You need to have your supervisor order another one, like they would order supplies.
Do I log a ticket for that?
No. Your supervisor orders one, like supplies (organization, pens, etc.) It is not a piece of IT equipment so IT doesn't support it.
Do they log a ticket for that?
No. They ORDER it though procurement.
Couldn't go out without a bang?
As the chaotic day ensued, things did start to slow down. The two customer service reps got their laptops back around 2:00. I sit back and continue to deal with the usual stuff and thinking the day is starting to wind down.
3:00 CS Rep sends me an IM - Office 2007 is still on her PC. I verified that 2010 was on there so I head over (no time to do a reinstall at this point). I see her pulling up Outlook and I tell her that's 2010 and she says that she still has icons for 2007.
Somehow many shortcuts got placed in her start menu to the Office 2007 applications, which didn't get deleted or changed when she was upgraded to Office 2010. Luckily, it is a quick fix (just delete the shortcuts).
Get back to my office and both reps send me an IM - their computer is pulling these updates. So I head back out - they weren't updates. It was Office 2010 "optimizing" their OST (local cached copy of what is on the server) and numerous PSTs (personal folders) - it was going to take a while but they could still use it.
Luckily the day did wind down and I was able to leave on time although a bit stressed and tired.
Went home, played on the PC for a while then we watched "Doomsday" - that's an interesting move (like The Warriors meets Escape from New York meets Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome).
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